April 7, 2017 — Boucherville, Quebec, Canada — With the installation of three MakeABridge® footbridges, hikers and cyclists in the Town of Brome Lake (TBL), an hour’s drive east of Montreal, can now enjoy a safe and uninterrupted scenic outing along the four-kilometre path separating Foster from Argyll Road. Previously, brooks and wetlands prevented such easy, safe access.
A 45-ton crane
A 45-ton was mobilized on the frozen field to unload and install five MakeABridge®
In MAADI Group’s winning bid for TBL’s public tender, the design proposed seven footbridge sections of clear anodized aluminum that would be assembled into three final lengths (one footbridge was composed of five sections). Designed to be assembled without welding, these elegant footbridges total nearly 102 metres (335 ft.) in length.
All the pedestrian bridges comply with CAN/CSA-S6-06 (Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code). The bridges come with pedestrian and bicycle barriers composed of horizontal railings with maximum openings of 150 mm (5.9 in.). The pedestrian load applied to the walkway area is 4.0 kPa (85 psf) while the load on barrier railings consists of a uniform load of 1.20 kN/m applied laterally and vertically, simultaneously.
An ATV of 1,140 kg (2,500 lb.) pulling a 680-kg (1,500 lb.) trailer could travel safely on the bridges. Because these MAADI structures are totally maintenance-free, they will save the municipality considerable time and money over their lifetime.
Special equipement
A difficult to access site required special equipment to install two MakeABridge® located further
The first stage of the two-stage installation proved challenging. In the late summer of 2016, the MAADI team set out to drive in piles to support the footbridges. The team discovered, though, that a dismantled railway bridge had left behind piles either buried or cut, so they were not visible. As a result, MAADI made adjustments to the location of the piles and the design of the footbridges.
The second stage of the installation had to wait for February 2017. In the summer, the access routes which border the wetlands could not support the transport of the multi-tonne sections of footbridge. The footbridges were installed over three days.
Two types of architectural finish were used in the making of the footbridges: 6061-T6 and 6005A-T6. The bridge flooring is coated with a sand-coloured, anti-skid paint that complies with AAMA 2604-10 (High Performance Coatings). The superstructure is clear anodized aluminum with a film 18-24 microns thick complying with MIL-A-8625F (Military Specification: Anodic coatings for aluminum and aluminum alloys, September 10, 1993).
“We had an excellent relationship with MAADI Group,” said Nicolas Rousseau, from The S.M. Group International Inc. (SMi), the project engineer in charge and Director of Infrastructure and Urban Planning for Montérégie and Central Quebec. “From the point of view of coordination and quality of work, our engineering firm and the city were very satisfied. And the residents benefit from footbridges that improve the quality of life. It’s wonderful!”
