The Abetxuko Bridge is a steel
girder bridge
A girder bridge is a bridge that uses girders as the means of supporting its deck. The two most common types of modern steel girder bridges are plate and box.
The term "girder" is often used interchangeably with "beam" in reference to bridge de ...
with organic forms in
Vitoria-Gasteiz
es, vitoriano, vitoriana,
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, blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s)
, blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
,
Álava
Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see.
Its ca ...
,
Basque Country,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
The
Abetxuko
Abetxuko (in Basque and officially, according to the Royal Academy of the Basque language ''Abetxuku'', ''Abechuco'' in Spanish) is a village in the municipality of Vitoria-Gasteiz in Álava, Basque Country, Spain. It is located on the outskirts ...
Bridge over the
Zadorra River
The Zadorra is a river tributary of the Ebro in the Basque Country at the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The river flows across province Álava all along (with the exception of Burgos' exclave La Puebla de Arganzon) till it pours into the Ebro n ...
is one of several projects being built by Vitoria council to improve mobility for its citizens and, above all, for the inhabitants of the Abetxuko area who for several decades have only been able to reach the city centre via an old, -wide bridge. The narrow deck on the old bridge only has space for two carriageways and a narrow pedestrian walkway. Crossing the bridge was risky for pedestrians as they are so close to the traffic, a danger which the council decided to eliminate in 2005. Also the old bridge had limited hydraulic capacity. It remains just to the east of the current bridge.
The construction of the bridge was also central to the regeneration plan for the area (the green corridor of Vitoria). The project was intended to improve the mobility between the Abetxuko neighbourhood and the centre of Vitoria, connecting the neighbours physically and socially.
Description
The bridge is a continuous structure with three spans, 2 of and a main span of , and a total deck width of .
It carries four road traffic lanes, a central tramway line with two tracks, and two pedestrian walkways. The structural system consists of two parallel trusses with organic forms, their dimensions adjusted according to the structural requirements. The trusses are inclined 5° from the vertical to create a more dynamic appearance for the bridge.
The structure is formed by two longitudinal trusses. The design of the trusses goes beyond the traditional forms, and introduces complex forms of organic shapes whose dimensions fit the resistant requirements. The designers responsible for the creation of the bridge, who have defined the structure as a living work capable of fitting into its surroundings, have used
weathering steel
Weathering steel, often referred to by the genericised trademark COR-TEN steel and sometimes written without the hyphen as corten steel, is a group of steel alloys which were developed to eliminate the need for painting, and form a stable rus ...
to recall the work of Basque artists such as
Chillida
Eduardo Chillida Juantegui, or Eduardo Txillida Juantegi in Basque (10 January 1924 – 19 August 2002), was a Spanish Basque sculptor notable for his monumental abstract works.
Early life and career
Born in San Sebastián (Donostia) to Ped ...
and
Oteiza
Oteiza or Oteiza de la Solana (Oteitza in Basque), is a village and a Spanish municipality of the Foral Community of Navarra, located in the ''merindad'' of Estella, in the Estella Oriental region, 51 km from the capital of the community, Pa ...
.
The traditional truss spaces become alveoli of varied forms whose appearance invites very different perspectives. The bridge has the property of changing in colour over time, something that, together with the shadows it projects at certain times of the day, transforms it into a structure that changes together with its surroundings.
The total cost of the structure was approximately €2.7million (935 €/m2), which is only about 10-15% more than a standard steel bridge of the same dimensions.
Construction
Construction of the bridge began in March 2006, and was successfully completed in December.
See also
Juan Sobrino
Juan Sobrino is a civil engineer, known internationally for designing more than 400 bridges, introduction of advanced materials in bridges and innovative bridge designs. He is the founder of Pedelta, an international structural engineering firm.
...
References
External links
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Bridges in the Basque Country (autonomous community)
Bridges completed in 2006
Truss bridges
Steel bridges in Spain
Weathering steel