ECS is the UK agent for FiberCore Europe and the scheme will use the proprietary technology for the new bridge.
The location of the bridge is impossible to access with a large articulated lorry so the proposal that ECS has put forward will involve loading the lightweight new structure onto floating pontoons and transporting it to the site by river.
The bridge is being built to improve the capacity of the local access routes to the Mapledurham weir and lock complex, which will be part of a much larger refurbishment project. It will replace an ageing structure that has insufficient capacity for modern vehicles.
“Using the FRP technology developed by FiberCore Europe has several advantages that will benefit the EA,” said Jamie Wesley, commercial manager for the water control division at ECS. “In the short term, it will reduce the build and installation times, while in the long term it will almost eliminate any maintenance requirements for the lifetime for the bridge, which is expected to be in excess of 100 years.”
The bridge comes with a 50-year limited warranty on the construction and a 10-year limited warranty on the wear surface.
