Patent ID: 7240389

Claim:
A method of constructing a partially earth-anchored cable-stayed bridge using a thermal prestressing technique, in which, to apply a predetermined initial axial tensile force to reinforcing girders of the bridge, the initial axial tensile force is applied to the reinforcing girders while a center of an intermediate span of the bridge is closed with a final key segment, the method comprising: a first step of determining an appropriate space length required for closure of the final key segment and of determining both a heating region and a heating temperature of the reinforcing girders according to the initial axial tensile force to be applied to the reinforcing girders during a process of manufacturing the final key segment; a second step of heating the reinforcing girders using heating means according to conditions determined at the first step, thus thermally lengthening the reinforcing girders to predetermined lengths corresponding to the appropriate space length determined during the process of manufacturing the final key segment; a third step of closing a junction between the reinforcing girders at the center of the intermediate span of the bridge with the final key segment; and a fourth step of removing the heating means from the reinforcing girders after the junction between the reinforcing girders has been closed with the final key segment.