Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

一桥飞架三地，天堑变通途

  The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge stands as the longest sea-crossing highway bridge in the history. It spans the waters between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao—turning a once formidable divide into a smooth thoroughfare.

圆梦桥、同心桥、自信桥、复兴桥

  The bridge reduces the travel time of the three places from 4 hours to 30 minutes. Built over nine years with an investment exceeding RMB 100 billion, it has a design life of 120 years. Accordingly, the steel used is equivalent to that of 60 Eiffel Towers or 10 Beijing National Stadiums. The structure is designed to withstand typhoons up to Category 16 and impacts from vessels up to 300,000 tons. The project has been described by The Guardian as one of the "new seven wonders of the world."

• The bridge spans 55 kilometers in total, making it the world's longest sea crossing.

• It includes 15 kilometers of all-steel box girders, the longest steel bridge of its kind.

• The immersed tube tunnel extends 6.7 kilometers.

• Each standard tube section measures 180 meters in length with a displacement exceeding 75,000 tons.

• The deepest section reaching 48 meters below sea level and its underwater installation was completed with a tolerance of less than 2 centimeters.

• The world's deepest immersed tunnel: the undersea section reaches a maximum depth of 48 meters—surpassing the typical limit of 45 meters for most immersed tunnels worldwide.

“世纪巨龙”蕴藏路宝力量

  "Today is my 79th day at the construction site of the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge with my crew. The subtropical maritime climate is testing us every moment. A thick fog blankets the sea today, and the wind is as relentless as ever. Everything at the site has to be weighed down, and for those working at the edge above the water, a slight mistake could send them into the sea. Checking every teammate’s safety harness has become the most critical part of my job..." So wrote the Project Manager of ROABY for the Bridge, in his diary on January 3, 2016. The harsh marine environment of the Lingdingyang waters posed extreme challenges not only for construction crews but also for the bridge’s core components.

  Conventional expansion joints accommodate movement in only vertical and horizontal directions. However, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge largely uses a steel box girder structure, which, combined with the effects of typhoons and tidal surges, subjects the bridge's connections to complex movement. ROABY Multi-directional Expansion Joint system specifically designed for such conditions. The system also incorporates noise-reducing technology: while conventional modular joints typically generate around 16 decibels when vehicles pass, ROABY solution reduces this to as low as 2.5 decibels.

  Of the 85 expansion joints locations across the 55-kilometer bridge, 83 are from ROABY.

ROABY: A Pioneer in Mega-Projects

  Conventional practice calls for installing expansion joints after deck paving, a process that would have taken about five months. ROABY instead proposed reversing the sequence: installing the joints before paving. This required transporting all equipment and materials by barge and added complexity and safety risks, extending the on-site work to over three years. While this approach increased ROABY own costs by more than RMB 10 million, it reduced overall project expenses by nearly RMB 100 million and accelerated the master schedule.

ROABY: A Guardian for Key Connection

  The continuous steel box girder structure left limited space for expansion joint installation. A conventional design would have required deeper mounting zones, increasing fabrication complexity and cost. ROABY worked with the project team to develop an ultra-thin mounting solution that fits within the paving layer thickness, significantly simplifying steel girder fabrication and reducing costs.

  The bridge is located in the Chinese white dolphin sanctuary. To prevent any hazardous substances from entering the marine environment, ROABY developed a dedicated collection system integrated with the expansion joint design.

Key Figures

97% of expansion joints on the bridge supplied by ROABY

Custom ultra-thin mounting solution

Proactive sequencing reduced overall project costs by RMB 100 million