Pedestrian Bridge Decking

FRP Pedestrian Bridges are a Mainstay of Parks, Campuses and Urban Architecture

Pedestrian bridges must maintain their non-slip surface when exposed to different environmental conditions, including rain, snow, and more severe weather threats; as well as snow clearing equipment.

They must also be carefully engineered to withstand a range of loadings and types of traffic without experiencing undue wear. In some cases, this means congested human traffic including fully packed bridges watching holiday events. This is also scooters, bicycles, and skateboards. Larger bridges must handle maintenance vehicles and emergency vehicles when the pedestrian bridge is the quickest path for people’s safety. All of which can put additional strain on the bridge, the decking, and its surface.

The Creative Composites Group supplies engineered fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) decking to ensure that pedestrian bridges hold up to all of these pressures with little to no maintenance required. Our FRP structure is composed of a protective polymer matrix supporting high strength fibers—yielding a lightweight material that is sturdy but comfortable for pedestrians.

We incorporate corrosion-resistant polymers to prevent degradation, leading to long and maintenance-free life cycles. Thanks to these unique construction details, FRP decking is strong, durable, and infinitely adaptable: our decking is compatible with nearly any superstructure configuration and easily incorporates design features like crowns, skews, or curbs. A full range of sizes, shapes, and depths are available, as are different combinations of strength and stiffness tailored to meet any load requirements.

FRP for Pedestrian Bridges: Emphasizing Function & Safety Concerns

Two main requirements for many pedestrian bridges are shape and safety. While pedestrian paths need to be designed to be non-slip to prevent falls, there are other safety considerations as well. For instance, existing bridges are often converted to pedestrian walkways, but in these cases, the existing structure has already accumulated wear over time. To prevent undue strain on a structure that might already be fragile, the decking design needs to distribute traffic evenly without adding too much unnecessary weight. Widening the path with concrete may be an option for newer structures, but it’s impractical and often completely impossible for aging bridges: the amount of concrete needed for a sufficiently wide path is simply too heavy for decades-old supports to handle.

These safety concerns are especially pronounced with shared-use bridges, which might see any combination of pedestrians and bikers on a given day. A shared-use design warrants extra width to prevent collisions, and it must also support heavier and more variable weights.

Installing an FRP deck addresses all of these concerns for both new and old bridges. When considering a newly designed pathway, high-performance is critical, but so is longevity. FiberSPAN™ decking protects your investment with an incredibly durable, corrosion resistant structure that provides for up to 75 years of design life. And because FRP decking is lightweight and flexible, it minimizes stress on the underlying structure, making it ideal for renovations.

Function Considerations

Whether the structure is to go in a park, across a body of water, or around an office building, the shape needs to mesh with the surroundings while still allowing safe passage for the expected level of traffic. Whatever the final form ends up being, an FRP surface is easily customizable to fit both physically and aesthetically. Our FRP decking is suitable for any size, shape, or skew.

Thanks to this flexibility, FRP decking is perfect for bridges ranging from short, straight, and level to long, complex, and winding. And with custom colors available, the surface will complement the existing environment, so you won’t have to sacrifice appearance for a resilient, performance surface.

Combining Form & Function

At Creative Composites Group, we’re committed to meeting your requirements with precision and professionalism. We’ll work closely with your design team to provide the ideal FRP structure for your project, considering not only weight and safety but also aesthetic traits. We’ve constructed curved decks, cantilevered decks, and decks ranging in size from 600 to 18,000 square feet. No shape is too complex for our talented engineering team, and we execute every project with an eye toward safety and functionality, as we strive to fulfill your specific vision.

Benefits of Using FRP Pedestrian Bridge Decks

Compared to more traditional decking materials, FRP is superior on many levels. Our FRP panels offer the following benefits:

• Lightweight Construction: An FRP deck weighs at most 20% of a comparable reinforced- concrete design. In addition to reducing strain on the bridge’s structure, this weight reduction is also a substantial advantage in the construction process, allowing for easy, rapid, and affordable installation.
• Corrosion-Resistant: FRP surfaces resist degradation from all common corrosive and abrasive influences. Even power-washers or petroleum-based chemicals won’t damage the surface, to say nothing of the UV and weather-resistance inherent to the material.
• Maintenance-Free: Reinforced concrete bridges have a standard life span of 15-20 years, especially when exposed to chemicals or harsh weather. But because FRP withstands degradation from those same forces, it has a substantially longer working life. You can expect your FRP deck to last roughly 75 years with no maintenance, even when installed in difficult environmental conditions.
• Cost-Effective: Virtually eliminating maintenance comes with a financial incentive, as well. Choosing a durable material that requires no service saves a substantial amount in the long run, considering both labor and material costs.
• Design Flexibility: FRP can be engineered with ideal structural properties to match almost any load. We also offer our FRP material in customizable panels, which allows easy installation regardless of bridge shape or size.