CASE STUDY
COMPOSITE BRIDGE
CONNECTS COMMUNITIES
A modern pedestrian bridge was recently com-
pleted to connect a newer multifamily housing
community with an adjacent single family housing
community in Charlotte, NC. In 2015, an agree-
ment was put in place to build a pedestrian bridge
to connect the adjacent communities to the coun-
ty’s ongoing Greenway Trail Project.
The desired outcome of the project is to provide
over 30 miles of walking trails to connect residents
with greenways, housing communities, businesses,
and community parks within the urban footprint
of the county to alleviate vehicular congestion.
However, the pedestrian bridge project was
placed on hold due to a storm water diversion
project which wasn’t completed until 2022. Upon its completion,
design and specifications were submitted for the pedestrian bridge.
The engineering specifications called for a bridge designed to accom-
modate cyclists and pedestrians using modern polymer materials.
As this project was located within a densely populated community,
the time sensitive project had to be constructed onsite without the
use of cranes and various earth moving equipment.
Areté Structures and Areté Engineers worked with Hall Contracting
who installed what is likely the first continuous multi-span FRP bridge
in the United States. This project’s specific continuous truss design
was outfitted with EXTREN® channels, tubes, and plates pultruded in
Series 525 resin. For flooring, 24" SAFPLANK® panels were coated
with a medium epoxy grit for added slip resistance.
The 120-ft bridge connects Lyon Court with Veteran Lane and
has an 8-foot-wide travel lane outfitted with bollards on each end
to prevent vehicular access.
Community stakeholders have all been delighted with the instal-
lation process of the bridge and addition to their community.
TECHNICAL DATA
Product: Continuous Truss Multispan Pedestrian Bridge
Process: Pultrusion, Fabrication
Materials EXTREN® Series 525 Structural Shapes:
& Sizes: - channel, tube, plate
SAFPLANK® Interlocking Decking Planks:
- 24" planks with medium epoxy grit coating
For: Areté Structures
User: A residential community in Charlotte, NC
Bristol Location
400 Commonwealth Ave.
Bristol, VA 24201 USA
(276) 645-8000
www.strongwell.com
ST1024-2022
CONTINUOUS TRUSS MULTISPAN FRP PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE 0491
