For industry concrete behind the 27 inch thin and glorious bridge

This requires probably an extra breath before the first time it moves out on the Catharinabroen in the Dutch city of Leiden.

With only 27 inches of thickness ranging footbridge across 36 metres over a river. The thin concrete floor plate doesn't look like much, but there is no reason to fear a crack – and a subsequent fall into the river's icy vintervand.

the Concrete is not just solid. It is exceptionally solid.

It has now gained international acclaim for, among other things, the Danish betonfirma Hi-Con, which has developed the high-strength concrete, the bridge is built of.

The writes among others the Invitation to tender.

During a ceremony in Finland's capital, Helsinki, awarded the european association of betonproducenter in the year 'The European Betonpris' to the people behind the Catharinabroen.

It is first and foremost about the engineering firm Pieters Bouwtechniek, the architectural firm DP6 Architectuurstudio and the construction company Gebr. Schouls.

- The impossible proved to be possible, does it sound according to the Invitation from Jan Versteegen from the engineering firm Pieters Bouwtechniek.

And then there is a Danish Hi-Con, that have contributed with specialized knowledge in design, calculations, montagestrategi and execution.

the Danes have developed and delivered the hard betontype that made the bridge's sleek design allows to begin with.

Catharinabroen is the thinnest concrete bridge in the Netherlands. The need for thinness was due to – besides the obvious aesthetic reasons – that in the city are strict requirements for clearance under the bridge, so boats can sail on the river.

the Bridge 2,20 metres high vaulting therefore constituted a restriction in relation to the tire thickness, if the bridge still would be accessible from street level.

in Addition to the vault arches of the bridge also on the other side, so that seen from above is curved like an S. All the concrete components is therefore dobbeltbuede and without some proper lines, and all are different from each other. They are prefabricated of the Hi-Con and delivered to the construction site where they are assembled.

the Project could only be done by the help of Hi-Cons third generation of high-strength concrete, CRC i3, which is reinforced with stålfiber and developed specifically for constructions in the vicinity of water.

a walk past the Leiden in the Netherlands, so it is quiet exhale and trudge over Catharinabroen.