Horizontal Rotation via Floatation as an Accelerated Bridge Construction for Long-Span Footbridge Erection: Case Study

The new Father Bernatek footbridge (pedestrian bridge) over the Vistula River opened in 2010 in Cracow, Poland, is a 148-m-long tied fixed arch steel structure with one main tubular arch of circular cross section and twin suspended orthotropic steel decks. The most challenging part of the project was the accelerated bridge construction (ABC), i.e., assembly and erection as a tied arch. The river was allowed to be closed for the minimum time possible during the construction process because it also serves as a navigation channel for the tourist fleet and other river traffic. Therefore, it was decided to assemble the entire superstructure on the south bank of the river and to launch it by 90° rotation via floatation on barges with the river current upstream as a single rigid body. The applied ABC method allowed preparation and performance of the bridge construction in the most effective and efficient way and in the shortest possible time. The superstructure rotation method (SRM) with the most efficient, sustainable use of resources and with minimum disturbance and disruption for the urban environment and the inhabitants was applied. The paper briefly describes the new footbridge and the rarely selected ABC technology used for its erection, i.e., horizontal rotation via the floatation SRM method. Useful references describing the SRM construction method, which is a useful ABC solution for bridges throughout the world, are provided. This signature span is now a popular destination for citizens and tourists.