The Millau Viaduct

The Millau Viaduct in France is a bridge that is testament to civil engineering’s ability to overcome extreme challenges. At a height of 343 meters, the bridge faces a critical design challenge: withstanding winds that regularly sweep through the valley.

Chief Engineer Michel Virlogeux and architect Norman Foster used a design process centered on wind engineering. After many hours of wind tower/bridge testing that revealed dangerous vibration patterns, the team changed their approach.

The solution emerged with modeling and physical testing: a thin deck profile with a curved underside that allows wind to flow smoothly around the structure. This aerodynamic shape is combined with stay cables in a modified fan pattern, and neutralized the vortex shedding that causes catastrophic oscillation and vibration.

Since its opening in 2004, systems have confirmed the bridge responds to wind forces as safely as predicted. This project demonstrates how intuitive testing and evidence-based refinement can be used in civil engineering to transform difficult natural challenges to functional reality.