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½ðÁ«Ö±²¥Carbon stay cable technology

The patented BBR® Carbon stays have an exceptional high fatigue strength combined with light weight, corrosion-free properties. This makes the system highly suitable for bridges with high traffic loads and for structures in corrosive environments, such as offshore platforms, or in industrial zones. ½ðÁ«Ö±²¥installed carbon stay cables for the Storchen Bridge in Switzerland - the world's first bridge to feature carbon stay cables.

Storchenbrücke, Winterthur (Switzerland)

A first in carbon technology

As early as 1996, ½ðÁ«Ö±²¥installed carbon stay cables for the Storchenbrücke bridge in Switzerland - the world's first bridge to feature carbon stay cables. Its high fatigue resistance, light weight and corrosion-free characteristics make the system highly suitable for bridges with high traffic loads and for structures in corrosive environments, such as offshore platforms, or in industrial zones.

Anchorage configuration

½ðÁ«Ö±²¥Carbon stay anchorages consist of up to 241 CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer) wires of 5mm diameter and a corresponding load-carrying capacity of 12,000 kN. Its breaking load is up to 90% of the total wire capacity.

BBR, in collaboration with EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing & Research), developed an anchorage system consisting of an anchor sleeve with conical inner boring, filled with graded layers of ceramic granules and polymer resin. No grouting is required because the ½ðÁ«Ö±²¥Carbon stay system is corrosion-free.

Lifecycle

Life-cycle costing takes into account the predicted inspection and maintenance costs over the lifetime of a bridge - usually 100 years. Costs are evaluated by calculating the Net Present Value of the expenditure stream using a cash discount rate, typically of 6%.

Using this approach, CRFP is the material best-suited for suspenders and stay cables - based on the cost-effectiveness of the finished and installed product - as compared to the life expectancy and cost of the alternatives.

½ðÁ«Ö±²¥Stay Cable References

½ðÁ«Ö±²¥Stay Cable References

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CFRP stays application

½ðÁ«Ö±²¥Carbon stay cables were developed in 1994 and the first application was in April 1996, on the twin-span cable stayed Storchen bridge in Winterthur, Switzerland. ½ðÁ«Ö±²¥Carbon Stay cables were installed alongside traditional ½ðÁ«Ö±²¥DINA parallel wire cables. Monitoring shows excellent results. An interesting phenomenon has been observed between the two stay systems – unlike in steel tendons, the thermal expansion of CFRP stays is almost zero. Therefore, a seasonal variation of the cable force can clearly be observed.