PFEIFER connects and donates wire ropes for
bridge in South Africa
07/2015 PFEIFER Group | Lightweight
Architecture
Since the spring of 2015, PFEIFER ropes
have been spanning the Mzamba river in South Africa as the suspension ropes of
a suspension bridge and enabling many people who previously had to cross the
river without a bridge to reach schools and medical facilities safely and
conveniently.
The bridge was designed by students from the Carinthian University of Applied Sciences in co-operation with experienced planners and realised with the help of the organisation buildCollective. BuildCollective pays special attention in the realisation of its projects to the use of regional resources and the know-how of the local inhabitants. In the case of the Mzamba river project, too, great importance was attached to gaining the support of the local inhabitants for the project. Integrating them as much as possible and at all times during the project was a matter that was close to the hearts of the instigators. For example, the precise location of the bridge was chosen with the help of local experts. The construction of the bridge was to be as adaptable as possible in order to be able to react flexibly to the conditions at this location. Use was continually made of local workers as well as geologists and other experts during the construction work, too. The team surrounding the Austrian students flew time and again to South Africa in order to drive the construction of the bridge forwards during the various building phases. Foundations were poured on both sides of the river in order to erect the 13.5 and 15-metre high pylons The support cables of the type PG were manufactured at PFEIFER's headquarters in Memmingen, from where they started out on their long journey to South Africa. Having arrived in South Africa, the wire ropes were wound onto two large reels, each weighing around one tonne. On these reels the wire ropes ultimately reached the bridge construction site on the Mzamba via roads that were sometimes difficult to pass. There, the wire ropes were hung on the pylons by the workers and the pylons were then aligned with the help of the bracing ropes. The completion and opening of the bridge is planned for the end of 2015. Further information at buildcollective.
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