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"un pont sur arbalétriers": Building a three-hinged arch over the Faux-Namti Gorge in Yunnan (1908)

par Zhao, Di;Espion, Bernard
Editeur scientifique Holzer, Stefan M.;Langenberg, Silke;Knobling, Clemens;Kasap, Orkun
Référence International Congress on Construction History(8th: 24-28/6/2024: Zürich (ETHZ)), Construction Matters, Vdf Hochschulverlag AG, Zollikon, page (651-658)
Publication Publié, 2024-06-24

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Résumé :

This paper investigates the economic, construction, aesthetic and symbolic implications of a three-hinged arch bridge, designed by the Société de Construction des Batignolles’ bridge engineer Paul Bodin for the Yunnan Railway of Indochina in 1908. Spanning a steep and picturesque gorge 112 kilometres from Lào Cai, the bridge was widely commended as one of the world’s most fascinating railway structures during that period. This paper however argues that the innovative approach of a three-hinged pseudo arch that of the Faux-Namti bridge was not an exceptional case and in Bodin’s design portfolio. While the special installation processes stemmed from the challenging onsite working conditions, Bodin - who had never visited the site himself - actually produced another variation of some of his other iconic works, namely the Viaur viaduct and the Asopos viaduct. This paper combines, for the first time, numerous first-hand texts and biographical materials of the main engineers related to the Faux-Namti bridge. Through them, it interprets not only the morphological and technical links of the Faux-Namti bridge with its precedents, but also questions some alumni and kinship connections of its principle French engineers.