News & Projects
Millau, France - Viaduct of Millau
Famous
Millau is a small town located on the A75 in southern France. It was notorious for the size of its traffic jams during the summer. Now it is famous for another reason: thanks to its viaduct which at 434 meters is the highest of its kind, and higher than the Eiffel Tower. . With a length of 2,460 meters this viaduct is also the longest multiple cable stayed bridge construction in the world. Therefore, a large quantity of structural steel plates was required: 43,000 tonnes. The supplier was our parent company, Dillinger Hütte.
It had to be thin
The central beam of the road surface/deck slab and sections of the towers, jointly accounting for almost 50 per cent of the structure, are made of TMCP steel from Dillinger Hutte - DI-MC 460 (S460ML). This is a thermomechanically rolled, fine-grained structural steel plate. The high-mechanical properties of the material reduce the weight of the surface. This property contributed to the unique design, whereby the steel plate bridge deck was rolled lengthways on the pillars from both ends of the viaduct. The excellent weldability of DI-MC 460 made it possible to weld components without the need for preheating. Via the use of DI-MC the Millau Viaduct established its place in the world records on one more account – an unbelievably short fabrication period of just 38 months and costs of just 400 million euros.
Facts at a glance
- Dimensions: Length 2,460 m, Width 32 m, Height 345 m
- Delivered quantity of steel plates: 43,000 t
- Qualities: S355K2G3; S355N/NL; S460N, S460M; S460 QL1
- Architect: Norman Foster
- Owner: Compagnie Eiffage du Viaduc de Millau
- Stress analysis: Greisch, EEG Simescol, Thàles E et C, Serf, STOA Eiffage, Arcadis
- Concrete works: Eiffage Construction l
- Steel plate structure: Eiffel Construction Métallique
- Opening date: 16.12.2004
