UNIBRIDGE steel bridge design & technical data

The unique design of a UNIBRIDGE® steel bridge structure means that a reliable, robust, sturdy bridge, meeting local rules and regulations, can be constructed without having to design a new structure for each situation.

UNIBRIDGE® steel bridges are based on a modular system, which uses a limited number of parts to build individual modules. The modules are then joined together lengthwise up to a length of 45m and laterally to have one, two, three or more lanes of traffic in a road application.

All the elements of a UNIBRIDGE® steel bridges can be transported to the site on a normal semi trailer in the case of 11.6m modules or on a rigid two axle truck with a 6m module.

To add the flexibility of UNIBRIDGE® steel bridges, both module lengths can be used together to create bridges of 18m (59ft), 24m (79ft), 30m (98ft), 36m (118ft), 42m (138 ft) and 48m (157ft) between abutments.

UNIBRIDGE®’s steel bridges revolutionary design means that you can construct a “customised” bridge from pre-fabricated modules to suit the application and local conditions.

One key feature of UNIBRIDGE® steel bridges is the ability to pre-camber the beam elements to suit the span lengths of the bridge. The only span lengths that are not pre-cambered are the single beams of 11.6m and 6m spans.

Download UNIBRIDGE® Australian Technical Specifications

Load specifications

UNIBRIDGE® is certified to a wide range of international load specifications such as:

Eurocode
British Standards
AASHTO HS25 (design loads adopted by the American Association of State Highway and Transport Officials)

Material and process

Steel standards – structural steel meet steel grade S355KR and S355N
Paint – according to ACQPA standards C4ANV
Welding – as for standards required by Eurocode 3

Weights

Some examples of component weights:

Standard box beam 11.6m: 1,200kg, 2,646 lbs
Standard box beam 6m: 6,000kg, 13,228 lbs
Complete module* 11.6m single lane: 34,730kg, 76,567 lbs
Planking – central decking: 2,300kg, 5,070 lbs
Lateral pedestrian pathway: 800kg per linear metres (538 lbs/ft)

*Complete basic module: two box beams fully painted, spacers, plankings and central decking, two guard rails, nuts and bolts and connecting pin.

Abutments

Abutments are fundamental parts of any bridge in the same way that wheels and tires are intrinsically parts of any motor vehicle.

The statement above seems so obvious, but too often – in particular with small or medium size bridges – we see people focusing their efforts and resources toward the bridge deck only and more or less ignore the technical specifications of the abutments with either some disastrous consequences or some grossly over designed and overbuilt solutions (or even under designed and under built solutions).

The abutments have to be specifically designed and calculated for the site where the bridge will be situated. There is no way around this as each site has different geophysical characteristics.

The simplicity of UNIBRIDGE® enables us to provide the ideal abutment design for the site based on the option required:

Single Lane
Single Lane with sideway
Double lane
Other

We will provide some simple drawings giving the key measurements for the option chosen see example below.

The geophysical study mentioned above will enable the client to establish the characteristics and strength of the ground and to decide which type of support or foundations are required (depth or type of piling for example) to support the abutments.

Matiere will provide drawings for the chosen option including the “drop load” on each abutment calculated by:

a) The dead weight of the structure
b) The maximum charges according to the traffic standards chosen
c) The total of above: a + b

The abutments for UNIBRIDGE® can be built in several ways, for example:

Natural ground without any built structures (in the case of rocky cliffs or in temporary emergency)
Old abutments if adequate or in emergency
Pre-casted elements joined together (see drawing)
Gabions as shown in the drawing
Custom built concrete abutments cast in-situ as per the drawings provided.

Important Note: If the UNIBRIDGE® is situated in a location subject to flooding and the level of the top crest of water may reach the deck of the UNIBRIDGE®, it will be necessary to strongly secure the girders to the abutments to avoid a displacement of the deck due to the lateral force of the currents. Please note also that despite the fact that the girders are sealed, and therefore will not fill up with water, they are not buoyant.