Maintenance-free bearings from Federal-Mogul support one of the world’s longest suspension bridges

6th February 2013
Posted By : ES Admin
Maintenance-free bearings from Federal-Mogul support one of the world’s longest suspension bridges
Federal-Mogul has developed maintenance-free bearings for one of the world’s longest suspension bridges. On completion in 2013, the Hardanger Fjord Bridge in south west Norway will be one of the largest in the world, spanning 1,310 metres between pylons. A total of 128 spherical plain bearings using Federal-Mogul’s DEVA self-lubricating material technology will accommodate the small but essential movements that occur under load between the carriageway and its supporting cables.
“The carriageway moves slightly on all suspension bridges, as a result of wind pressure, load/vibrations from traffic flow and temperature changes,” explained August Stadlmayr, managing director of Federal-Mogul DEVA GmbH. “The Hardanger Fjord bridge was particularly challenging because of its length and the loads generated, so we are delighted to have developed such a low-maintenance solution.”

Conventional roller bearing alternatives were unsuited to the prolonged yet minute movements of the bridge while under constant heavy load and would have suffered from surface failures called ‘brinelling’. Federal-Mogul’s thin-walled, self-lubricating sliding material, deva.bm®, overcomes this issue by providing a larger load-carrying surface, giving sufficient durability to last for the life of the bridge without repair or replacement.

The design of each bearing installation means that even if the sliding layer became damaged or completely destroyed by exposure to loads in excess of the design values, the structure of the joint would be protected and the plain bearing would still function, but at a reduced level.

The complete bridge includes 120 spherical plain bearings with a shaft diameter of 160 mm and a further eight with a shaft diameter of 300 mm, used for the main retaining cables adjacent to the two bridge towers. The bearing solution for these exceptionally challenging requirements was specifically developed for the bridge by Federal-Mogul DEVA GmbH, based in Stadtallendorf, Germany, combining different materials from its standard, well-proven product range.

The joint balls are made from stainless steel into which is pressed a plain bearing made from deva.bm; a low-friction sliding bearing consisting of a backing made from steel, stainless steel or bronze, with a deva.metal® surface layer. This layer is a bronze material manufactured by powder metallurgy, but is not porous and oil-impregnated; instead it is highly compressed and coated with a layer of solid lubricant material, such as graphite or PTFE.

The bearing housing forms a two-part spherical ring, also lined with deva.bm, to give a long, maintenance-free service life, high static and dynamic load capacity, and low friction properties because of the layers of homogeneous solid lubricants.

The design is completed by thrust washers that are also made from deva.metal. These absorb axial forces. The bearings are ideal for dry running at slow sliding speeds with very high resistance to extremes of temperature and corrosion.

This is not the first time that DEVA plain bearings have provided reliable, low-maintenance solutions for bridge construction projects. A number of bridges around the world benefit from this Federal-Mogul technology, including the flap bridge in the port of Valencia, over which the Formula 1 race circuit passes, the bridge over the Peene near Anklam, and the Rethe Bridge in Hamburg

Some key facts about the Hardanger Fjord Bridge:
• 1,310m span between pylons
• 55 m height of carriageway above sea level
• 200m height of bridge

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