Memorial Bridge at Emanuel School, London

Client

Bam Nuttall for Network Rail

Project Description

Emanuel School is located on a wedge of land between the Southampton East London Railway and the Brighton Line in Wandsworth and previously had only one access near the narrow end of the wedge. A new bridge was constructed over the Southampton line to create a safer access to the school and to allow trackside improvement works to be undertaken. The construction was undertaken at a constricted site just south of the busy Clapham Junction as part of a contract including also the highway works and renewal of trackside retaining walls. The new bridge was preassembled on the eastside and launched over the 4 electrified lines.

Cass Hayward Role(s)

Detailed design of bridge permanent works including category 2 check
Detailed design of highways
Detailed design for bridge launch temporary condition
Ongoing technical advice during construction including site attendance during bridge launch

Project Statistics

Contract Value £8m
Completed February 2015
Bridge clear span of 24.5m
Bridge launch weight 490 tonnes (including 160 tonnes of counterweight) with 27m maximum cantilever. Temporary works included 15.75 nose girder and 2m tail girder

Special Features

The vertically inclined alignment of the road was carefully co-ordinated with the design of the bridge to ensure the necessary clearances over the railway were achieved
The new bridge was constructed using weathering steel box girders and a composite insitu concrete deck slab
Bridge launch included the concreted deck together with completed parapets
After launching the bridge deck was structurally connected to the piled abutments to generate an integral structure
Precast parapets with high quality white concrete finish also include stainless steel feature panels which are etched to illustrate aspects of the school's history
The name Memorial Bridge is mark of respect by the School to the sufferers of the nearby 1988 Clapham Rail Disaster