This project is a model of the Viaduc de Mioux, an automobile bridge in southern France, which opened in 2004. It is 2,460 meters long, and the highest point reaches 343 meters. The bridge consists of seven reinforced concrete supports, a steel road deck, and seven steel pylons with cables.
The viaduct is constructed using a cable-stayed system. The road deck is supported by inclined steel cables—stays—that anchor to tall pylons. Unlike a suspension bridge, the cables run directly from the pylons to the road deck. The deck itself is designed as a hollow steel box girder, providing high rigidity.
When vehicles travel across the bridge, their weight is transferred to the steel road deck. This load is then distributed between the box girder and the stays. The stays primarily function in tension, transferring the forces to the pylons. The pylons absorb these forces and pass the load down to the reinforced concrete supports, which primarily bear compression. Finally, the load is transferred to the ground via the foundations.
A portion of the load is also borne by the road deck itself, which functions in bending between the points where the stays are attached. Due to the coordinated operation of the girder, the cables, and the pylons, the load is distributed across several structural elements.
Mockup Materials:
BEER CARTON
FOAM BOARD
THREAD
15CM STICKS
TWO-COMPONENT GLUE
HOT GLUE
GRAY AEROSOL PAINT
