The UK’s bridge infrastructure is ageing and, given the enormous costs of building new or replacement structures, there’s a growing consensus that more needs to be done to repair, restore and protect bridges, to prolong their life.
Access systems play a vital role in enabling thorough inspections, allowing problems to be identified early and ensure crossings are properly maintained, which is crucial for longevity.
However, bridge contractors commonly encounter permanent access systems which have been inadequately maintained or even put out of service, meaning that by the time they are really needed, they are no longer in service, or safe and fit for use.
This leads to an over-reliance on reactive rope access techniques, which are unsuitable for any critical maintenance or invasive repair work tasks.
As a result, instead of identifying and addressing problems early, ensuring preventative maintenance or early-stage remedial work, issues go unaddressed, leading to more significant problems, with longer timeframes and bigger budgets required to put them right.
Access engineering specialists like ourselves have recognised the challenges facing the sector and are working to develop innovative new solutions to these issues.
At Spencer Bridge Engineering we have designed and developed a modular moving access system, AeroTruss, to address issues commonly associated with access systems in the current marketplace.
This modular solution combines lightweight, high-strength and corrosion- resistant materials. It’s a fully-designed solution that can be adapted to the shape and size of any bridge, meaning that it doesn’t carry the significant lead time and capital cost expenditure of a new bespoke permanent gantry.
It offers the short lead time and low cost of temporary access scaffolding but has the benefits of a permanent access solution.
AeroTruss has been independently Cat III checked by leading global engineering and consultancy business, Ramboll, giving assurances to the design for use on any infrastructure asset.
Among the key features setting AeroTruss apart are its adjustable trusses and multi-functional connections, purpose-designed to enable the structure to be adapted to perfectly fit the complex shape of any bridge it is servicing.
Unlike existing access solutions, which generally come in limited shapes and configurations, AeroTruss can be seamlessly fitted to any bridge, minimising its impact, as well as increasing the span and load-carrying capacity.
The modular design also means individual sections can be pre-built and inspected off-site, minimising project disruption, and future maintenance time and costs.
AeroTruss can be used for both temporary and permanent purposes, offering the best aspects of both. It can be installed far more quickly than other access systems and deployed at a lower cost than designing and building an entirely new system. At the same time, it offers all the safety measures of a permanent system and enables the most thorough inspections to be delivered.
The innovation is a reflection of the need for the bridges industry to shift the way it thinks about, and prioritises, access.
Putting access engineering front and centre of bridges maintenance strategies can transform long-term challenges into ongoing solutions for asset owners, enabling them to keep vital parts of our transport infrastructure open, secure and safe into the future.