Bridges Scotland - Conference Programme

The context and need for urgent change will be familiar, and a blizzard of Net Zero initiatives has now emerged. But what does it mean for bridge clients, designers, contractors and the wider supply chain? What should be our priorities, and what can we do that is practical, relevant, effective, and immediate? The Net Zero Bridges Group was formed to try and answer these questions, to encourage collaboration and work more rapidly towards change. This presentation will explore some key discussions and themes covered by the group to date and how you can accelerate progress towards Net Zero, linking to the UK Net Zero balanced pathway and where infrastructure and thus bridges feature on it.

A 4km-long sea crossing comprising 44 viaduct spans and two navigational spans is rising out of Storstrømmen in Denmark over the coming years. The new structure, which includes a cable-stayed structure with a 100m-tall pylon, will be one of the few bridges in the world carrying a two-track high speed railway and a two-lane road as well as a combined footway and cycle path on one single cross section.

The construction methods make extensive use of large precast concrete elements from foundations and pier segments to full span girders 73m long.

The presentation will cover the status for the construction of the bridge, as well as some of the history of the project, including the development of the architectural concept for the cross section, development of the Definition Bridge Design and the Design Basis for this landmark structure.

The new bridge will be an outstanding landmark that replaces what was once, and for 30 years, Europe’s longest combined road and railway bridge.

This real-life scenario will demonstrate the effectiveness of parametric design when used at the conceptual stage. The case study will show the production of a visual conceptual bridge model together with the analytical model, using the same base script to generate the respective geometries via Dynamo, Revit, Infraworks and Midas. The presentation will highlight the processes involved in developing a parametric model and how the model can be used to consider different design options quickly and efficiently allowing designs to be refined.

Beaver Bridges were appointed to develop a proposal to provide pedestrian & cyclist access between two parcels of land, severed by the M80 just east of Junction 2, connecting new housing developments with the Robroyston train station that opened in 2019 which offers a 25-minute journey into Glasgow Central, 33 times a day.

The client PL Robroyston Ltd, a local land developer entrusted Beaver Bridges to deliver their full turnkey solution which included the concept design of the bridge, full stakeholder engagement, management of approvals process, ground investigation, abutment design and construction. Completed by the full manufacture and successful installation of the 50m multi-user bridge crossing in June 2022 during a single evening closure of the motorway.

The structure is the first privately funded bridge to be installed over a Scottish Motorway, and our presentation will detail the basic process of developing the scheme, the stakeholder engagement and execution of the deliverables from the perspective of a turnkey provider and the value engineered advantages, cost savings and innovation that were introduced by the client in early engagement with Beaver Bridges.

The original Gairnshiel Bridge, near Ballater, was built between 1748 and 1752 as part of the Hanoverian military road network. Now, a new bridge designed by Moxon Architects and Arcadis is being built over the River Gairn to ease pressure on the narrow structure, which has been weakened by a number of vehicle collisions over time. Ben Addy and Amy Parkes will present the development of the new bridge in its visually sensitive location highlighting the technical challenges and successes of this granite clad box girder bridge

Noise generated by traffic crossing road bridges can be a major source of disturbance for local communities and must be carefully considered in planning bridge construction and maintenance projects – especially when specifying expansion joint solutions, since expansion joints are typically mechanical components that introduce discontinuities or unevenness into an otherwise smooth driving surface. The consequences of not adequately considering the potential impact of noise on a community can be substantial, with public relations difficulties and high adaptation or replacement costs.

This presentation explores the subject of noise associated with bridge expansion joints, including an assessment of what types of joint may be considered quiet such as modern flexible plug expansion joint made of special polyurethane material, and how noisier types – such as modular or single-gap joints – may be made quieter, illustrated with case studies including the Queensferry Crossing.

Renfrewshire Council has contracted with UK contractor GRAHAM to design and construct a new two-lane opening road bridge over the River Clyde in Scotland equipped with twin footways to connect Renfrew to the boundary between Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire. A joint venture of Hollandia Infra and Iemants is providing design and construction services for the swing span superstructures, machinery, hydraulic, and electrical systems. Hardesty & Hanover, LLC and Roughan & O'Donovan are designing the swing span superstructure and elements of the supporting machinery. This presentation provides an overview of the swing span structure and articulation concepts, analysis methods, and design.

Bridges TEN/20 is a forum to showcase projects and ideas in a one-off session of concise quick-fire presentations made back-to-back.

It's fast and fun! Each session is delivered in just 3 minutes 20 seconds flat - and must consist of TEN slides that forward automatically every 20 seconds; no pauses, no returns, no exceptions!

Past presentations have included the construction and display of a 4.7m-long Lego model of the Forth Bridge built to 1/352 scale; a pilot scheme undertaken in Holland to strengthen and widen an existing concrete bridge deck with an FRP composite deck; and the relationship between cost and carbon footprint in bridge optimisation.

Please note that ONLY commercial companies exhibiting - plus visiting local authorities and academic institutions - are eligible to take part.

In the first instance, a summary of the project or idea must be submitted for consideration by our panel of experts hosted by Donald MacPherson, Chair of the Bridges Group of The Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland.

Please email this summary to j.sanchez@hgluk.com by 28 October 2022. (If chosen, the final powerpoint will then be required by 11 November.)

Presented by the Green Construction Board’s Low Carbon Concrete Group (LCCG),  the new Low Carbon Concrete Routemap has now been launched and has provided the impetus to form the Concrete Decarbonisation Taskforce, whose mandate is to oversee the implementation of the wide-ranging recommendations for clients and industry.

The routemap examines how the infrastructure industry can use the latest tools, technologies and materials to continue using concrete while working towards a zero-carbon future.

There is a lot to do and in a relatively short space of time, therefore, work is already underway to deliver a number of those key recommendations and it is these that will be presented and discussed.

The application of new technologies in Network Rail structures examinations.

This presentation will provide a high level introduction to a number of initiatives that Network Rail is developing around the country, through the application of new technology, aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of the examination process for its structures.  This includes programmes of work relating to bridges, tunnels and retaining walls.  It will include examples of programmes still in the early stage of research and development through to those that are now part of the business as usual process.

Using the Great Bernera Bridge as the springboard and focus for this ambitious double-bill on post-tensioned structures, three presenters will veer from the macro to the micro beginning with insight into the development of advice and guidance on the management of post-tensioned bridges from BD 54/93 via BD 54/15 to CS 465. The significant proven benefits of that development will be outlined in the light of the CS 465 risk reports for Great Bernera Bridge and related PTSI site investigations and results. Also covered will be DMRB inspection requirements, the many challenges overcome on site, and the management of the testing procedure that was developed and ceased as a result of the structural conditions encountered. The session will conclude with the latest developments related to the replacement structure as well as the ongoing management of the existing Great Bernera Bridge.

Scotland’s landmark structure opened in 2017, breaking world records including at 2,187 physical sensors the world’s largest structural health monitoring system on any bridge. In this presentation, we present a summary of the system installed, its uses to date and further intentions. A load test involving six heavy vehicles was conducted to verify the monitoring and bridge performance. Lessons learnt for future applications are shared.

The historic Erskine Bridge was opened in 1971 and until 2019 much of the original paint system was still present. Since 2019 a scheme has been in place to strengthen the bridge cantilevers, remove existing paint and repaint the overall structure (including the towers). This presentation will outline the paint investigations and trials undertaken, strengthening design process, access challenges and site practicalities plus unknown challenges which have been encountered since commencing the works.

This presentation will delve into the ongoing maintenance on the Forth Road Bridge, including the main cable anchorage post-tensioned special inspection works which were carried out in 2022. 

The presentation will discuss the need for the project; challenges faced during the design stage; lessons learned; and the complexities and efficiencies Balfour Beatty have identified and employed in the delivery phase of works.