Headquarters:
mageba sa
Trafostrasse 1
8180 Bulach
Switzerland
Tel: +41-44-872 40 50
Fax:
The Swiss national highways authority (ASTRA) is known for its continuous investments in the country’s autobahn network, keeping it in good condition and increasing capacity as required – in 2023, for example, with a budget of 2.8 billion Swiss francs (approx. USD 3.1 billion). A typical current example of the authority’s work is the complete renovation of a nine-kilometre stretch of Switzerland’s A1 autobahn where it bypasses the city of St. Gallen. The rehabilitation of the various bridge structures along this section of the motorway required not only the renovation of several TENSA®FINGER sliding-finger expansion joints (type GF) and over 100 existing bearings of various types, but also the design and supply of numerous replacement bearings and expansion joints to suit the existing structures – including RESTON®FORCE horizontal force bearings, TENSA®GRIP (type RS-LS) noise-reduced single-gap joints, TENSA®FINGER (type RSFD) cantilever finger joints and TENSA®MODULAR joints. The modular joints were designed for installation by the “box-in-box” method in order to help minimise impacts on the structure and on traffic. Impacts on traffic were further reduced by the use of mageba’s removable Mini-Fly-Over system, which enables traffic to pass over an expansion joint’s installation location when required (typically during busy daytime hours) while permitting work to progress during nighttime or weekend lane closures.
With the existing bearings and expansion joints renovated as required, and the replacement bearings and joints designed, fabricated and installed, this section of Switzerland’s autobahn network has now been equipped with components of the high quality demanded by ASTRA’s investment programme.
Engineer: Gruner AG / Rothpletz, Lienhard + Cie AG
Contractor: ARGE Stadtautobahn
Owner: Switzerland’s Bundesamt für Strassen (ASTRA)