Spencer Bridge Engineering were appointed to design and construct a double bascule bridge over the River Clyde, linking the prestigious £75m Glasgow Science Centre on the South Bank with the Scottish Conference and Exhibition Centre on the North Bank.
The project involved the design and construction of a bascule bridge measuring 128 m in total length. The bridge consists of five spans and is formed from a triangular tubular steel lattice frame connecting a single bottom boom with two upper boom members. The middle span is a twin-leaf bascule measuring 35 m.
The lifting spans are raised by twin hydraulic cylinders mounted in line with the bottom boom, which maintain the same gradient as the fixed approach spans when lowered. The bridge is operated by radio control, with each span controlled separately and remotely, eliminating the need for pipework or cables between the two ends of the bridge.
Spencer Bridge Engineering were responsible for the concept design and detailed manufacturing drawings for the structural, mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems. Each fixed span is supported at the lifting position by a single 1520mm diameter tubular steel pile and at mid span by a 914mm diameter pile.
All marine piling and dolphin works were conducted internally by Spencer Bridge Engineering operatives utilising the company’s floating barge the ‘Meeuw’.
During the detailed design phase, the company’s internal design department proposed an alternative design for a lift bridge, in place of the originally proposed swing bridge, which reduced the project duration and budget.
Spencer Bridge Engineering constructed the bridge both on time and on budget providing Glasgow with a vital link over the Clyde for pedestrians and cyclists, whilst maintaining the navigational passage of the river. Following the successful delivery, the company were approached by a Consortium of Swedish Property Developers to deliver a further double bascule footbridge at the Port of Vasteras in Sweden, mirroring both the aesthetics and operation of the Glasgow Science Centre footbridge.
