Overview
The advantages of using stainless steel as construction material necessitate no more words, just to count the world-famous constructions. At the same period of time when the Millennium Bridge in London was built, another famous bridge in UK that would draw international attention for its unique design and cutting-edge construction was born.
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge boasts the first and only tilting bridge all over the world. This week let us explore together stainless steel application through the case of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge
The Timeline
In August 1996, Gateshead Council launched a design competition for the bridge. The Architectural Firm Wilkinson Eyre alongside the Engineering Firm Gafford and Partners stood out from 150 entries and won the prize through the votes from Gateshead residents.
In July 1997 the final design was submitted to secure funding. In May 1999 the construction work was commenced. In November 2000 the fully assembled bridge was transported to site by Europe's largest floating crane - Asian Hercules II.
On 28th June 2001, the bridge was tilted for the first time, attracting 36,000 spectators to watch. On 17 September 2001 the bridge was open to the public. On 7 May 2002 the bridge was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Location
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge crossing over the River Tyne in England between the newly revived Newcastle quayside on the north bank and the Gateshead arts quarter on the south bank.
The Dimension
The bridge features a total length of 126 meters and width of 8 meters, with the longest span being 105 meters. The deck is consisted with the pedestrian footway ranging from 3 to 5 meters in width and cantilevered cycleway being 2.5 to 3 meters wide. It stands 50 meters up the river when in its upright stance. When rotated up to 40 degrees, the bridge can give a 25m high navigational clearance for ships to pass underneath.
The Design
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge consists of two arches, one constituting the pedestrian and cyclist path and the other as the supporting arch to the former connected by galvanized steel cables. When the arch descends, the footway ascends, each counterbalancing the other. Due to the shape and the tilting way, the bridge is also nicknamed the “Blinking Eye Bridge” or the “Winking Eye Bridge.”
The bridge has so far won 25 awards including the 2002 RIBA Stirling Prize, 2002 Structural Steel Design Award, and 2005 Outstanding Structure Award. It was also pictured on a pound coin by the Royal Mint in 2007.
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge works by electric engine. The 800-ton construction is electrically powered by eight hydraulic rams housed within two massive 14-tonne spherical bearings covered with glass canopies. It takes only 4.5 minutes to open the bridge to a full 40-degree angle with the use of 6 hydraulic rams at a cost of only £5 each time.
The Construction
The project cost £22 million for construction, more expensive than the Millennium Bridge in London which cost £18.2 million as introduced in previous article. The construction materials were mainly concrete and steel, including stainless steel. The main structure is almost entirely constructed from steel while the pier construction is concrete made.
Stainless Steel Applied in Gateshead Millennium Bridge
The deck of the bridge consists of two paths separated by a metal hedge. The pedestrian way is about a foot higher than the cycle path to allow pedestrians to have clear views over the lower cycleway and meanwhile to enable cyclists to have a higher safety guard.
The two parallel decks that create the two paths are separated by level and by intermittent perforated stainless steel screening. These stainless steel screenings are made in a dual-functional way to allow pedestrians to sit down and rest while differentiating cycleway from pedestrian way. In this way, the bridge serves both as a place as well as a crossing.
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