{"id":75343,"date":"2020-04-27T09:23:11","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T08:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=75343"},"modified":"2020-06-28T14:24:27","modified_gmt":"2020-06-28T13:24:27","slug":"lightweight-sustainable-bridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/planning-construction-news\/lightweight-sustainable-bridge\/75343\/","title":{"rendered":"Lightweight sustainable bridge solutions: Why aluminium is the clear choice"},"content":{"rendered":"

APB Group<\/a>, a leading UK lightweight bridge installer, has recently completed the installation of a sustainable aluminium footbridge for Lancashire County Council<\/a> spanning the Lancaster Canal in Carnforth<\/h2>\n

The installation of this brand new footbridge, known locally as \u201cthe green bridge\u201d (although originally painted brown), was completed in February 2020. The works have been carried out in line with a specific requirement from the council for a more maintenance-friendly and sustainable alternative<\/a> to the traditional steel tube footbridges present at the time across the county and spanning a number of its canals and railways.<\/p>\n

Identifying the county\u2019s dilapidated steel tube bridges<\/h3>\n

Following a routine inspection of the dilapidated Tubewright footbridge at Carnforth, originally constructed around 1955, it was discovered that several of the hollow steel tubes from which the bridge was constructed were beginning to show signs of internal deterioration.<\/p>\n

Over time, this deterioration would have reduced the load-bearing capacity of the bridge, which could have led to eventual catastrophic structural failure. The decision was taken by Lancashire County Council to replace the steel footbridge with a sustainable lightweight alternative as part of a series of essential maintenance works to help safeguard the public and maintain the bridges integrity for years to come.<\/p>\n

Aluminium as a suitable lightweight bridge solution<\/h3>\n

APB Group was contracted under NEC 3rd Edition to design, build, deliver and install a suitable replacement bridge structure that was both sustainable and cost-effective.<\/p>\n

The original feasibility report called for an FRP Bow String Truss Bridge as the preferred solution. However, it was decided by APB Group that a better solution would come from approaching one of its European suppliers, Gl\u00fcck GmbH , who would be able to help deliver a new footbridge with a specific focus on the use of sustainable materials to minimise any future maintenance requirements for the asset owner.<\/p>\n

Patented solutions for the design of lightweight modern bridges<\/h3>\n

The new canal footbridge at Carnforth is the third of four bridge replacement schemes completed by APB Group for Lancashire County Council using modern construction materials, with two other similar rail footbridges having already been replaced in Ormskirk in August 2019.<\/p>\n

Earlier bridge replacement schemes carried out by APB Group in Ormskirk saw the use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) structures<\/a>, the fourth scheme will also qualify as the longest single span aluminium structure in the UK once installed in summer 2020.<\/p>\n

APB\u2019s chosen bridge manufacturer, Gl\u00fcck GmbH, was given the task of fabricating the bridge for Carnforth at its premises in Engen near Stuttgart in Germany.<\/p>\n