Case Study: DURAGRID® Replaces Steel for Walkways on Wheeling Suspension Bridge
In the Spring of 1999, the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) completed a renovation of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge in Wheeling, West Virginia. The bridge, constructed more than 100 years ago, spans more than 1000 feet over the Ohio River and is a local historic landmark.
The WVDOT chose DURAGRID® I-4000 1” thick FRP grating to replace the existing steel grating sidewalks. Both sides of the bridge were provided with a 4-foot wide walkway, totaling over 8000 square feet of grating.
| TECHNICAL DATA |
|---|
| Product: Bridge Walkways |
| Process: Pultrusion & Fabrication |
| Materials & Sizes: DURAGRID® I-4000 1" fiberglass reinforced vinyl ester grating |
| For: GEF, Incorporated |
| User: West Virginia Dept. of Transportation - Wheeling, West Virginia |
GEF, Incorporated, a structural fiberglass fabricator and Strongwell distributor, provided the technical assistance to the DOT, acquired all of the necessary approvals for the product use, and provided valuable installation expertise to the contractor.
DURAGRID® was chosen for a broad range of reasons. Public use of the sidewalks required several safety concerns to be considered, including loading requirements, slip resistance, and eliminating sharp edges (as with steel grating). The inherent properties of the FRP grating also provided key benefits considered by the customer, including light weight, lower installation costs and corrosion resistance. The overall aesthetics of the product were also a major consideration.