MILLAU BRIDGE

 

Designed by the structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster, 

NORMAN FOSTER:

Name :The Lord Foster of Thames Bank
Nationality :British
Birth date     :1 June 1935 (1935-06-01) (age 74)
Birth place :Stock port, Greater Manchester, England
Work
Practice:Foster + Partners    
Buildings :30 St Mary Axe, London Willis Faber and Dumas Headquarters, Ipswich Wembley Stadium
Projects:American Air Museum at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
Awards :Stirling Prize, Pritzker Architecture Prize, Minerva Medal, Prince of Asturias Award

 

MICHEAL VIRLOGEUX:Dr. Michel Virlogeux  is a French structural engineer and bridge specialist.
Birth date     :1946
Birth place :La Flèche, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France
Education :École Polytechnique École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées Work
Engineering Discipline :Structural engineer
Institution memberships :French Association of Civil Engineering (AFGC)
'Fédération Internationale de Précontrainte' (FIP)
'Fédération Internationale du Béton' (FIB)
Institution of Structural Engineers
Significant projects:Millau Viaduct, France Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal
Significant Awards :IStructE Gold Medal,IABSE Award of Merit,Fritz Leonhardt Prize
 

IN BRIEF:

*It is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one mast's summit at 343 meters (1,125 ft) {slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower and only 37 m (121 ft) shorter than the Empire State Building.}

   *The viaduct  is part of the A75-A71 auto-route axis from Paris to Montpelier      *Construction cost was around €400 million.     

   *The bridge won the 2006 IABSE  Outstanding Structure Award.

                                 

 

MILAU BRIDGE IN NUMBERS:

  * 2,460 m (8,071 ft): total length of the roadway
    * 7: number of piers
    * 77 m (253 ft): height of Pier 7, the shortest
    * 343 m (1,125 ft): height of Pier 2, the tallest (245 m/804 ft at the roadway's              level)
    * 87 m (285 ft): height of a mast
    * 154: number of shrouds
    * 270 m (886 ft): average height of the roadway
    * 4.20 m (13 ft 9 in): thickness of the roadway
    * 32.05 m (105 ft 2 in): width of the roadway
    * 85,000 m3 (111,000 cu yd): total volume of concrete used
    * 290,000 metric tons (320,000 short tons): total weight of the bridge
    * 10,000–25,000 vehicles: estimated daily traffic
    * €6.00–7.50: typical automobile toll, as of December 2009

    * 20 km (12 mi): horizontal radius of curvature of the road deck