Ganhaizi Bridge


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Ganhaizi Bridge
Yingjing, Sichuan, China
(361) feet high / (110) meters high
205 foot span / 62.5 meter span

One of the most unusual viaducts to be built in China, the Ganhaizi Bridge is an experimental truss bridge that uses steel tubes for nearly the entire structure. The decision to try new engineering technologies is rare in China and that makes Ganhaizi Bridge a welcome relief from the monotony of yet another H-frame ladder pier and beam style concrete bridge that is common throughout the country. The bridge is touted as "The world's longest concrete filled steel tubular truss bridge with the world's highest bridge piers of concrete filled steel tubular lattice." But from an aesthetic viewpoint, the busy mass of horizontal and diagonal truss members is not entirely welcome.

The long curving viaduct is part of several tunnel and bridge loops that were necessary to gain elevation without incurring a steep grade on the mountainous new Yaxi expressway. The most impressive bridge along the route is the towering Labajin Bridge with a maximum pier height of 182.6 meters. Also amazing is the 10 kilometer long Daxiangling mud mountain tunnel with a maximum depth of 1650 meters with more then 5 kilometers of that length over 1000 meters deep.

There are some sources that have a pier height of 107 or 117 meters for Ganhaizi Bridge. The maximum span length is 62.5 meters.

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Image by China Railway 23rd.

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Ganhaizi Bridge Truss Construction Sequence

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The first of the two giant spiral tunnels.

The second spiral viaduct can be seen in the distance.

A view looking downhill from the second spiral with the Ganhaizi Bridge in the far background.

The two large mountain spirals that required extensive tunnel and viaduct construction.

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