The new bridge over the Weerwater near Almere will be the connection between Lumièrepark and the future Floriade district. For the design of this sustainable connection across the Weerwater, thousands of Almere residents used the opportunity to vote for their favourite design. Construction was entrusted to Strukton Civiel West, which approached Hendriks for the pillar formwork.
When designing the new bridge, Quist Wintermans Architekten was inspired by nature and its flowing forms. This is directly reflected in the bridge route, which is draped over the water in a sinuous movement. The construction is beautiful with an elegant bridge deck and graceful pillars in flowing organic forms. On the bridge there will be striking places to stay. The balustrade recalls reeds in shape, while the bamboo seating elements are enriched with a mix of grasses and rapeseed flowers.
The piers and deck will be made of concrete; a construction material that will last for decades, thus contributing to the desired durability. For the construction of the piers, Strukton Civiel Civiel West is using piles that will be sunk onto the piles. A special pillar formwork, developed in collaboration with Hendriks, will be placed on top of these.
Jelle Huntjens of Strukton Civiel West explains about the choice of pillar formwork: "For the bridge, nine piers are being cast in five different height variants, so that the bridge deck first rises flatly before sloping down again. We deliberately chose steel for the formwork. It works quickly, allows complex shapes and can be used several times without losing quality. We also had the formwork calculated in wood, but the extra cost of the steel formwork was fully recouped by the savings in labour hours. With this steel pillar formwork, a pillar stands in 8 to 9 days, including formwork, pouring and curing."
Because not all piers are the same height, the formwork must also be adjustable. Jelle Huntjens: "Normally, we solve this by placing adapters at the top, but in this case they are at the bottom. After placing the semi-circular adjustment chest, the reinforcement is applied and the closing chest can be mounted. Any adapters continue at the same angle as the rest of the pillar formwork."
The steel design of the pillar formwork also ensures a very clean concrete appearance. At the top, the pillar formwork is equipped with secure pouring facilities with an integrated cage ladder.
Our specialists will help you
