SBC Pylon Engineering

17m WIDE.
18.5m TALL.
25m SPAN.

Same component repeated 17,360 times. Mega Factory built. Rail delivered. Crane installed.

SBC Pylon — Engineering Specification

The SBC viaduct is built on a standardised modular pylon. Per Pylon Design Rev 3, two design variants serve all phases. Both use identical structural principles — stackable precast columns, cap beam at every level, standard crane construction, dry mechanical joints, no bespoke beam launcher. Construction is in two stages: Stage 1 builds the freight viaduct (revenue from Month 20), Stage 2 adds upper structure on the running freight line.

Design Hierarchy

Phase 0.1 · First build

Design B (Phase 0/0.1/spurs)

~18.5m

Two levels built. Two expansion-ready above. The ask to government.

Level 1 — Freight × 3 — 150–200km/h
Level 2 — Maglev × 2 + service rail — 600 km/h
External — HVDC 6 × 2 bipolar — 72GW
Level 3+4 — expansion-ready stubs

Phase 0 upgrade

Design B Stage 2 upgrade

~34m

Stage 1 freight operating. Service crane on running line installs Stage 2 upper structure. No new pylons.

Stage 1 freight viaduct already operating
Level 3 — services: gas / H₂ / fibre / water
Level 4 — hyperloop-ready floor
External — HVDC arms at Level 4

Phases 1–3 national

Design A

~45–50m

Big Bertha. All services. $6M/km at Mega Factory maturity.

Level 1 — Freight × 3
Level 2 — Water conduit 10,000GL/yr
Level 3 — Services deck
Level 4 — Hyperloop
Level 5 — Maglev × 2 + service rail
External — HVDC 72GW → 108GW

Stage 1 (freight viaduct, ~$119M/km current / ~$74M/km at volume) is commissioned at Month 20 — revenue from operating freight funds Stage 2 construction on the running line. Mega Factory long-term target: ~$25M/km → ~$6M/km as production scale and Wright's Law -38% reductions compound across the full 20,000+km program.

Design B Locked Dimensions (per Pylon Design Rev 3)

17m

Outside width

18.5m

Total height

25m

Pylon span

14.5m

Inside clear

2,500mm

Leg base dia

6,100mm

Freight clear ht

Element	Dimension	Status
Outside width (leg OD to OD)	17,000mm	LOCKED
Inside clear width	14,500mm	LOCKED
Pylon span	25,000mm	LOCKED
Total height to top of maglev train	18,400mm	LOCKED
Leg base diameter	2,500mm	LOCKED
Leg top diameter	1,600mm	LOCKED
Leg height to HB1 soffit	6,000mm	LOCKED
HB1 + HB2 freight deck depth	1,700mm + 1,700mm	LOCKED
Freight deck top surface	9,400mm agl	LOCKED
Freight clear height	6,100mm	LOCKED
Connecting column diameter	800mm	LOCKED
HB3 + HB4 maglev deck depth	1,200mm + 1,200mm	LOCKED
Maglev deck top surface	17,900mm agl	LOCKED
HVDC arm length each side	4,000mm	LOCKED
Total width including HVDC	25,000mm	LOCKED

Three Lines on the Maglev Deck

Two maglev tracks and one central service rail. 2,300mm clear between vehicles. All three operate independently.

Line	Position from left edge	Purpose
Maglev Track 1	3,500mm CL	600 km/h passenger service
Service rail	8,500mm CL — dead centre	Construction crane + maintenance. Independent operation.
Maglev Track 2	13,500mm CL	600 km/h passenger service

Component Weights Per Bay

Component	Qty	Unit weight	Total
Footing pads	2	45t	90t
Tapered legs	2	42t	84t
HB1 freight transverse	1	83t	83t
HB2 freight deck segments	10	104t	1,040t
Connecting columns	2	9t	18t
HB3 maglev transverse	1	49t	49t
HB4 maglev deck segments	10	73t	734t
HVDC arms (steel)	6	2.5t	15t
Total per bay	34 items	—	~2,113t

Heaviest single lift: 104t. Required crane: 150t rail-mounted standard. 40 bays per kilometre. 17,360 bays per ~430km Phase 0 segment.

Factory Cost Per Bay

Component	Factory cost
2 footing pads	$29,600
2 tapered legs	$33,800
HB1 freight transverse	$94,500
HB2 freight deck × 10	$669,000
2 connecting columns	$5,944
HB3 maglev transverse	$65,958
HB4 maglev deck × 10	$566,630
HVDC arms × 6	$58,932
Total per bay	$1,524,364

40 bays/km × $1,524,364 = $61M/km factory cost. Total installed including site, track, systems and contingency: $235M/km current rates / $146M/km at volume (Phase 0 Stage 1 + Stage 2).