Akashi Kaikyō Bridge

Akashi Kaikyō Bridge ( Japanese:Akashi Kaikyō Ōhashi ) is located on Akashi Strait in Japan, also known as Pearl Bridge and Akashi Strait Bridge, which connects Kobe and Awaji Island. Its main bridge span length is 6,532 ft (1,991 m), which is the longest suspension bridge in the world.

The construction of Akashi Kaikyō Bridge began in April 1988 and officially opened on April 5, 1998. As a six-lane super suspension bridge, it is one of the key links of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge project that crosses the Japanese Inland Sea, creating three routes across the Inland Sea.

The total length of the bridge is 2.4 mi (3.9 km), and the Longest span is 6,532 ft (1,991 m). The bridge body (tower) is 928 ft (282.8 m) tall, Deck height is 216 ft (65.7 m ).

It total cost 500 billion JPY (US $3.6 billion ).

History

The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge was built indirectly by a shipwreck.

In a storm in 1955, two ferries sank in the strait, killing 168 people. The shock and anger of the public led the Japanese government to customize its plan to build a bridge at Akashi Strait.

The original plan called for the use of a rail-road hybrid bridge, but when the bridge’s construction began in April 1988, the construction was limited to roads with six lanes.

The actual construction did not start until May 1988, involving more than 100 contractors.

The bridge was officially opened on April 5, 1998, and a grand ceremony was held.

Technical parameters and structure

The bridge has three spans. The center span is 6,532 ft (1,991 m), and the other two parts are each 960 m. The total length of the bridge is 2.4 mi (3.9 km).

The height of the bridge deck from the sea is 216 ft (65.7 m), and the bridge tower is 928 ft (282.8 m) tall. The two towers were originally 6,529 ft (1,990 m) apart, but the Great Hanshin Earthquake on January 17, 1995 made the tower The location moved 1m (only the tower was built at the time), so the span had to be increased by 1m (3.3 ft).

The design of the bridge uses a double-hinged stiffening beam system, which enables the structure to withstand winds of 286 kilometers per hour (178 miles per hour), earthquakes up to magnitude 8.5 and severe ocean currents.

The bridge also contains a tuned mass damper designed to operate at the resonant frequency of the bridge to dampen forces. The two main supporting towers are 282.8 m (928 ft) above sea level, and due to the heat of a day, the bridge can be extended by up to 2 m (6.6 ft) due to the heat.

Each anchor requires 350,000 tons (340,000 tons long tons; 390,000 short tons) of concrete. Steel cables have 300,000 kilometers (190,000 miles) of wire: each cable has a diameter of 112 cm (44 inches) and contains 36,830 strands of wire.

There are 1,737 lights in Akashi-Haike Bridge: the main cable is 1084, the main tower is 116, the girder is 405, and the anchorage is 132. Three red, green and blue high-intensity discharge lamps are installed on the main cable. The RGB color model and computer technology make various combinations. Twenty-eight modes are used for occasions such as national or regional holidays, memorial days or celebrations.

Akashi Kaikyō Bridge Data

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