Rolling Bascule Bridge

This project aimed to design a shared pedestrian and cyclist bridge to span a canal in Bristol temple quarter, integrating into Bristol’s existing cycle network with the motivation of relieving congestion in the city centre while reducing pollution levels and encouraging the uptake of a healthier mode of transport. The bridge had to be movable such that the canal waterway could be used by small boats when required.

Our solution was a Scherzer-type rolling bascule bridge, which 'rocks' backwards on curved segmental girders. This affords faster opening times and a lower opening angle due to its backwards translation. Furthermore, the bridge is counter-weighted to minimise the energy required to move it, with the counter weight stored below the deck in the abutment. A rack and pinion mechanism is used to control the bridge's motion, powered by a motor.

We produced a final CAD design with technical drawings, along with an accompanying design report. Additional outputs included beam stress analysis (shear and bending), motor specification (torque, power, shaft radius etc) as well as cost analysis. The project concluded with an evaluation and presentation.