VSH Turòa nad Bodvou - Nemetschek Scia

Type: Arched bridge
Location: Schaarbeek, Belgium (L36N between Brussels-North
and Diegem)
Owner: Infrabel, Belgium
Architect: Tuc Rail, Belgium
Erection Engineering: Ingenieursbureau STENDESS N.V.,
Lovendegem, Belgium
Check of the bridge during erection
Contractor: Victor Buyck Steel Construction N.V., Eeklo, Belgium
Total steel weight: ± 1.650 tons
Total length: 136 m
Building period: 2005
Short description of the project
It concerns the launching of a new bridge for the use of HST (High
Speed Train) traffic at Schaarbeek, Brussels. The new bridge is an
arched bridge with an orthotropic deck. The arches are built-up
box girders. The main beams are built-up I-sections underneath the
orthotropic deck.
In order to reduce the disturbance of the train traffic under the
bridge, the new arched bridge was erected on a newly build
concrete bridge. On this concrete bridge the new arched bridge
was built together and prepared for launching.
Between the existing train tracks erection towers with skids were
built to support the new bridge during launching. The positions of
these erection towers were very non symmetrical because of the
high density of tracks below. This caused an extra difficulty in the
engineering study of the bridge launching.
Ingenieursbureau Stendess N.V. was asked to check the new
bridge during launching and to calculate and propose solutions
for a safe launching.
Several options were calculated and discussed with Victor Buyck
Steel Construction. Challenges like global and local reinforcement
of the main beam and launching with a launching nose lengths
from 10 to 30 m, were investigated and judged. The solution with
a launching nose of 30 m long was chosen. Because of the risk
of buckling the buckling length of the bridge, diagonals were
reduced by placing a horizontal lattice girder.
During the launching, the reactions and the deformations of
the bridge and launching nose were constantly compared with
the calculated values in order to secure a safe launching. The
launching itself was done smoothly and within 7 hours the bridge
was in place.
Use of ESA-Prima Win and SCIA•ESA PT
Description of technical questions to be solved with
ESA-Prima Win
The complete 3D-model was formed with bars, the orthotropic
deck plate was put together as 2D-elements. To realize a realistic
behaviour of the bridge it was necessary to calculate and correct
Launching of arched bridge LN36 Schaarbeek, Belgium
the effective width of the upper flange of the main beams along
the whole bridge length and this for each launching phase. The
effective widths were calculated according EC3 and based upon
the M-lines in the main beam obtained by ESA-Prima Win. The
corrections of the effective width could be easily done by the “rib”
module in ESA-Prima Win.
To avoid overload of the concrete bridge on which the launching
started and on the erection towers it was necessary to perform
constantly corrections with regard to altitude, real precision work.
The input in EPW and obtaining the results of these altitude corrections
out of ESA-Prima Win went smoothly.
The check of the local impact of the reactions into bridge was done
based on EC3 with the use of the results given by ESA-Prima Win.
The altitude corrections, the reactions on the erection towers and
the deformation of the launching nose were calculated for each
launching phase. The results obtained from ESA-Prima Win could
easily be put in table and graphics in order to obtain a document in
which theory and praxis during the launching could be compared
and a safe launching was possible.
Description of our experience with Esa-Prima Win when
realizing the project
• Checking the structure as a combined model with 1D-2D-3D
elements and with a high hyperstatic degree according EC 3.
• The possibility of building up a flexible model to simulate the
different altitude correction on the erection towers.
• The possibility of changing the effective width of the orthotropic
deck along the bridge length.
• The short calculation time for the model pro launching phase
and the easy and fast way to do a global check according
EC 3. This was very important because of the high number of
launching phases to be considered.
Used modules
• Base
• 3D frame
• 3D shell
• Steel code check (EC3)
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