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The reconstruction of an overbridge in rural Oxfordshire has
successfully achieved Network Rail's first use of fibre reinforced
polymer (FRP) materials to replace a steel aqueduct over the deep Ardley railway cutting.
Tony Gee and Partners' innovative design adopted FRP materials for overbridge 47, in conjunction with development of the trough profile and the independent
liner, to provide durable and low maintenance replacement for the aqueduct. The designed solution and methods also mitigated the impact of the works upon the
cutting which was imperative due to location within a designated Site of Special Interest
(SSSI).
The existing steel structure was replaced with a new aqueduct deck of a similar length and configuration,
across three spans and supported onto new pier
trestles. The new deck and trestles were manufactured using pultruded sections produced from FRP materials. The trestles were fabricated as single units, each
weighing around half a tonne, and the deck was delivered to site in three sections which were then spliced into a single 7T, 35m length. the two trestles and
deck were installed onto the refurbished masonry substructures during a short eight hour possession of the railway.
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