ECS expands fabrication capabilities with new CNC machine
26 tonne Erith Bridge fabricated by ECS Engineering Services
A new steel bridge has been constructed by ECS Engineering Services’ fabrications department, weighing in at 26 tonnes. The Erith Bridge has been installed at a supermarket distribution centre in North London, spanning a pond for the convenience of cyclists and pedestrians.
ECS’ fabrications department located at Sutton-in-Ashfield combines design offices and production facilities in close proximity. Bridges are an area of expertise for the business, with both steel and composite fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) structures available. As a leading provider of engineered solutions to the water and infrastructure sectors – ECS has carried out turnkey bridge building projects across the country. Consequently, when it came to specify a bridge for the distribution centre site, the main contractors approached ECS to deliver.
Clark Williamson, Contracts Director at ECS, recalls the project: “We were asked to carry out the design, fabrication and delivery of the bridge. At our offices, we drew up a bridge that measured eight metres long and four metres wide to span the pond. We offered the contractor the choice of either steel or FRP as a construction material, and the former was selected.”
As the bridge was not intended to serve road vehicles, steel fabrication was required to be carried out to CE Marking Execution Class 2 (EXC2) as part of BS EN 1090-2. ECS is accredited to carry out steel fabrication work up to the highest consequence class of EXC4, which encompasses the most demanding steel structures. This certification ensured the project was well within ECS’ capability.
With the design complete, ECS set to work fabricating the steel bridge. A large in-house fabrication capacity meant that the entire bridge could be easily accommodated, allowing work to be carried out smoothly and efficiently. An important area was the deck of the bridge, where a slight camber was incorporated to provide increased structural strength. Bolt-on handrails and an anti-slip surface were also added once the bulk of fabrication was complete.
ECS also managed delivery of the bridge to site, which required a heavy truck and an escort vehicle due to its size. Now installed at the distribution centre within an area of natural beauty, the bridge is providing easy, scenic access for visitors to the site.
Clark concludes: “Our experience fabricating bridges matched with our extensive facilities allows us to deliver these turnkey projects with greater efficiency. We have purposely built our design offices and fabrications facilities in close proximity to aid this. As a result, customers can expect designs and completed fabrications in record time, ideal for tight project deadlines.”
Photo Caption:- A large in-house fabrication capacity at ECS Engineering Services meant that the entire bridge could be easily accommodated, allowing work to be carried out smoothly and efficiently.
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