When completed in 2008, it will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. The RMD Kwikform contract is for self-climbing formwork for the bridge’s ten -60.00 plus metre high backspan concrete piers.
The solution was a collaborative initiative involving teams of RMD Kwikform engineers in Hong Kong and the UK, headed up by RMD Kwikform Hong Kong’s General Manager – Engineering - Sales, Jeff Dibble. It utilises the company’s Autoclimb self-contained, hydraulically operated, bracket type self-climbing formwork and steel formwork that was specially developed for the Stonecutters project to provide the essential versatility and durability.
Six of the rectangular piers have two hollow sections and measure 12.5 metres by 4.0 metres at the base, tapering to 10.0 metres by 4.0 metres at bridge deck level. The remaining four rectangular piers have a single hollow section and each measure 8.4 metres by 4.0 metres at the base, tapering to 6.0 metres by 4.0 metres at the top of the pier. The pier walls are 1000mm and 600mm thick.
Major considerations for the formwork design team included the need for the solution to withstand typhoon conditions, enable the project to be completed within a very tight construction programme, and ensure a high quality concrete finish.
Autoclimb’s success on similar projects around the world was a contributing factor in securing the order. So too was RMD Kwikform Hong Kong’s experience on other major construction projects in the region, including the Ma Wong viaduct, the Ting Kau bridge, and numerous contracts for the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation.
