Sustainable Transport Bridge | Waterford, Ireland
The Waterford Sustainable Transport Bridge’s 207 meter span across the River Suir, connects pedestrians and cyclists between the city and the North Quays site, whilst also catering for a local shuttle bus service.
Taking 90 seconds to open and close, the twin bascule bridge’s central opening clear span of 26 meters accommodates the passage of marine traffic along the river.
Forming part of the ongoing Waterford North Quays Public Infrastructure Project, the construction of the Sustainable Transport Bridge was delivered by an integrated supply chain team lead by our client, BAM UK & Ireland, for Waterford City & County Council.
What work was done by Qualter Hall at the Waterford Sustainable Transport Bridge?
Qualter Hall supplied, installed and commissioned the MEICA equipment for the bridge. This consists of mechanical operating equipment, the hydraulic system, locking mechanisms, pivots, electrics, traffic control systems and control equipment required for lifting and lowering the bascule leaves of the bridge.
Work undertaken by our team, and some of the equipment supplied is listed below:
- Our in-house design team provided the detailed design for the bridge's MEICA system, building upon initial designs by client consultants H&H and Roughan & O’Donovan. Our detailed designs were supplemented by 3D modelling of components and assemblies, detailed manufacturing and assembly drawings and related calculations.
- Complex steel components including torque-arms and clevises were fully manufactured in our Yorkshire-based facility, machined in our Soraluce CNC machining centre.
- After completion of fabrication, components were shot blast and painted in our heat-controlled paint booths, prior to assembly. Sub-assemblies of some parts were produced in our Barnsley workshop, to facilitate efficient on-site installation.
- Stainless steel pedestrian gates were fabricated in our non-ferrous dedicated clean workshop.
- Hydraulic power units (HPU), cylinders and interconnecting pipework / hoses, electrical control panels, standby generators and cabling systems were designed, sourced, assembled and installed by our team.
- Bespoke software programs were developed by our specialist in-house Controls team for the bridge’s operation, control and fault-finding.
- Specialists from Qualter Hall’s Site Services team travelled to the Victor Buyck Steel Construction works in Belgium (the bridge fabricator’s workshop) to install MEICA components onto the bridge before it shipped to its final destination in Ireland. This included assembly of the trunnion shaft, live load shoes and nose span locks. The electrical installation including internal lighting was also fitted by our team at this stage.
- Our Site Services team oversaw the Factory Acceptance Testing of the hydraulic power units, cylinders and electrical control panels at the Victor Buyck works, prior to delivery of the bridge to Waterford.
- Our Site Services team were on site in Waterford to complete installation and conduct comprehensive Site Acceptance Testing and commissioning of the full MEICA system and all associated parts supplied by Qualter Hall.
- As part of the commissioning process, training of the client’s bridge control operatives was delivered by our Site Services team, supplemented by operation and maintenance manuals produced for the MEICA system by Qualter Hall.
