Millau Viaduct: Creating an Engineering Marvel
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Case Code: PROM006 Case Length: 21 Pages Period: 2001-2004 Pub Date: 2006 Teaching Note: Not Available |
Price: Rs.400 Organization: Eiffage TP Industry: Construction Countries: France Themes: Project Management |
Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts
Introduction
On December 17, 2004, the Millau viaduct, constructed over the Tarn Valley in the southern region of France, was inaugurated by the French President Jacques Chirac (Chirac). The viaduct, standing 343 meters tall, was the world's tallest cable stayed bridge.
The viaduct was named after Millau, a small town in the middle of the Tarn Valley. The viaduct over the Tarn Valley was proposed to ease the traffic congestion on the A75 motorway, which connected the French towns of Clermont Ferrand and Beziers. A multiple cable stayed bridge with seven piers, designed by a team consisting of engineer Michel Virlogeux (Virlogeux) and architect Lord Norman Foster (Foster), was selected as the best possible solution in 1996.
The Government of France (GoF) invited tenders in June, 2000, to award the contract for the construction project. Eiffage Group TP (Eiffage) won the bid. Eiffage along with its subsidiaries and partners constructed the viaduct, raising the funds required on its own. Eiffage was to earn returns on its investment through the collection of toll charges.
The construction of the Millau viaduct began with the building of the concrete piers in December 2001. Later, the steel deck, which was fabricated at off-site production plants, was assembled and pushed onto the piers from the two sides of the valley using hydraulic jacks. After the deck was joined in the middle, the pylons6, cable stays, and side barriers were fixed.
The construction of the Millau viaduct began with the building of the concrete piers in December 2001. Later, the steel deck, which was fabricated at off-site production plants, was assembled and pushed onto the piers from the two sides of the valley using hydraulic jacks. After the deck was joined in the middle, the pylons6, cable stays, and side barriers were fixed.
The construction of the Millau viaduct involved the use of cutting-edge technology and satellite guided GPS systems. The Millau viaduct was not only an engineering marvel but also a well planned and executed project. With the viaduct operational, motorists would be able to cross the valley in 20 minutes as opposed to the three-hour drive (during summer) that was required earlier.
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