Movable Bridges

Waagner Biro Bridge Systems offers the complete range of movable bridges. Whether in Istanbul, Hamburg or in UAE - we keep the traffic flowing!

Bascule Bridges

In cities, where space is limited for conventional bridges, bascule bridges offer a solution for the crossing of road traffic and waterways. Single-leaf bascule bridges and symmetrical bascule bridges with two leaves and an opening angle of up to 85° allow ships to pass through without any height restriction. Bascule bridges are especially suitable for shipping channels located close to the oastline, where amongst the coastal shipping large sea going vessels also tend to operate. In order to facilitate the construction of the moving parts, the bridge leaves with the carriageways for road and rail traffic are usually made from steel. At present, the electro-hydraulic drive with hydraulic cylinders represents the most cost-effective driving mechanism and guarantees maximum availability with low maintenance costs. The necessary locking mechanisms in the centre and at the ends of the bridge are also hydraulically driven. The opening time of 90 to 180 seconds is shorter than the time needed for managing road and shipping traffic.

Swing Bridges

Swing bridges are particularly suitable for bridging inland navigation channels where elevated road or railway bridges seem impractical for economic and town planning reasons. For the bridging of larger navigation channels it can be an advantage to combine swing bridges with fixed bridges. In such cases a higher carriageway is chosen for the entire bridge so that the clearance height is sufficient for normal ships and the bridge needs to be opened for large ships only. In most cases swing bridges are designed as a symmetrical construction with a central column, so that two shipping channels with unlimited clearance height are available on each side of the central column. Proven driving systems are available for the central pivot bearing and locking at the outer ends. In the past, rolling slewing bearings were used to support vertical loads. For taking today’s heavier vertical weights, Waagner-Biro has developed a special combination of hydraulic lifting and turning cylinders. The latter are connected to the centre pivot for slewing the structure. Special bearing rings consisting of bronze segments were developed for stabilisation of particularly heavy bridges. Tailor-made locking and emergency systems increase the operational availability of the bridge.

Vertical Lifting Bridges

As yet, the classic vertical lift bridge has been used in urban settings to bridge inland shipping lanes. However, the clearance height for shipping remains limited. The supporting construction of the bridge consists of steel, in order to reduce the weight to be raised and to allow a cost-effective configuration of the lifting unit. The bridge is connected to the counterweights by support cables which are usually arranged at the four corners. The weight of the bridge support is therefore largely balanced out and the remaining load is raised and lowered by means of cable winches.