The complex operation involved lifting six steel girders into place in pairs for Duckwood Bridge using a 1000-tonne capacity crane. This process included assembling smaller beams mid-air before hoisting the completed beams onto the structure.
This is the largest beam lift of the project, necessitating the use of the crane with the highest capacity due to Duckwood Bridge’s considerable dimensions—56 meters in length and 16 meters in width. The operation entailed joining a total of 39.347 meters of long girder and 16.197 meters of short girder, spliced together on trestles and jacks, between the reinforced concrete abutments.
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The finished beams, which weigh up to 113 tonnes, were then craned onto concrete supports, known as abutments.
Duckwood Bridge is a crucial element in GRAHAM's project to improve the busy junction where the M25 meets the A12 in Essex. Once finished, it will support the new anti-clockwise loop road of the A12, spanning over the existing Weald Brook watercourse.
Hugh McNally, GRAHAM Project Manager said: "The installation of the Duckwood Bridge beams marks a fantastic achievement on the scheme, made possible by the team’s technical expertise and continuous dedication. With the last set of bridge beams now installed on the project, we work towards completion of the remaining structural concrete works in Autumn 2024."
Zach Pepper, National Highways Project Manager stated: "Completing the final beam lift for the structures in the scheme is a significant milestone and a testament to the hard work of everyone on-site. This was completed all offline without the need for a full road closure, limiting the impact on the local community."
