Wrenze provides steel bridge design for municipalities, consultants and contractors in the UAE. Our bridge work includes a cable-stayed bridge in Mushrif Park for Dubai Municipality, a link bridge between twin towers in Ras Al Khaimah, lift shafts for pedestrian bridges in Ajman, and modelling and concept design for other bridge schemes. We cover pedestrian bridge design, steel link bridges between buildings and the lift shafts, stairs and ceilings that go with them.
Bridge structures we design
- Pedestrian bridges and footbridges
- Cable-stayed and other feature bridges
- Steel link bridges between buildings and towers
- Lift shafts and stair towers for pedestrian bridges
- Road bridge steelwork
- Causeway and floating bridge concepts
- Metal ceilings and secondary steel on bridges
Design points for steel pedestrian bridges
Vibration and comfort
A light steel deck can respond to footsteps. If a natural frequency of the deck is close to the pace of walking, people feel it move, even when the bridge is strong enough. We calculate the vertical and lateral natural frequencies and check the response under walking and crowd loading, along with the deflection limits.
Cable-stayed bridges
In a cable-stayed bridge the deck hangs from stays anchored to a pylon. The pylon works in compression and bending, and the stay anchorages at the deck and pylon are some of the most heavily loaded connections in the structure. The final shape and stay forces depend on how the bridge is erected and tensioned, so the analysis follows the construction stages, not only the finished bridge.
Link bridges between towers
Two towers sway separately under wind, so a bridge between them must allow for that relative movement. Usually one end is fixed and the other sits on sliding or flexible bearings, with joints in the finishes to match. The bridge reactions must also be carried by the tower structures, so we coordinate the support details with the tower’s structural engineer.
Lift shafts for footbridges
A lift shaft for a footbridge is a slender steel frame, often glazed. It carries the lift guide rails, the lifting beam at the top and wind on the cladding, and its deflection must stay within the lift supplier’s limits for the lift to run properly.
Durability outdoors
Bridges stand in sun, humidity and, near the coast, salt air. We specify a corrosion protection system for the exposure, and detail the steel so that water drains away and does not collect in pockets or closed sections.
Our bridge projects
- Mushrif Park cable-stayed bridge, Dubai. Dubai Municipality (client). Full consultancy.
- Twin tower DoubleTree connecting bridge, Ras Al Khaimah. Designers Engineering Consultants. Structural design.
- Pedestrian bridge, Dubai. Parsons (consultant). Modelling.
- Two pedestrian bridge lift shafts, Ajman. Ajman Municipality (client).
- Ramhan Island causeway and floating bridge. QA Construct Contracting L.L.C. (client). Concept structural design.
- One Zabeel link bridge metal ceiling, Dubai. WSP. Design.
The steel structure link bridge is one of our listed areas of expertise, along with road and pedestrian bridges. Bridge work often brings in our connection design team for the bearings, stay anchorages and support details, and our detailers for the fabrication drawings of curved and sloping members.
Related services
- Structural steel design for decks, pylons, link bridges and lift shafts
- Steel connection design for anchorages, bearings and splices
- Structural engineering consultancy for full consultancy and design review
- Steel shop drawings and detailing for fabrication and erection
To discuss a footbridge, link bridge or bridge review, send your drawings through the quote form.
