Maintenance-free bearings from Federal-Mogul support one of the
world’s longest suspension bridges
Federal-Mogul has produced 128 bearings for the Hardanger Fjord Bridge in Norway
using its DEVA bearing technology
Stavanger, Norway, 2012 - Federal-Mogul Corporation (FDML: NASDAQ) has developed
maintenance-free bearings for one of the world’s longest suspension bridges. On completion in
2013, the Hardanger Fjord Bridge in south west Norway will be one of the largest in the world,
spanning 1,310 metres between pylons. A total of 128 spherical plain bearings using FederalMogul’s DEVA self-lubricating material technology will accommodate the small but essential
movements that occur under load between the carriageway and its supporting cables.
“The carriageway moves slightly on all suspension bridges, as a result of wind pressure and
vibrations from traffic flow,” explained August Stadlmayr, managing director of Federal-Mogul
DEVA GmbH. “The Hardanger Fjord bridge was particularly challenging because of its length
and the loads generated, so we are delighted to have developed such a low-maintenance
solution.”
Conventional roller bearing alternatives were unsuited to the prolonged yet minute movements
of the bridge while under constant heavy load and would have suffered from surface failures
called ‘brinelling’. Federal-Mogul’s thin-walled, self-lubricating composite material, deva.bm®,
overcomes this issue by providing a larger load-carrying surface, giving sufficient durability to
last for the life of the bridge without repair or replacement.
“We measure the life of a plain bearing material in terms of the distance travelled across the
rubbing surface,” said Stadlmayr. “In the case of deva.bm, the wear rate is 20 μ over a sliding
distance of 1km. Since the bearing surfaces on the Hardanger Fjord Bridge have a thickness of
1mm, they can survive a total of 50km of sliding which is more than sufficient, since the bearing
movement on the bridge is typically measured in microns.”
The design of each bearing installation means that even if the sliding layers became damaged
or completely destroyed by exposure to loads in excess of the design values, the structure of
the joint would be protected and the plain bearing would still function, but at a reduced level.
The complete bridge includes 120 spherical plain bearings with a bolt diameter of 16 cm and a
further eight with a bolt diameter of 30 cm, used for the main retaining cables adjacent to the
two bridge pylons. The bearing solution for these exceptionally challenging requirements was
specifically developed for the bridge by Federal-Mogul DEVA GmbH, based in Stadtallendorf,
Germany, combining different materials from its standard, well-proven product range.
The joint balls are made from stainless steel into which is pressed a plain bearing made from
deva.bm; a thin-walled, self-lubricating, low-friction composite material consisting of a backing
made from steel, stainless steel or bronze, with a deva.metal® surface layer. This outer layer is
a bronze material manufactured by powder metallurgy, but is not porous and oil-impregnated;
instead it is highly compressed and lined with a layer of solid lubricant material, such as graphite
or PTFE.
The bearing housing forms a two-part spherical ring, also lined with deva.bm, to give a long,
maintenance-free service life, high static and dynamic load capacity, and low friction properties
because of the layers of homogeneous solid lubricants.
The design is completed by thrust washers that are also made from deva.metal. These absorb
axial forces and make the bearings ideal for dry running at slow sliding speeds with very high
resistance to extremes of temperature and corrosion.
This is not the first time that DEVA plain bearings have provided reliable, low-maintenance
solutions for bridge construction projects. A number of bridges around the world benefit from
this Federal-Mogul technology, including the flap bridge in the port of Valencia, over which the
Formula 1 race circuit passes, the bridge over the Peene near Anklam, and the Rethe Bridge in
Hamburg.
Some key facts about the Hardanger Fjord Bridge:
1,310m span between pylons
53m height of carriageway above sea level
220m height of bridge pylons
About Federal-Mogul
Federal-Mogul Corporation designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes technologies to
improve fuel economy, reduce emissions and enhance vehicle safety. The company serves the
world’s foremost original equipment manufacturers of automotive, commercial, aerospace,
marine, rail and off-road vehicles; and industrial, agricultural and power-generation equipment.
The company also develops and distributes to the aftermarket an extensive product portfolio
with more than 20 of the world’s most recognized brands, including ANCO® wiper blades;
Champion® spark plugs, wipers and filters; AE®, Fel-Pro®, Goetze®, Glyco®, Nüral® and
Payen® engine products; MOOG® chassis parts; and Ferodo® and Wagner® brake products.
Federal-Mogul was founded in Detroit in 1899. The company employs 45,000 people in 34
countries, and its worldwide headquarters is in Southfield, Michigan, United States. For more
information, please visit www.federalmogul.com.
Press Contacts
Richard Doherty
Market Engineering
+44 (0)1295 277050
richard.doherty@m-eng.com
Ursula Hellstern
Federal-Mogul Corporate Communications
EMEA
+49 (611) 201 9190
ursula.hellstern@federalmogul.com