Comparison of construction methods of the Pingtang Bridge in China and the Millau Viaduct in France

Abstract

The cable-stayed bridge is a kind of bridge deck system under pressure and a support system under tension. The Pingtang Bridge is 2135m long, with the main bridge being 249.5m + 550m + 550m + 249.5m three-tower, double cable-faced steel and hybrid combination girder cable-stayed bridge. Its highest cable-stayed tower is 320m, making it the third highest bridge structure in the world. The Millau Viaduct is 2460 m long, with two end spans of 204 m each and six central spans of 342 m each. Its tallest tower is 343 m, making it the second tallest bridge structure in the world. The two bridges suffer from similar climatic and geological factors, but the construction methods differ significantly. This paper summarizes the similarities between the construction methods of the two bridges and compares their differences. Results show that the construction methods of the Milo Viaduct are very creative, challenging and technically difficult, and the construction methods of the Pingtang Bridge are operational and imitative.