Construction methods · Cable-supported and arch bridges

Cable crane (cableway) erection

A carrying cable strung between towers on each side of a gorge with a trolley that lifts arch segments or truss members from the valley floor or the banks and delivers them anywhere along the span. The classic plant of arch bridges in mountains and the standard in Chinese arch construction.

How bridges get built · Cable-supported and arch bridges · Cable crane (cableway) erection

Also called: cableway crane, aerial cableway, cable crane for arches

How it is done

Erect towers (50-150 m) behind each abutment with anchorages; string carrying, hauling and lifting ropes.
Lift segments from a staging area, traverse to position, lower to the cantilever or the falsework; coordinate with the tie-back stays.
Dismantle after closure.

Where it fits

Steel and concrete arch segments of 50-300 t over gorges 200-600 m wide; truss erection; sites with no road access to the span.

Where it does not

Flat sites where a crane or gantry is cheaper; loads beyond the cableway capacity.

Plant, pace and money

PlantCable crane system 100-400 t, towers, winches, anchorages.

ProductivitySeveral lifts per day.

CostUSD 3-15 million for the system; a large item in the arch budget.

Risks and controls

What goes wrong

Tower or anchorage failure, rope wear, load swing in wind.

Quality assurance

Rope inspection, load tests, wind limits.

Examples

Chinese CFST arches (Beipanjiang), Lupu (550 m), Krk.

In the bridge game

What Bridge Master applies when you pick it

Deck types: Concrete arch, Steel arch, Steel truss, Precast segmental box. Spans 150-450 m, up to 600 m.

+30: Very deep gorge: cableway.
-40: Only for gorges.

Try it in the game →