A session "Artificial Structures from the Word Art" was held within the framework of the Road Initiatives Forum "Innovative Technologies and Intelligent Transportation Systems in Road Construction". The participants of the event discussed the issues arising at the stages of design, construction and operation of structures.
Special attention was paid to engineering solutions that require skill and creativity at all stages of the life cycle of facilities. The specialists also shared the results of their daily work. Anton Strokin, Director General of Russian Highways - Project Management LLC, said during the session that since 2022, the State Company has overhauled 2,873.2 km of highways and 122 artificial structures in new regions alone, which were repaired not only as a separate project but also as part of the road overhaul.
Russian Highways pays special attention to the rehabilitation of critical bridge structures. Among the successfully implemented projects are: reconstruction of the bridge over the Seversky Donets River, restoration of the bridge over the Kalmius River in Mariupol, and overhaul of the bridge over the Komishuvatka River.
According to Anton Strokin, modern technologies are applied during reconstruction works, including rope cutting method when dismantling structures, use of specialized construction equipment, application of advanced materials to ensure durability of structures.
However, the maintenance of artificial structures already built by previous generations of road builders sometimes requires the application of real engineering art. For example, a number of innovative solutions were used in the maintenance of the Valentin Solokhin bridge over the Ob River in Surgut, which was launched in 2000. According to Alexander Anisimov, head of the training center of Avtodor-Engineering LLC, in the first years of operation of this cable-stayed bridge, road builders faced some difficulties, such as wind loads, difficulties of protection by Z-wires, formation of cracks in the asphalt concrete pavement. To solve these problems in different years the installation of different kinds of damping devices in the bridge nodes was applied. According to Alexander Anisimov, special attention was paid to the scientific approach to the elimination of emerging technical difficulties. As a result, the engineers came to the conclusion that the project is able to demonstrate the high potential for the development of modern bridge-building technologies and open up new opportunities for creating reliable and durable transportation structures.
Sergey Cherny, Head of the Department for Overhaul and Repair of Artificial Structures of Avtodor, added that the design of artificial structures should be approached more carefully, because with the template application of technologies in different climatic conditions and with different loads on road sections, their operation can be problematic, so the volume and quality of treatment facilities, drains, expansion joints, under-pavement systems, types of fencing, etc. should be designed for each specific bridge or overpass.
Vasily Shvayka, General Director of Russian Highways, spoke about the challenges in the construction of the Adler bypass. According to him, the complex terrain requires constant work of the design department on site and interaction with third-party organizations. Innovative technologies are used at the site, including silent sheet piling and the method of balanced bridge concreting.
Sergey Nikolavtsev, Technical Director of Magistral of the Northern Capital LLC, presented the southern section of the ZSD as an example of a modern infrastructure project that has become part of the new architectural image of St. Petersburg. He noted not only the transportation, but also the public importance of the highway: the ZSD bridge was included in the "White Book" of the World Club of St. Petersburgers, and the festival "ZSD Fontanka Fest" annually attracts thousands of participants.
Konstantin Porublev, Head of Construction Department "KAD-2" of "VAD" company, spoke for the first time about the peculiarities of designing a new highway in the North-West of Russia:
The ambitious objective of the KAD-2 project is to improve the transportation infrastructure of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region and high-speed transit of freight and passengers. The design features include a large number of artificial structures, multi-level interchanges, new bridges, as well as complex geology and more than a hundred intersections with important utilities. Despite the challenges, the facility will become an important part of the backbone road network in the Northwest.
Artificial structures is the common name used by road builders for bridges, overpasses, tunnels and flyovers. These are the most complex and important road facilities that require special attention at all stages of the life cycle: design, construction, inspection, maintenance. Today, it is important to use a creative approach when using standard solutions, so that large-scale structures, which will stand in their place, perhaps, for more than a hundred years, bring both benefit and joy.
