Around 3,000 tonnes of SSAB’s high‑strength structural steel and drill piles up to 40 metres long at Kruunuvuorenselkä – Helsinki’s new landmark opens

Photos: SSAB

The manufacture and installation of the steel structures for Kruunuvuori Bridge were carried out by Nordec, which was entrusted by the main contractor TYL Kruunusillat with one of the most demanding steel structures in Finland’s infrastructure history. Manufacturing of the steel structures began at Nordec’s Ylivieska plant in spring 2022, and installation work on the bridge started in summer 2023. In total, approximately 6,300 tonnes of steel structures have been used in Kruunuvuori Bridge, for which SSAB supplied more than 3,000 tonnes of Domex® steel.

Nordec used SSAB Domex® high‑strength structural steel in the bridge, particularly the Domex 460ML grade. The material choice enabled lightweight yet highly durable structures that meet the bridge’s exceptionally stringent requirements. The design accounts for repeated exposure to ice, snow, moisture and strong winds, with a targeted service life of at least 200 years for the structures.

Also the piles from SSAB

The piles used in the bridge foundations are also made of SSAB steel. The total volume of piles, including accessories, was approximately 1,050 tonnes. Robust special rock shoes were individually designed and dimensioned for each pile size used as driven piles. Both the rock shoes and the steel pipes are on a scale befitting a large bridge structure. The longest drilled piles exceed 40 metres in length.

Kruunuvuori Bridge is approximately 1,200 metres long, and its central pylon rises to a height of 135 metres, making it the longest and highest bridge in Finland. Visible from kilometres away, the bridge is already becoming a new Helsinki landmark while at the same time creating a direct and sustainable public transport connection between the city centre and the growing district of Laajasalo.

Kruunuvuori Bridge has been designed primarily for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. The bridge is not intended for private vehicles, supporting Helsinki’s objectives to reduce transport emissions and improve urban mobility. Sustainable development and the enhancement of urban life have been at the core of the project from the very beginning.

Steel plays a key role in sustainable solutions

Throughout the project, minimising carbon dioxide emissions and environmental impacts has been a key requirement for all suppliers, including in material selection. The properties of SSAB’s steel – high strength, long service life and good formability – supported material‑efficient design and the implementation of lighter structures.

In addition, SSAB’s steel is among the cleanest in the industry: its carbon dioxide emissions are approximately six percent lower than the European average and up to 17 percent lower than the Chinese average. This supported the project’s ambitious environmental and climate objectives.

Customer story and video:
https://www.ssab.com/en/news/2023/10/nordec

For further information, please contact:
Atte Kaksonen, SSAB Corporate Communications, atte.kaksonen @ ssab.com, tel. +358 50 3143 634