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800-metre-long viaduct, supported by 19 piers and a arch

May 16, 2024
The Pardais viaduct is part of the new Elvas-Evora high-speed railway line, between Alandroal and the Eastern line. This is an important project that will connect all the lines of the Southern International Corridor, from the port of Sines to Spain.
Pardais Viaduct, Eastern Railway Line, Portugal.
Pardais Viaduct, Eastern Railway Line, Portugal.

Together with ConstruGomes, ULMA has participated in the previous phases of this third section, the longest of those that have been carried out.

The 800-metre-long viaduct consists of a bridge deck supported by 19 piers and a 140-metre-long, 38-metre-high arch. The section of the arch varies from 5 metres from the first piers to 3 metres, where it maintains a constant section throughout its entire length. ENKOFORM H-120 formwork, H-33 trusses to bridge the spans and the T-500 heavy-duty gantry shoring system were used in this project. The towers have a double function, both to support the formwork itself during construction and during the final pouring of the concrete.

“The most complex part of the construction of this viaduct is undoubtedly the arch. Due to its construction process, we adapted the T-500 tower system, a heavy-duty system with H-33 trusses that allow large spans to be bridged. We positioned these towers in the ideal places to place hydraulic jacks that would allow us to correct the heights of the two half-arches. Finally, we created a central beam where the arch is tensioned and compressed in order to be able to brace it without the problem of introducing unforeseen loads.”, comments Nuno Filipe, Site Manager, Construgomes Engenharia.

ULMA not only has a commercial presence in this project, but also an engineering service, so it has had to adapt its entire system to the needs of the construction phase. For this reason, there has been total dialogue and almost daily collaboration between the site management and the entire technical team.

ULMA's projects include optimised solutions for both access and working platforms, so that work can be carried out safely and cost-effectively. ULMA offers clearly versatile and optimised formwork systems for any bridge structure.

Discover the impressive images of the project and more details in this video.