Materials of the Great Belt Bridge (Denmark)

The Great Belt Fixed Link (Storebæltsforbindelsen, opened 1998) comprises a suspension bridge (East Bridge), a box-girder bridge (West Bridge), and a tunnel. Key materials:

East Bridge (Suspension, 1,624 m main span)

• Steel: High-tensile steel for cables (parallel wire strands), towers (welded steel boxes), deck (orthotropic steel deck). Plates up to 50 mm thick.
• Concrete: High-performance concrete for anchor blocks, tower foundations, pier bases.

West Bridge (Box Girder, 6,611 m)

• Concrete: Precast, post-tensioned concrete segments (span 110 m). High durability for marine environment.
• Steel: Reinforcement, post-tensioning tendons.

Tunnel (Bored, 8 km)

• Concrete: Segmental lining (precast concrete segments), waterproofing membranes.

Shared Materials

• Asphalt: Special polymer-modified mix for road surface (durable, low noise, freeze-thaw resistant).
• Rubber: Expansion joints (allow thermal movement).
• Paint/Coatings: Multi-layer corrosion protection (zinc, epoxy, polyurethane) on all steel.

Designed for 100-year service life in harsh Baltic conditions (ice, salt, wind).