Sheikh Zayed Bridge Zaha Hadid

Blanco, John Aaron T.

Designed by British female architect and Pritzker Prize winner, Dame

Zaha Hadid, the striking 842-metre-long, 64-metre-high Sheikh Zayed
Bridge is said to be the most complex bridge ever built.
Its curved arches evoke undulating sand dunes and it features a dynamic
lighting design, with subtle colours that flow across its spine. Its road
decks are suspended from symmetrical steel arches, creating a wave-form
with a fluid silhouette.

Architectural Design Brief of Sheikh

Zayed Bridge
 Conceived in an open setting, the beautiful bridge has
the prospect of becoming a destination in itself and
potential catalyst in the future urban growth of Abu
Dhabi.
 A collection, or strands of bridge structures, gathered on
one shore, are lifted and ‘propelled’ over the length of
the channel.
 A sinusoidal waveform provides the structural
silhouette shape across the channel.
 The mainland is the launch pad for the sheikh zayed Unique geometry, harsh
bridge structure emerging from the ground and
approach road. conditions
 The Road decks are cantilevered on each side of the Complex and extensive temporary structural
spine structure of the bridge. steel works were needed to erect the distinctive
 Steel arches rise and spring from mass concrete piers structure under extremely tight time constraints.
asymmetrically, in length, between the road decks to Even more, it took a seasoned construction firm
mark the mainland and the navigation channels. to successfully coordinate the activities of the
 The spine splits and splays from one shore along the 2,300 people working on the bridge, often very
central void position, diverging under the road decks to high from the ground and in high-traffic areas.
the outside of the roadways at the other end of the Finally, the diverse equipment needed for the
construction, which included 22 cranes and 11
bridge.
marine barges, had to be precisely mobilized
 The main bridge arch structure rises to a height of 60 m and timed. The structure of the bridge itself must
above water level with the road crowning to a height of be built to last and able to withstand high wind
20 meters above mean water level. speeds, extreme temperatures and potential
earthquakes.
 Sheikh Zayed Bridge Zaha Hadid
Blanco, John Aaron T.

The work itself has strategic value for city transport.

The bridge’s eight lanes (four in each direction) allow 16,000
vehicles to pass per hour, cutting travel time by 15 minutes
The Bridge
from the international airport to downtown Abu Dhabi.
Further enhancing the bridge’s overall impact, the Emirates
also began construction of a coastal road that passes right on
During
the bridge and connects the outlying area with “Corniche,” the
center of Abu Dhabi. Construction

Zaha Hadid’s architectural

patrimony
Abu Dhabi called on Zaha Hadid to design such an
icon of the Emirates for a reason. Known the world
over for her innovative projects, the Iraqi architect
took up the challenge with two plans in mind: the first
called “zig-zag” and the second “sand dunes.” The
idea behind the approved plan was to symbolize desert
sand dunes while also creating an arch that served as
the gateway to the city.

The arches are constructed of steel and are linked

together by blocks of concrete reinforced with
steel cables. Almost 500 tons of concrete, 5,000
tons of pre-stressed steel and 2,000 tons of
foundation steel were used.
 Sheikh Zayed Bridge Zaha Hadid
Blanco, John Aaron T.

LIGHTING
The lighting scenarios comprise of dynamic coloured
light that smoothly flows across the channel. The
luminous gesture creates an embracing landscape of
colors for the users of the bridge and a scenic feature for
distant viewers.
The highly artistic lighting scenarios designed by Arup,
reflect Abu Dhabi’s soul. A specially developed
‘language of light’ celebrates religious traditions,
festivities and public events together with the people of
United Arab Emirates.
With new moon the bridge lighting links with the
appearance of the Grand Mosque. Once a month both
iconic pieces of architecture appear tinted in deep blue
colours and create awareness of urban connectivity.
The initial lighting concept was developed at Hollands
Licht by Rogier van der Heide. The lighting design was
further detailed with an international design team at
Arup. The final project phases, including programming
of 13 artistic scenarios, were led by Simone Collon.

Abu Dhabi bridge: the beginning of an “impossible project”

“Year zero” for this impressive work was 2003, when the first foundational stone was laid. Everyone, clients
included, was well aware of the project’s complexity, but no one predicted that work would be stalled and
postponed on three separate occasions and that both time and costs would increase considerably.
Preparing the bridge’s foundations was also a complex operation. First, the sea arm had to be isolated and work
was to be carried out on a parallel bridge.
The final step in construction came on November 25, 2010, when the Sheikh Zayed Bridge was inaugurated by
Sheikh Khalifa, President of the United Arab Emirates.
The Sheikh Zayed Bridge’s design perfectly represents the Baghdad-born architect’s philosophy. (In 2010, she
was listed by TIME as one of the world’s 100 most influential personalities).
 Sheikh Zayed Bridge Zaha Hadid
Blanco, John Aaron T.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:
 The advanced engineering approach comprised a huge computer model, rapid exchange of
information (usually overnight), and treating human relationships as a priority.
 The extensive false work, including the 60 m high towers that were used to position the 600 t arch
segments, the welding of 90 mm thick plate in 30 to 50oC temperatures, the use of
thermocouples and insulation for the mass concrete pours were all innovative.
 When wet concrete is poured, it is supported partly by temporary structures which are flexible, and
partly by concrete that has already hardened. This results in differential deflections that require
compensation during construction.
 The complexities of the structure and its changes of shape as it is constructed, there was the
issue of the massive concrete pours in the foundations of up to 3,000 m3 at a time.
 A very real problem was the possibility that because the unusual bridge shape was so difficult to
analyze, Buckland & Taylor's calculations might not agree with those of the Owner's Engineer
(High-Point Rendel of the UK) resulting in the Contractor's methods not being approved.
 Buckland & Taylor Ltd. was responsible for revising rebar details and post-tensioning profiles from
those in the design drawings, to keep stresses within limits at all times.
 Approximately 400 changes were made to the permanent design to suit the erection and when
complete, the bridge flawlessly passed a load test of double normal design loads.
 The Sheikh Zayed Bridge represents an advanced engineering approach comprising a huge computer
model, extreme care in its use, rapid exchange of information (usually overnight), and treating
human relationships as a priority.
 The complex falsework safely supported the 11,000 tonnes of structural steel, 4,500 t of
prestressing steel, 36,000 t of reinforcing steel and 250,000 m3 of concrete.
 Archirodon spent much time on finding the most efficient methods of constructing the bridge. The
temporary works (falsework) were designed to be re-used at as many locations as possible.
Sheikh Zayed Bridge Zaha Hadid
Blanco, John Aaron T.

SKETCHES AND GRAWING

Sheikh Zayed Bridge Zaha Hadid
Blanco, John Aaron T.
Is the Sheikh Zayed Bridge an Architectural or an Engineering master piece.
The bridge is basically an engineering project, yet I believe the project was recognized as a piece
of architecture. In addition to the fact that Zaha Hadid is an architect, the bridge is notable for its unique
design, its beauty, and the idea that only architects are capable of creating. Since it is all about
engineering, the bridge's form, design, structure, and strength are also studied. A study on structure can
also be conducted by architects. And the engineer's job is only to determine if the design has enough
strength to support construction or not. This project is regarded as a masterpiece of architecture because it
has won the Global Road Achievement Award in the design category from the International Road
Federation (IRF).