5th Centenary Bridge - Expo Sevilla 1992

Architect(s) : José A. Fernandez Ordonez et Julio Martinez Calzon

The V Centenary Bridge is the longest in Spain at 2018 metres.

The middle suspension structure is 564 metres long, between the expansion joints, with a median distance of 265 metres. The deck, in the middle of the bridge, is 60 metres above the river.

For reasons of budget and speed, the engineers had to find a simple and quick way of building. The elements were prefabricated and assembled on site.

The pillars, made of steel and concrete, are 110 metres high.

Gigantic blocks, each weighing almost 60 tonnes, are dry-assembled to form a deck, which is made up of huge pre-stressed parts, such as a monumental architrave 22 metres wide, a distance of 456 metres, without any interruption by the tie rods and without the deck resting on the crossbeams of the large pillars. The tie rods are attached to the deck every twelve metres.

The longitudinal stability of the bridge is ensured exclusively by these large pillars, which act as a huge bracket supporting the action of the stays.

Thanks to its complex and light structure, this bridge manages to combine beauty and functionality.