The deck of a single-leaf bascule bridge that can be raised to allow large vessels to pass through it has been installed in London’s Canary Wharf.
The deck arrived on site after a 36-hour voyage across the North Sea from its fabrication site in Belgium.
The 28m bridge will provide a road and pedestrian link between Montgomery Square and Canary Wharf’s new district, Wood Wharf.
It has been designed by engineer COWI, Knight Architects and Eadon Consulting for client Canary Wharf Contractors.
Main contractor is Qualter Hall & Co, while the steel fabricator is Victor Buyck Steel Construction and the concrete is provided by Kilnbridge Construction Services.
Two hydraulic cylingers under the eastern end of the steel span will raise the deck. Only in this raised position will the bridge reveal its steel structure and mechanical parts.
The installation involved using two self-propelled modular transporters to rotate the 185t deck through 90 degrees into its installation position. It was lowered onto its supports before the barge was moved away.
Jubilee Line shapes foundations
COWI engineer and project manager Musa Chunge said: “The Jubilee Line runs below the waterway and parallel to the bridge so we worked closely with Canary Wharf and TFL to develop a safe piled foundation design for the bridge abutments and the marine causeway that forms the eastern approach.”
COWI engineer Vlad Opanasiuk said: “As intended, it looks like a simple design – but there is nothing simple about this bridge. Both the substructure and superstructure required bespoke structural details to achieve the understated appearance envisaged by the architects.
“The deck needs to be light enough to be raised but strong enough to support the crossing vehicles and pedestrians. We therefore selected an orthotropic steel deck solution, which is lighter and more flexible than a concrete one, significantly reducing the power required to raise it.
“To create an open space for pedestrians, the bridge has a relatively wide deck. To provide the necessary torsional stiffness and a visually clean soffit, the main longitudinal girders, which run along the edges of the deck, are tapering closed box sections.
“It’s been a fascinating project to work on. Solving complex engineering challenges to bring brilliant designs like this to reality is what makes being an engineer so rewarding.”
