TensionPro has supplied a range of special bolting tools for constructing the world's longest mid-span suspension bridge. The 4608m 1915 Çanakkale Bridge is part of massive 324km motorway project to connect Malkara to Çanakkale in northwest Turkey. The bridge, which spans the Dardanelles Strait, has a mid-span length of 2023m and tower heights of 318m.
TensionPro supplied 160 hydraulic bolt tensioners complete with 16 electric pumps, hoses and manifolds. The large volume order included special M42 spring piston return tensioners with bespoke spherical seats to compensate for any misalignment issues, together with specially designed 1500 bar high flow electric pumps with a digital pressure setting and pressure read out. The tools use a remote control pendant for safe and easy operation.
Armed with TensionPro's tools, construction workers can tighten the suspension bridge cable bands and ensure high loads are achieved with extreme accuracy. The hydraulic system is designed to power multiple tools at once. All TensionPro's products are put thorough a stringent in-house testing procedure before being shipped to ensure smooth operation once on site.
To secure the contract TensionPro had to guarantee a quick turnaround on production and delivery. The UK team was supported by the company’s local representative NETRATEK who supplied commissioning, training and service support. Throughout the project TensionPro worked closely with its customer, the South Korean engineering giant Kwansoo.
Said TensionPro Director Dave Metzger: “This has been a world-beating project and a great opportunity to demonstrate our vast expertise in this type of work. My own experience, which includes designing the system for the eastern-span replacement of the Oakland Bay Bridge in California, was invaluable for designing the tensioners required for the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge project."