80 www. bus- ex. com NOVEMBER 09

Golden Crossing Constructors Joint Venture NOVEMBER 09 www. bus- ex. com 81 The project, owned by the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, consists of a new bridge across the Fraser River, with three kilometers 1.9 miles) of elevated six- lane highway and nine kilometers of associated roads. The main bridge is a massive 976 meters ( 3,202 feet) long with three main spans, each 244 meters long, and with two shoreline spans, each 122 meters long. Eight 90- meter pylons support the construction above the water. The Golden Ears project is the most significant improvement to the Greater Vancouver road system since the completion of the Alex Fraser Bridge in the 1980s. It will provide a vital new link between the communities north and south of the Fraser River and ultimately transform the economic outlook of the area. The project is being managed by the Golden Crossing Constructors Joint Venture, led by Bilfinger Berger ( Canada) Inc., the Canadian arm of Bilfinger Berger Civil, and CH2M Hill, an internationally respected project manager. Another key player was formwork specialist PERI, which played a critical role in site safety and on- time delivery; systems applied by PERI included the Automatic Climbing System ( ACS), along with the VARIO wall formwork system, the TRIO wall formwork system and the PERI bridge bracket. For Bilfinger Berger, the bridge is both a technological milestone and an enduring testament to the company's 125- year presence in Canada. Bilfinger is recognized globally as a leading international construction and infrastructure services group, with a unique capability in civil engineering that stems from marrying new technology with outstanding project management skills. Dirk Deigmoeller, who has worked with Bilfinger for more than 15 years, was construction manager for the project and takes up the story. " This $ 750 million project is what is known as an extradosed, cable-stayed bridge, which means the deck will be supported by both cables and structures itself. What this means from a design perspective is that we've been able to reduce the overall height of the two main towers. The main river bridge concept for the Golden Ears project is an adaptation of the Alex Fraser cable- stayed bridge, which was completed in the 1980s." When it opened in 1986, the Alex Fraser was the longest cable- stayed bridge in the world. " What we have produced is an update of that concept, using new technology and advances in design," Deigmoeller says. Time was of the essence: 38 months from inception to completion is almost unheard of for a project of this size. Improvements in design allowed for speedy and