A6 TOOME BYPASS: BRIDGE

Two competing factors influenced the

selection of the type of bridge being built:

the need to provide 3.5 metre naviga-
tion air draft above high river level;
and
the need to keep approach embank-
ments as low as possible to reduce
visual and environmental intrusion in
the environmentally sensitive flat
floodplain.

A 'Bowstring' or tied arch design shaped
like a bow with the string downward al-
lows a shallow deck to be used which
reduces the height of the approach em-
bankments. Bridges of this type are aes-
thetically pleasing, and give the motorist a feeling of
openness and an unobstructed view of the river.

A strong girder ties both ends of the supporting arch
together, thus the name 'tied arch'. The girder con-
nects horizontally between the arch springing points,
balancing the large horizontal thrusts in the arch.
Foundation design is much simpler for a tied arch
than it is for an ordinary arch because the horizontal
thrust is balanced internally in the girder tie. Hangers
attached to the arch provide intermediate support for
the tie girder.



Bridge erection sequence

The Toome Bypass Environmental Statement sug-
gested the most environmentally friendly way to con-
struct the bridge was assembly of the superstructure -
the steel arches and bridge deck - on one side of the
river, lifting one end of the superstructure onto a
barge, floating the superstructure across the river and
lifting it onto previously constructed abutments. Detail
examination by the construction team showed this to
be less environmentally friendly than originally
thought; extensive dredging of the riverbanks would
have been necessary to accommodate
the large barge required to carry the 1540
tonne weight of the bridge superstructure.

The construction team re-evaluated the
construction of the bridge superstructure
and developed a procedure that equally
satisfies the aspirations of the Environ-
mental Statement, i.e. minimal damage of
the ecological and environmentally sensi-
tive river.

Temporary steel supports - dolphins -
have been installed in the river to allow
segmental construction of the bridge over
the river. After completion of the bridge,
the temporary supports will be cut off
600mm below the river bed and removed. The super-
structure construction sequence is illustrated overleaf
Roads Service Northern Ireland
Roads Service Northern Ireland

Roads Service Northern Ireland