2013

technical
data sheet

Jacques-Chaban-Delmas

Bridge
Schedule

Why build a vertical-lift bridge

in the centre of the city ?

october 2009
Work begins

Connecting the boulevards on either side of the river.

Providing an impetus for new urban development projects on the banks of the Garonne.
Ensuring that the river remains navigable right into the historic centre of Bordeaux,
thePort de la Lune.
Integrating the architectural and technical project into the urban environment,
landscape and heritage.
The dimension and design of the bridge allow it to handle different transport systems:
Bus, Tram, Train.
The constraints and environmental imperatives revealed by impact studies.
Longitudinal section and structural outline
scale 1:400

Right Bank - Brazza

Left bank - Bacalan

november 2009
Construction of the baseplates and cutwaters
begins in the Bassens dry docks

december 2009
Laying of the foundation stone

june 2010-march 2011

Baseplates and cutwaters installed

2011 - summer 2012

Fixed sections of the deck laid

october 2012
Lifting section installed

16 mars 2013
Bridges inauguration

18 march 2013
Opening

Live
In pictures !

Bridge specifications

433
117
5
106

roadway length

m length of mobile, lifting section

traves

including 1 lifting section

width of navigable passage

53

air draft beneath the lifted section

60
11
2x2
2

predicted number of lifts in a year

minutes

time to raise roadway (and to lower)

car lanes

dedicated public
transport lanes

lanes

for pedestrians, cycles and users

withrestricted mobility

Many movies and photographic reports have

shown the lift-bridge called Jacques ChabanDelmas all along its building process.
Find all of them on www.pontchabandelmas.
lacub.fr. And get to live the official opening
highlights again. Or find out more about the
main building stages, as decribed throughout
this brochure, such as when the base and its
upstream and downstream dolphins were put
into position, back in june 2010. You might
also have a look on an online movie about a
3D-navigation simulator, designed with the
help of the Pilotes de la Gironde navigators
association. And, last but not least, you
may want to live through the up and down
movement of the bridge span, as if you were
there, thanks to a permanent webcam settled
on the left bank of the river.
Thus doing, La Cub intends to keep memory
of the bridges building and living process and
to share it all with you on the Internet : enjoy !

The site in 8 steps

Left bank

Right bank

Pillar base

Upstream
cutwater

Downstream
cutwater

Dry dock: Length:240m, Width 32m, Depth: 15m

Step 1

Left bank

Step 2

Right bank

Step 3

Left bank

Right bank

Step 4

Right bank

Step 5

Left bank

Left bank

Left bank

Right bank

Step 6

Right bank

Left bank

Right bank

cutwater
fixed deck
pillar base

lifting section

Step 7

Step 8

Constructing and installing

the fixed deck

November 2009 and October 2010: construction of

the jetties on the right bank
October 2010: construction of the jetties on the left
bank

Summer 2010: preparation for the final assembly

of the fixed deck was performed in Italy by Cimola
Company (the main framework is composed of three
steel beams), including the pedestrian sections
July 2011: the parts which make up the fixed deck
arrived via maritime freight, and were assembled on
the right bank
December 2011: left bank section of the fixed deck laid

Height 82m

Lift shaft
Disabled access
Glass casing

50

1000

1830

2200

The jetties

Cross section and foundation

of the towers

6280

Step 5

4400

Step 1

Pulley for the suspension cable which

lifts the central section

Step 2

Spiral staircase

Prefabrication of base sections

and cutwaters

Left bank - Bacalan

Right bank -Brazza

3700

5800

2011: the four towers were cast on site using

formworkmoulds.

Top of the base +5,8 m

2000

Construction of the pillars and concrete

reinforcement of the fixed deck

1500200

Step 6

Height -5,2 m
Mechanism housing

600
350

150

2300

2500

16900

500

Z: 0.000

4700

November 2009:
construction in the Bassens drydocks

150

50

2200

R1
50
0

Z: -11.100
Bedding thickness 0.60 m
34.00 m x 114.00 m

Step 3
Pillar foundations and cutwaters towed
into place and anchored
June 2010 right bank: structural elements towed into
place then driven into the river bed
March 2011 left bank: same process repeated

Z: -27.000

Step 7
Installation of the lifting mechanism
inside the towers; construction
ofthe lifting section; dismantling
oftheaccess jetties
2012
C

Platform

Glass casing
Spiral staircase

Guard rail

Navigation simulator

Foundations laid, tower cranes

mounted; construction of the pillars
which will hold the fixed deck
withthehelp ofcofferdams
Mid 2010 to mid-2011

1500

1200

Step 4

1000

Step 8

Lift shaft
Disabled access

Installation of the lifting section

23 october 2012

Each base consists of 20 foundation stakes of

1600mm diameter poured directly into metal casing.
The middle pillar on the right bank sits on 25 steel
stakes. The left bank pillar is based on a shallow
foundation which sits atop a bed of marl mudstone.
The abutments on the right and left banks are
founded on stakes housed in metal casing. The left
bank abutment is founded on 30 foundation stakes,
each 800 mm in diameter and cased in metal. The
right bank abutment is founded on 13 foundation
stakes, also 800 mm in diameter and cased in metal.

From March to June 2010, tests were

conducted using a 3D simulator in order
to analyse and optimise navigation around
the bridge. This research was conducted
for thebenefit of all those who sail on the
Garonne, allowing us to predict the navigation
conditions created by the new bridge.

The mechanism and the base

Project leaders
Commissioning authority
Communaut urbaine
deBordeaux
direction desGrands travaux
etdesInvestissements
dedplacement
direction delaVoirie
service desOuvrages dart

17/06/10
Arrival of the first pillar base, right bank

Design and construction

consortium
Vinci construction
(GTM Sud Ouest TP GC)
Technical Design
EGIS-Jean Muller International
Architecture and structures:
Lavigne etCheron
Michel Virlogeux
Glass
Coveris

Drum

Concrete supplier
Garandeau

Secondary reducer

Concrete reinforcement
Cepaba
Motors and primary reducer

Lift design
Hardesty & Hanover
Construction and installation
of steel framework
Cimola, Sarens

Secondary reducer

Downstream column
Drum

Base P3

Technical inspections
Socotec

Right bank Bastide

Upstream column

Topographical supervision
Pedezert-Labeille
Diving (foundations)
S. Romoeuf
Power supply
Vinci Energie
Energy and information
technology
GTM Santerne

River Garonne

Automated systems
Actemium
Telecom systems
Axens
Underwater cables
Cepeca
Health and safety
GM Qualit
External checks
SNCF -Dpartement
desOuvrages dArt

Winch drum - NFM Factory,

Creusot

Lighting design
Y. Kersal

A giant elevator
The lifting section of the Chaban-Delmas bridge
is an impressive structure: 2750 tons of metal
fitting together flawlessly!
Achieving this feat requires an elaborate elevator
system, designed to use as little energy as
possible. In each of the four pylons of the bridge,
a cable system (connected one side to the span
and the other side to a heavy counterweight)
winds on enormous pulleys located in the
upper reaches of the pylons. This mechanism
is operated from the control station on the right
bank, driven by two 132 KW motors and winch
systems housed in the base of the bridge.
The total weight of the counterweight is
2694tons: 56 tons less than the weight
ofthemobile section!
Thus, in the down position, the lifting section
is held in place by this extra weight known as
theimbalance, by simple effect of gravity.

Lighting
Citeos
Lifting system operator
Eiffage Construction Mtallique
pulleys

Further information
www.pontchabandelmas.lacub.fr
Cap Sciences observation kiosk
Hangar 20 - Quai de Bacalan 33300 Bordeaux
tl. +335 56 01 07 07

counterweights

www.cap-sciences.net

cables

Lifting section

technical data sheet

for the Chaban-Delmas Bridge
motor + winch

Communaut urbaine
de Bordeaux
05 56 99 84 84
Graphic Design
Le Big, in partnership
with the Cubs
Communications Department
Text
Cub