Stockingfield footbridge by SH Structures Ltd.

A legacy for the community

The new bridge is a twin span cable stay structure, which provides access across Stockingfield Junction on the Forth & Clyde Canal, in the Maryhill area of Glasgow.

Linking three communities, the bridge of two curved decks also completed the last link in the much-used canal tow path. The structure takes full advantage of its elevated site with a viewing platform at the base of the 34 m long inclined tapered mast. The client, Scottish Canals, anticipates that the new structure will boost recreational activity and give access to more green spaces in the north of Glasgow. This much needed link has been considered for some years, with various designs put forward and the final proposal being submitted for planning in April 2019. The project was delivered by Scottish Canals with funding from Sustrans, and the Glasgow City Council's Vacant Derelict Land Fund.

The project was particularly special to us for many reasons. Firstly, it was an opportunity for SH Structures to work with Scottish Canals with whom we have developed an excellent relationship having successfully delivered the design and build of the iconic sculptures in Falkirk, the Kelpies. Bridges are always special, in particular those which have been carefully considered and designed to create a legacy for the communities who use them.

A difficult site requiring careful consideration

Complex projects inevitably present a wide range of challenges and bridges of this scale are no exception. The initial challenge was to develop a design that would give the required connection across the canal junction. Getting something to work structurally that would cope with the dynamics whilst also fitting into the congested site, required looking at numerous iterations of the design.

Maintaining the required clearance under the bridge and the required slope of the ramps whilst tying into the alignment of the towpaths was also a major headache at the initial stages. This resulted in a geometry with most of the deck section soffits being twisted plates. These were initially created using the surface generation macro, the plates were unfolded and sent for profiling prior to pressing.

The location and topography of the site were another major challenge. The access to the site and the steep slope meant the plant and cranes access required careful consideration before starting work on site. With the bridge due to be opened in 2022, this is a project we are proud to have been involved in. The relationship on site with our client, Principal Contractor Balfour Beatty, was excellent and it was a real team effort bringing this difficult project to fruition.

One of the greatest benefits of the flexibility of the Tekla software is the ability it gave us to download IFC files of the model into a Total Station on site. This process enabled our site team to accurately identify the three dimensional coordinates of any point on the structure. This was very important when setting and carrying out critical dimensional control and as-built surveys.

Important points or benefits:

Scope included supply, modelling, drawing, fabrication and assembly of the mast, twin decks, access ramps and stairs and balustrade system.
The Tekla model was used extensively throughout the project. It was used in internal and external design meetings, critical in the design process.
Equipment used was a Trimble SX10 coupled with a TSC7 controller.
We uploaded the model as an IFC file, which allowed us to pick any point on the model (i.e., edge, corner or centre on bolt hole and compare it to the surveyed position).
The SX10 has a built-in camera and we used the augmented reality function, where the model is displayed on the controller, with the physical bridge in the background using the slider bar to adjust the opacity of the model.We also 3D-scanned some parts of the bridge and compared that to the model within Trimble Business Centre.

The UK Tekla Awards honour projects that transform the way the world builds.

See all projects

The Content on this page is provided to Trimble Solutions Corporation ("Trimble") under the Tekla BIM Awards Terms and Conditions.

About the project

Project category

Project parties

Location

Images

Birdseye view of whole bridge

Mast and viewing platform

View across two curved decks

Stairs and handrailing

Close up of mast and viewing platform

View from underside of bridge

Lifting deck into place

Bridge under construction

View under bridge from riverbank

Project in numbers

Total length

Steel weight

Trimble products used

UK Tekla Awards