WSP (Finland)

<p>Thu Thiem 2 Bridge is a new crossing to be built over the Saigon River in the city center of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. It will be a landmark for a new urban Thu Thiem area and for the whole city. The cable-stayed bridge has a single, well recognizable, backwards curved pylon and asymmetric span arrangement with lengths of 200 and 115 meters (Figure 1).</p><p>In the engineering design phase, the structure shall be optimised, including minimization of quantities, whilst ensuring constructability and safety of the works. Normally, the minimization of quantities brings about financial savings, however in a challenging construction the ease of erection may also be the key for economical success.</p><p>This paper discusses the design of the complex structural concept of the Thu Thiem 2 Bridge, with particular attention to the design of the pylon. Optimization, in big and complex bridge projects, is a chain of choices based on designers' experiences as well as understanding of the local environment and construction culture. This is not often a measureable task.</p>

The design of bridges is an innovative process led by the bridge engineer. The bridge designer needs help from landscape architects and from architects interested in bridge structures to find the most pleasing aesthetic solution and details. Early in the 1990s cable-stayed bridges became popular in Finland. The construction of Lumberjack's Candle Bridge near the Arctic circle attracted much publicity. The bridge celebrated its 20th anniversary in September 2009. The next cable-stayed bridge, Tähtiniemi Bridge in a beautiful lake landscape, was also well accepted. Saame Bridge between Norway and Finland over the valuable salmon and border river Teno continued the story. One of the latest successes will be the new Nguyen Van Troi-Tran Thi Ly cable-stayed bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam. This bridge has an inclined tower, wide deck and special cable arrangements. This paper is about these four beautiful bridges.

Flexible transport services include a wide range of demand responsive transport systems that provide non-conventional passenger and freight transportation services. Several alternative business models varying according to the local market conditions, the socio-economic, legal, and institutional framework may be developed for the provision of Flexible Transport Systems (FTS). The objective of this paper is twofold: first to present an integrated methodological framework for developing and assessing alternative FTS business models and second to demonstrate its applicability to a case study regarding the prioritization of alternative FTS business models for the provision of flexible passenger transport services in Helsinki.

Larvae of Ascaris suum (L2) newly hatched from eggs with sodium hypochlorite, were placed (2000 larvae per 2 ml) of culture in EAGLE's medium, containing 10% calve serum or without it. Moxidectin (Cydectin) was introduced into medium in concentrations: 5, 10, 25 and 50 micrograms/ml. The cultures were incubated for 3 days, and there were controlled every 12 hours. The effect of drug on survival of larvae was slightly expressed. After 3 days survival rates were 87, 81, 80 and 78% in medium with serum, respectively to moxidectin concentrations. The lethality of larvae was higher in medium without serum, and amounted to 17, 23, 29 and 31% in comparison with control probe after 72 hours. Adult Ascaris were placed on ARS medium with glucose (0.1%) containing moxidectin in concentrations 1, 5, 50 and 100 micrograms/ml. The worms' condition was examined every day based on motility and turgor of their body. After 14 days of incubation in control probe 50% worms were alive, but their vitality was reduced. The behaviour of Ascaris in the presence of 50 micrograms/ml moxidectin was similar to those from the control. Only the highest concentration of drug (100 micrograms/ml) was lethal in 100% on the 8th day. The lower moxidectin concentrations (1 and 5 micrograms/ml) were not lethal to adult worms, they had even the positive effect on survival rate and condition of adult Ascaris. The eggs laid by females which were maintained in culture with drug were collected. There were no disturbances in their future development.