Paes presents the conclusions of studies on bicycle path accidents.
The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, presented the solution for the reconstruction of the Tim Maia bike path, which had part of its structure destroyed in São Conrado, in the southern zone of the capital, leaving two dead. According to studies, the reconstruction of the affected section will require structural reinforcement of the platform using loads appropriate to vertical and horizontal forces; strengthening of the pillars; and anchoring the structure to the rock to withstand waves with a 100-year recurrence. Technicians estimate that the reconstruction of the affected section will be completed in August.
Rio 247 - The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, presented, this Monday (13), the solution for the reconstruction of the Tim Maia Cycle Path, which had part of its structure destroyed in the section known as Gruta da Imprensa, on Avenida Niemeyer, in São Conrado, south of the capital. The accident happened on April 21 - two people died. According to studies, the reconstruction of the affected section will require structural reinforcement of the platform using loads adequate to vertical and horizontal forces; strengthening of the pillars; and anchoring the structure to the rock for waves with a recurrence of 100 years. The reconstruction work has already begun and is being carried out by the construction consortium, formed by the companies Contemat and Concrejato, without additional costs to the municipal coffers. In parallel, Coppe/UFRJ and INPH continue with the analysis of the action of the waves in the other sections of the cycle path. The technicians estimate that the reconstruction of the affected section will be ready in August.
The Rio de Janeiro City Hall hired an independent expert team formed by Coppe/UFRJ and the National Institute of Waterway Research (INPH) to investigate the causes of the incident and propose engineering solutions and feasibility studies for the bike path. And, to validate the proposal, the firm Casagrande Engenharia para Conformidade de Qualidade de Projeto (CQP) was also involved.
"It's important to do everything that needs to be done with maximum safety so that the stretch between Vidigal and São Conrado can be reopened. Therefore, technicians from GeoRio, CQP, and the contracted experts will closely monitor the reconstruction work, which will be carried out by the same company at no cost to the municipality," said Paes.
According to the municipal secretary of Public Works, Alexandre Pinto, "three new pillars will be built and the foundations of two others will be reinforced. The main beam will be anchored by pillars designed to withstand the upward force caused by the impact of the waves. This set of interventions is a hyperstatic solution that provides greater resistance to the structure of the bike path."
The city hall informed that it will follow INPH's recommendation to provide more safety to the bike path by expanding and improving the monitoring of the region, through the Rio Alert system of the Rio Operations Center (COR). The new system against storm surges and strong waves will be installed and will become operational with video cameras, information and closure signs, warning lights, and metal chains to close the path.
Currently, there are two buoys operating along the coast that measure wave height, direction, and frequency, providing data every 30 minutes. New Waverider Directional buoys (measuring sea surface temperature, GPS position, data logger) will be positioned along the entire coast. They will send the records via cellular modem to the COR (Operations Center).
On May 20th, the city hall released a summary of studies conducted by Coppe/UFRJ and INPH, in which the institutions pointed out a technical flaw in the detailing of the executive project, carried out by the consortium contracted through bidding. Researchers concluded that the dimensioning of the beam (deck) that collided did not have adequate weight for the vertical force of the wave in that section, known as Gruta da Imprensa.