Outokumpu will supply duplex stainless steel plate for the upper towers of the Stonecutters Bridge, under construction in Hong Kong. Stonecutters Bridge will be a landmark in Hong Kong: straddling the Rambler Channel at the entrance to the busy Kwai Chung Container Port, this bridge will be one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world when completed in 2009. The clear span is 1018m and the total length 1596m. The deck is suspended from two 295m-high single pole towers. The towers, the most conspicuous feature of the bridge, are built as steel-concrete composite structures. Above the 175m level, stainless steel envelopes the top 118m, providing stiffness and damping for the structure. The maritime location and the hot, humid climate of Hong Kong combine to make the environment of the Stonecutters Bridge highly corrosive, demanding a stainless grade that can withstand the test. The bridge engineers selected duplex 2205 owing to this grade’s proven qualities for such an environment. Outokumpu’s delivery for the Stonecutters Bridge was completed in late summer 2006 and consisted of 2000tns of duplex 2205 plate and pipe. The skin segments for the Stonecutters Bridge were finished by a fabricator in China from plates delivered by Outokumpu in customized sizes with 1K surface. The plates were polished to a finish lower than 0.5µm and shot peened to provide the right and consistent level of reflection both daytime and nighttime.
