Galvani Bridge – Permitting and Tender Design of the Winning Concept
The new Danube bridge planned along the alignment of Galvani Road is intended to establish a direct road, rail-based public transport, pedestrian and cycling connection between South Buda and the northern part of Csepel Island. The development aims to expand Budapest's southern transport network and improve urban development opportunities in the area. The international design competition for the bridge was won by a two-pylon cable-stayed bridge concept developed by the Dutch architectural firm UNStudio and the British engineering consultancy Buro Happold.
We participated in the further development of the winning competition design as the Hungarian design partner of the international team and a subcontractor to Buro Happold. Our scope covered multidisciplinary design work during the permitting and tender design stages. The project required particularly complex engineering collaboration, with more than one hundred engineers and architects involved in coordinating the various disciplines.
The five-span, two-pylon cable-stayed bridge has a 246-metre central span, flanked by additional river spans and steel–concrete composite approach spans. Its distinctive appearance is defined by boat-shaped reinforced concrete river piers, steel pylons inclined in two directions and prominent steel edge girders. The structural design also had to accommodate the different requirements of the transport functions. An orthotropic steel deck was designed beneath the pedestrian, cycling and road traffic lanes, while the lanes intended for rail-based public transport feature a steel grillage supporting a reinforced concrete deck slab.
The complex three-dimensional geometry and the coordination of the different engineering disciplines required digital modelling. The design process was based on the architectural model developed by UNStudio using Rhino, which was further refined by the bridge engineering team. The structural design was then developed using Tekla Structures. Three-dimensional modelling of the entire steel structure facilitated the precise design of complex structural connections and supported collaboration within the international design team.
The design project was completed with the acquisition of the building permit and the preparation of the tender documentation. Our involvement in the Galvani Bridge project demonstrates our expertise in bridge engineering and digital design, as well as our ability to contribute to large-scale infrastructure developments within an international design team.
Related project: Galvani Bridge – CÉH's Competition Design
Investor: KKBK NZrt.,NIF Zrt., Építési és Közlekedési Minisztérium
