Design for a floating bridge across the Sognefjord in Norway

In collaboration with ZJA Zwarts & Jansma Architects and TU Delft, Iv worked on the design of an innovative floating bridge over the Sognefjord in Norway, one of the widest and deepest fjords in the world. The goal was to replace the existing ferry connection, significantly reducing travel time across the fjord. The proposed bridge, with a total length of 4.5 kilometers and twenty spans ranging from 200 to 465 meters, would rise 80 meters above the water to provide sufficient clearance for ships to pass underneath. This project was an ambitious effort to develop a technically feasible solution to the challenges posed by this extreme environment.

The Sognefjord presented Iv with unique engineering challenges. The combination of deep waters, strong winds, and complex currents made the development of a stable and durable bridge structure a complex task. To stabilise the bridge, the team designed a system of pontoons with an underwater anchoring system. This setup required a detailed design of lattice bridge girders, which needed to be flexible enough to accommodate the forces created by the floating principle without compromising structural integrity. Additionally, Iv adjusted the stiffness of the girders’ twisting ability to control bending and movement caused by various load factors.

Although the floating bridge over the Sognefjord was ultimately not built, the design provided valuable insights into the possibilities of floating infrastructure. The study demonstrated that such a design is technically feasible and could potentially be applied to other locations. This project illustrates how Iv, by developing pragmatic and viable solutions, contributes to exploring new possibilities in civil engineering.