Unique road bridge at Kverneland - Glassfiber Produkter

Glassfiber Produkter has delivered a new road bridge at Kvernaland – the first of its kind in Norway! The bridge has replaced the old wooden bridge across the local river, and it will work as a much better alternative for walking, cycling and driving.

Closed roads and a corroded bridge

The residents near the local river at Kvernaland faced some challenges. Due to construction work in the area the road must close, which would prevent them from driving out to the county road. All houses must be accessible to residents, service vehicles and emergency vehicles. This is where Glassfiber Products enters and provides a solution.

"We have produced a bridge of fibreglass." project manager Magnar Stangeland explains. "The fiberglass makes the bridge weight less. The bridge is designed for 10 tonnes of axle load, and is also checked for 18 tonnes of bogie load. In addition, the fiberglass is easy to maintain and free of corrosion»

The residents will be using the bridge to reach the county road. But where exactly should the bridge be placed? By the local river there was an old bicycle bridge filled with rot and corrosion. The broken state of the bridge leads to it being demolished.

Broen blir løftet av kranbilen og heiset på plass

The bridge is being lifted into its new home. The low weight of the fiberglass ensured a quick and easy move.

Hitting two birds with one stone

The bridge will solve two problems. The residents can easily reach the county road by driving over the bridge. It also ensures that both service and emergency vehicles can reach the houses. After a year's time the bridge will be closed for cars, and used for walking and cycling instead.

"I hope the residents will enjoy the new bridge," Stangeland adds. "Now they will have a safe and solid bridge, and the material makes it non-slip".

Easy to handle

The low weight of the bridge made it possible to transport by crane truck. A heavier bridge would require a larger crane, but four tons of fiberglass were lifted and transported without problems. Once the bridge arrived at the river, it took about 5-10 minutes before the bridge was lowered into its place. You can watch a timelapse video of the assembly below.

Quick and accurate

Fiberglass Products has used a CNC machine as part of the production. The CNC machine processes the fiberglass profiles faster and with a high degree of accuracy. Here is a small summary of the bridge's properties: