Rio-Antirrio Link:

Internationally Acclaimed Technical Achievement

By ILIAS ILIOPOULOS

I
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n a few months, there will be another option open for those wishing to drive between the Peleponnese and Sterea Ellada, in addition to the already-existing bridge at the Corinth Isthmus linking Corinthia with Attica (Eastern Greece). The Rio Antirrio Bridge is set to open, linking Rio (Achaia) with Antirrio (Aitoloakarnania) in Western Greece. Construction work began on the bridge in December 1997, and it is expected to be opened up to traffic in 2004. The bridge is, to begin with, a great infrastructure project, an important step for the area and one which will bring many benefits, both economic and social, to Western Greece, and, by extension, to Greece as a whole. The permanent connection between Rio and Antirrio will mark the beginning of a new period of growth: local communities, markets, ports will be upgraded, there will be greater opportunities for cultural and technological cooperation and the E.U. will acquire a state-of-the-art route to the Middle East via Greece. Above and beyond all this, however, the new bridge is a

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The permanent connection between Rio and Antirrio will mark the beginning of a new period of growth: local communities, markets, ports will be upgraded
unique achievement of modern technology. Its design and construction required close, creative co-operation between constructors, industry and Greek universities. The bridges importance is demonstrated by the strong interest it has generated among researchers and scientists from all over the world, as the bridge incorporates top construction technology and demanded pioneering innovative solutions to seemingly insurmountable technical difficulties.

The Rio Antirrio link consists of:

A cable-stayed bridge, 2 252 metres long, with four pylons. The openings are 286 metres, 560 metres, 560 metres, 560 metres and 286 metres in length. Two approach viaducts, 392 metres in length on the Rio side and 239 metres in length on the Antirrio side. The deck is 27.2 metres wide, with two lanes for traffic, a safety lane and a pavement in each direction. The special demands required of the design and construction stem from the environmental features of the area, particularly the great depth that the 4 pylons were set below sea level, the high level of seismic activity in the area, tectonic movement in the region generally, and the poor quality of the seabed, a set of problems never before encountered to such a degree anywhere in the world. The foundations of the pylons go down 65 metres beneath the seabed (the bridge is the only one whose pylons are set so deep below sea level). The seabed consists of thick layers of clay mixed in some places with fine sand and mud. As a result, the seabed needed reinforcing before construction could begin. In the Gulf of Corinth, especially on the northern shores of the Peleponnese, there are many active tectonic fault lines, such as the one at Xylokastro, Egio, Eliki, Psathopyrgos and Patras. These fault lines are responsible for tectonic movement and the majority of earthquakes which occur in the general area where the bridge is being built. The Rio shore is actually moving away from the Antirrio shore at an average rate of 8 millimetres a year. Of course, tectonic movement also occurs in other directions; up and down and side to side. The main Rio-Antirrio bridge has been designed to withstand movement, in any direction, of up to two metres between any two neighbouring pylons

and moderate turning (leaning) of the pylons (1/500). As for the seismic activity in the region, a look back through history will show that the Gulf of Patras and Gulf of Corinth region in general is subject to seismic activity leading to quakes in excess of 6.0 on the Richter scale (M6). As an indication of the problems, the Egio quake of 15th June 1995 measured 6.5 on the Richter Scale. The seismic response spectrum on the surface of the seabed where the Rio-Antirrio bridges pylons will be set has a maximum seismic acceleration equivalent to 48% of the acceleration of gravity (g) and a maximum response acceleration 1.2 times greater than the acceleration of gravity. This is equal to an earthquake of a magnitude experienced once every 2000 years in the region (in the major quake in Turkey recently, which measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, the acceleration was 40%). The study for the bridge also provided for a central opening 300 metres wide and 50 metres high in the bridge for shipping to pass. The foundation platforms could withstand impact with a tanker of 180 000 tonnes travelling at 18 knots. Very strong winds also blow in the Rio-Antirrio Straits on occasions. The reference speed and the characteristics of the turbulent flow in the area around the bridge were determined by very extensive wind measurements taken along both shores joined by the bridge. Aerodynamic tests made using a wind tunnel and simulations of the natural

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environment confirmed that the deck of the bridge will remain stable as far as gallop and flutter are concerned at wind speeds of up to 265 kilometres an hour. Winds of such speed fall within the hurricane category and have never been reported in the region where the bridge is located. The main cable-stayed bridge (the largest in the world) consists of three central openings of 560 metres each and one opening at each end of the bridge, measuring 286 metres each. It is supported by four pylons standing in the sea, with an approach viaduct at each end. The pylons of the main bridge are set in the seabed at depths ranging from 48 to 65 metres. The soil in which the pylons stand was first reinforced with metal pipes two metres in diameter, made of two-centimetre thick metal and measuring 25 to 30 metres in length. In all more than 450 pipes have been used, with a total length of 20 kilometres and a total weight of 20 000 tonnes. The pylons, which rise up to 227 metres above the seabed, are built of reinforced concrete and are embedded in a concrete caisson with a diameter of 90 metres. Each caisson weighs approximately 170 tonnes (250 000 cubic metres of concrete have been used to build the bridge). The deck of the bridge is 27.2 metres wide, with two lanes for traffic in each direction. It is a composite structure with a metal frame which is connected to the twenty-fivecentimetre thick top slab of the deck by shearing connectors. The deck is continuous along the whole length

of the 2 252 metres (2 883 if the access bridges are included) and fully suspended from the four pylons by 368 cables, one cable every twelve metres along the length of the deck (in total, 40 kilometres of cables weighing 5 000 tonnes will be used). The cable system consists of parallel galvanised strands enclosed in high-density polyethylene pipes. These cables have three "layers" of protection against corrosion: they are galvanised, the pipes are filled with an anti-corrosive filling and there is the pipe itself. The largest cable which will be used is approximately 20 centimetres in diameter. The deck is connected at the height of the pylons by devices designed to dampen the effect of earthquakes, a series of dampeners approximately ten metres long and ten tonnes in weight. Each one is capable of resisting strain of some 350 tonnes. During an earthquake, these "shock absorbers" will absorb movement caused by the quake. The total cost of the bridge (at todays prices) comes to approximately 800 million euros. The project is funded as follows: 10% - Share capital (shareholders equity of the contractor the franco-greek consortium Gefyra SA. provided by its shareholders). 45% - Financial contribution from the Greek State. 45% - Loan from the European Investment Bank, guaranteed by a retail banking group. The bridge will be run by the contracting company for a maximum of 42 years from the commencement date of the associated contract (24.12.1997). When the contract has expired, the bridge will be handed over to the Greek State, which will take full control of its operation. Great benefits will arise as a result of the bridge. The crossing time will be minimised, (down from 45 minutes today, weather permitting, to less than 5 minutes). According to estimates, when the bridge is open to traffic, it will be used by approximately 10 000 vehicles a day (though on busy days this figure could rise to 25 000). Studies have shown that, in comparison with 1995 (at which time, an average of 7 000 vehicles made the crossing,) the number using the bridge will be bolstered by the expected increase in local traffic, as in effect, Achaia and Aitoloakarnania will become a "united" region, around which transport will be fast and easy, without the problems which have been encountered up until now due to delays to the ferry service and poor weather. Most of the technical details used to produce this article were taken from an article by the Technical Manager of the "Gefyra" Consortium, P. Papanikolas, which was published in the Annual edition of "EXPRESS" re. Patras (June 2003). I

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