I S S U E O N E 1 9 9 8

Batam-Tonton cable-stayed bridge

6-10

15

Your specialist

contractor in

stay cable and

related

engineering

Lifting of

the

exoskeleton

for the

world’s

tallest hotel

E D I T O R I A L

5VSL, Grocon’s

construction

partner

14

10

VSL

in Chile

VSL International Ltd.Bernstrasse 9, 3421 LyssachSwitzerland andVSL Management 41, avenue du Centre78067 St-Quentin-en-YvelinesFrance

Editor : A. Le PivertTel : 33 1 30 12 09 30

Technical Editor : H. R. GanzTel : 33 1 30 12 09 30

Regional Editors :P. Bron - Europe, Middle East Africa and South AmericaTel : 33 1 69 19 43 00

G. Pash - South East AsiaTel : 61 2 9484 59 44

A. Payne - North AmericaTel : 1 919 781 6272

J-P. Trin - North East AsiaTel : 852 2590 22 22

Coordination :P. RenardTel : 33 1 30 12 09 41

Circulation :C. Mancuso-GironTel : 33 1 30 12 09 32

Design :Red LineTel : 33 1 41 14 01 80

Linguistic Consultant :A. GreenlandTel : 33 2 32 37 50 60

P U B L I S H E D B Y

Post-tensioning should be an

integrated process

A post-tensioning system is often the mostcritical aspect of a concrete structure. But morethan the quality of its individual components,the quality of post-tensioning depends on thecontrol exercised over the entire chain leadingup to installation of a system in a project.

The involvement at the inception stage ofengineers familiar with the detail design of apost-tensioning layout; the quality of the overallsystem and the consistency of all itscomponents; the implementation of rigorousinstallation procedures: all these key phasescontribute to the overall quality of a post-tensioning structure.

At VSL we are convinced that only vertically-integrated companies can ensure the optimumquality of an installed post-tensioning system. Bythis we mean companies that perform the wholegamut of services, i.e. design their system,conduct research on its components andmaterials, manufacture their key components in-house following strict quality programs, worktogether with consultants on the detailed designof a PT layout, carry out installation on-site, and,finally, perform inspection and maintenancethemselves.

These companies are genuine specialistcontractors that work hand-in-hand with themain contractor as an authentic constructionpartner specialized in post-tensioning andrelated engineering.

VSL is one of these companies.

Alain Le PivertCEO and Chairman of the Board

VSL, your

specialist

contractor in the

Philippines

H I G H L I G H T S

- S W I T Z E R L A N D -P T- P L U S, T H E O P T I M U M S O L U T I O N

B U I L D I N G S

The Business Market is 3-storeyhigh and located next to VSL'sheadquarters in Lyssach. The first storey is a transfer slabwith 20 t of post-tensioning cables.The other storeys were designed asflat slabs with typical spans of 7.20 m x 7.20 m.

Based on past experience, theengineer's design used PT-PLUSflat ducts (72 / 21 mm) with four0.6" strands combined with SO 6-4anchorages - a system whichproved to be technicallyadvantageous and economic. All tendons were prefabricated atthe VSL workshop. The 50 t ofstrands required for the 3,650 m2

total slab area were built in a chal-lenging 9 weeks, thus meeting thetight schedule set by the client. l

Franz F i sch l iVSL (Switzer land) Ltd .

- I N D O N E S I A -F I R S T V S L C L I M B F O R M I N I N D O N E S I A

B D N I C E N T R E

The BDNI Centre consists oftwo towers: Tower Acomprises 62 storeys andTower B 43 storeys. After asuccessful experience withVSL in Hong Kong, the maincontractor, Kumagai Gumi,chose the VSL Climbformsystem for the core wall ofboth towers. A total of threeClimbforms were used, twoon Tower A, reaching heightsof 228 m and 123 m, and oneon Tower B reaching a heightof 145 m. VSL’s scope of workwas the design, supply ofmaterials, and supervision ofthe system formwork.

The flexibility of the VSLClimbform system was

especially suited for thisproject: as the height of thebuilding progresses, thedimension of the core wallstructure changes in bothshape and size. l

Inggr ian i Set iawanVSL Indones ia

The VSL Cl imbform system

Lift ing byrod-jacks

Lift ing bylong-stroke

jacks

platformsupport pin

The PT-PLUS f lat duct

B U I L D I N G S

- T H A I L A N D -U C H U L I A N G

C O M P L E X

- U S A -E M B A S S Y S U I T E S H O T E L U Chu Liang is a large complex,

consisting of a 39-storey officetower, a 12-storey parking structureand a 12-storey commercialbuilding housing the headquartersof the Hong Kong Bank. All thesefacilities are linked together by an8-storey retail complex.

The main contractor—Thai Leighton Ltd—awarded VSL thedesign, supply and installation of111,300 m2 of post-tensioned slabcomprising 698 t of strand.

The structural system for the towerand retail link is flat slab with droppanels. A band beam and one-wayslab system is being used for thebanking and parking structures.

The post-tensioning workcommenced on site in April 1997and completion is scheduled forend of April 1998. l

Gaysorn LertmongkonnamVSL Tha i land

Given its proximity to Puerto RicoInternational Airport, the 30,700-m2

Embassy Suites Hotel has a strictheight limitation which dictated theuse of thin post-tensioned flat slabswithout beams (except for creationof conference and ballroom spaceson the ground floor).

VSL Miami was the post-tensioningconsultant to the StructuralEngineers (H.M. Zapata and Assoc.)

from the outset of the project whichrequired tackling space and heightproblems to achieve the projectrequirements. This relationshipsaved a significant amount of time,as design, shop drawings, andmaterials lists were prepared inadvance.

Besides its role of specialtyconsultant, VSL provided finaldesign and detailing of post-tensioning and reinforcing steel inthe slabs, monostrand materials,and technical field services to F&RConstruction, a long-term client.

This efficient design required 115 tof prestressing steel, and met allrequirements.

The hotel was built to an ambitiousconstruction schedule and openedon time. l

Phi l AranaVSL Corporat ion

USA

B U I L D I N G S

Grocon is currently involved in a number of high-profile projects in Sydney. Thanks to a closeworking relationship with Grocon, VSL is playing a specialist contractor role on each of them.

- A U S T R A L I A -T H E G R O C O N - V S L S Y N E R G Y C O N T I N U E S

400 GEORGE STREET is a 33-storey office tower in the centreof Sydney. It consists of 2 basementlevels, 4 levels of podium for retailstores and 29 levels of officeaccommodations each measuring1,660 m2 in area.The floor system is a 140-mm thickreinforced concrete slab spanning3.9 m between post-tensionedbeams. A total of 280 t of PT has

been used, and a typical floorconstruction cycle averagesless than 1 week per floor.The total construction periodfor the structure is 15 months.

ELAROSA is a 45-storeyprestige residential buildingsituated 2 km east ofSydney. This developmentis characterised by anunusual design created byHarry Siedlier – an eminentAustralian architect.The floor system is a 180-mm thick post-tensioned flat slab of 630 m2 with four12.7 mm slab tendonsrepresenting a total of172 t of strands.Construction of thestructure will take 13 months.

NO. 1 MARTIN PLACEREDEVELOPMENTAfter the completion of Melbourne’sCrown Casino, several key Groconpersonnel, including Project ManagerFrank Bortolletto, were transferred tomanage the restoration of the GPObuilding in Sydney’s Martin Place andthe construction of a 24-level officetower and of a 31-level 5-star hotelon a site covering 7,200 m2 .

The 2,680-m2 GPO office tower hasa 120-mm thick reinforced slabspanning 4.7 m between 600-mmdeep stressed beams. The beamsspan 13.5 m between the buildingcore and the edge beam.The hotel represents an area of1,245 m2 and uses 220-mmstressed flat slabs typicallyspanning 8.5 m. The slab is formedon a Condeck, a permanent metaldeck formwork.Our scope of work includes thepost-tensioning of all thesuspended horizontal elementstotalling 90,000 m2 and including465 t of post-tensioning.

The project is expected to be com-pleted by mid-1999 with our worksdue to be finalised early in 1999. l

Nei l Auds ley and Ross Ioak imVSL Austra l ia

400 George Street

project - S idney

Elarosa project -

Darl inghurst

S P E C I A L S T A Y C A B L E S

VSSPECIALIST CO

IN STAY

- F R A N C E -V A L D E R E N N E S

As part of the extension of its publictransportation system, the city ofRennes is constructing a newpeople mover railway line.To span the heavily congestedRennes ring road, a 450-m longdouble deck viaduct and a cable-stayed bridge (the VAL) are undercompletion. VSL was chosen by themain contractor—a joint venturebetween Quille (leader) and GTB—to supply and install the stay-cablesystem and the transversal post-tensioning (120 t of the VSL E 6-12system) of both bridges. A specificrequirement of the contractor S.S.E. (a joint venture between SYSTRA-

SOFRETU-SOFRERAIL, SEEE andEEG) was to build the bridgewithout interrupting the trafficbeneath. The strands of the staysare galvanised, waxed, sheathedand further protected by a thickHDPE pipe.Due to the particular sitecondition, the stay cables will bepre-assembled prior to install.

Furthermore, to accommodate thelimited space for stressing thecables in the zones of theanchorage, a special reducingcoupler was developed to enablethe use of smaller jacks.Construction is scheduled forcompletion in October 98. l

L . Marchand and A. GnaegiVSL France

Overal l drawing

of the cable-stayed

bridge

Anchor head Wedge

Anchor head

Coupler Jack

Jack chair

Gripper plate 7 nos. strands

Sketch of the tai lor-

made reducing coupler.

The leader in post-tensioning, VSL is also a major cable-stayedbridge specialist. With references such as Wadi Leban in SaudiArabia, Sunshine Skyway, Neches, Baytown and C&D canal in theUSA, River Leven in Scotland, Koshiki in Japan, Evripos in Greeceor Kemijoki in Finland, VSL has acquired unrivalled expertise in staycable design, system engineering, and installation.

Among the most recent VSLreferences in cable-stayed bridgesis the Batam-Tonton bridge(page 8). It is an illustration of theexpertise VSL can provide to acontractor when building suchhighly technical civil structures.• Construction engineeringassistance: the design of a cable-stayed bridge requires experience,skill and a heavy engineeringbackground. VSL possesses allthree capabilities and intervenes atthe tender stage, helping thecontractor propose the optimumsolution to the owner.

• Supply of an integrated system:At VSL, we design, manufactureand install the system we build. Oursystems are tailored to suit theneeds of the owner: economy,durability, aesthetics, performance.For example, our Single StrandInstallation System 200 is renownedfor its high degree of corrosionresistance (multiple layers ofcorrosion protection) and its ease ofinstallation (strand-by-strand). Butparamount is its characteristic ofhaving each strand stressable,inspectable and replaceableindividually.

• Installation and on-sitesupervision: the installation of thestays is often on the critical path ofthe construction sequence. This service enables our client tobenefit from our hands-onexperience and allows us to designthe materials, equipment andmethods that will guarantee theoptimum productivity.

S P E C I A L S T A Y C A B L E S

SLONTRACTOR CABLE

- C H I L E -H U E R F A N O S F O O T B R I D G E

The cable-stayed footbridge at thecrossing of Huérfanos Street andthe Pan-American Highwayconstitutes an important innovationin long-span bridge construction inChile. It also represents a first stepin the conversion into a pedestrianarea of Santiago’s old downtown.

The presence of the route Highway No. 5 and Metro line No. 2 called for a main span ofalmost 60 m without intermediatesupports. A cable-stayed bridgeproved to be the best alternative toavoid interference with road andmetro traffic.

The footbridge consists of two 20-m high pylons with 40 stayssupporting a 5.4-m wide deck. The bridge is 109-m long, with amain span of 57 m and two backspans of 26 m.

The deck consists of a 20-cmthick concrete slab with two 60-cm high edge beams.The stays are made of 4 greasedand sheathed 0.6’’ dia. strandspositioned inside an HDPE pipe thatis grouted after stressing. For aesthetic reasons, the stayswere subsequently coated with awhite tape.

VSL was involved at an early stageof the project, assisting the Ministryof Public Works’ Bridge Departmentand Santiago’s City Hall Architectsin the design.

VSL persuaded the contractor,ByM, to use individually stressable,inspectable, and replaceable stays.The stays have a triple protectionconsisting of 2 layers of HDPE andone of cement grout.

Anchorages were manufactured inCTT’s factory in Spain and deliveredto site after being fully assembled atthe VSL workshop in Santiago. l

Er ic Pa los JovaniVSL S i s temas Espec ia les

de Construcc ión SA

S P E C I A L S T A Y C A B L E S

In order to accommodate theexpansion of Batam Island as a free-trade industrial area, a master planwas put in place to connect BatamIsland to five neighbouring islands.The Barelang projects consist of sixbridges, the largest being a cable-stayed structure which links Batamwith Tonton Island.

It is a three-span, symmetricalcable-stayed bridge with a totallength of 642 m and a main span of350 m built of cast-in-placeconcrete. It has two A-shapedpylons extending 118 m above thepile caps, which are supported onbored piles. The navigationclearance is 39 m.

The 22 m wide deck consists of anin situ concrete slab supported ontwo edge girders and cross beams,while the stay cables are arrangedin a fan shape in two planesbetween the pylon head and theedge girder. The deck covers a totalarea of 13,800 m2, consisting of a280 mm slab sitting on transversebeams spaced at 4 m intervals. Thedeck is rigidly supported at theabutments but floating — withtransverse restraints only — at thepylon. During construction the deckwas temporarily restrainedlongitudinally at the pylon.

The deck is prestressedlongitudinally in the edge girders,and transversally in the crossbeams.

The pylons are supported oncaisson-type pile caps sitting on30 bored piles, each 1.5 m dia., andsome up to 40 m long. The twopylon legs are linked togethertransversally with a concrete beamat pile cap level. The pylon legswere built with climbform system intypical lifts of 4 m.

A particular aspect of the bridge isthat the back stays are externallyanchored in the abutments whichwere filled with sand to withstandthe back-stay forces.

Twelve-metre-longsegments were cast in theside span, typically twocycles ahead of the mainspan. Three sets offalsework were used andmoved ahead alternately. The main span is built inbalanced cantileverconstruction using VSLformtravellers. The state-of-the-art VSLStay Cable System SSI200 (Single StrandInstallation) specified inthis project consists of

greased and sheathed monostrandsindividually placed inside HDPEguide tubes. The entire bundle ofmonostrands and guide tubes isencapsulated by an HDPE pipe. Atotal of 986 t of stay cables wasused with cable sizes ranging from31 to 91 x 0.6’’ strands. The cablesmeasure between 61 m and 190 m,and are spaced at 12-m intervals inthe deck edge girders.

Stay cable anchorages includingguide tubes and grouting wereprefabricated on site. Stressing ofthe stays is performed from thepylons with custom-designedcompact multistrand jacks. l

Joannes HimawanVSL Indones ia

- I N D O N E S I A -B A T A M - T O N T O N B R I D G E

S P E C I A L S T A Y C A B L E S

The Foss Waterway Bridge is one of the final links connecting the City ofTacoma’s Waterfront Industrial Park to downtown Tacoma. The Washington StateDepartment ofTransportation, ownerand engineer, designedthe bridge in two units.The western part is atwo-span cast-in-placepost-tensioned concretebox-girder bridge. The main part is a two-span cable-stayedbridge of cast-in-placepost-tensioned concrete.The bridge was awarded tothe Max J. Kuney Co.The cable stayed portionof the bridge has a 107 m main span with a101 m backspan. It issupported by two planesof cables attached totwo identical pylons. Thetwo vertical planes ofcables are aligned withlongitudinal girders oneach edge, and withcrossbeams at 4.6 m on

center supporting the roadway. Atotal of 44 cables (containing from24 to 63 15.2-mm monostrands)are typically spaced at 9.1 mcenters.The system uses VSL 200Monostrand cables made ofgreased and extruded PEsheathed strand subsequentlyinjected with cement grout. The stay cables were installedand stressed with 1,700 t rams byVSL after completion of thesuperstructure and pylons. l

Charles HanskatVSL Corporation - USA

- U S A -F O S S W A T E R W AY B R I D G E

- S W E D E N -U D D E V A L L A C A B L E -

S T AY E D B R I D G E

In a joint venture with ISAB, VSLintervenes as a specialistcontractor for the cable-stayedportion of the Uddevalla bridgespanning the Sunnigesund river.On this 414-m main-span bridge,1,100 t of galvanised, greasedand sheathed strand will beinstalled. The stay cables rangefrom 22 to 77 strands, with thelongest one being 220 m.The strands will be installed one-by-one. To offer savings for theClient, no tower crane will be usedfor stay erection. A specialdamping system is being studiedin conjunction with VSL to avoidstay vibration due to rain and wind.First stay erection is planned formid October 1998. l

Jean-François Cubi l leSpec ia l Pro jects

▲ instal lat ion of the stays

strand installation and technicalassistance) are currently underconstruction in Kentucky. For bothprojects, VSL will supply pre-assembled, pre-groutedanchorages, which simplifies theinstallation and increases the qualityof the anchorage assembly. Thepre-assembled anchorages will beconfigured to allow the contractorto install the stay-cable strands oneat a time. The stays will be encasedin colored co-extruded HDPE pipe.

The Maysville Bridge consists ofthree spans [135 m-320 m-135 m]with two parallel planes of staysanchored in goal-post shapedpylons. The superstructure will beerected using the balancedcantilever method of constructionand consists of steel edge girdersand transverse floor beams. It willbe decked with precast concretepanels overlayed with a latex-modified concrete. The 80 staysrange in size from 6-31 to 6-55 andvary in length from 56 m to 166 m.The installation of the stay cableswill be finalized end of 1999.

The Owensboro Bridge is atraditional two-tower stay-cablebridge with two planes of inclinedstays anchored in diamond-shapedpylons with span lengths of 152 m-366 m-152 m. The bridge deckconsists of steel edge girders andtransverse floor beams, deckedwith precast concrete panelsoverlayed with a latex-modifiedconcrete and will also be erectedusing the balanced cantilevermethod of construction. The 96 stays range in size from 6-19 to 6-61 and vary in length from56 m to 190 m. The installation ofthe stays is scheduled to becompleted by March of 2000. l

Robert SwardVSL Corporat ion - USA

This bridge involves the assembly of glued prefabricated segments,incorporating stay cables everysecond segment. The precastsegments are 35 m wide, 5 m deepand weigh between 185 and 240 t.With a main span of 405 m and179-m side spans, this 763-m longstructure will cross the Wadi Lebanvalley, providing the longest link ofthe Riyadh ring road.The scope of VSL works is thedesign and supply of post-tensioning and stays, constructionengineering, supervision duringinstallation, stressing and groutingof the stays. The construction of thestays is scheduled for 18 months.The VSL System 200 is used on theproject. Cables vary in size from 6-19 to 6-52 and in length from 87 m to 420 m. With anchorageslocated at deck level, the staycables are winched over the saddleareas, which are pre-grouted.

To maintain the parallel pattern ofthe strands established duringfabrication, VSL, in co-operationwith the contractor (a joint venturebetween Tanmia and SaudiArchirodon, with design consultantsDar Al Handasah) has designed atailor-made winch system to allowthe cables to be pulled from thefabrication table up 75 m onto thebridge deck. Once the stays are inplace and finally stressed, they willbe injected with cement grout andthe anchorage caps filled with aspecial grease.The works are progressing well and50% of stay installation had beenachieved at the end of March 98. l

Bruno PouquetSpec ia l Pro jects

S P E C I A L S T A Y C A B L E S

- U S A -MAYS V I L L E & OW E N S B O R O

C A B L E - S T AY E D B R I D G E

Two stay-cable bridges of similarprofile, with the same Owner (Stateof Kentucky), Client (TraylorBrothers, Inc.), stay cable system(VSL Monostrand System 200), andscopes (supply of the system,method statement for strand-by-

Owensboro br idge

Maysvi l le br idge

- S A U D I A R A B I A -W A D I L E B A N B R I D G E

P O S T - T E N S I O N I N G

- F R A N C E -R H O N E R I V E R R A I L W AY

V I A D U C T S

After the award of the KranjiSewage Treatment Works PTdigesters, VSL has been chosen forthe design and installation of post-tensioning of 6 egg-shapeddigesters for Seletar SewageTreatment Works. Each digester is 35 m high,measures 22.1 m dia. and has astorage capacity of 6,495 m3. Wallthickness varies from 320 mm to600 mm and the top of thefoundation ring is 4.7 m above thelowest invert level of the digester.Horizontal tendons in the walls aremade up of S 6-4 tendons while thevertical tendons are of EC 6-4, 6-7and 6-12 types inserted into galva-nised steel ducts. A total of 40 t ofstrand is installed in each digester.The main contractor is HyundaiEngineering & Construction andKinhill Tan Pte Ltd is the structuralengineer. l

Gary SoonVSL S ingapore

- S I N G A P O R E -S E L E T A R S E W A G E T R E A T M E N T W O R K S

As a part of the extension of theFrench High Speed Train network(TGV), SNCF (the national railwaycompany) is building two viaducts(approximately 1,500 m longeach). These precast segmental viaductswith 100 m spans are the first ofthis type for the SNCF and arecurrently the biggest civil structureunder construction in France.The main contractor—a jointventure between Bouygues andGTM—chose VSL and GTM’s PTdivision for the technicalassistance and PT-related worksincluding cantilever, continuity,mid-span locking, and longitudinalinternal and external post-tensioning. l

Jean-Luc MohrVSL France

H E A V Y L I F T I N G

- U N I T E D A R A B E M I R AT E S -L I F T I N G O F T H E E X O S K E L E T O N

F O R T H E W O R L D ’ S T A L L E S T H O T E L

VSL Singapore has completed thelifting and placing works for theinstallation of the main elementscomprising the exoskeleton for theTower Hotel at Chicago Beach inDubai. This structure is soon to bethe world’s most luxurious andtallest hotel, reaching 320 m with atypical floor-to-floor height of 7.0 m.

VSL’s previous success with high liftssuch as the KLCC skybridge led to theaward of the contract by EversendaiEngineering—the steel works erectionsub-contractor to the Murray andRoberts, Al Habtoor, Fletcher jointventure.The operation involved the lifting andplacement from ground level of 6 horizontal trusses and 6 diagonaltrusses, an operation outside existingtower crane capabilities. The use of theVSL heavy-lifting system maximised thepotential size of the prefabricatedelements, hence minimising the amountof work required aloft.

The maximum truss length was 86 m,the maximum weight lifted was 225 t andthe maximum lifted height was 196 m.Lifting was carried out from jackingcarriages mounted on 2 relocatablecantilever frames which couldaccommodate lifting off-sets from thebuilding of up to 24 m to account forthe geometry of the building and thedelivery position of the trusses. l

David TraynerVSL S ingapore

VSLStrandL i f t ingUnit

R E T A I N E D E A R T H

- P O R T U G A L -E N 1 0 W A L L S

The E.N. 10 is the connecting roadto the new Tagus Bridge in Lisbonfor which VSL carried out post-tensioning and segment precastingfor the access viaducts.VSL was chosen by the maincontractor—ACE Novaponte—tobuild a series of Retained EarthWalls because its system waseconomical to construct whencompared with conventionalstabilisation methods. In addition toeconomy, the smooth and raisedhexagonal panelled finish providespleasing aesthetic features thatblend harmoniously into thelandscape.VSL’s scope of works includedpanel design, and the supply andinstallation of the mechanicallystabilised system. The system wasspecified for a service life of 120 years and a seismicacceleration of 1.6 m/s2.

As a result of the residential development of Tsing YiIsland an additional bridge was needed to cope withthe increased traffic going to and from the island.The eastern approach to the bridge required aretaining structure which was originally designed asa large-diameter bored-pile wall with a concretefacing to support the road and service trough of theapproach route.VSL Hong Kong successfully proposed an alternativedesign consisting of a temporary cut slope stabilisedby rock and soil anchors and a Retained Earth Wall as

the permanent structure. The 4,100-m2 wall is up to 24 m in height with a series of benches 4.5 to 6.5 mhigh by 1.5 m wide giving an overall inclination ofapproximately 70%.VSL's scope of work was a complete packagecomprising the alternative design (temporary andpermanent works), the temporary slope stabilisationworks, and erection of the VSL Retained Earth Wallincluding placement and earthworks. l

Stuart PearsonVSL Hong Kong

- H O N G KO N G -T S I N G Y I W A L L S

Average wall height is 7 m and the largest wallis 100 m long. l

Zenobia Quadros-MartinsVSL S i s temas Portuga l

- V S L I N C H I L E -S U M Á S V A L I O S O Y C R E A T I V O S O C I O C O N S T R U C T O R

VSL has been present in Chilesince 1988. It first started with alicensee, Sistemas Especiales deConstrucción SA, owned by thewell-known local entrepreneurFernando Echeverría and hispartners. In October 1995 agenuine subsidiary—VSLSistemas Especiales deConstrucción SA—wasestablished to expand the rockanchors, PT slabs, post-

tensioning, Retained Earth Wallsand Heavy Lifting businesses inthis country. Today, the companyis bringing new ideas and

Main references are the El Tenientecopper mine (rock anchors), CTCbuilding (60,000 m2 of PT floors),airport access viaduct (PT), Eje Pratroad (retained earth walls), the

Escondida copper mine (lifting of a20,000 m2 roof), the Sheraton andMarriott hotels (anchors and PT),Banmedica office building, ParqueArauco and Plaza Vespucioshopping centers, Huerfanos cable-stayed footbridge (stay installation),Chuquicamata copper mine walland Acceso Norte a Concepciónretained earth walls, and the liftingof 2 stockpiles at María Elena mineamong many others.At the end of 1996, VSL SistemasEspeciales de Construcción SAcreated a branch in Argentina todevelop this promising market.With the technical andcommercial back-up of the

construction methods to localcontractors and civil structureowners. As a construction partner,VSL has been involved in dams,cement plants, the miningindustry-related structures,geotechnics and bridges, and hasdesigned and executed more than1,000,000 m2 of post-tensionedslabs in hotels, commercialcenters, parking garages, officesand residential buildings.

Santiago office, this new branchhas secured important contractssuch as the impressive Mercadode Abasto in only one year ofoperation. l

Er ic Pa los JovaniVSL S i s temas Espec ia les

de Construcc ión SA

I s idora tower

Santiago

Plaza Vespucio shopping center

anchors and PT f loors

Banmedica tower

anchors and PT

Retained earth wal l

on the Concepción-

Chi l lan road

Mercado de Abasto

CTC bui lding

60,000 m 2

of PT f loors

“Nueva York”

off ice bui lding

7,712 m 2

of PT f loors

Y O U R L O C A LC O N S T R U C T I O N P A R T N E R

Y O U R L O C A LC O N S T R U C T I O N P A R T N E R

- V S L I N T H E P H I L I P P I N E S -

to 10 I-girders produced in thecasting yard every day andsimultaneous work on pierheadsalong the full 9.3 km length.Because of the tight schedule, workproceeds 24 hours per day. The firstsection of Stage 1 will be opened totraffic by mid 1998. l

By Michae l Ph i l l ipsVSL PHIL IPP INES

METRO MANILA SKYWAY -STAGE 1 is a 35-km-long 6-lanefully elevated expressway. Stage 1 is a 9.3-km-long structureusing unique single-columnrotating-pierhead technology with 10 AASHTO I-girders per 36.5 mtypical span. The 27.5 m widepierheads are constructed parallelto the existing road underneath andrequires no road closures. Oncecompletely stressed and grouted,the pierhead is rotated using ahydraulic friction-free device. U-tendons are then stressed toconnect the pierhead to thecolumn.VSL has been contracted toundertake the post-tensioningworks for the pierheads and theprecast I-girders. The project is nowreaching peak construction with up

With references such as Alson’s cement silos (PT and slipforming design, supply and supervision) orthe Vargas flyover (PT of I-beams), VSL has contributed to the improvement of the constructioninfrastructures in the area.

VSL Phi l ipp inesSuite 502

Jo l l ibee Centre Bui ld ingSan Migue l AvenuePas ig , Metro Mani la

Phone +632 633 17 39Fax +632 633 17 40

Two projects illustrate particularlywell the value added services VSLcan bring a main contractor in thePhilippines:

PHILAMLIFE TOWER is a Grade Aoffice building located in the heartof the Manila financial district,Makati. The Main Contractor, EEICorporation/EE Black Joint Venture,awarded to VSL a package ofClimbform system (35 m-long x 13-m wide) and post-tensioningworks (51 post-tensioned levels andan area of 100,000 m2). The projectbegan in August 1996 and will becompleted by early 1999.

THE COMBINATION OF A WORLD-CLASS SPECIALIST CONTRACTORW I T H T H E R E S P O N S I V E N E S S O F A L O C A L L Y B A S E D P A R T N E R

PORTUGALVSL Sistemas Portugal SA.LISBONPhone: 351 - 1 - 445 83 10 Fax: 351 - 1 - 444 63 77

SOUTH AFRICAVSL Systems South Africa (Pty) Ltd. RANDBURGPhone: 27 - 11 - 704 24 30Fax: 27 - 11 - 704 24 30

SPAINCTT StrongholdBARCELONAPhone: 34 - 93 - 200 87 11Fax: 34 - 93 - 209 85 90

SWEDENInternordisk Spännarmering ABDANDERYDPhone: 46 - 8 - 753 02 50Fax: 46 - 8 - 753 49 73

SWITZERLANDVSL (Switzerland) Ltd.LYSSACHPhone: 41 - 34 - 447 99 11Fax: 41 - 34 - 445 43 22

UNITED ARAB EMIRATESRepresentative OfficeDUBAIPhone: 971 - 4 - 820 803Fax: 971 - 4 - 821 970

North East Asia (Operating Unit 2)

REGIONAL OFFICEVSL North East Asia1508 Devon House979 King’s RoadQuarry BayHONG KONGPhone: 852 - 2590 22 22Fax: 852 - 2590 95 93

HONG KONGVSL Hong Kong Ltd.Quarry BayPhone: 852 - 2590 22 88Fax: 852 - 2590 02 90

JAPANVSL Japan CorporationTOKYOPhone: 81 - 33 - 346 89 13Fax: 81 - 33 - 345 91 53

KOREAVSL Korea Co. Ltd.SEOULPhone: 82 - 2 - 574 82 00Fax: 82 - 2 - 577 00 98

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINAVSL Engineering Corp.HEFEIPhone: 86 - 551 - 557 7421Fax: 86 - 551 - 557 6018

PHILIPPINESVSL Philippines Inc.QUEZON CITYPhone: 63 - 2 - 633 1739Fax: 63 - 2 - 633 1740

TAIWANVSL Taiwan Co., Ltd.TAIPEIPhone: 886 - 2 - 2759 6819Fax: 886 - 2 - 2759 6821

VIETNAMVSL HanoiRepresentative Office HANOIPhone: 84 - 4 - 8245 488Fax: 84 - 4 - 8245 717

USA – North America (Operating Unit 3)

REGIONAL OFFICEVSL CorporationCrosspointe II Plaza2840 Plaza Place - Suite 200RALEIGH, NC 27612 USAPhone: 1 - 919 - 781 6272Fax: 1 - 919 - 781 6892

WESTVSL Corporation SAN JOSE, CAPhone: 1 - 408 - 866 - 5000Fax: 1 - 408 - 374 - 4113

NORTHEASTVSL Corporation WASHINGTON, D.C.Phone: 1 - 703 - 451 - 4300Fax: 1 - 703 - 451 - 0862

SOUTHEASTVSL Corporation MIAMI, FLPhone: 1 - 305 - 592 - 5075Fax: 1 - 305 - 592 - 5629

MIDWESTVSL Corporation DALLAS, TXPhone: 1 - 972 - 647 - 0200Fax: 1 - 972 - 641 - 1192

MEXICOVSL Corporation SAdeCV MEXICOPhone: +525 - 259 10 99Fax: +525 - 259 19 48

South EastAsia/Australia (Operating Unit 1)

REGIONAL OFFICEVSL Prestressing (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. 6 Pioneer AvenueTHORNLEIGH, NSW 2120AustraliaPhone: 61 - 2 - 9484 59 44Fax: 61 - 2 - 9875 38 94

AUSTRALIA - QueenslandVSL Prestressing (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.VIRGINIAPhone: 61 - 7 - 326 564 00Fax: 61 - 7 - 326 575 34

AUSTRALIA - New South WalesVSL Prestressing (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.THORNLEIGHPhone: 61 - 2 - 9484 59 44Fax: 61 - 2 - 9875 38 94

AUSTRALIA - Southern DivisionVSL Prestressing (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.NOBLE PARKPhone: 61 - 3 - 9795 03 66Fax: 61 - 3 - 9795 05 47

BRUNEI DARUSSALAMVSL Systems (B) Sdn. Bhd.BANDAR SERI BEGAWANPhone: 673 - 2 - 380 153/2-38182Fax: 673 - 2 - 381 954

GUAMVSL Prestressing (Guam) Inc.TUMONPhone: 67 - 646 80 61Fax: 67 - 649 08 50

INDIAKillick Prestressing Ltd.BOMBAYPhone: 91 - 22 - 578 44 81Fax: 91 - 22 - 578 47 19

INDONESIAPT VSL IndonesiaJAKARTAPhone: 62 - 21 - 570 07 86Fax: 62 - 21 - 573 75 57

MALAYSIAVSL Engineers (M) Sdn. Bhd.KUALA LUMPURPhone: 60 - 3 - 242 47 42Fax: 60 - 3 - 242 93 97

NEW ZEALANDPrecision Precasting (Wgtn.) Ltd.,OTAKIPhone: 64 - 6 - 364 81 26Fax: 64 - 6 - 364 83 44

SINGAPOREVSL Singapore Pte. Ltd.SINGAPOREPhone: 65 - 336 29 23Fax: 65 - 337 64 61

THAILANDVSL (Thailand) Co. Ltd. BANGKOKPhone: 66 - 2 - 237 32 88/89/90Fax: 66 - 2 - 238 24 48

Europe, Middle East,South America and Africa(Operating Unit 4.5)

REGIONAL OFFICERepresentative OfficeL’Odyssée - Bât. A2-12 Chemin des Femmes91886 MASSY CedexFrancePhone: 33 - 1 - 69 19 43 00Fax: 33 - 1 - 69 19 43 01

ARGENTINAVSL Sistemas Especiales deConstrucción SABUENOS AIRESPhone: 54 - 1 - 326 06 09Fax: 54 - 1 - 326 09 19

AUSTRIAGrund- und Sonderbau GesmbHVIENNAPhone: 43 - 1 - 878 17 0Fax: 43 - 1 - 878 17 762 od 782

CHILEVSL Sistemas SANTIAGOPhone: 56 - 2 - 233 10 81Fax: 56 - 2 - 233 67 39

CZECH REPUBLICVSL Systemy (CZ) s. r. o.PRAGUEPhone: 420 - 2 - 67 07 24 20Fax: 420 - 2 - 67 07 24 06

FRANCEVSL France S.A. EGLYPhone: 33 - 1 - 69 26 14 00Fax: 33 - 1 - 60 83 89 95

GREAT BRITAINBalvac Whitley Moran Ltd.DERBYSHIREPhone: 44 - 1 - 773 54 26 00Fax: 44 - 1 - 773 54 27 00

GREECEVSL Systems A/E ATHENSPhone: 30 - 1 - 363 84 53Fax: 30 - 1 - 360 95 43

NETHERLANDSCivielco B.V. AT LEIDENPhone: 31 - 71 - 576 89 00Fax: 31 - 71 - 572 08 86

Stronghold Benelux B.V.Phone: 31 - 705 - 11 51 45Fax: 31 - 705 - 17 66 24

NORWAYVSL Norge A/S STAVANGERPhone: 47 - 51 - 56 37 01Fax: 47 - 51 - 56 27 21

Your post-tensioning specialist contractor:

HEADQUARTERS

VSL International Ltd.Bernstrasse 9

LYSSACH - CH 3421Switzerland

Phone: 41 - 34 - 447 99 11Fax: 41 - 34 - 445 43 22http:\\www.vsl-intl.com