Tuojiang Bridge, China: cable-stayed bridge with twisted tower and cable plane

Tuojiang Bridge in Sichuan, China, is a landmark infrastructure project representing a new generation of spatially asymmetric cable-stayed bridges with a twisted inclined steel tower and a twisted cable plane. The bridge is characterised by its long span, ultra-wide deck, spatially twisted and inclined tower, and asymmetric twisted cable plane. To address the technical challenges associated with these characteristics, a series of innovative design and construction technologies were developed. A hybrid restraint system, combining laterally restrained load-measuring bearings and cable-adjustment devices, was implemented to control global in-plane torsional deformation under asymmetric loading. The steel main girder was erected using an automated walking-type incremental launching method, while the steel tower was assembled in segments using large crawler cranes supported by a combined bracing system of permanent cables and active temporary cross-braces. Key techniques included spatial attitude control for heavy tower segment hoisting, full-process geometric monitoring and control for tower construction, and a refined calculation method for the sequential tensioning forces of parallel-strand stay cables. These innovations enabled high-precision construction and intelligent control of the tower–girder–cable system, providing practical reference for the delivery of spatially complex cable-stayed bridges.