CCL CASE STUDY ROUNDUP: BUILDING BRIDGES

The first phase of HS2 is now underway and much of the UK’s infrastructure is set to undergo a revolution of sorts, particularly the country’s bridges. With new bridges being built and existing structures being strengthened up and down the UK (and bridges being somewhat of a passion here at CCL) it seems like the perfect opportunity to take a look at recent bridge bearing projects undertaken by the team at CCL...

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Plymouth Road Bridge

CCL's client, Story Contracting, was appointed to replace the bridge deck of the Plymouth Road Bridge in Blackpool, in order to raise the soffit height of the bridge by approximately 800 mm and allow for the future electrification of the PBN railway line.

The project required the removal and replacement of the existing bridge superstructure, comprising bridge deck, bearings, bearing shelves and parapets. CCL was engaged to consult and advise on bearing suitability, and then engineer the most appropriate bearing solution for the bridge.

Video courtesy of Story Contracting Ltd; includes 45 beams installed onto CCL Bearings.

Rather than simply work to the original design which included six separate bearing schedules, CCL was able to rationalise the schedules and reduce the number of bearing types to two. This solution was not only simpler to install but also much more cost effective.

As the 3-span road over rail structure is the main route into and out of Blackpool, long-term traffic disruption was simply not an option. The simplified installation process helped to ensure that the bearings could be installed over two consecutive 54-hour weekend sessions outside of the peak tourist season and that pedestrian access across the bridge was maintained throughout the project.

Early delivery of the bearings meant that Story Contracting was able to install them well ahead of schedule.

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Bearings supplied to road over rail bridge at Wellingborough

A range of bespoke bridge bearings including guided, fixed and free sliding mechanical pot bearings has been supplied by CCL for a new road bridge over the main railway line at Wellingborough train station in Northamptonshire.

CCL were commissioned by Briton Fabricators of Nottingham, specialists in the design, build and installation of bridges and gantries, to design and manufacture mechanical pot bearings for installation on the new bridge as part of the Stanton Cross mixed use development, which includes an upgrade to Wellingborough train station.

The bridge deck is of steel construction, with a curved profile crossing over the railway. CCL’s bearings are a bespoke design, with each bearing pre-set with a skewed arrangement at different angles, to ease installation on the curved bridge design and allow for concrete shrinkage during construction. Each bearing is designed to EN1337 standards and was CE-marked.

The bearings are designed for vertical loads over 3,000kN and over 500kN horizontally. The free sliding pot bearings incorporated bespoke temporary horizontal restraint plates which were capable of withstanding horizontal loading during the installation of the bridge beams. These were then removed to allow free movement horizontally once the bridge was operational.

To meet an evolving design and installation procedure, CCL, working with the consultant, was able to adapt its designs quickly to ensure that the products were supplied and installed within the tight construction program; an important consideration on this road over rail structure.

Broughton Bypass – Brooklands Bridge M55 Junction

The Broughton Bypass project is designed to relieve congestion on the A6 north of Preston, UK. CCL was asked by Hochtief (UK) Construction Ltd to design and supply bridge bearings for the Brooklands Bridge which is located at the south end of the bypass.

After an in-depth review of the precise requirements, CCL supplied elastomeric bearings and 450 kN horizontal restraint bearings. The design of the restraint bearings included anchor plates cast into the precast beams off site to enable the bearings to be installed quickly and easily when they arrived on-site. This special innovation will also allow for easy removal of the bearings in future should replacement be required.

The new bypass, which was opened to the public on 5th October 2017, will mean that traffic travelling through Broughton on the A6 Garstang Road will be reduced by up to 90%. The project is funded by the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal.

As well as bridge bearings, CCL also offers a range of bespoke structural solutions and actively partners with engineering and construction firms that have a requirement for specialist repair and strengthening, structural bearings and post-tensioning services. To find out more about our specialist solutions for structures, click on any of the links below to get a free, instant download:

Click to Download > CCL Structural Repair & Strengthening Solutions
Click to Download > CCL Structural Bearing Solutions
Click to Download > CCL Post-tensioning Solutions for Civil Structures
Click to Download > CCL Post-tensioned Slabs