22277x
001237
2022-06-09

World's Longest Suspension Footbridge in Dolní Morava, Czech Republic

In May 2022, the new Sky Bridge footbridge opened in the Dolní Morava area (Czech Republic); it is the longest footbridge in the world, with a length of 2,365.49 ft. The design and construction of the footbridge were carried out by TAROS NOVA a.s., and the structural analysis was performed in RFEM 5.

This new pedestrian bridge connects two mountain ridges at an altitude of over 3,280.84 ft above sea level in the Dolní Morava area, Czech Republic. The footbridge is only open during designated hours, and access to it is only allowed on foot and in one direction.

Structure

The main suspension ropes FLC 76 (Fully Locked Coil) with a length of 2,292 ft are anchored to steel pylons on opposite sides of the valley. The footbridge is secured against the wind along its entire length by a system of ropes anchored to concrete footings on the slope below the bridge.

The bridge deck consists of bridge sections with a length of 9.84 ft and a width of 3.94 ft, consisting of atypical longitudinal members, between which anti-slip gratings are welded. The main wind ropes FLC 56 are connected to a special tensioning pulley device with a weight of about 4.41 t, which ensures the tensioning of the wind ropes where the tension decreases due to temperature changes and accidental loads.

Structural Analysis

To find the most suitable conceptual solution for the footbridge construction, a 3D member model was created in RFEM 5. A total of 16 variants of calculation models were created, which differed in the number of main supporting ropes, the sag, and the design of the securing wind ropes.

Furthermore, several partial models of the structural parts were created, which were mostly modeled using planar elements. The partial models were used mainly for the detailed design of a steel pylon and structural joints.

For the calculation of the footbridge, the constant, prestress, snow, and wind loads were taken into account. The nonlinear calculation was performed according to the large deformation analysis.

Location Dolní Morava
Czech Republic
Planning and Construction

TAROS NOVA a.s.
www.taros-nova.cz

Investor SNĚŽNÍK, a. s.
Operator

Mountain resort Dolní Morava
https://www.dolnimorava.cz/en/sky-bridge-721



Project Specifications

Model Data

Number of Nodes 9818
Number of Lines 11184
Number of Members 10273
Number of Surfaces 650
Number of Solids 0
Number of Load Cases 21
Number of Load Combinations 220
Number of Result Combinations 4
Total Weight 234.262 tons
Dimensions (Metric) 720.867 x 88.585 x 31.940 m
Dimensions (Imperial) 2365.05 x 290.63 x 104.79 feet

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