At the time of completion, Hemei Bridge is the longest mono-cable suspension bridge with a curved deck in the world. The suspension system consists of a three-part main cable (fully locked steel cables) and 36 hanger cables (stainless steel spiral strands). The main cable joins the tips of the V-shaped mast and connects the mast to the abutments. The eccentrically arranged hanger cables connect the curved deck to the main cable. The V-shaped mast is situated along the central symmetry axis, stabilized by four guy cables.
Spanning over the 14 lanes of the Xianyue Road, the most important East-West route on the Xiamen Island, the footbridge links the elevated footpaths of Huweishan Park from the southwest and Xianyue Park from the northeast. Within proximity, stairs and ramps make the footbridge fully accessible, inviting pedestrians to take the elevated path above the hectic street. Due to the layout of the street below and the steep slopes at both ends, only limited space for the bridge piers was available. Responding to this challenge, the bridge was designed to require only one guyed mast within the entire span.
Hemei Bridge is one of seven footbridges that are part of the Xiamen Mountains to Sea Trail – a 23-kilometre large-scale network of footpaths, elevated walkways, and footbridges, designed by Dissing+Weitling. For this green mobility project, schlaich bergermann partner was commissioned with the structural design of Hemei Bridge (No. 2) and Yuanshan Bridge (No. 3), which are both cable-supported bridges with curved decks and outstanding architectural and structural features.
