New Pooley Bridge crossing made to withstand flooding

A new stainless steel and concrete bridge, the first of its kind in the UK, has opened to pedestrians and vehicles in Pooley Bridge, Cumbria.

The new structure replaces its 250-year-old stone predecessor, which was destroyed during severe flooding as a result of Storm Desmond in 2015. The new single-span bridge has been designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and is in keeping with its location in Ullswater on the edge of the Lake District National Park.

Heavy building materials supplier Hanson UK, worked with contractor Eric Wright Civil Engineering Ltd to create a bespoke concrete mix for the lower arch of the steel bridge, designed and constructed to provide structural strength, and also supplied and laid the asphalt to complete the project.

The steelwork for the new bridge was manufactured off-site in two sections, fabricated and welded on an adjacent piece of land, where the concrete lower arch was installed to allow the whole structure to be lifted into place over the River Eamont.

The high early strength concrete mix included Hanson Regen GGBS (ground granulated blastfurnace slag), a cement replacement product which enhances the durability of the concrete while adding to its sustainability credentials. It is a by-product and using it to replace one tonne of Portland cement reduces the embodied CO2 of the concrete by around 780kg. Its use in large pours also helps minimise the production of heat, reducing the risk of thermal cracking.