Bridges to New Opera House, Copenhagen, Denmark

In connection with the new master plan for the location for the Opera House, a partly artificial island in Copenhagen Harbour was separated by two canals into three islands. These islands are interconnected with the main land by six bridges; five stationary bridges and one bascule bridge. The six Dock Island Bridges were designed to conform with strict project requirements and the client’s requirements to sustainability and use of non-threatened material species. The bridges are constructed of oak timber for the bridge floor that is supported on a steel structure. The spans vary between 16,4 m and 27,0 m. The design of the bridge decks and structure, bearings, piers and abutments, and the hydraulic system of the movable span are presented in this paper as well as the fabrication and erection.