Cable Stay Bridges

The bridge can be equipped with a timber, composite or steel deck.

Timber

Our timber deck comes with the option of being plain or grooved. With both of these options we recommend that 2 anti-slip inserts are incorporated into the board. Our anti-slip inserts are produced by creating 2 dove tail grooves, the grooves are then filled with an epoxy and granular mix. This provides and long lasting and cost effective solution and also prolongs the life of the deckboards as the timber is not completely sealed.  When a full coating is required we often advise that a synthetic deck is used (see below).

Bamboo

Bamboo is used as composite material for decks and parapets. The bamboo stem is peeled, cut into strips, dried and then glued into its final form using a mold. The result is a rigid board. Naturally bamboo comes with the FSC certificate. The bamboo deck can also be equipped with GL-strips.

Fiberglas reinforced plastic

Our synthetic decks are made of a fiberglass, reinforced plastic (FRP). They are fitted into place using a tongue and groove system. Synthetic decks have a long life span and are particularly suitable when a full anti slip coating is required due to the adhesive qualities of the synthetic surface.  Our anti-slip is applied to the boards under factory conditions. Standard colours are anthracite and red. While suitable for use with service vehicles the synthetic deck is not suitable for equestrian use.

Steel

Steel is superb for decks that need to withstand heavy loads or when special requirements such as a fully water proof surface is required. While the most expensive option, a steel deck does have a very long lifespan. In order to prevent damage to the corrosion protection applied we check the size during the manufacturing process to ensure that no adjustments are required during installation.

We can produce parapets in a wide range of shapes and sizes. If you have a particular design in mind please contact us. Parapets can be made from timber, steel, composite material or a combination of these options.

Parapets rails	Consists of 1, 2 or more horizontal rails mounted to the posts, whether or not in combination with a handrail.
Vertical infill parapets	Consists of vertical rails between the posts
Post parapets	This parapet consists of structural posts.
Cross parapet	Filling between the posts in the form of a cross
Specials	Fabricated to your requirements – your design  – our construction !

Certificates

You can down load our certificates below.

Timber

Traditionally Timber is one of the most popular materials for building. It is the only building material that is renewable. According to a recent report (“Comparative study LCA Bridges, Establish Sustainability Score of Bridges made of Steel, Concrete, Composite and Timber. Edition September (2013), timber is the most environmentally friendly material to use.

The complete report can be downloaded here.

Advantages of Timber:

• Naturally Durable
• Ecologically responsible, when provided with an FSC of PEFC certificate
• Economical
• Easy to work with on site
• Good Life Cycle Analysis score
• Long lifespan – The expected lifespan of our Ekki footbridges is 30 years

Steel

Steel is suitable for large spans and is particularly useful where relatively low construction heights are required. With the correct treatment (the guide can be downloaded here) a long life span can be achieved. When working with steel, accuracy is very important, as it is difficult to make any changes or amendments on site. Our engineering agency, Groot Consultants, are very  experienced  working with steel structures.

Benefits of Steel

• Very Strong
• Freedom of design
• Long Life Span >100 years

Composite

Composite bridges are becoming more popular within the Dutch market. While the initial out lay is greater than other materials the only maintenance the structures require is occasional cleaning.

A composite bridge is a load bearing structure which is made entirely from glass fibre reinforced plastic, no materials such as timber or steel are used on the load bearing components. Options include synthetic, timber or a steel handrail mounted to the structure. A composite bridge has a closed deck.

The initial outlay for this from of structure in regard to TCO ( Total Cost of Ownership ) becomes very beneficial over a lifespan of 100 years as there is no maintenance required and no partial or full replacement of the structure  after 50  to 70 years as with steel and timber.

Benefits of Composite

• Long Life Span
• Low maintenence
• Closed deck surface
• Overall Life Span costs greatly reduced
• Life span of Composite bridge > 100 years