Jetty to Mont-Saint-Michel: Construction of a semi-integral bridge in a exceptional site

Andreas KEIL, Michael  ZIMMERMANN, Pierre-Yves OLLIVIER
SCHLAICH BERGERMANN UND PARTNER

Abstract

A 750 m long jetty is being built in the Bay of Mont Saint Michel to link the Wonder to earth. This bridge is part of the vast restoring operation of the Mont Saint Michel’s maritime character, one of the most visited sites in France. To fulfil all the requirements of the site, the team of Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes and schlaich bergermann und partner proposed a semi-integral bridge that takes advantage of the concrete properties for its construction:
– deep foundations in which steel columns are built-in, 7 m below the ground level, without any excavation
– a built-in connection between the bridge deck and the abutments
– an efficient prefabricating and keying-in system for the concrete of the bridge deck
The article deals with:
– The description of the constraints of the site that have led to the global structural concept
– The description of the advantages of using concrete for the design of this bridge
– The illustration of the elements in concrete of the bridge