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Millau Viaduct

Millau Viaduct
Millau Viaduct
Millau Viaduct
Millau Viaduct

General Information

Structural Type: Multiple-span cable-stayed bridge
Function / usage: Motorway bridge / freeway bridge
Construction method: Longitudinal launching
Other name(s): Viaduc de Millau
Built: 2001 - 2004
Duration of works: 38 months
Status: in use

Geographic Information & Related Structures

Location: Millau, Aveyron (12), Midi-Pyrénées, France, Europe
Carries
  • Autoroute A75
Crosses
  • Tarn River
Part of:
Next to Centre d'information du viaduc de Millau
Near Millau Viaduct Toll Gate (2004)
Coordinates: 44° 5' 6.00" N    3° 1' 18.00" E

Technical Information

Dimensions

total length 2 460 m
span lengths 204 m - 6 x 342 m - 204 m
horizontal radius of curvature 20 000 m
deck deck depth 4.20 m
height above valley floor or water 270 m
total width 32.050 m
longitudinal slope 3.025 %
pier P1 height 94.50 m
pier P2 height 244.96 m
pier P3 height 221.05 m
pier P4 height 144.21 m
pier P5 height 136.42 m
pier P6 height 111.94 m
pier P7 height 77.56 m
pylons pylon height (above deck) 88.92 m
pylon height (above ground) max. 343 m

Quantities

volume of earthworks 350 000 m3
deck structural steel S355: 23 500 t
S460: 12 500 t
foundation slabs concrete volume 13 000 m3
reinforcing steel 1 300 t
foundations reinforcing steel 13 450 t
piers concrete volume 53 000 m3
prestressing steel 200 t
reinforcing steel 10 000 t
piles concrete volume 6 000 m3
reinforcing steel 1 200 t
pylons structural steel S355: 3 200 t
S460: 1 400 t
stay cables steel for cable-stays 1 500 t
temporary works structural steel S 355: 3 200 t
S 460: 3 200 t
concrete volume 7 500 m3
reinforcing steel 400 t

Cost

cost of construction Euro 300 000 000

Materials

deck steel
piers reinforced concrete
pylons steel
abutments reinforced concrete
stay cables steel

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Chronology

1987

CETE (Aix-en-Provence) establishes the first possible alignments for the A75 at Millau.
1990

Decision by the ministry to cross the Tarn valley by a 2500-meter long bridge.
1993 - 1994

Seven architectural offices and eight engineering offices are consulted separately for proposals.
1995 - 1996

Second design phase with five groups each associating an architecture and engineering office.
1996

The jury retains the solution proposed by Lord Norman Foster in association with Sogelerg.
1998

The decision is made to operate the Millau Viaduct under a concession agreement.
2000

Competition is launched for the concession/construction tender.
March 2001

Eiffage is awarded the first prize of the competition and declared concessionaire.
May 2001

The construction contract is signed.
August 2001

The concession is awarded to Eiffage.
16 October 2001

Construction begins.
November 2002

Pier P2 (to be the highest) reaches 100 meters in height.
26 February 2003

Launching of the deck commences.
28 May 2003

Pier P2 surpasses the height of 180 m and thus becomes the highest pier in the world, a record previously held by the Kochertal Viaduct. The record will be broken again when the highest pier reaches 245 meters.
25 August 2003 - 26 August 2003

Launching phase L4.
November 2003

Completion of piers.
26 March 2004

Launching phase L10 from the south end. The deck reaches Pier P3.
Night of 4 April 2004 - 5 April 2004

The metal deck is launched onto P2, the highest pier in the world. The launching operation is slowed down by wind and mist which perturb the laser guidance system. A this phase, 1 947 m of deck have been launched.
20 April 2004

End of launching of the deck from the north side. The end of the canitlever reaching out beyond pier P2 is at midspan over the Tarn. Two launch phases remain from the south side.
28 May 2004

The deck is completed.
End of July 2004

Completion of the construction of the pylons.
November 2004

Expected completion of the dismantling of the temporary piers.
17 November 2004

Load testing begins with a total load of 920 tons.
14 December 2004

Inauguration by President Jacques Chirac.
16 December 2004, 09:00

Opened to traffic.
2006

Outstanding Structure Award 2006 (IABSE)

Notes

The pier dimensions are as follows:

  • In the longitudinal direction: 16 to 17 meters
  • In the lateral direction: variable from 10 meters at the pylon head to 27 at the foot of the highest pier.
The piers split into two separate shafts around 90 meters below deck level. Each shaft is vertically post-tensioned using 8 19T15S cables.
The shaft dimension in the longitudinal direction are also variable from 5 meters at the head to 8.60 meters where the join.

The total height of the pylons is 87 meters. Their shape is that of an inverted Y in the longitudinal direction. The height of the legs of the Y is 38 meters.

The deck is cable-stayed. The stays are arranged in two planes with 11 stays each in a sem-fan arrangement. Deck anchors are spaced at 12.51 meters.

Each pylon has a weight of 650 tons and a height of nearly 89 meters. The assembly is done behind the abutments. They are then transported horizontally on Kamag trucks to the final location where they are lifted and rotated into place using a temporary structure.

Participants

Conceding authority
Agent of the conceding authority
Concessionaire
Client
Design studies
Design
Meteorological data
Wind tunnel testing
Technical advisor to the owner
Structural engineering
Construction engineers
Geotechnical engineering
Main contractor
Civil works
Steel construction
Subcontractor
Earthworks
Welding checks
Stay cables
Concrete supplier
Cement supplier
Concrete plant
Concrete testing
Steel supplier
Stay cable steel supplier
Prestressing steel
Reinforcing steel
Bearings
Expansion joints
Safety barriers
Roadway cover
Roadway cover studies
Water proofing
Paint
Temporary shoring
Temporary piers
Formwork & scaffolding
Tower cranes
Sliding bearings
Hydraulics
Lifting
Large transports
Computer equipment
Electricity (high & low voltage)
Elevators
Piping
Monitoring equipment
Remote monitoring system

Relevant Web Sites

Relevant Publications

Internal Information

Structure-ID: s0000351
Created: 02/09/1999
Last Updated: 24/04/2013