Samuel Beckett Bridge under construction in Holland

Cookie_Monster

So it will be a rotating swing bridge then rather than lifting open? With the concrete ring in the middle of the liffey yes?

Seems a bit strange to me, will that not mean a very (realitivly) narrow clearance between the dockside and concrete ring?

EDIT:
I see a pic of it installed now and that the pivot is offset!

WME

Yes it's a swing bridge, the central support being offset is the reason it needs all that counter ballast in the back. Not the most efficient design some might say but I think that's Calatrava for you

The central support will sit right underneath the pylon of the bridge.

walzer

WME thanks for the insights, it's fascinating. I was wondering how they would lift the bridge onto its support.

Presumably the width of the East Link bridge a limiting factor in Calatrava's design?

And furthermore, I wonder when someone was originally designing the East Link bridge, did they consider the fact that one day another very large bridge might have to squeeze through?

Cookie_Monster

I presume the lifting is so it'll clear the quayside/road/footpath/et then as it looks very wide at the (flared) near end which means a lot of overhang while pivoting

Cookie_Monster

walzer wrote: »

And furthermore, I wonder when someone was originally designing the East Link bridge, did they consider the fact that one day another very large bridge might have to squeeze through?

I would suggest the answer to that is a resounding NO, both due to the lack of planning in this country back then and the additional cost of a longer span and mechanisms to bear the additional span weight.

I would presume they assumed that any bridge built further in land would be built or shipped in parts and not complete like this one.

IIMII

WME wrote: »

I have worked for Hollandia for about 10 years before I moved away last year and have had the pleasure to work on the engineering of this project for about 2 years, the design of the central support and all its machinery and the installation sequence of the whole bridge, including transport and erection on site.

So it's all your fault if it goes wrong? (as he touches wood)

ro2

walzer wrote: »

Presumably the width of the East Link bridge a limiting factor in Calatrava's design?

I doubt it

I worked in the road design division in the corpo over 10 years ago and remember talking to one of the lead engineers in there about the two Calatrava bridges. Amazing how long these things can take.

gurramok

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

Its a nice bridge for IEP 10 million

Page 14

I'm curious. How exactly will his bridge alleviate traffic?

Its been classed as helping cross river traffic but are they not putting Luas tracks down from Connolly to the Point where when operational, it will be a carbon copy of the Gardiner St junction mess?

I predict massive queues northbound on this bridge!

WME

The 75mm lifting is so that it runs free of the abutments and the bearing ring on the central support's concrete edge.



I reckon Calatravas initial design didn't inclued a shipping in complete form, it would've been assembled on site, as would be the most common way of doing it.

In this case 'we' choose not to go via this route as site work is always a lot more expensive than in the fabrication yard, and you can't achieve the same level of quality.

The first reply from the older and more experienced men at Hollandia was, why shouldn't we just ship it in one go, we've been doing that for more than 50 years!

BanjoKelly

I'm getting well in to this bridge watching. Here's a pic of the En Avant 7 taking the barge that arrived with the pivot. I presume the pivot is now in the base of the bridge upriver. I can't see it exactly from where I am.
http://www.thedailystuff.ie/beckettbridgearrival.html

BrianD

gurramok wrote: »

I'm curious. How exactly will his bridge alleviate traffic?

Its been classed as helping cross river traffic but are they not putting Luas tracks down from Connolly to the Point where when operational, it will be a carbon copy of the Gardiner St junction mess?

I predict massive queues northbound on this bridge!

Is Gardiner St. a mess? The situation on Guild St. does appear different. The trsm tracks cross the street at 90 deg (there's no shared section) and there is likely to be less tram activity then at Gardiner St. (based on the assumption that trams will have destinations - The Point or Connolly).

I note that the work on Guild St. seems to be aimed at taking traffic from or onto Seville Place. It might help reduce the bottleneck at Pearse St./Tara St./Gardiner St.

WME

This one you mean? :cool:

BanjoKelly

Bless you WME! : )

WME

There is so much more where that came from... from the first welded section all the way to this one, my desktop wallpaper at work

WME

You lot might see me back in a few years time because I now work for Buro Happold in London and we have just won the Metro West Liffey bridge competition

http://www.dezeen.com/2009/03/08/metro-west-bridge-by-explorations-architecture-and-buro-happold/

gurramok

BrianD wrote: »

Is Gardiner St. a mess? The situation on Guild St. does appear different. The trsm tracks cross the street at 90 deg (there's no shared section) and there is likely to be less tram activity then at Gardiner St. (based on the assumption that trams will have destinations - The Point or Connolly).

I note that the work on Guild St. seems to be aimed at taking traffic from or onto Seville Place. It might help reduce the bottleneck at Pearse St./Tara St./Gardiner St.

Yeh, certainly a mess. I travel it daily.

The worst part for me is the return southbound in the evening due to frequent tram crossings(every 4min i think it is). Same for commuters in opposite directions.

It takes a half hour to travel from Sean McDermott st junction to the Luas tracks at the bottom of Gardiner st which is outrageous.

This affects buses as well as cars so other forms of public transport are affected as well. I hope the above is not repeated at Guild st or else the new bridge will be useless.

whosedaddy?

WME wrote: »

You lot might see me back in a few years time because I now work for Buro Happold in London and we have just won the Metro West Liffey bridge competition

http://www.dezeen.com/2009/03/08/metro-west-bridge-by-explorations-architecture-and-buro-happold/

That if Metro West ever gets built.

walzer

WME all your info on the bridge is much appreciated. I'd love to see more photos - I don't suppose you could make them available on a website (flickr, picasa or suchlike)?

BanjoKelly

I'm semi joking here but is there any meaning behind the business end of the bridge being on the southside. I mean the mechanism, the bit that does the work? When it's in place will it look like a southsider's gate that allows northside access or am I just reading too much into it? (answer: Yes).

By the way, I had a house in Phibsboro for years, so I'm not one of these grinning idiots who thinks the southside is somehow superior.

j1smithy

WME wrote: »

There is so much more where that came from... from the first welded section all the way to this one, my desktop wallpaper at work

Are buro happold providing engineering services for the samuel beckett bridge? I'm just curious!

Carawaystick

gurramok wrote: »

Yeh, certainly a mess. I travel it daily.

The worst part for me is the return southbound in the evening due to frequent tram crossings(every 4min i think it is). Same for commuters in opposite directions.

It takes a half hour to travel from Sean McDermott st junction to the Luas tracks at the bottom of Gardiner st which is outrageous.

This affects buses as well as cars so other forms of public transport are affected as well. I hope the above is not repeated at Guild st or else the new bridge will be useless.

Was it not like that before the trams? I thought it was.

IIMII

WME wrote: »

You lot might see me back in a few years time because I now work for Buro Happold in London and we have just won the Metro West Liffey bridge competition

http://www.dezeen.com/2009/03/08/metro-west-bridge-by-explorations-architecture-and-buro-happold/

Cool - I love bridges. That crosses the entire valley without support columns?

WME

j1smithy wrote: »

Are buro happold providing engineering services for the samuel beckett bridge? I'm just curious!

No they're not, in fact, the only thing they've got in common is me I think

I used to work for Hollandia but work for Buro Happold now


I don't think the Metro West will get built anytime soon either, but if it does it indeed spans the entire valley without touching it

bennyx_o

They're moving the bridge at lunch time this afternoon, with the East Link closing from 2pm until 3:30pm.

WME

Hope there's people here that can make some nice photos!

And I truelly hope it'll fit through...

bennyx_o

Doubt I'll be able to get pictures myself, unless work is quiet with the east link being closed

Bluetonic

Carawaystick wrote: »

Was it not like that before the trams? I thought it was.

Of course it was, anyhow it's the combined pedestrian and traffic lights that have the biggest impact on the traffic flow there allowing traffic from Beresfold Place (Tara St & Pearse St) to get onto Amiens Street.

I suppose no point in letting the facts get in the way of a LUAS bashing story. :rolleyes:

gurramok

Carawaystick wrote: »

Was it not like that before the trams? I thought it was.

It was like that before the trams due to artics blocking off the bridge at the Custom Hse.
Since then we had the lorry ban, which has only cleared the bridge(prevents trucks turning left onto bridge and staying there when they jump red lights which was primary cause of Gardiner st southbound traffic being blocked) and the quays!(east to west)

Any expert here enlighten us if the trams going to/from the Point at Guild st will not create the same mess as Gardiner St?(that same mess is at Church St & Queen St as well)

If the same mess is created this time, it defeats the purpose of the new bridge.

walzer

I'd say the chances are that you are correct: there will be a traffic "mess" at Guild St. as you describe, just as there will be at junctions all over the city, with and without Luas involved. But I don't agree that this defeats the purpose of the bridge.

There will be plenty of cars, and bicycles, that will cross the bridge but use a different route on the northside, e.g. head towards town along the quays to access the IFSC, or away from town towards the O2. It will ease the pressure on the other bridges. Also it will facilitate pedestrians linking the two parts of the docklands north and south.

East Link rep

Hello all
I represent the East Link Toll Bridge. The current situation is that the Bridge is planned to lift from 2pm to 3.30pm today, Wednesday, 13th May. This is subject to confirmation and I will post if there are any changes. The Gardai will direct traffic during the lift.
Best regards
Rachel

BrianD

Note that Guild St is inside the 5 axle cordon so truck traffic won't be able to use it.

They are currently cutting some of the hand rails off the East Link.

WME

East Link rep wrote: »

Hello all
I represent the East Link Toll Bridge. The current situation is that the Bridge is planned to lift from 2pm to 3.30pm today, Wednesday, 13th May. This is subject to confirmation and I will post if there are any changes. The Gardai will direct traffic during the lift.
Best regards
Rachel

Excellent,

Just out of interest, can you tell me what they have removed for this action, lightposts and barriers and such?

East Link rep

Hi - they did have to remove some public lighting and hand rails and a couple of other modifications. You might be interested to know that there will by 18 inches on either side of the boat bringing the Samuel Beckett Bridge through - however this is not just chance - the new bridge was designed with the width of the East Link in mind!
Best regards
Rachel

WME

I know, I've been in the team at Hollandia that did the transport design for the bridge.

In fact, I've made the drawings which show the East Link and what has to be removed in order for the bridge and barge to fit through

gurramok

walzer wrote: »

I'd say the chances are that you are correct: there will be a traffic "mess" at Guild St. as you describe, just as there will be at junctions all over the city, with and without Luas involved. But I don't agree that this defeats the purpose of the bridge.

There will be plenty of cars, and bicycles, that will cross the bridge but use a different route on the northside, e.g. head towards town along the quays to access the IFSC, or away from town towards the O2. It will ease the pressure on the other bridges. Also it will facilitate pedestrians linking the two parts of the docklands north and south.

I see. So between Gardiner st and East link, the traffic that is built up along these routes(yes East Link(both sides) is a nightmare as well) will have a 3rd choice to cross and might reduce volumes across the old two routes in spreading the burden.

It will be interesting to see if this bridge(new route) will have much of an affect as after all, it will entice users from paying the East Link to cram onto it as it is nearer for Howth/Port tunnel traffic.

Just hope the authorities have planned all this traffic management in advance or the bridge will just be another jam packed route like Gardiner st.

D'Peoples Voice

gurramok wrote: »

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

Its a nice bridge for IEP 10 million

Page 14

I'm curious. How exactly will his bridge alleviate traffic?

actually there was a more up to date figure for the cost of the Macken Street bridge - EUR 38 in 2004

Originally projected to cost approximately €20m, Dublin City Council now estimates that the long-awaited Macken Street Bridge will cost €38m, the Irish Independent has learned.

gurramok

D'Peoples Voice wrote: »

actually there was a more up to date figure for the cost of the Macken Street bridge - EUR 38 in 2004

From that link:
"The original EIS concluded that the bridge would give rise to "substantial increases" in traffic volumes for some streets in the docklands although it would reduce the flow of traffic on O'Connell Street."

We all know what those increases are, pray they are not like what i described of the other bridge crossings!

WindSock

Stood on East Link bridge for a bit. Nothing was happening and it started to rain, plus I had to get back to work

I'll see the pics later...

East Link rep

Traffic has now been halted at the East Link Bridge. The barge is moving towards the Bridge. The Bridge itself will open at 2.30pm and the whole process will take approximately one hour.
Regards
Rachel

WME

No webcams in the area?

East Link rep

Not that I'm aware of. I'm sure RTE and TV3 will be down there for the news!

Johnniep

Check out......

http://www.thedailystuff.ie/beckettbridgearrival.html

paulm17781

Johnniep wrote: »

Check out......

http://www.thedailystuff.ie/beckettbridgearrival.html

Not working for me.

WME

Click it again, I got an error message first time as well...


Glad it's through!!

paulm17781

Yeah I got on, didn't work for a minute or two.

markpb

That looked painless. Dunno what all the fuss about it being too wide for the East Line was about

East Link rep

Hi MarkBP
You're right - the Samuel Beckett Bridge designers took the width of the East Link Bridge into consideration. There was an 18" gap on either side of the barge - close but very carefully engineered!
Regards
Rachel

East Link rep

Job done...The Bridge was back down at 3.00pm and the first vehicles back through the East Link Toll Plaza by 3.10pm. All over in less than an hour.
Regards
Rachel

mike65

I'm amazed at the lack of pix where are all the bluetooth/laptop enabled snappers?

cherrytaz

Not the best but you can sort of make out the bridge..

http://www.camvista.com/ireland/dublin/riverliffey.php