Composite Advantage Gets Repeat Business for Second FiberSPAN Pedestrian Bridge Deck With MassDOT

DAYTON, Ohio—( March 23, 2017) When the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) began work on a 1.3 mile section of its Neponset River Greenway in 2015, the project called for a new pedestrian bridge to span electric railroad tracks. Bridge designers needed a product that was long lasting with aesthetic appeal. Bridge owner Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation turned to supplier Composite Advantage.

“In 2012 we manufactured and installed a FiberSPAN pedestrian bridge deck for the department’s North Bank Bridge,” says Composite Advantage President Scott Reeve. “The 690-ft. structure linked Cambridge and Charlestown, providing the communities with access to the Charles River parklands near downtown Boston. When the bridge owner says ‘We want another FRP bridge deck just like the first one,’ that is the best kind of compliment.”

Neponset River Greenway is a waterfront multi-use trail that borders miles of marshlands and freshwater wetlands. The new pedestrian bridge dictated an elevated and curved design that would carry riders, walkers and runners over railroad tracks and through a stand of mature oak trees. The leafy “roof” created by the trees prompted the bridge architect to call the structure Canopy Walk.

Composite Advantage fabricated an integrated FRP deck system 1,060 ft. long by 10ft. wide with a 265-ft. wide by 8 ft. wide access ramp. Deck panels were 18.1 ft. by 10 ft. with a thickness of 5.3 in. to 3.5 in. to provide a cross-slope for water run-off. Weighing

only 9 psf, the deck panels were installed on steel stringers with galvanized steel connection clips. Composite Advantage prefabricated the deck panels with drainage scuppers. A quartz aggregrate non-slip overlay completed the gray-pigmented panels. The composite bridge deck was built to sustain a live load of 90 psf and deflection of L/360. Canopy Walk opened to the public in November 2016.

Composite Advantage is a manufacturer and turnkey supplier for Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite bridges, bridge decks and waterfront products for major infrastructure markets. CA pairs innovative design and unique technology with efficient manufacturing processes and in-depth field experience. More than a decade of developing lightweight, high-strength, cost-effective FRP goods for structurally demanding applications and corrosive environments has helped the advanced materials manufacturer create a comprehensive menu of products ranging from pedestrian bridge decks, trail bridges, cantilever sidewalks and rail platforms to fenders, pilings, ship separators and other waterfront structures.

Visit www.compositeadvantage.com or contact Composite Advantage at 937-723-9031 or info@compositeadvantage.com.