NEWS - AGOM BEARINGS TO PROTECT HISTORICAL GOODS

01/12/2007
AGOM BEARINGS TO PROTECT HISTORICAL GOODS

Agom technology has been chosen by the Ministerio Fomento to protect and preserve from seismic events, the historic bridge on the River Ebro Amposta, one of the symbols of Catalonia.

As part of the renovation of the historic suspension bridge on the River Ebro, on the outskirts of Amposta town, the Ministry of Public Works requested this high level engineering and architectural bridge to be protected from possible future seismic events. The overall investment for the renovation has been estimated in 3 million euro.

PROES Ingenieros Consultores has been charged of the delicate task. With the auxiliary of Agom International srl engineering, PROES has defined and designing the most appropriate fixing and isolating system.

Agom has designed a new link system based on new V-Max sliding unidirectional bearings fitted up with special shock transmitters ST. These special devices can turn into fixed bearings in case of an seismic event locking the entire movement of the steel bridge

In this case it has been necessary to provide the support Agom V-Max with a couple of shock transmitters able to withstand axial load up to 700 kN each. 

The suspension bridge over river Ebro is the entering door of the city of Amposta (Tarragona). The suspension bridge, whose project was commissioned to engineer J. Eugene Ribera, begun in 1915 and opened in 1921 by General Primo de Rivera. In March 1938, in the middle of civil war, it was bombed and destroyed, so that the Ebro was saved by a passing boat which later, sank under the weight of the tanks Republicans in his retirement in April 1938. After the war, the bridge was reconstructed and reopened in 1941 Two 24 mt height stoned towers with the shape of triumph arch are the main features of these bridge in which the steel structure is suspended to iron cables

The suspension bridge has been for several years the only one crossing point over the last section of Ebro river and has became one of the symbol of the town of Amposta. More details and information about V-Max pot bearings with shock transmitters ST and Agom products can be found on Agom web site www.agom.it  or by writing info@agom.it