Following the successful fixing of the support channel
to the north abutment, the traffic management was switched to the other side of the road so that work could
be done on the south abutment.
This is virtually identical to the north, so work started
with lifting the channel into place onto the Mabey props. The photograph shows it in place at the end of day 2.
Then
the drilling went ahead.
Soon all the resin anchored bolts were
inserted and the shuttering to the soffit was fitted ready for grouting between
the brick face and the back of the channel.
 |
| Packings being removed on the second support channel |
On Monday 1st October the road was
completely closed to accommodate the delivery lorry, a lorry with a crane
attachment and two cherry pickers.
 |
| Unloading the east beam. |
The beams spanning the road are app.
10.5M long, are filled with concrete and each weighs about 5 tonnes. To
facilitate the lifting, the “LOW BRIDGE” signs and the wasp stripe panels had
to be removed and relocated later. The wasp stripe panels were fitted to the
beams before lifting started. New height warning roundels were to be fitted so
the old ones also had to be removed.
The east beam was lifted first.
Then the
two Lorries were moved over and the west beam was lifted
At the end of
the first day the east side was virtually completed. The second day saw
the completion of the west beam and both were then packed to the correct level.
The new CPB seen from underneath, showing its relationship to the bridge.
Here our bridge engineer is in discussion with our consultants Jacobs (formerly Halcrow). Both beams are in place now; the 40 bolts fixing the channels to the abutments can also be seen clearly.
The low headroom roundels are electrically lit and
their re-location meant that the electrics had to be modified. These are not warning signs (which would be triangular) but actual prohibition signs.
Finally, a view of the bridge with everything in place. As the CPBs sit immediately behind the wasp stripes, they are almost invisible.
3.10.2018 -
JOHN BALDERSTONE
Photos by John Balderstone & John Fancote
Interesting that drivers have now lost 3" of headroom here, effectively thanks to the careless/thoughtless gits who kept running into it. :-(
ReplyDeleteNoel
Great news on the bridge, now who is going to hit it first?
ReplyDeleteStill good to see this is in place and there is now a minimal chance of the line being cut due to a bridge strike. A shame we had to put some money into this that could have been spent elsewhere on the line.
Regards
Paul & Marion
Brilliant job
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard that CPBs were to be installed, I imaginged all sorts of complicated excavation would be necessary to fit the foundations into the abutments. Instead there's an elegant and simple arrangement that is seamlessly fitted into the bridge structure. The essence of good engineering - just enough to fulfill the job (with a bit to spare no doubt). As I was taught when I started my engineering training over 50 years ago, "an engineer is someone who can do for 19/6d what any old fool can do for 21 shillings". The railway is very lucky to have this sort of expertise available to it.
ReplyDeletejnc,
ReplyDeleteThe original triangular warning sign shown at the head of this page indicated a height of 13 feet 6 inches, so the concrete filled beams are still 6 inches higher than before.
That's a different bridge :-)
DeleteThis is the bridges blog, there are many bridges.
Indeed! Look at 5th or 6th pictures in this post (the latter the one captioned "Unloading the east beam") and you can see the original clearance of 14'3" (now down to 14' 0").
DeleteNoel
As Jo says it is a different bridge, shown at the top of the page. It is actually Br. 5 - Little Buckland which had enormous repairs done in 2014 as part of the Bridges to Broadway, 5 Bridge major repair and upgrade contract, paid for by a large share offer. We are quite pleased with the outcome of the CPB installation, hidden as it is behind the wasp stripes. Naturally we are not happy to have to spend our money on such things, but we hope that it will stop any damage to the bridge itself, eliminating the need to stop or limit train services, in the future. We have been fortunate, over the last 10 years or so, to be able to employ Consultants where our main contact has been with an Engineer who has also worked, on similar bridges, for several other Heritage Railways, and he is also an enthusiast! The design is a fairly standardised one for steel bridges such as this. It is also a requirement that the entire structure is attached to the bridge abutments and not built as a free standing independent structure requiring separate foundations. The reduction in headroom is partly because the CPB is 20mm lower than the lowest point of the bridge, but also because a survey covering 25M on both side of the bridge was required. This revealed a slight dipped curve in the road under the bridge and meant that a long and high lorry could only manage a lower height.
ReplyDeleteWe too await the news of, and to see the consequences of the first strike, with baited breath. Hopefully the lorry/load will come off far worse than our CPB. Thanks for your interest.
could be a new spectator sport like this bridge in the us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRz8nfG1IgA
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification. As has been noted elsewhere, many truck drivers are seemingly unaware of the heights of their vehicles; might they also be unaware of the penalty differences between contravening warning & prohibition signs? That the driver, not the vehicle owner is personally liable, according to this link.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.heritagerailway.co.uk/tougher-penalties-needed-for-bridge-strike-drivers/
Good link; thanks. I agree the drivers should get treated more severely, but alas, I'm dubious that either a) it will happen, or b) it will have much effect on driver behaviour if it does. Alas! Although the insurance companys changing their policies and refusing to reimburse offenders when signs are ignored might happen.
DeleteNoel
Is it wrong to want someone to hit it now just to see what happens? ;)
ReplyDeleteWELL DONE to everybody involved at GWSR and the Contractors in the planning, authorising and installing the Collision Protection Beam.
ReplyDeleteCollectively, we can ALL breathe a sigh of relief that Broadway Bridge has the best protection that can be afforded.
Whilst these bridge strikes, should NOT be happening at all, clearly something HAD to be done. IMHO, this is money well spent, to protect Broadway Bridge.
Personally, I am relieved that it has been finally completed, because reading and viewing the pictures of previous bridge damage at Broadway Bridge, was extremely upsetting, after ALL the GOOD work that has been generously given and achieved.