Bridges

PERI GmbH - Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Cooper River Bridge), Charleston, SC, USA PERI GmbH - Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Cooper River Bridge), Charleston, SC, USA PERI GmbH - Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Cooper River Bridge), Charleston, SC, USA More Images  

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Cooper River Bridge), Charleston, SC, USA


Safe, Accurate and Fast
PERI ACS for 175 m High Bridge Piers



Two 175 m high piers, at a distance of 472 m from each other, take the loads of this cable stay construction, which connects both sides of the Cooper River.
The short construction time together with tough logistical requirements (all materials had to be transported to both piers using barges) and the necessity to save on crane capacity meant that the use of a self-climbing formwork system was essential.

PERI engineers designed an extremely efficient formwork concept containing detailed pre-determined working speeds. These were maintained by the construction crews with a high degree of productivity. The high requirements placed on the concrete surfaces together with the dimensional accuracy were fully met using PERI ACS combined with VARIO GT 24 girder wall formwork. The scaffolding units remained permanently connected to the structure even during climbing, which ensured high levels of safety throughout. All wind loads were taken into consideration during the planning phase.

Around 1,000 m² of VARIO GT 24 girder wall formwork was used as well as eight ACS-V platforms for the inclined pier sections and eight ACS-R platforms for the sloped areas. On the lower half of the piers, up to the change in slope, one concreting section of 4.15 m was finished per week. Due to the simplified reinforcement arrangement and smaller construction geometry, concreting took place every four to five days and the contractors were able to reduce the scheduled pour sequence from seven to five days.

PERI Systems In Use
  • ACS V Self Climbing System
  • ACS R Self Climbing System
  • VARIO GT 24 Girder Wall Formwork
  • Palmetto Bridge Constructors: Joint Venture Tidewater/Skanska USA Inc. and HBG Constructors Inc./Flatiron Structures Company
    Field Service: PERI TB Weissenhorn and PERI Baltimore, USA
    Field Service: PERI GmbH, Deutschland
    PERI Formwork Systems, Inc., USA
    PERI scope 1/2004
    PERI Handbook 2005 Formwork