Construction of the New Chirajara Bridge, Colombia
In January 2018, the Chirajara Bridge was under construction as part of a new expansion of the National Route 40 between Bogotá and Villavicencio. However, the bridge collapsed during construction.
The New Chirajara Bridge is now being built in the same location. It will feature three spans of 114.6 meters, 192 meters, and 114.6 meters, totaling 421.20 meters, with two lanes in each direction. This bridge, part of the Route to Los Llanos (the Colombia Great Plains), will facilitate communication between Bogotá and Villavicencio.
Brief History
While under construction, the original cable-stayed Chirajara Bridge collapsed on January 15, 2018. At the time, only 164 feet of the floor system remained to be constructed between the towers when the western tower suddenly collapsed, destroying that part of the bridge. The other tower remained standing, in a similar construction stage as the collapsed tower. Investigations revealed that the collapse was due to a deficiency in the tower's strength, caused by a design error, with an incorrect assumption about the strength provided by transverse tie beams and diaphragm at the diamond-shaped pier.
Project Details
| Project | Location | Contractor | Client | Duration |
|---|
| Construction of the New Chirajara Bridge | Guayabetal, Colombia | Coviandes | Geoandina i SAS | June 2021, ongoing, expected completion by the end of 2023 |
Monitoring Solution
Instrumentation data plays a critical role during every phase of a bridge’s lifecycle for risk assessment and to validate design assumptions regarding the bridge's static and dynamic behavior. The data from sensors detect, locate, and quantify damage to the bridge structure, helping in early damage detection and ensuring the structure's longevity.
The monitoring solution for the Chirajara Bridge controls both the bridge structure during construction and the potential effects of landslide events.
Instruments Used
| Instrument | Purpose |
|---|
| Load Cells | Installed at the anchor heads of rock bolts to determine the load these bolts bear to prevent landslides in the pile foundation areas. |
| Tiltmeters | Installed to monitor variations in the tilt of piles and other structures in the project. |
| VW Piezometer | Installed to monitor variations in groundwater levels and its effect on the infrastructure and natural slopes. |
| RF Nodes / Gateway | Deployed to automate and remotely transmit data from the project area to the data management system, with near real-time availability and instant alerts via SMS and email. |
Results
The online data management system successfully provided the contractor with the data needed to perform construction activities while monitoring structural movements within the required threshold tolerances. The foundations' structural and geotechnical capacities were deemed adequate for this type of bridge and were retained for the reconstruction.
Monitoring Purpose
The instrumentation monitoring plan adopted for the Chirajara Bridge aims to control the bridge structure during construction and mitigate the effects of potential landslides.