TARRC sees progress at second Penang bridge construction
Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB), a company formed by the Malaysian Ministry of Finance to oversee the design and construction of the second Penang Bridge, held a two day international seminar entitled “The Design and Construction of The Second Penang Bridge – Sustainability Through Innovation in Design” from 15th–16th November 2011 at the Legend Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
TARRC’s CEO, Dr Kamarudin Ab. Malek, presented a paper relating the seismic risk to this major new structure to the decision to use Malaysian Rubber Board’s (MRB) high damping natural rubber isolators to control the seismic loads on the structure. The seminar was attended by some 500 professionals from Malaysian government and private organisations such as the authorities, concessionaires, contractors, consultants and suppliers directly involved in the construction, maintenance and operation of highway and bridge projects.
Following the seminar the Director General of the MRB, Y. Bhg Datuk Dr Salmiah Ahmad, Dr Kamarudin Ab. Malek, Dr Stuart Cook, TARRC’s Director of Research and senior members of the MRB’s design team with the courtesy of JKSB visited the construction of the 17km long sea-section of the bridge.
To date over five hundred bearings out of the total 1400 for this section have been manufactured and delivered by Doshin Rubber. The quality control procedures for the bearings were supervised by the MRB’s R&D teams based at its two laboratories in the UK and Malaysia.
The visit provided an opportunity to inspect at close quarters the bearings in situ and discuss with site engineers issues regarding their installation as well as responding to queries on the long term performance of the isolators. The engineers were particularly pleased with the performance of TARRC’s novel bearing locking system designed to cater for the predicted large shrinkage and creep displacements of the bridge deck.
The bearings are delivered with the locking system maintaining a shear displacement on the bearings. This is related to the predicted shrinkage and creep of the deck at the bearings’ location. Once the bearings are installed on the pier and the precision grout is cured the locking plates are removed allowing the bearing to move towards its neutral position as the shrinkage process progresses.
1. Members of TARRC,MRB and Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd at the bridge construction site
2. Dr Kamarudin Ab. Malek and Datuk Dr Salmiah Ahmad study one of the installed bearings
3. Dr Kamarudin and Datuk Dr Salmiah Ahmad on site
4. Sea section of bridge box girders being placed on the bearings
5. The installed bearings
6. Bearing with locking plate system before it is removed
(Above: Artists impression of the second Penang bridge when completed)
The second Penang bridge is due for completion at the end of 2013 and is currently on schedule.
For more information on the second Penang bridge and TARRC's involvement in the project then please contact Hamid Ahmadi, hahmadi@tarrc.co.uk.
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