Huge Expansion Joint for the Shenzhong Link

Shenzhen-Zhongshan. The Shenzhong Bridge is part of the 24-km Shenzhen-
Zhongshan Link and is the largest bridge of its kind in the world. It is located
in China’s Pearl River Delta, an area heavily affected by dangerous typhoons.
The requirements for the expansion joints were therefore daunting. MAURER
responded with four cleverly designed constructions.
The Shenzhong Link bridges the Pearl River Delta and connects the Chinese
cities of Shenzhen and Zhongshan. It consists of two large suspension bridges,
a 6.8-km-long tunnel with artificial islands at both ends, and several girder
bridges. With its four lanes, the Link shortens the journey time from Shenzhen
to Zhongshan from two hours to under 30 minutes.
Taking on the typhoons
All bridges are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, particularly
the kind of strong winds caused by the typhoons in this region. Structures here
are exposed to incredibly high wind speeds of up to 88 m/sec.
The Shenzhong Bridge, the largest of the two suspension bridges, is no excep-
tion. It is 2.7 km long and has a main span of 1,666 m, making it the world’s
longest steel-box-girder suspension bridge crossing the sea. The pylons measure
213.5 m in height, while the bridge deck is suspended at 91 m above the water
with a clearance of 76.5 m, the largest across the sea.
As a result, the requirements for the expansion joints were demanding. Fitted
at both ends of the suspension bridge, these flexible elements compensate for
movements that the bridge makes due to traffic, wind and temperature fluc-
tuations in relation to the connecting bridges. Expansion joints also ensure that
vehicles can drive across this juncture unimpeded, regardless of the transition
construction’s displacement. The joints are installed perpendicular to the direc-
tion of travel.
For this record-breaking bridge, MAURER supplied four of its MSM® expansion
joints (type MSM® DS 28-80), with 28 profiles and a potential longitudinal dis-
placement of 2,240 mm. Each of these joints is around 20 m long, equivalent to
the width of the bridge deck: “These are by far the largest expansion joints that
MAURER has ever produced”, says Luca Paroli, Regional Sales Director Europe
and Asia at MAURER. “Simply dealing with the massive size is an incredible feat
of engineering in itself.”
MSM® swivel joists the solution of choice for demanding bridges
Expansion joint constructions with swivel joists have been used successfully
in demanding bridge projects around the world for decades. They allow for
movements of up to three metres and more in some cases, as well as rotations
in all directions. The parallel profiles rest on top of the swivel joists. These run
at a slight angle to the direction of travel, therefore ensuring that the bridge’s
expansions and contractions are spread evenly across the sealing elements
between the steel profiles.
Among the things that make MAURER’s swivel joist systems special are the
bearings for the profiles. Instead of simple elastomeric bearings, the profiles
run in newly developed w-shaped MSM® bearings. This so-called catamaran
support allows the profiles to glide over the joists more easily and precisely.
This prevents restraints and increases the service life to over 50 years.
The expansion joints were manufactured in Munich, before being installed in
China at the start of 2024. After seven years of construction, the Shenzhong
Link was approved for use by traffic at the end of June. It is part of the devel-
opment of the Greater Bay Area, the world’s largest metropolitan region that
includes cities like Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Macau. The massive project re-
ceived the George Richardson Award from the International Bridge Conference,
and was selected as one of the world’s 50 most iconic tunnelling projects by
the International Tunneling Association.