The Orton Lock Sluice Footbridge at Orton Mere provides safe passage for foot traffic to the beautiful parks that surround it. Connecting Orton Meadows and Thorpe Park, the bridge is regularly used by those enjoying this popular recreation area.
The Environment Agency (who look after the lock bridge) highlighted the need for replacement of the wooden timber deck that had seen better days, and looked to GGP Consult and AMCO Giffen to design and install a solution that would minimise disruption.
Having worked with Dura Composites before and having a good understanding of the benefits of our products, the companies turned to our GRP Specialist team to helped them narrow down the right product for the specific needs of this wide span bridge.
With the planned closure of the bridge scheduled for just 6 weeks, the engineers needed a deck solution that was quick and easy to deploy. They chose our unique GRP Dura Slab Easy Lift product which was compliant with the various project parameters including pedestrian loading, self weight criteria and a long design life.
The special narrow format of the Easy Lift design allowed for manual lifting and therefore totally revolutionised the approach to installation and the closure time frame.
The refurbishment was finished off with dome washers and end caps were added to provide a neat finish and prevent unwanted animal nesting.
Commenting on the project, Joe Hunt of Dura Composites said;
The Dura Slab Easy Lift was exactly the product that was needed for this project and helped our customers meet the very tight project schedule. With a three-mile diversion route in place while the works were undertaken, the pressure was on to ensure that the bridge was safe and accessible as soon as possible, and we’re thrilled to have played our part in such a smooth operation. The lightweight design of the panels dramatically reduces the cost of installation, maintenance and transport versus alternatives, and the fact that Dura Slab Easy Lift also catered to the wide spans of the bridge meant that there was no need to compromise on strength and safety.
