TGD Fansipan

THE ROOF OF INDOCHINA

At 3,143 m, Fansipan (Phan Xi Pang) in northern Vietnam, near the town of Sa Pa, is the highest mountain in Indochina – the so-called Roof of Indochina. From Sa Pa, the ascent on foot used to be a three-day hike with overnight stays in the jungle and on the summit. Construction of the Fansipan Legend tricable gondola began in 2013, and it went into operation in 2016.

With a total length of 6,326 m, it was the longest tricable gondola in the world when it opened. Its difference in elevation of 1,410 m,  was also a world record. From the valley station, the journey to the summit begins with a spectacular ride across the first span, 1,400 m long, to tower 1 on the opposite slope. The route crosses a valley listed as a World Heritage site, where rice is still grown in the traditional way. From there, it continues over four towers set in dense jungle to the summit station, which offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges.

CHALLENGING SITE LOCATIONS

Die Position der Stützen im Dschungel und die damit einhergehende schwierige Zugänglichkeit stellten eine große Herausforderung in der Planung und Ausführung dar. Baumaterial musste mittels zweier Materialseilbahnen vom Tal zu den Stützen transportiert werden. Der Beton für die Fundamente wurde vor Ort an den Stützenstandorten gemischt, weshalb nur geringe Festigkeitsklassen garantiert werden konnten. Ein Umstand, der schon bei der Planung berücksichtigt werden musste.

THE SUMMIT STATION - ECONOMY THAT LOOKS IMPRESSIVE

The architectural design of the summit station was developed together with parc architekten parc architekten / STUDIO LOIS from Innsbruck. The ropeway equipment is protected from the weather by an impressive steel structure made of welded steel girders with hourglass-shaped hollow sections, covered by an ultra-lightweight membrane. Compared with a conventional glass façade, this significantly reduced the quantities that had to be transported by material ropeway – while creating a unique structure on the mountain.

BCI was responsible for the structural design and detailing of the station buildings and tower foundations. This included formwork and reinforcement drawings for the concrete works as well as the elaborate shop drawings for the complex steel structure of the summit station. During the critical construction phases, BauCon experts were on site to give the contractor the best possible support.