DL E&C Successfully Constructs Korea's Largest Railway Arch Bridge... "Key Process of Seohae Line"

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] DL E&C announced on the 20th that it has successfully completed the construction of the largest railway arch bridge in Korea, regarded as a key process in the Seohae Line double-track railway project.

The bridge was built over the Anseongcheon River, spanning Hyundeok-myeon in Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi-do, and Yeongin-myeon in Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do. The arch, which was fabricated on land over 130 days starting from February this year, was transferred onto a barge on the morning of the 16th. After a total of 11 hours and 30 minutes of work, it was safely installed on the pier 23 meters above the surface of the Anseongcheon River. With this installation, the entire Section 5 of the Seohae Line (Hongseong~Songsan) double-track railway under construction by DL E&C has been connected.

The arch bridge consists of a total of five arch structures. On both sides of the largest arch, two 1,681-ton arches and two 1,255-ton arches are connected. The arch installed this time is the largest, measuring 155 meters in length, 46.5 meters in height, and weighing 2,726 tons. It is similar in scale to the Seogang Bridge arch over the Han River.

DL E&C utilized the Daeseonsik integrated launching method for railway bridge construction for the first time in Korea. This method involves pre-assembling the bridge superstructure on land, then transporting it to the construction site using a barge and installing it on the pier. Since the structure is assembled on land where work is easier, uniform quality can be ensured. Additionally, the upper and lower parts of the bridge can be worked on independently, which shortens the construction period.

DL E&C adopted an arch design so that this bridge could become a landmark in the region. To emphasize smooth curves and rhythm, the five arches were designed asymmetrically. Through this, the continuous mountain peaks of Godeungsan and Maansan near Anseongcheon are naturally extended to the bridge, completing a harmonious landscape.

The Seohae Line (Hongseong~Songsan) double-track railway project was divided into a total of 10 sections by the Korea Rail Network Authority. It was promoted to establish a north-south longitudinal railway network along the west coast to improve transportation convenience and to alleviate the capacity burden on the Gyeongbu Line, which is suffering from track capacity shortages due to a surge in freight volume. Designed for a maximum speed of 250 km/h, it is constructed to accommodate both high-speed passenger trains and regular freight trains. DL E&C is responsible for Section 5, which spans a total length of 5.99 km connecting Asan and Pyeongtaek.

Section 5, constructed by DL E&C, is regarded as an exhibition hall of railway bridges. This is because a total of six different types of railway bridges, including the arch bridge, were constructed. Near residential areas, a slab bridge with excellent noise prevention was built, and in agricultural fields, a PSC (Prestressed Concrete) box girder bridge was constructed to minimize ground impact even with high-speed train operations. In addition, advanced types of cable-stayed bridges such as the ED (Extradosed) bridge, curved truss bridges, and composite truss bridges were constructed considering the surrounding environment.

Meanwhile, DL E&C has operated the site without any major accidents for 10 years in projects by the Korea Rail Network Authority. It holds specialized achievements in railway bridges, including the ‘Seohae Line Hongseong-Songsan Section 5’, ‘Dodam-Yeongcheon Railway Section 6’, and ‘Poseung-Pyeongtaek Railway Section 1’.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.