Prai River Railway Swing Bridge
Facts and Figures:
Place/Country: Prai River, Malaysia
Completion: 1964, 2013
Project type: Movable Bridge, Swing Bridge
Client: Malaysian Railway KTMB
Description:
Movable bridge systems are among the highlights in bridge construction. The new swing bridge over the River Prai in Malaysia moves not less than 1,100 tonnes of steel in 120 seconds on one axis, thus opening a passage for shipping in the shortest time. The Malaysian Railway KTMB has placed its trust in the engineering of Waagner-Biro for the second time: the old swing bridge from the 60s came from the same Austrian bridge building specialist who replaced it in 2013.
The new Prai River Swing Bridge is a double-track bridge situated on the legendary railway line between Singapore and Bangkok, some 350 km north of Kuala Lumpur, connecting the harbour of Butterworth with the main railway line. Waagner-Biro was charged with the design, delivery and installation of the hydraulic, drive, electrical and control components, as well as of the bearings, rail interlocks and precision parts.
The new structure has a total length of 90m (2 x 45m cantilevers from the central axis of rotation) and is supported on a central steel pier that incorporates the main pivot shaft with a diameter of 2000mm and a height of 5m. Trains cross the bridge at a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Powered by an electro-hydraulic drive, the bridge slews up to 72° to allow ships and ferries to pass through.
