A stretch of highway to the south of Zurich, not far from mageba’s headquarters, is currently being renovated after several decades of service, in a project that began in 2017 and is expected to run until 2022. Since approximately four kilometres of the highway’s total length of 21.1 kilometres is carried by bridges and viaducts, the project presented a great need for structural bearings and expansion joints. But the responsible engineers were not just looking for a manufacturer to supply these key bridge components; they wanted a specialist partner that would support their project from start to finish, recognising the value this would have in minimising costs, effort and impacts on traffic in the years to come. We are proud to have been entrusted with this responsibility, and pleased to be given the opportunity to show how mageba’s wide range of bridge component products can meet the diverse needs of virtually any project, and how our comprehensive range of services can help ensure that the ideal components are used optimally.

The project required 568 structural bearings in total, including 343 RESTON®POT bearings and 225 LASTO®BLOCK deformation bearings, as well as TENSA®CRETE expansion joints (featuring noise-reducing surfacing) on several structures. But mageba’s involvement on the project began long before fabrication work started in two of the company’s European factories. Our sales and technical specialists were happy to provide comprehensive advice already in the early stage of the programme, assisting with the selection of optimal approaches and component types, and with the development of project-specific solutions. After the award of the contract, our designers proceeded to design and detail structure- and location-specific solutions, considering in particular the need to install the new components to replace the existing old ones – an especially challenging need in the case of the bridge bearings, considering the very limited space available beneath the existing superstructures. Following approval of each design, and fabrication and delivery to site, the components are currently being installed by mageba, working together with the main contractor. And finally, after completion of installation, our staff can sign off that all components have been properly installed, with recording of all appropriate details and measurements – ensuring good long-term performance, giving peace of mind to the owner, and providing the data needed for future inspection and maintenance work.

So let us be your “one stop shop”, meeting all your project’s needs in relation to key structural components – including not only structural bearings and expansion joints but also hydraulic dampers and STUs, seismic protection devices, automated monitoring (SHM) systems and other highly engineered solutions. We will be happy to be your partner throughout your project, from initial selection of optimal solution to final confirmation of proper installation.