It was reported that on April 13th, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area super project, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link Bridge, entered the bridge load test phase. A convoy of up to 136 heavy trucks with a total weight of about 5000 tons will undergo "physical examinations" for the Zhongshan Bridge, the Lingdingyang Bridge, and the non-navigational span bridge of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link Bridge.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link Bridge is a world-class "bridge, island, tunnel, underwater interchange" cross-sea cluster project with a total length of about 24 kilometers. Currently, the project's electromechanical, traffic safety, road surface, and ancillary construction are being vigorously promoted, aiming to achieve conditions for opening to traffic by June of this year. Once completed and opened to traffic, the journey from Shenzhen to Zhongshan will be shortened from the current approximately 2 hours to within 30 minutes.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link conducted bridge load tests. Shen Zhong captured the scene.
Load tests are a crucial step before opening a bridge to traffic, divided into static and dynamic tests. By simulating the equivalent load conditions of traffic, on-site testing of the bridge's various components (such as the main beam, main tower, and cables) provides data on their responses, determining whether the bridge's load-bearing capacity meets design and regulatory requirements. This process also establishes initial data for long-term health monitoring and provides scientific basis and support for future maintenance and management decisions.
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link bridge project spans approximately 17 kilometers, including the cable-stayed Zhongshan Bridge, the world's largest-span offshore steel box girder suspension bridge Lingdingyang Bridge, and the non-navigable span viaduct. To efficiently conduct the load tests, the project selected four representative sites, including a 60-meter-span concrete beam, a 110-meter-span steel box girder, the 580-meter main span of Zhongshan Bridge, and the 1666-meter main span of Lingdingyang Bridge, covering all structural types of offshore bridges.
Bridge load tests are being conducted on the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel. Photo by Shen Zhong.
In the static load test of the Zhongshan Bridge, 64 large trucks will be arranged in a grid formation of 8x8 at predetermined positions on the bridge span, as calculated by engineers. Engineers will retrieve data from pre-installed sensors and other equipment to monitor bridge displacement and stress levels. Additionally, to mitigate the effects of complex wind patterns, temperature variations, and temporary loads over the sea, the load test is scheduled to take place during nighttime when winds are calm, temperatures are stable, and temporary traffic is minimal.
According to reports, the bridge load test for the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel project will continue until April 17th.
