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RM Bridge Streamlines Design and Analysis of South America’s Longest Suspension Bridge

RM Bridge Streamlines Design and Analysis of South America’s Longest Suspension Bridge
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RM Bridge Streamlines Design and Analysis of South America’s Longest Suspension Bridge - 1

CASE STUDY Project Summary Organization: Ministerio Obras Públicas de Chile Solution: Bridges Location: Island of Chiloe, Llanquihue, Chile Project Objective: • Design and deliver the USD 740 million Chacao Channel Bridge to connect the Island of Chiloe to the mainland. • Perform bridge analysis and construction simulation to determine structural resiliency during seismic and natural events. Products used: RM Bridge, gINT Fast Facts • The Chacao Channel Bridge will be the longest suspension bridge in South America, with 1,055- and 1,155-meter main spans that will clear the Chacao Channel by 50 meters. • Bentley software streamlined the evaluation of alternatives that were prepared under changing design requirements, and facilitated work sharing and cross checking among team members. ROI • Global analysis with RM Bridge saved time and reduced costs by simplifying information exchange with other software. • The detailed wind studies, timehistory analyses, and seismic scenarios helped to improve the quality of the bridge design. • Upon completion in 2020, the Chacao Channel Bridge will improve quality of life, commerce, and tourism for the Island of Chiloe and the port city of Puerto Montt. • Replacing the sporadic ferry service across the rough channel is estimated to result in a 6 percent return on investment for the Chilean government. RM Bridge Streamlines Design and Analysis of South America’s Longest Suspension Bridge Chile’s Ministry of Public Works Uses Bentley Software to Unite the Island of Chiloe with Mainland Chile Suspending Disbelief In southern Chile off the coast of Llanquihue Province, the people of Chiloe have cultivated an island culture steeped in history and tradition. This isolated enclave is famous for its coastal towns with colorful houses built on stilts, 17th century churches designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites, and national parks teaming marine life. Yet to travel to and from the island, locals and visitors alike must book passage on an unreliable ferry for a 45-minute ride across the treacherous Chacao Channel. Chile’s Ministry of Public Works (MOP) first conceptualized a bridge to connect the Island of Chiloe to the port city of Puerto Montt on the mainland in the 1990s. After several false starts, a USD 740 million design-build contract was awarded in February 2014. Upon completion in 2020, the Chacao Channel Bridge will be the longest suspension bridge in South America at 2.75 kilometers. The asymmetrical structure will feature 1,055- and 1,155-meter main spans and three towers that rise to heights of 157, 175, and 199 meters. The four-lane carriageway on deck will soar 50 meters above the turbulent channel waters. As the cabinet-level office in charge of all aspects of public infrastructure in Chile, MOP is overseeing the international consortium retained to take on the engineering and construction challenges presented by the highly seismic region, strong currents, deep channel, and high winds. The consortium, Consorcio Puente Chacao, is comprised of Hyundai (South Korea), OAS (Brazil), Aas-Jakobsen (Norway), and Systra (France). MOP’s Department of Roads, which is in charge of Chile’s road network, is responsible for design verification, structural evaluation, and bridge constructability. Local consultants are providing an independent design check. streamlined design studies, highly collaborative workflows, and accelerated reviews. MOP implemented Bentley’s RM Bridge to save time and reduce costs. The application is used to perform bridge design, analysis, and construction simulation to determine resiliency during seismic and natural events. It streamlines the massive analytical tasks and automates complex design and engineering functions. When work began in 2014, the project team confronted several extreme challenges in designing the multi-span suspension bridge across Chacao Channel. The project site is in a remote area of the Los Lagos region, 1,100 kilometers south of Santiago. The channel separates the 200-kilometerlong island from the mainland, but both land masses are part of the coastal range noted for high seismicity. The bridge is just 80 kilometers from the fault zone where a disastrous 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck Valdivia, Chile, in 1960. In 2010, an earthquake of 8.8 magnitude struck offshore of Concepción, about 650 kilometers north. Seismicity was the most challenging design criteria for the team. Additionally, the channel is prone to critical winds of up to 208 kilometers per hour, and ocean currents reach 9.7 knots or 18 kilometers per hour, with 8-meter waves. The deep channel plunges 120 meters to the sea floor. Mid-channel, rock protrudes enough to provide a base for the central support tower, but it presented problems with subsidence. Overcoming Site Restraints Funded by the government of Chile as a public works concession (PPP), Chacao Channel Bridge includes three different public works projects: the suspension bridge, the access roads, and a service area. The aggressive 84-month schedule demanded rapid evaluation of design alternatives, The bridge design features 1,055- and 1,155-meter main spans that will clear the C

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RM Bridge Streamlines Design and Analysis of South America’s Longest Suspension Bridge - 2

"RM Bridge has been a very powerful tool for the challenging design tasks of the Chacao Bridge, improving the checking process and ensuring quality in the process. The software is an excellent platform for innovation." — Ing. Matias Valenzuela, Ph.D. Ministerio Obras Publicas de Chile Find out about Bentley at: www.bentley.com Contact Bentley 1-800-BENTLEY (1-800-236-8539) Outside the US +1 610-458-5000 Global Office Listings www.bentley.com/contact Bentley software streamlined the evaluation of alternatives that were prepared under changing design requirements, and facilitated work sharing...

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