Bridge Launching Gantry for Philippine Cross-Island Expressway Project

Project Background and Challenges

In 2025, a key cross-sea highway project in the Philippines entered the critical phase of girder erection. The project aims to connect two major economic islands, with a total length of approximately 3.2 km, of which over 70% is over water. Due to its unique geographical location, the construction faced extremely demanding challenges. Upon receiving the requirements, HSCRANE customized a bridge launching gantry for the project.

Project Challenges

• Complex Weather Conditions: Located in a tropical monsoon region, the site is subject to strong crosswinds and sudden heavy rainfall, requiring exceptional stability for high-altitude operations of the bridge launching gantry.
• Terrain Constraints: The bridge spans shallow shoals and deep-water areas where engineers cannot install ground supports. In addition, the design includes sections with small-radius curves (R = 600 m).
• High Precision Requirements: As a national key infrastructure project, engineers must control the placement deviation of precast girders within ±5 mm.

Bridge Launching Gantry Technical Specifications

To cope with extreme offshore working conditions, this customized bridge launching gantry was enhanced based on a standard model:

HSCRANE Bridge Launching Gantry Solution

Walking-Type Self-Launching Technology

To address the challenge of not being able to install temporary supports offshore, this bridge launching gantry adopts HSCRANE’s core walking-type mechanism. The equipment does not require long-distance track laying; instead, it “walks” between piers through alternating hydraulic leg support.

This design significantly reduces reliance on auxiliary infrastructure and performs exceptionally well in restricted offshore construction environments.

VFD Control and Millimeter-Level Transverse Positioning

To meet strict alignment accuracy requirements, the system uses full variable frequency drive (VFD) control. Operators can continuously adjust the speed of both the lifting trolleys and transverse mechanisms, enabling precise girder positioning via remote control.

Especially in curved bridge sections, HSCRANE’s intelligent lateral compensation system automatically corrects deviations, ensuring that it accurately positions each T-beam onto the bearings.

Enhanced Wind Resistance and Anti-Corrosion Design

Considering the high-salinity and high-humidity marine environment, HSCRANE applied high-standard surface treatment, including sandblasting and a three-layer epoxy zinc-rich anti-corrosion coating.

In addition, the design team enhanced the torsional rigidity of the main girder and installed hydraulic wind-locking devices on the front legs, ensuring safe operation even under Beaufort scale 6 wind conditions.

On-Site Construction Process

At the Philippine project site, HSCRANE engineers provided full-time technical support. The workflow was optimized into an efficient assembly-line process:

• Girder Feeding Stage: Transport vehicles deliver precast girders to the rear of the bridge launching gantry.
• Lifting and Transfer Stage: Dual trolleys lift the girder synchronously and move it longitudinally to the designated span.
• Placement and Positioning: The transverse system enables fine adjustment, completing precise placement within 10 minutes.
• Span Advancing Operation: The gantry advances to the next pier using hydraulic lifting, preparing for the next span installation.

Customer Feedback and Project Results

After 8 months of continuous operation, the project successfully completed all girder erection tasks, finishing 20 days ahead of schedule.

The project director from the Philippine side commented:

“HSCRANE’s equipment demonstrated impressive stability under complex offshore wind conditions. Its customized design significantly simplified operations on curved bridge sections and greatly reduced labor costs.”

The successful delivery of this project once again demonstrates HSCRANE’s capability in customized equipment solutions for complex global environments. From mountainous regions to offshore projects, HSCRANE continues to accelerate global infrastructure development with reliable quality and innovative technology.

Mark Meng

Bridge Construction Equipment Specialist

Bridge construction equipment specialist with focus on launching gantry structural design, hydraulic synchronization systems, and on-site erection methodology. Experienced in technical requirement analysis for span-by-span and full-span launching projects across varying terrains and load capacities.

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