Palma del Río Arch Bridge, Córdoba, Spain

Abstract

The present paper discusses the construction of Palma del Río arch bridge, of 130 m span, recently constructed in surroundings of great landscape beauty in the south of Spain. A cable-stayed network was implemented, allowing a significant reduction in bending moments in deck and arch, which leads to structures of great slenderness and transparency. The two inclined arches are linked at the key, a very effective disposition to withstand out-of-plane buckling. The multiple crossings of the stays led to a complex geometric problem that has been solved satisfactorily with an innovative technical design of minimum visual impact.