Eccles’ AquaDeck Bridge Drainage System
drains the new 725m Dyfi Bridge Viaduct
Structure – New Dyfi Viaduct, Wales
Client – Welsh Government
Merchant – JDP Yates
Designers – ARUP
Contractor – Alun Griffiths
Overall Length – 725m
Main River Span Length – 74m
Bridge Cost – £46 Million (Feb 21)
AquaDeck Units – In excess of 1500
Expansion Joints – Yes
Load Spec – D400 Type I, tested free standing
Aquadeck Certification – BSEN1433 Kitemarked, UKCA Marked, CE Marked
A new £46m bridge project on the A487, north of Machynlleth, Wales, features Eccles’ AquaDeck Bridge Drainage as the preferred system to improve drainage and ease flooding in the area.
The historic 200-year-old Dyfi Bridge is being replaced as a spectacular new 725m viaduct is constructed across the wider floodplain.
The project will calm traffic congestion in the area, improve transport links for Gwynedd, Powys, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire and protect local houses from flooding concerns.
The works also included a new pathway for cyclists and walkers.
The new 725m viaduct along the Afon Dyfi, which will stretch across the associated floodplain north of Machynlleth, will be the longest single new road bridge currently under construction in the UK.
It will use over 1,500 AquaDeck units in various sizes and kerb profiles to drain the bridge of surface and sub-surface water.
Approval to use the AquaDeck system was granted towards the end of 2022 after Eccles submitted layout drawings along with hydraulic data to contractors Alun Griffiths and designers Arup.
As well as the AquaDeck units themselves, there were also some very large modular expansion joints to contend with, located at both North and South abutments.
The new high-capacity expansion joints, designed and fabricated by the Eccles AquaDeck Division, were purpose-made to accommodate longitudinal and transverse movements on the structure, crossing the existing large modular joints.
The new joints catered for +/- 235mm at both North and South abutments, whilst maintaining high flows through the joint installation.
Chris Rothery, AquaDeck Project Director at Eccles, said:
“This has been a wonderful project to be involved with. The AquaDeck installation has gone really well and it’s always pleasing to see your designs on paper installed and working successfully.
“The joints here were a bit of a challenge, but we are delighted with the installation and the interface between our expansion joint modules and the bridge expansion joint installation.
“Our thanks go to the Alun Griffiths team on site and the guys at Bridge Care for working with us to arrive at a successful design.”
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT AQUADECK
AquaDeck is designed specifically for use on bridges and elevated highways or where construction depths are limited. Manufactured with SmartGrip Technology and designed to be ultra strong and highly durable – AquaDeck is fully compliant to the Harmonised European Standard BSEN1433 and carries the new UKCA Mark, which is required by law by January 2025.
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