Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Jiangxi River Bridge
Chengdu, China
2019 - 2023
Chengdu International Aerotropolis Group Construction and Development
Jiangxi River Bridge
Courtesy of Arch-Exist
Jiangxi River Bridge
Courtesy of Arch-Exist
Jiangxi River Bridge
Courtesy of Arch-Exist
Jiangxi River Bridge
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Jiangxi River Bridge
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The first in a series of bridges on Chengdu’s West Line Road, the new 295-metre Chengdu West First Bridge crosses the Jiangxi River, a tributary of the Tuojiang River in China’s Sichuan province.
With its 185-metre central span and 55-metre secondary spans reaching to the riverbanks, the Chengdu West First Bridge is a road, cycle and pedestrian bridge over the meandering Jiangxi River; enabling the West Line Road to become the western section of the Airport New Town ring-road and cycle route.
As arches provide the most efficient bridge structure for spans between 120-250 metres, this symmetrical bridge is composed of two primary steel arches that rise from either side of the road deck. As they rise, the arches lean together to touch tangentially at their crown, stabilising the structure from lateral wind forces.
The dynamic curvature of the bridge’s supporting piers and abutments taper into its primary arches and road deck, defining a sculptural landmark within Chengdu’s transport infrastructure.
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Jiangxi River Bridge
Commissioned to build the bridge following the 2019 design competition, ZHA used structural analysis software on the design’s digital model. Examining all material self-weight, superimposed dead load and traffic live loading, as well as environmental considerations of wind and temperature, this analysis ensured the structure and foundations have been designed to exceed the standards required for once-in-200-year weather events.
With a height to span ratio of approximately 1:6, the bridge’s arches rise to 30 metres and are tied together at their base by longitudinal box girders that run along the edge of the road deck. These ties resist the outward horizontal thrust of each arch and significantly reduce the horizontal loads on the bridge’s foundations.
Concrete abutments at either end of the bridge incorporate connectors linking the road deck to the West Line Road’s surface. With no foundations positioned in the Jiangxi River, intermediate piers are located beneath the springing points of the arches on each riverbank.
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Jiangxi River Bridge
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Jiangxi River Bridge
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Jiangxi River Bridge
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Jiangxi River Bridge
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The bridge’s bored piles and abutments were constructed using conventional in-situ reinforced concrete techniques. The steel box sections of each arch were prefabricated in optimal dimensions for transportation and assembly on site. The edge box girder sections within the road deck include the cable anchorages. These sections were also prefabricated and delivered in sections to be spliced together with on-site welding.
The bridge’s prefabricated plate cross girders were delivered to the site and connected to the edge girders by a bolted cover plate splice connection. The concrete road deck has been constructed from precast panels fixed to the cross girders by in-situ concrete stich pours.
Mobile cranes lifted all prefabricated steelwork and precast concrete elements within the bridge’s short assembly schedule.
Transport & Infrastructure
From an airport that sets new standards for service to a state of the art flood defense system that doubles as a public promenade, discover our latest transport and infrastructure projects.
Render by X-Universe
Phase One of the new Bishoftu International Airport (BIA) will serve 60 million passengers a year. Further phases will serve up to 110 million passengers annually with four runways and parking for 270 aircraft.
Photograph by Xue Liang 薛亮
Grand Canal Gateway Bridge
Uniting cultural heritage with 21st century engineering and recyclable materials, the Grand Canal Gateway Bridge is both sculptural and sustainable, designed for longevity with minimal environmental impact.
ZHA's design draws from Lithuanian cultural heritage, incorporating traditional motifs and art forms within a contemporary architectural language. The terminal's modular geometry originates from the rhombus, a triangular shape that holds significant meaning in Baltic folklore.
A large-scale urban regeneration project in Naples that reconnects the city’s fragmented urban fabric and incorporates the new Campania Region headquarters.
Render by Tecma Solutions
The world’s first green hydrogen refuelling infrastructure for the recreational boating industry will be initiated in 25 Italian marinas and ports with stations designed by ZHA.
Render by Negativ
Repurposing an existing shipping warehouse built in 1960 into a new 20,000 sq. m ferry and cruise ship terminal, ZHA’s design adds a fourth level to the structure to incorporate public terraces with panoramic views of the Daugava River and the skyline of Riga’s city centre, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photograph by Fernando Guerra
An enclosed interactive space spanning the River Ebro to form a gateway to the Zaragoza Expo 2008, a hybrid of pedestrian footbridge and exhibition pavilion. Four structural elements correspond to specific spatial enclosures, which intersect and brace each other. This fluid, dynamic design interprets the Expo’s theme: ‘Water and Sustainable Development.’
Render by Atchain, courtesy of ZHA
The three new stations (Teatralna, Tsentralna and Muzeina) designed by ZHA will connect the residents, businesses, cultural and academic institutions in Dnipro’s eastern districts with the city centre and the Dnipro-Holovnyi railway terminus.
Courtesy of ZHA, render by Negativ
ZHA’s ‘Green Connect’ proposal for Vilnius Railway Station creates an integrated transportation hub for the 21st century with new civic spaces enveloped by nature
Photograph by Werner Huthmacher
Alpenzoo Station
‘Shell & Shadow’: a unique architectural language of fluidity inspired by natural ice formations, for stations along Innsbruck’s northern chain of mountains. Lightweight organic roof structures float on concrete plinths, their soft shapes and contours creating an artificial landscape that describes the movement and circulation within.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
Design and construction of a third gateway crossing linking Abu Dhabi Island to the Gulf south shore. Our two-way four lane highway bridge features cantilevered road decks suspended from symmetrical steel arches, which form a sinusoidal waveform – giving this huge structure its fluid silhouette.
Photograph by Roland Halbe
Completed for the northern terminal of the city’s B tramline, our concept utilises overlapping fields: echoing the energetic movement of cars, trams, bicycles and pedestrians; fusing together to form a constantly shifting but clearly delineated whole. In the car park, floor marks and light posts delineate a ‘magnetic field’.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
The new rail station at Napoli Afragola is designed as one of southern Italy’s key interchange stations serving four high speed inter-city lines, three inter-regional lines and a local commuter line.
Photograph by Piet Niemann
Located at Niederhafen on the Elbe River between St. Pauli Landungsbrücken and Baumwall in Hamburg, the upgraded 625m river promenade is integral to the modernisation and reinforcement of the city’s flood protection system.
Photograph by Hufton + Crow
KAFD Metro Station will serve as a key interchange on the new network for the Blue Line (Line 1) with the terminus of the Yellow Line to the airport (Line 4) and the Purple Line (Line 6) as well as a skybridge connecting to the local KAFD monorail.
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