e-mosty September 2018 Vessels and Equipment Used for Bridge Construction | Page 22

Constitution of 1812 Bridge ( La Pepa Bridge) at Cadiz,
Spain
In the early construction stage of the Constitution of
1812 Bridge or La Pepa Bridge (El puente de la
Constitución de 1812), the Dutch marine contractor SMIT
Heavy Lift Europe of Rotterdam was awarded a contract
for the transfer and positioning of three heavy steel
boxes on which the piers of the Bridge at Cádiz Bay are
built. For this assignment, the floating sheerlegs ‘Taklift 6’ and
‘Taklift 7’ were mobilized to Cadiz, complete with
ancillary craft such as tugs and pontoons.
The bridge, which was officially opened on 24 th
September 2015, has a total length of 3,092m and an
overall width of 33.20m. The removable span has the
same width and a span of 150m. The main bridge has a
total length of 1,180 m and a main span of 540m. Overall dimensions of the steel boxes are:
In 2009, the sheerlegs (sometimes operating in tandem)
brought steel boxes with a weight of respectively 681,
702 and 1.200 tons in position.



16,8m x 12,8 m x 9,0 m
18,0 m x 18,0 m x 9,0 m
62,0 m x 40 m x 9,1 m
The maximum height above the sea level is 69 metres,
with two towers of 187 metres, making it one of the
tallest bridges in Europe.
Figures 42 – 50: Floating sheerlegs ´Taklift 6´ and ´Taklift 7´ working in tandem
3/2018