Past and Present for Arch Executions

Abstract

Construction of arches has hundreds of years, from execution using stone to the latest construction methods. Estructuras y Montaje de Prefabricados (from now on Estructuras), subsidiary of Grupo Puentes, has developed several construction methods for arches, thorough its own history, considering needs of viaducts, environmental requirements, structural determining or even the search of the beauty of the bridge. Estructuras is the company in Spain that has developed the latest technology for folding or lowered arches, and as well, has got the highest number of arches executed using this method in Europe. Although this paper is going to focus on a representative method, folding arches, the following lines will be a summary of the evolution or arch construction using some examples hold by our company: scaffolding supported on the ground, cantilever segments (precast and on site segments), lifted arches and folding arches. This evolution has gone along with the own evolution of construction methods in Civil Engineering during last 20 years.