Trojský bridge has received an international award

The Troja Bridge in Prague has received significant recognition on the international stage. The European Convention for Construction Steelwork (ECCS) awarded this project the AWARD OF EXCELLENCE in the Bridges category during the The European Steel Design Awards 2015 competition. On September 15, 2015, the ceremonial announcement and acceptance of the award in Istanbul, Turkey, included representatives from the Czech Association of Steel Structures (ČAOK), which submitted the project for the competition: President Antonín Pačes, Secretary Marek Janda, and Dalibor Gregor, the head of the steel structure design team from Excon a.s.

The international six-member jury evaluated all constructions from an architectural and engineering perspective, focusing on the creative and imaginative use of steel in architecture and construction. The Troja Bridge stood out among European constructions and was recognized as the best European steel bridge structure.
The statement from the international panel is as follows: "The Prague Troja Bridge is an impressive work that blurs the boundaries between architecture and engineering skills. The arch bridge, with its deck hanging on a dense network of rod suspenders – a well-known basic concept that has been superbly designed and detailed. The structure demonstrates the versatility of steel with its supporting arch and a braided network of suspenders in four planes, forming a wall, thus allowing the realization of a low and very slender arch. Together with the corresponding construction process, a truly beautiful design has been created that allows for the transmission of large loads from trams, vehicular traffic, and pedestrians in the heart of Prague. The bridge promotes the qualities of steel structures with its visibly slender construction and elegance. Effective lighting emphasizes its form. The commission was particularly pleased with the combination of expressive design and skill in modern industrial production. The Troja Bridge is like a sculptural work and a beautiful complement to the city of Prague."



In addition to the Troja Bridge, the following constructions were nominated for the competition from the respective countries:

• Roofing of the railway station, Vienna, Austria
• Sundsvall Bridge, Sweden
• Roofing of Les Halles, Paris, France
• KPMG office building, Luxembourg - Kirchberg, Luxembourg
• Roofing of the railway station Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Aquae exhibition pavilion, Mestre, Italy
• Medical lecture hall, Stockholm, Sweden
• Amazonia football stadium, Manaus, Brazil (submitted by Portugal)
• Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, Odense, Denmark
• DNB House A office building, Oslo, Norway
• Administrative and research building Kayalar Chemicals Industry and Trade, Istanbul, Turkey
• Reconstruction of the railway bridge, Szolnok, Hungary

The design of the Troja Bridge was created by Roman Koucký, Libor Kábrt (both from Roman Koucký architectural office s.r.o.) and Jiří Petrák with Ladislav Šašek (both from Mott MacDonald CZ, spol. s r.o.). The general contractor for the construction was Metrostav a.s. The project for the steel structure of the bridge was prepared by EXCON a.s. (Vladimír Janata, Dalibor Gregor), and the production of the steel structure was carried out by Metrostav a.s. - division 3 and Bilfinger MCE Slaný s.r.o.

The Troja Bridge is part of the Blanka tunnel complex. It carries a tram line, two lanes for vehicles in both directions, with sidewalks on the edges. The proposed solution elegantly spans the Vltava River with a bold arch that minimally intrudes into the city’s skyline. In terms of structural layout, bridge configuration, and materials used, it is a construction that is unique on a global scale.
The bridge consists of a pair of separate structures, which are separated by a dilation above the pier located on the Troja bank. The main span is designed as a simply supported steel arch structure (span 200.4 m, arch rise 20.0 m) with a prestressed concrete deck supported by prefabricated girders spaced 4 m apart, suspended on a system of two hundred network-arranged rod suspenders. Due to the chosen static system of the network arch, it was possible to reduce the rise of the arch. The ratio of the rise to the span of the arch is 1/10, and the ratio of the structural height of the arch to its span is 1/183, which are the basic parameters determining the elegance of the flat arch bridge.