River Irwell Network Arch Bridge
An 89m, twin network arch bridge was designed to
span the River Irwell in the North of England. The
bridge will carry a twin bidirectional track
arrangement as part of the Ordsall Chord
intervention.
This is the first network arch railway bridge in the
United Kingdom. The viaduct is approximately 300m
long and connects two existing masonry arch viaducts.
The structure comprises a system of two inclined,
braced network arches supporting two tracks via a
steel and concrete composite deck with transverse
member supported from the longitudinal steel tie
beams.
The bridge had to be designed to respect the
significant heritage of the site. Following extensive
public consultations, the aesthetic requirement for a
slim and elegant but emblematic structural line led to
the choice of the architectural signature of the Ordsall
Chord, a ribbon in weathering steel, connecting and
unifying visually the adjoining structures.
The complex configuration and the construction
sequence adopted, which was tailored to the
particular site constraints, presented a number of
challenges to both the design and construction
phases.
Read more about the bridge ,its design and construction, enjoy drawings, photo and video gallery in
our magazine e-mosty December 2016:
3/2017