Presentation by Catarina Pereira, LC11N

1. Latin America…
…Argentina...
…Buenos Aires…
…Puerto Madero…
..Dock 3…
…River Plate
PUENTE DE LA MUJER
Woman’s Bridge

2. PUENTE DE LA MUJER
Designed by Santiago Calatrava
Started in 1998
Completed on 20th December 2001

3. PUENTE DE LA MUJER
•Cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge (this design has been pioneered by Calatrava)
•Was built by the company URSSA, at its plant in Victoria, in Bilbao, Spain, and brought to
Buenos Aires in several shipments.
•One stabilizing pylon, pointing skyward at a 45-degree angle
•Its design represents a couple dancing tango - unique asymmetrical arrangement
•White pylon represents the man with rope holding the central curvature of the bridge
that symbolizes the woman – a typical step of tango.
•Footbridge

4. PUENTE DE LA MUJER
Swing bridge

5. PUENTE DE LA MUJER
•Has two fixed sections and one movable part
•The pylon has cables suspending the part of the bridge that rotates 90 degrees in order
to allow water traffic to pass
•When it swings the far end comes to a resting point
•The rotary section relies on a central pile of white concrete that houses the rotating
mechanism
•It has a unique rotation mechanism; it’s one of the biggest of the world, with 20 electric
engines commanded by a computer

6. PUENTE DE LA MUJER
Watching it closing…

7. PUENTE DE LA MUJER
•The metal structure of the bridge has been entirely made of steel and the straps
(suspendors) are made up of galvanized steel wires of high resistance of circular section
•The big inclinated pylon it is formed by sheets of steel of different thicknesses with rigid
material interiors

8. PUENTE DE LA MUJER
Numbers:
•Total length: 170 m
•Central rotating span: 102 m
•Width of deck: 6,20 m
•Height of pylon: 39 m
•Weight: 800 tons
•Time to open: less than 2 min
•Sustaining cables: 19

9. PUENTE DE LA MUJER…
…is the only work of Calatrava in South America!

10. Thanks for your attention!
Ana Catarina Pereira
ISEL, 28th November 2011