Turkey: Mega bridge project: 64 m above the Sea of Marmara - continued
The proposed structure will be located at the eastern end of the Sea of Marmara, close to Izmit and approximately 50 km from Istanbul, Turkey. Crossing the Bay of Izmit, the bridge (and connecting highway) will provide three lanes of traffic in each direction.
CH2M HILL’s bridge professionals provided full, independent detailed checking services which included a comprehensive assessment of seismic actions requiring state of the art non-linear methods of analysis and a review of the very extensive wind tunnel testing commissioned by the designer.
The bridge is located close to the North Anatolian Fault which is one of the most active earthquake zones in the world. This has resulted in the adoption of special measures to resist seismic effects including the adoption of steel inclusion piles to improve ground conditions below the tower foundations.
These foundations are placed on a layer of gravel that acts as a seismic fuse to dissipate energy under extreme seismic loading. Extensive linear, non-linear, and dynamic modelling was carried out including detailed finite element models and complex modelling of the non-linear behaviour of the seismic fuses.
Deck Construction
Crane service provider Aydin Vinc A.S. is tasked with making sure the logistics run smoothly when constructing this large-scale project – with the help of a new Sennebogen 5500 crawler crane with 180 t load capacity.
A modern, six-lane suspension bridge is under construction across the Sea of Marmara near the Turkish town of Izmit.
Customer Aydin Vinc A.S. is using a 180 t Sennebogen 5500 crawler crane for lifting and logistics tasks where the bridge is being built.
The Izmit Bay Bridge is being built around 50 km southeast of Istanbul and will be the longest and most advanced suspension bridge in the world.