This section of the N25 will become a crucial component of Ireland’s transportation infrastructure, and part of the Trans‐European Transport Network (TEN‐T). The project will improve access to the east side of the island, as well as reduce congestion and accidents in the area.
The project comprises 13.6 km of dual carriageway road linked to the extant N25 and N30, as well as 1.2 km of single carriageway road. The bridge over the Barrow River, is an extradosed structure 887 m in length, making it the longest bridge of its kind in the world. This type of bridge is characterised by its cables set at lower angles, meaning that pylons are shorter in relation to deck span lengths.
ULMA Construction is a leader manufacturer and supplier of formwork and scaffolding for concrete construction industry with many projects all around the world.
ULMA provided comprehensive services, from the bid and design to material provisioning and closing the project. One of the key factors in the decision to rely on ULMA as a supplier was the comprehensive technical solution proposed, as well as its logistical capacity to provision the tonnes of material necessary on schedule. Coordination with the client and a continual onsite presence allowed ULMA to respond effectively and rapidly to any circumstances that arose in the project.
ULMA was responsible for the deck bridge, the piers, pylons, and other concrete structures. The project consists of eight piers with heights ranging from 12 m to 36 m that support the bridge deck. The same formwork assemblies were reused to complete the three pylons with heights ranging from 16 m to 27 m. ULMA Safety systems have improved work conditions and the productivity of this construction project. Include working area protection and edge protection systems.
The majority of the bridge was built using gantry falsework, since the geotechnical complexity of the ground below made other shoring systems impractical or impossible. The gantry falsework allowed for savings in foundation work.
The modular MK System was used to span lengths of 35 m, 45 m, 75 m, and 95 m, respectively, in the riverbank. Forming trusses, shoring towers, and formwork assemblies, this system provided significant savings in diverse applications. MK System is a product with a wide array of applications. It´s a Meccano‐type system that allows to execute infrastructures such as bridges, tunnels, skyscrapers, dams, industrial projects, etc. The reduced weight of the system´s components makes it possible for large structures to be assembled manually in most cases. As a result, the use of a crane is limited to lifting elements that were previously assembled on the ground. This factor is essential for saving costs during construction.
In addition to flexibility, the system also provides productivity onsite. Material reuse and rotation without the need for disassembly and reassembly greatly reduced the workload and additional safety precautions necessary.