The Sutong Bridge across the lower Yangtze River in China will have, when completed, the longest span (1,088 m) of any cable stayed span in the world. The main pylon foundations are located in high water depth and the soil at the site of the main pylons is weak. Moreover, the foundations are susceptible to large scour and the river at bridge site is in the main waterway to Yangtze River Basin with very heavy traffic. As a result, design and construction of Sutong Bridge foundations have experienced lots of technical challenges. This paper, from three aspects including construction conditions, foundation design and construction, introduces some considerations during design of main pylon foundations and some practical measures taken to deal with some unfavorable construction conditions, including deep water, tidal effect, soft stratum and heavy traffic, during construction of main pylon foundation.

This paper, from three aspects including construction conditions, foundation design and construction, introduces some considerations in the designing of mainpylon foundations and some practical measures to deal with certain unfavorable construction conditions, such as deep water, tidal effect, soft stratum and heavy traffic, during the construction of mainpylon foundations.