Once a warehouse, now a bridge. Following an approach by a client who had acquired a sizeable quantity of steelwork from a demolished warehouse, Waldren Bridges produced a design maximizing the use of the second-hand steel for this 9 span bridge.
First, the steel was “cleaned-up” by cutting off ends, together with unwanted cleats, bracing, etc., then sandblasted. An inventory was made and used a basis for designing the bridge steelwork. Shorter lengths were used for the crossheads and columns, longer lengths for the girders. Even so numerous bolted splices were needed. Fortunately the Quikdek slabs used for the deck leave plenty of space beneath to accommodate the splice plates.
The bridge was constructed on the timber piles supporting the original timber bridge. Although the exposed timber was badly deteriorated the piles below ground level were sound. Nevertheless supplementary steel piles were driven from the deck, prior to demolition. Pile caps were constructed using thin precast concrete walls and pedestals rather than conventional formwork, shortening construction time by several weeks.
