Construction of the new Izmit Bay Bridge in Turkey, which is now scheduled to open to traffic next year, includes the installation of four specially-designed expansion joints which are intended to keep the bridge in service after an earthquake. Two of the four, which are capable of accommodating ±3.8m of movement in the event of an extreme earthquake, are due to be installed next month (March). The 2.7km-long suspension bridge, which has a main span of 1,550m, is being built in one of the world's most active seismic zones. To address this, it has been designed for earthquakes of magnitude up to 8, including special expansion joints with fuse boxes.
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