6. Construction processes

6.1 From factory to construction site

To better understand this discipline, we need to bear in mind that the construction of a steel bridge combines two activities with different constraints: industrial activity in the factory and civil engineering activity on the worksite, each involving the use of large, heavy parts. The challenge is to reconcile the requirements of both.

The construction process on site is dictated by the natural conditions of the gap to be crossed. Together with the project's functional data, it guides the design of the structure; and for exceptional crossings, it becomes the main component.

Upstream, in-plant manufacturing aims to provide the site with the largest and most finished deck elements possible....