Helix Bridge
Helix Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Helix Bridge at night | |
| Coordinates | 1°17′15″N 103°51′40″E |
| Carries | Pedestrians |
| Crosses | Marina Bay |
| Locale | Downtown Core, Singapore |
| Official name | The Helix[1] |
| Owner | Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Stainless steel |
| Total length | 280 metres (920 ft) |
| History | |
| Architect | COX Group Pte Ltd (Australia) and Architects 61 (Singapore) |
| Designer | ARUP Pte Ltd (Australia) |
| Constructed by | Sato Kogyo Pte Ltd and TTJ Design and Engineering Pte Ltd |
| Construction start | 2007 |
| Opened | 24 April 2010 |
| Location | |
The Helix Bridge, officially The Helix,[1] and previously known as the Double Helix Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge linking Marina Centre with Marina South in the Marina Bay area in Singapore. It was officially opened on 24 April 2010, however, only half was opened due to ongoing construction at the Marina Bay Sands.[1] The bridge was fully opened on 18 July. It is located beside the Benjamin Sheares Bridge and is accompanied by a vehicular bridge, known as the Bayfront Bridge.
Architecture
The design consortium is an international team comprising Australian architects the Cox Architecture and engineers Arup, and Singapore based Architects 61.[2]
Canopies (made of fritted-glass and perforated steel mesh) are incorporated along parts of the inner spiral to provide shade for pedestrians. The bridge has four viewing platforms sited at strategic locations which provide views of the Singapore skyline and events taking place within Marina Bay.[3] At night, the bridge will be illuminated by a series of lights that highlight the double-helix structure, thereby creating a special visual experience for the visitors.[4]
Pairs of coloured letters c and g, as well as a and t on the bridge which are lit up at night in red and green represent cytosine, guanine, adenine and thymine, the four bases of DNA. The intentional left handed DNA-like design, which is the opposite of normal DNA on earth, earned it a place in The Left Handed DNA Hall of Fame in 2010.[5]
The Land Transport Authority claimed it is a world first in architectural and engineering bridge design.[6] It won the 'World's Best Transport Building' award at the World Architecture Festival Awards in the same year. It has also been recognised by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) at the BCA Design and Engineering Safety Excellence Awards in 2011.
Construction
The Helix is fabricated from approximately 650 tonnes of Duplex Stainless Steel and 1000 tonnes of carbon steel used in the temporary structure and also helping the bridge to get the helix shape. The construction began in 2007. It was officially opened on 24 April 2010 but partially accessible.[1] The entire bridge was opened on 18 July 2010[7] to complete the entire walkway around Marina Bay.
Fabrication
Before any work began on the actual bridge, a mock-up was made of carbon steel to try and preempt certain difficulties. Fabrication of the elements worked from the North to the South, components being assembled into segments that could manage the Singapore roads. A trial assembly was done before delivery to site to identify any prefabrication errors.[8]
Quality control
The duplex stainless steel used is susceptible to contamination by carbon or zinc dust. So a dedicated workshop was specially set up to keep members for the Helix separate from other carbon and nitrogen steels.[8]
Temporary works
A temporary truss bridge was built to support the bridge and provide access. The key issue was in launching the trusses over the central 50m wide navigation channel that had to be kept clear during construction to give safe access to other users of the bay.
The truss was launched in segments in a synchronised lift with two mobile crane units. This was done at night to minimise disturbance caused by closing the channel.[8]
Permanent works
A mobile gantry crane was positioned on the temporary bridge to lift elements into place. Erection started from the North Abutment starting with the horizontal prefabricated segments (av. 11m long). Then the horizontal deck components were bolted on, and then cross members, hoop members, tension rods, and other loose members were installed working upwards from deck level.
The helices and their struts were installed. The individual elements of the helices being welded on the entire span had been erected. These crucial connections were very closely supervised and controlled to ensure the properties of the duplex steel were maintained. Finally a passivation process removed any surface iron compounds which are a potential source of corrosion.[8]
In popular culture
The bridge is featured in the HBO series Westworld, as part of its third season.[9]
It is featured in Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the Singapore Speedway course.
References
- Claire Huang (24 April 2010). "Marina's pedestrian bridge named "The Helix", vehicular bridge named "Bayfront Bridge"". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on 26 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- "Helix Bridge / Cox Architecture with Architects 61". ArchDaily. 10 January 2012. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- "Marina Bay - Explore Marina Bay". Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- "Bayfront Bridge - Event Night Lighting". Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- "The Left Handed DNA Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- "Bayfront Bridge - Innovative Structure". Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- "Largest double helix bridge". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- The Institution of Engineers, Singapore. (August 2010). The Helx. The Singapore Engineer, pp. 8 - 17.
- "15 Real-Life Places Behind Westworld Season 3's Futuristic Cities". 9 May 2020. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
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