Wilson-Burt Bridge Gets New FiberSPAN Cantilever Sidewalk


DAYTON, Ohio – A “Sidewalk Closed” sign used to hang on the Niagara County, New York Wilson-Burt Bridge. The girder structure carries motor traffic and pedestrians across Eighteen Mile Creek. At the end of November, the county unveiled the bridge’s new 5 1/2 ft. wide, 442 ft. long FiberSPAN cantilever sidewalk as part of a full bridge rehabilitation project valued at $4.2 million. With Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) panels weighing less than 8 pounds per square foot, the Composite Advantage product continues to gain momentum over more conventional concrete options due to its light weight and corrosion resistance. 



“This project is another example of how the cantilever sidewalk system can meet the growing demand for pedestrian and cycling activities,” says Scott Reeve, president of Composite Advantage. “On Wilson-Burt Bridge, the sidewalk was old, crumbling from wear and tear and it was too narrow to support modern traffic requirements. Our light weight FiberSPAN product made it possible for designers to increase clear sidewalk width to 5 1/2 ft. and maintain a dead load less than the original weight.”



For Wilson-Burt Bridge, the FiberSPAN cantilever sidewalk was designed to support a live load of 85 psf, while minimizing deflections to less than ¼ inch (L/500) and handle a temperature differential of 100 degrees Farenheit.   Twenty prefabricated sidewalk sections were delivered to the job site ready for installation on floor beams extending perpendicular from the existing bridge structure.  The sidewalk panels were manufactured with a 1.76 percent cross-slope top surface for water drainage. The cross-slope is an easier and more cost-effective approach than sloping support beams or installing shims.  The 22 ft. long panels have a shop applied non-slip surface. Internal steel connection points were used to attach the railing directly to the sidewalk panels.



Composite Advantage is the leading manufacturer of very large Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite parts, up to 100 feet, for structurally demanding applications and corrosive environments. CA combines its unique knowledge, innovative design, field experience and efficient manufacturing processes to support its core products - zero maintenance bridges and bridge decks.  CA’s other product lines include vehicle bridge decks to handle fully loaded 90,000-pound truck-trailers; temporary road mats for energy exploration; and waterfront infrastructure for US Navy bases. 



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

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