FLOW Bridge - A modular FRP footbridge designed Through an innovative procurement process.
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Bibliographic Details
| Author(s): |
Davide Meucci
(Knight Architects, London, UK)
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| Medium: | conference paper | ||||
| Language(s): | English | ||||
| Conference: | IABSE Symposium: Construction’s Role for a World in Emergency, Manchester, United Kingdom, 10-14 April 2024 | ||||
| Published in: | IABSE Symposium Manchester 2024 | ||||
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| Page(s): | 1034-1042 | ||||
| Total no. of pages: | 9 | ||||
| DOI: | 10.2749/manchester.2024.1034 | ||||
| Abstract: |
This paper showcases designing, prototyping, and developing the Network Rail FLOW footbridge, an innovative composite FRP bridge meant to replace level crossings in rural and semi-rural UK areas. The design brief was to create a lightweight, cost-effective, eye-catching modular system as an alternative to existing structures in the Network Rail catalogue. Adopting a centralised workflow, challenging traditional procurement routes, early involvement of fabricators, unconventional thinking, and a positive attitude led to delivering the first full-sized prototype in under a year. The final design iteration is now set for large-scale manufacturing. The design prioritised user experience, aesthetics, functionality, material quality, cost, and structural performance. This comprehensive approach resulted in an innovative and visually appealing solution that integrates route-wide repeatability and off-site manufacturing, adaptable to local contexts. |
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| Keywords: |
aesthetics design FRP user experience modular Parametric fiber reinforced polymers flax Glass Fiber
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