The longest bridge in Ecuador, called "Los Caras" and recently built to unite two coastal towns, had the participation of the company Siaproci for the lighting area. Know the details of the installation.
By Duván Chaverra Agudelo
On November 3, 2010, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa inaugurated the "Los Caras" bridge that connects the city of San Vicente with that of Bahía de Caráquez, and whose purpose was to increase trade and give a better development in tourism and infrastructure to that coastal area.
The city of Bahia constantly receives international tourists who arrive on their sailboats looking to enjoy the safety, tranquility and comforts for rest offered by the site. For its part, San Vicente is an important international tourist destination, famous for its viewpoints where imposing panoramic views are contemplated.
The bridge
The construction of this bridge was in charge of the Army Corps of Engineers and is now the largest in the South American country, with an extension of 1,980 meters above the river and 2,000 meters in the accesses of the two corners.
AVI LATINOAMÉRICA received an invitation to learn about this project thanks to the engineers of the Ecuadorian integrator company Siaproci, in charge of the installation of all the poles and luminaires of the bridge and its surroundings.
We also spoke with Captain Rugel Abel, Chief of the Army Corps of Engineers' Manabi Working Group, who told us some details and purposes of the work. "Since its planning, the bridge was planned to become the longest and most representative in Ecuador. For that reason, it was necessary to carry out a very attractive work for the tourist and that it became national pride, because being built by a local company, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, it had to have the best quality specifications in all its designs. "
Going into technical matters, Captain Rugel said that for the lighting of the bridge it was necessary to take into account several characteristics when implementing it: "It was determined that the technology to be chosen should allow: energy saving, high resistance to salinity and humidity, because it is located in a bay, and a good relationship with the environment. Thus, when determining the best technical specifications for the lighting of the bridge and its accesses, we proceeded to invite national and international companies to submit their offers, proceeding to select the company that met all our requirements, both technical and economic. "
The company specialized in engineering solutions, Siaproci, was chosen for this installation, presenting an attractive proposal in the assembly of lighting for traffic and pedestrian accesses. "For the road lighting, 11-meter poles with double arm were used: 1 arm at 11 meters with a 250-watt Na luminaire for the track, and a 70-watt luminaire at a height of 6 meters for the bike path. On the boardwalks, 4-meter Fumagalli decorative poles were installed with a 150-watt Metal Halide luminaire," explained Diego Ruiz, representative of Siaproci.
Installation
According to the conditions of the site where the bridge is located, a series of precautions had to be taken into account for the good performance of the equipment that was installed, since the sun and sea salt can be harmful to the work. "All the electrical feeders go in ductwork on the parterre that separates the bike path from the track, in each pole there is a revision box, all the joints are made of resin, of the type 92B1 of 3M, the cable gutters used in the powerhouses are made of aluminum, to guarantee a longer life time", diego Ruiz explained.
The engineer also spoke about the systems that were installed and that allow an optimal operation of the luminaires: "Five transformation chambers were installed to provide energy to the bridge, two transformers of 37.5 KVA in both abutments of the bridge, which give energy to the road and decorative lighting on the bridge; two transformation towers of 15 KVA, which give energy to the road and decorative lighting of the accesses to the bridge; and a 75 KVA transformation chamber that feeds the accesses and boardwalks on the side where Bahía de Caráquez is".
Similarly, the project used 143 luminaires for street lighting of 70 W Sodium High Pressure, 143 luminaires for street lighting of 250 W Sodium High Pressure of Double Power Level, 66 luminaires for urban lighting of 150W Metal Halide, five hermetic luminaires dustproof 2x32 watts, twelve reflector type luminaires of 1,500 watt halide metal and six reflector type luminaires of 400 watt metal halide.
The luminaires of the bridge are supported by poles that must guarantee long life and avoid deterioration due to corrosion, for that reason, Siaproci thought of the "conical posts of stainless steel 304, for their high resistance to salinity, they also have a useful life similar to that of the bridge".
After
Once the project has been completed by 100%, Captain Rugel defines it, in the area of lighting, as an ideal and necessary complement for the proper functioning of the bridge. "All the architectural details required for this majestic viaduct were met, with the sole intention of providing citizens with a quality service and at the same time giving a new image to the region to encourage tourism."
Similar is Diego Ruiz's thinking about this work. "The cities of Bahía de Caráquez and San Vicente are the most benefited from this megaproject. After the inauguration of the bridge, there has been a considerable increase in tourists, so the hotel capacity is not enough on holidays, there are even several hotel projects on the way."
For Captain Rugel, the development process of the "Los Caras" bridge covered all the expectations in terms of lighting. "Technicians from the Army Corps of Engineers worked for several months in order to determine the ideal specifications for a transcendental work for the country, which is why when translating their designs into the construction they did not make a mistake covering all the expectations they had."
Integrating firm: Siaproci
Manufacturers (brands) involved: Roy Alpha, Schneider Electric, Inatra, 3M, Marriott stainless steel poles, Fumagalli
Professionals involved: Diego Ruiz, Wladimir Fustillos, Santiago Leon, Patricio Fustillos
Email: [email protected]
Company covered with the installation (end customer): Army Corps of Engineers.
Installation dates: August 2010 – December 2010.
