Baishuihe Bridge

Baishuihe Bridge
白水河特大桥
Zhangjiawanzhen, Guizhou, China
902 feet high / 275 meters high
1,115 foot span / 340 meter span
2024

Baishuihe Bridge is one of two arch bridges more than 200 meters high along the mountainous Naqing Expressway between Nayong and Qinglong in Western Guizhou Province.

The main span of Baishuihe Bridge consists of a CFST or concrete filled steel tubular arch that is a creation of Chinese engineers since they first used it in 1990 and is now the common method to build steel arch bridges throughout China's western provinces, especially when crossing a deep gorge or ravine.

The large steel tubes that run along the underside of the Baishuihe arch were initially hollow. Once the arch was closed, concrete was pumped into these tubes from the bottom up. Depending on the length of the span and the width of the bridge, different styles of tubing are used. some designs consist of an array of single tubes spaced apart from each other. Other configurations include dumbbells with two tubes closely connected, a mix of a dumbbell and single tubes or a tight cluster of tubes known as “multiple contiguous”. Once hardened, the concrete solidifies and stiffens the arch, improving the compressive strength of the entire structure.

The Naqing Expressway is home to some of China's most spectacular high bridges including the massive Liuzhi arch-beam viaduct, the Zangkejiang suspension bridge and the Baishuihe and Azhihe arch bridges.