Jakob stainless steel wire ropes are used extensively in bridge construction around the world and are particularly suited to innovative designs and applications.
In woven Webnet mesh form, these stainless steel wire ropes are malleable and transparent in appearance, while offering superior tensile strength and durability.
Here are two projects that demonstrate the advantages Webnet offers in bridge construction.
A marriage of form and function
In Australia, the Christopher Cassaniti Bridge (formerly known as the Lachlan Line Bridge) has an innovative design that required an innovative safety barrier!
The bridge spans the busy M2 Motorway at Ryde in Sydney, forming a pedestrian crossing from Macquarie Park to North Ryde Station.
It’s curving double helix shape means the barrier needed to be flexible to match, providing robust fall protection without detracting from the eye-catching design.
Webnet mesh can form bridge balustrades, anti-throw screens and fall protection nets that are lightweight, quick to install and strong. Most importantly for this project, the mesh has a fabric-like quality that makes it malleable, able to conform to curves and geometric shapes. It’s also unobtrusive in appearance.
The result is a barrier that blends into the background, while offering the required level of safety.
Webnet used to suspend bridge in world first
In a world first, Webnet was used to suspend a steel footbridge at Trubschachen in Switzerland, in place of the more commonly-used suspension ropes.
The bridge, which crosses over the River Trub, is used by pedestrians and cyclists. It has a suspended section that is 21.5 metres in length between supporting pylons.
The Webnet used to brace the bridge is made from 3mm stainless steel wire ropes in a 6×19 configuration (6 wire strands with 19 wires in each strand), supported by 26mm diameter stainless steel suspension cables and Jakob fixing components.
The bridge deck support beams, Webnet mesh, and supporting systems work together to make the bridge more rigid and stable, in turn reducing the susceptibility to movement that is common in suspension bridges.
Image source: Jakob
The benefits of using stainless steel wire ropes
- Lighter structure – the use of Webnet for suspension allows for a bridge that is lighter in weight than if more solid materials were used. This is largely due to the lightness of Webnet and a reduced need for materials and complex connecting elements.
- Low maintenance – Jakob stainless steel wire rope cables and mesh are made from anti-corrosion marine-grade stainless steel, which has very low requirements for ongoing maintenance.
- Strength and longevity – Jakob stainless steel materials have high strength and excellent durability and longevity (up to 25 years).
- Safety – as well as helping to stabilise the bridge, the Webnet acts as a safety screen that provides protection from falls for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Elegant aesthetic – due to the light profile of Webnet and its translucent and filigree-like appearance.
- Cost-effectiveness – the design was cost-effective in several ways. Using Webnet removed the need for the additional balustrading that would have been required in a traditional approach. This in turn reduced the materials cost. Each element of the bridge was made and fitted offsite, which sped up the construction process. The anti-corrosion properties and longevity of Webnet will help to reduce ongoing costs for repairs, maintenance and replacements.
- Large span – Webnet is available in very large span or sheet sizes, making it excellent for large commercial or public structure applications such as this one.
- Access for all abilities – the Webnet enables a super-elevation sag of 280mm which creates a slight incline. This makes it easier for people with impaired mobility to cross to the other side.
Want to find out more?
Discover how Webnet mesh can be used in innovative bridge and building designs. Contact our team!
