Neaco’s Neatdek aluminium decking has been specified for another major bridge project as part of the Dukes Meadows Masterplan, a series of proposals to improve facilities for sport, transport, and access in 187 acres of land in Barnes, South London.
The new £3.6m footbridge has been designed to facilitate a safe and inviting route for pedestrians and cyclists along the Thames Path. Located downstream of Barnes Bridge, it offers views of Dukes Hollow nature reserve, a natural tidal foreshore that contains diverse waterside flora and is home to two nationally rare snails.
Knights Brown was appointed by London Borough of Hounslow to carry out the design and construction of the project. The bridge was constructed using off-site prefabrication methods and transported down the river, rather than by road, to reduce carbon consumption and to minimise impact on the surrounding area.
The steelwork sections of bridge span were fabricated by McNealy Brown and finished with the installation of Neatdek decking. Neatdek’s T-Bar profile offers a contact area of 74% on the surface yet drains water efficiently while its swage-locked construction enables high structural efficiency. Combined with a ribbed anti-slip surface, those qualities make the product ideal for urban pedestrian bridges exposed to wet weather and a high volume of foot traffic. The system is also designed to maximise safety with a Euroclass A1 rating – the highest achievable score for non-combustibility.
Alan Green Managing Director at Neaco, said:
“Neatdek has been used on some of the UK’s most iconic and celebrated footbridge projects over the past 20 years. It’s an outstanding portfolio which includes the Media City Footbridge in Salford Quays, the Twin Sails Bridge in Poole, the Peace Bridge in Londonderry, the Living Bridge in Limerick, Paserelle Becon-les-Bruyeres in Paris and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. The Dukes Meadows footbridge is a very impressive addition to the list of specifications and we are very proud to play a part in this superb project.”