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| The Towers |
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Each tower consists of
two tapered vertical reinforced concrete legs braced together
with four reinforced concrete horizontal beams. The beams built
by slip-forming, are hollow columns 155 metres high and vary
from 6 metres x 6 metres at the base to 4.5 metres x 4.75 metres
at the top. The inside faces of the legs are vertical and 18.4
metres apart.There is an electric lift in one leg of each tower
for maintenance use. At deck level a reinforces concrete platform
is cantilevered out on three sides of each leg to form the link
between the main and side span footways. |
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| Main Cables |
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| Each cable comprises 14,948
parallel galvanised drawn wires which, for the purpose of erection
and anchorage , were divided into 37 strands. In addition, on the
Hessle side span , there are a further 800 wires in each cable divided
into 4 strands held by strand shoes both at the anchorage and at the
tower saddles. With spinning and adjustment of the strands completed,
the cables were compacted into a circular shape. After the complete
suspended structure had been erected , the cables were coated with
red lead paste, wrapped with soft steel galvanised wire and painted. |
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| Hanger Ropes |
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| The deck structure is suspended
from the main cables by inclined high tensile steel wire strands of
about 62 mm in diameter. They are inclined so as to be capable of
transmitting horizonal forces between the deck and the main cables
and, by absorbing energy, assist in damping oscillations that might
otherwise be induced under certain wind-loading conditions. |
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| Suspended Structure |
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The suspended structure consists of stiffened steel plate panels welded
together to form a hollow box section 22 metres wide and 4.5 metres
deep, with 3 metre wide panels cantilevering from each side. To maintain
the shape of the section, and to form cross-girder webs, transverse
diaphragms are fitted at 4.525 metre centres. The upper flange of
the box forms the carriageways and the cantilever panels the footways
and cycle tracks.The connections for the hangers are provided by brackets
welded to the edge of the box of intervals around 18.1 metres. |
At each tower and anchorage
the deck is supported by two A-frame rockers. The rockers transmit
both vertical and lateral loads while permitting longitudinal movement,
vertical rotation and a small amount of lateral rotation of the deck.
The upper edge of each rocker is pinned to a bracket on the end diaphragm
of the box
and the two lower ends to either the lower tower portal
or to the
front of the anchorage. Expansion joints in the carriageway at each
tower are of the rolling leaf type and between the side span and the
abutment, of the compressible rubber type. Along both sides of each
carriageway there are crash barriers consisting of four tensioned
wire strands carried on posts at 4.525 centre and anchored at each
abutment and the towers. A tube type parapet, 1.16 metres high, runs
along the outside edge of each footway. The carriageways are surfaced
with a 38mm thickness of mastic asphalt and the footways with a double
dressing of rubber bitumen and 3mm chippings.
Four maintenance gantries
give access beneath the bridge deck.
The streamlined shape makes the deck aerodynamically stable and greatly
reduces wind loads on the bridge. |
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| Road Approaches |
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| The bridge and its associated
bridges and highway form an extension of the A15(T) road with links
to the A63/M62 on the north bank and A180/M180 on the south. Links
are also provided to Beverley at the northern end of the bridge and
Scunthorpe to the south-west. |
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| Ancillary Items. |
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There are extensive car, coach
and lorry parking areas and toll plaza sited on the northern end of
the bridge. Aircraft warning lights are fitted on the towers and for
river traffic there are navigation lights fitted to the underside
of the bridge deck. Emergency telephones and matrix signs are located
along the bridge and early warning signs are provided on the approaches
to the bridge. The Humber Bridge country park is situated on the north
side in what used to be a chalk quarry until it closed in 1960 and
it has been developed into an area of natural beauty. There are many
trails to explore within the park and a play area on the foreshore.
There is also a Tourist Information Centre, Cafeteria and public toilets. |
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