Odin’s voyage from China
26 June 2014MT Højgaard was contracted by the city of Odense to build and install a new swing bridge across the central canal in the city. The double swing bridge was 2m x 100m long and 28m wide, with each of the two parts weighing 1,950t. The bridge was loaded at ZPMC quay in Shanghai using two floating cranes with a lifting capacity each of 1,600t.
The Danish firm unloaded the bridge using four shipyard transporters from the former shipyard Lindø and then moved to a storage area. After being unloaded, the two bridge units had to be elevated 1.5m to reach the proper height for installation. This was done using sand ramps during load-in, and no ramp when loading out onto the barge. Smaller parts below 200t were unloaded using a floating crane.
The ring beams, abutment, pedestrian bridge and skidding beams were also installed using the floating crane. The transport of the smaller parts from the temporary storage to the building site was done using the floating crane. MT Højgaard used all three hooks to reduce the number of transports in the Odense canal.
Following the installation of its fence and side lights, the bridge was loaded onto a Nort Sea barge, Ugland UR93 from Norway, and transported into the canal. The shipyard transporters were used as support and sea fastening for the bridge.
The east ring beam was placed on skidding beams for later installation under the bridge, whilst the west bridge was placed directly on the installed ring beam. The east bridge was placed on a concrete foundation. This installation method was chosen to avoid having to operate two different heights of sea fastening on the barge. The eastern foundation is 1.3m higher than the western foundation.
BMS/Krangården handled the skidding of the bridge with a roller system in two lines. The four lifting points were located in a rectangle measuring 13.5m x 3m around the bridge COG. Finally, adjustments of the Bridge COG were done by 50t of steel being placed on top of the bridge. During skidding the COG was less than 100mm from the bridge centre.
The four shipyard transporters were used as contra weights during the skidding of the bridge from the barge onto the ring foundation. This method reduced the amount of water we had to move from one side of the barge to the other with 575t.
Following the installation of the eastern bridge, Sarens were hired to lift the bridge unit approximately 1.2 metres to allow the ring beam to be installed.
Named after the old Norse king of the gods, Odin, the bridge features four motor lanes and a double bicycle lane. Featuring a span of 120m, the total tonnage of the bridge is approximately 5,000 tons, making it the largest double swing bridge in Northern Europe.
