A journey through the country's monumental structures.

TRANSFORMATION

Vietnam possesses over 2,360 rivers with a minimum length of 10 km, with many large rivers spanning all three regions. Before 1993, unless it was a steel bridge (Long Bien Bridge, Thang Long Bridge, etc.), construction technology was limited to concrete I-beam structures with a limited navigable span of approximately 33 m, while the need to build bridges with spans exceeding 100 m was very urgent...

Phu Luong Bridge, the first bridge in Vietnam to use cantilever prestressed concrete technology.

VSL engineers are lifting a 5,300-ton roof structure at Long Thanh Airport.

Cantilever construction techniques help minimize construction and installation time, and are one of the future development directions for the bridge and road industry.

In 1993, the Vietnamese transport sector began construction of the Phu Luong road bridge (National Highway 5, Hai Duong province), spanning the Thai Binh River. At that time, this was a key transportation infrastructure project, applying a completely new technique - large-span cantilever prestressed concrete technology, built and transferred in cooperation with VSL Company (Switzerland).

Following the Phu Luong Bridge project, the Construction Corporation of Transport Works 1 (Cienco1) - the unit that received the technology transfer for prestressed concrete cantilever casting from VSL experts - has mastered this technology and applied it to a series of other bridges across the country such as Quan Hau, Hoang Long, Tan De… Not only cantilever bridge projects, but other modern technologies such as reinforced earth retaining walls have been implemented on a large scale, helping to reduce costs, improve quality and progress in urban transport projects and bridge access roads.

MASTER TECHNOLOGY

Since 2001, projects of international scale and stature have begun to emerge: the Can Tho Bridge, the Thu Thiem Tunnel across the Saigon River, the Bai Chay Bridge, the Thanh Tri Bridge, the Tan Son Nhat International Airport terminal… and especially the Rach Mieu cable-stayed bridge project.

Panoramic view of Bai Chay Bridge

The beauty of Nguyen Hoang Bridge, a major transportation artery connecting Phu Xuan and Thuan Hoa ( Hue City).

The majestic beauty of Bach Dang Bridge, the largest cable-stayed bridge in Vietnam.

The Bach Dang suspension bridge during its construction phase.

Recalling the story of the Rach Mieu Bridge construction, the budget was in a difficult period at the time, but the transport sector was determined to carry out the project, choosing a reliable partner, VSL, to work alongside them and, more importantly, to transfer cable-stayed bridge technology to Vietnam. Mr. Ngo Thinh Duc, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Bridge and Road Engineering, former Deputy Minister of Transport, said: "When building the Rach Mieu Bridge, during monthly meetings at the construction site with the leaders of Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces, I always mentioned that VSL should not only be considered a partner, but also a member of the Vietnamese transport sector."

Following the Rach Mieu Bridge, a series of other cable-stayed bridges were completed. According to Mr. Tran Duc Lan, General Director of VSL Vietnam Company: "During the construction and technology transfer process, VSL always brings world-leading techniques and is ready to transfer them to Vietnamese engineers and experts. Since Rach Mieu, Vietnamese bridge and road engineers have gradually received and mastered the technology of designing and constructing cable-stayed bridges, carrying out a series of other large cable-stayed bridge projects such as Bach Dang Bridge, My Thuan 2 Bridge, Rach Mieu 2 Bridge…".

REACH FURTHER

Commenting on the infrastructure development story in Vietnam, Mr. Tran Duc Lan said: "The Vietnamese construction and transportation industry is facing a great opportunity to access advanced technology for highway projects, urban railways , high-speed railways, airport terminals, etc. Vietnam is fully capable of mastering world-class advanced technology with its well-trained workforce, highly skilled technical workers, and reliable partners for technology transfer."

Entrance to the Thu Thiem Tunnel, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City

Rach Mieu 2 Bridge

The Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien railway line uses a cantilevered track installation technique.

Phu My Bridge - the first and largest cable-stayed bridge in Ho Chi Minh City - was completed in 2009.

PHOTO: TL

One of the key new projects to be put into operation in Ho Chi Minh City in early 2025 is the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line, with the collaboration of VSL using cantilevered construction techniques highly suitable for elevated railway lines and urban metros running through densely populated residential areas. The girder segments are manufactured at the casting yard, transported to the construction site, lifted, and assembled into girder spans at an average rate of one span every three days.

The girder segments can be transported overhead, on completed girder spans, ensuring uninterrupted transportation and minimizing impact on traffic below, while saving construction time. The development of casting and cantilever technology is an inevitable trend, widely chosen for urban transportation and ring road projects in major cities in the coming years.

One notable project currently undergoing accelerated construction is the Long Thanh Airport project (Dong Nai province), which utilizes a record-breaking hydraulic jacking system to lift a 5,300-ton, nearly 2-hectare steel roof truss with wings extending up to 41 meters. The truss is assembled below and then lifted using a balanced system to a height of 30 meters above the ground. The successful application of this complex roof lifting technology reduces construction time, allows for the installation of the roofing system before the rainy season, improves safety, and minimizes risks and errors during the welding and installation of the project's massive main roof truss.

The growth and maturity of the skilled workforce of engineers and workers in the transportation and construction sectors, through each project conquering complex technical challenges, alongside reliable leading-edge technology partners worldwide, is propelling Vietnam into a period of accelerated progress and breakthroughs, welcoming more world-class projects and bringing pride to the present and the future.