When you need a temporary bridge in a hard-to-reach place, standard installation methods won’t cut it. That’s why we’ve developed four reliable techniques to get our panel bridges in place—whether it’s a greenfield site, a flood-hit area with limited access or a busy road or railway.
Our engineers and site teams will work with you to discuss each specific use and choose the safest, most economic installation method.
Cantilever launch
Allows bridge installation without the use of large cranes or temporary supports. A working area of sufficient size to allow the construction of the bridge immediately adjacent to its final position is required.
The bridge is constructed on rollers with a temporary skeletal structure or “launch nose” on the front. The launch nose ensures that when the structure is rolled forward, the tip of the nose lands on the rollers on the far bank before the centre of gravity passes the launching rollers.
Crane-assisted launch
The crane-assisted launch technique can be employed where the launch plane is restricted. The bridge is constructed on rollers and progressively moved forward during construction using a crane.
Before the point of balance is reached, a crane positioned on the far bank is used to support the leading end of the bridge. As the launch progresses, the crane supports the front end until the bridge can be landed on the far bank.
Lift-in
Our panel bridges can be pre-constructed in skeletal form adjacent to their final position and lifted into position using mobile cranes.
To minimise the lift weight and therefore crane size and cost, the decking can be omitted and added after the skeleton bridge structure is in position.
Tail launch
This method is generally used when the site is severely restricted on the far bank. In this case, a launch tail is used instead of a launch nose. Landing rollers are generally not required, since the bridge can be launched directly onto its bearings on the far bank. This method is appropriate for spans less than 25m.
Our own installation team
Construction and infrastructure projects can be complex enough. With our own installation teams working with our products every day, we can take away the complexities and speed up the installation time. For over 20 years, we’ve been the only temporary works specialist with our own site construction teams, working across the country to install, maintain and dismantle our solutions.
Banner image photo credit: Balfour Beatty
