4.1 Pavel Simon

Modular system of steel bridges for pedestrian and bicycles
Pavel Simon1
1
VFA PLUS s.r.o., Mlýnská 68, Brno 602 00, the Czech Republic
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract. The modular bridges bring a number of advantages for national, regional and
municipal authorities, construction companies, designers and road administrators. The modular
bridge can be used as a temporary or permanent solution. After natural disasters and during the
reconstruction of existing bridges in urban areas, where it permits the maintenance of
pedestrian and bicycle traffic or re-routing of utilities over an obstacle. The modular ML36 and
ML18 systems are currently more than three years on the market. Verification of practices
confirmed the design fidelity and the technical solution itself.
1. Temporary footbridges after natural disasters

The reasons for using temporary walkways after natural disasters need not be explained for a long
time. Footbridges are lighter than bridges, they are easier to install, do not need such space
requirements, and can be located outside the damaged communication routes and do not take up space
for recovering the damaged infrastructure. Our modular sliding solutions allow them to be transported,
assembled and installed within two days. So why do not they use it so often? The problem with their
rapid implementation is the existing legislation, which does not contemplate a variant of temporary,
publicly beneficial constructions.
Figure 1. ML36-9 and ML18-12 at Ministry of transportation exhibition

Let's look at the problem from two sides. In the case of the state or region of the declared crisis
situation, the advantages of the existence of the technical conditions of MD CR, namely TP253
Modular Footbridge ML18 [1] or TP254 Modular Footbridge ML36 [2], can be maximized and
maximum shortening of the procedure for the location of the building and building permits, as is
normally the case with bridge bridges after the floods. The problem arises with the selection of the
contractor under the Public Procurement Act. Before you prepare the documentation, you will tender
the contractor, according to the rules of procedure, you will wait for any appeals, so you will get to the
order of months. What should people do in the affected area? They can only wait or hope someone
finds a way to avoid the standard process.
The option of avoiding the lengthy selection of a contractor is to borrow temporary bridges from
government or from your own inventory. Temporary footbridges owned by municipalities, regions or
state material reserves can be borrowed without a tender for the affected municipalities.
However, it is only possible to speed up the construction process under the government or the
region of the declared crisis situations, which does not concern, for example, the collapse of the
footbridge in Prague Troja. In this case, this is not a declared crisis but a crash. Any crash of a
footbridge or bridge will leave you unprepared, without valid building permit documentation, without
a decision to place a building without a selected contractor. We have offered a relatively quick
solution based on the use of modular footbridge ML36 and ML18. It is limited only by the production
of the necessary number of pieces (insufficient quantity in stock) and the requirements of the building
law in connection with the Administrative Code. In the case of standard management time, it would be
possible at the time of the acquisition of the building permit to start building a foundation and
installing footbridges immediately. That would be possible according to the Magistrate's statement,
only if it was not necessary to select a contractor for a standard tender.
Figure 2. Design of temporary footbridges 2xML36 1xML18, Prague
After counting the time required for placement of temporary construction bridges, the magistrate
decided to exclude temporary solution, and focus on the almost equally long process for a permanent
bridge. Setting up a temporary solution after a year of waiting for only half a year or year loses
economic sense. However, if there was the possibility of borrowing it from its own stock or from the
SSHR warehouse, the citizens of Prague could use it already. If temporarily, publicly beneficial
building had yet to be placed in shorten order and the required amount of footbridges would be
available, the footbridge could be put into operation within a couple weeks.
2. Use for planed reconstructions

Typical use of modular bridges is the planned bridge reconstruction. Figure 3 is a reconstruction
situation where the pedestrian traffic on both sides of the road is driven along the bridge. Figure 4 is an
inappropriate solution with a one-sided walkway and one-way traffic on the bridge, which generates
many collision points. From the point of view of pedestrians and cyclists who cannot use long
outbound trails suitable for cars, it is a good footbridge to move further from the original bridge. See.
fig. 5 reduces the number of collision sites, construction companies can use to build without the need
to define pedestrian-friendly and people get across the obstacle near the place where they were
accustomed. After putting the new or reconstructed bridge into operation, see fig. 6, the footbridge can
be dismantled.
Figure 3. Typical situation, walkways Figure 4. Inappropriate solution with a

on both sides of the river and of the one-sided walkway and one-way traffic
bridge. on the temporary bridge.
Figure 5. Better solution with two Figure 6. New bridge can be made and
separated temporary constructions. the pedestrian could cross the river
during reconstruction
3. Brief description of the technical solution

The modular footbridge ML18 consists of three basic types of panels, connected with spigot or
bolts. It is in a modular step of 3.0 m as well as most of the temporary bridges in the Czech Republic.
Heavy truck is not necessary for their transport. The installation of the footbridge, including the
unloading of the truck, takes a maximum of one day. The 18m-wide footbridge weighs 2,750kg, and
then weighs 3,400kg. The width clearance of 2.0m allows for the construction and operation of
cyclists, or uses the footbridge as permanent.
The modular footbridge ML36 consists of separate elements, which are also connected mainly by
spigot. The construction up to 21m can be assembled within one day, for a larger span it is better to
consider two days for assembly and mount. The footbridge of 36 meters has a weight of 8,500 kg, the
total weight is 10,950 kg.
4. Practical examples as a temporary construction:
4.1. Kozlovice, ML36-18m

In one day the bridge was built and put into operation. The pedestrian and cyclist traffic was
transferred to the footbridge, so that the provisional parallel bridge could only serve the vehicles.
Figure 6. ML36-18 and MS for 21 m
4.2. Chlumec nad Cidlinou, ML36-27m

For nearly a year the footbridge was connected both banks of the city, at the time of complete
replacement of the road bridge. For the assembly and disassembly alone, there was not much room on
the shore. The footbridge was assembled on side grass belt and fitted with a crane with a load of 100t.
Figure 7. ML36-27
4.3. Ružomberok, (SVK)ML36-21m
A footbridge with a width of 21m was set up for the quick demand of the city for better access to
the shopping centre. The footbridge with its concept fits in the style of the city's footbridges, the
composite bridge deck has a significantly longer life span and better antiskid properties compared to
the otherwise used wooden bridge deck.
Figure 8. ML36-21
4.4. Kutná Hora, ML18-21m

At the time of the reconstruction of the road bridge connecting the towns of Sedlec and Malín, the
pedestrian traffic was interrupted. Although the city provided a substitute bus service to the Malin
train station, citizens were passing through a shortcut via the express train line in the railway station.
Construction of the footbridge lasted only 7 days, including stair towers and reinforced boarding areas.
The footbridge had to be retrofitted by the construction against contact with traction lines as well as
drainage so that the water from the footbridge did not run on the traction line.
Figure 9. ML18-21m
4.5. Luhačovice, ML18-15 m
Since the existing bridge was found to be unfit after a tour, the city quickly secured a replacement
by borrowing a temporary footbridge with a span of 15m. One day the bridge was assembled and
fitted. The footbridge will serve for as long as the designer and contractor of the new footbridge
selected in the place of the old one.
Figure 1. ML18-15
5. Assembling
From the point of assembly, all structures have been fitted with a crane, although the ML36
construction can be extended along the track (launching). Therefore, our assumption that a lightweight
construction (8.5 tonnes for ML36_36m) of one simple field span is not a faster and economically
more advantageous solution than the insertion of a footbridge into the hole by a crane. The claim for
launching during 3 years of operation has not yet appeared.
References
[1] Simon P, 2014 Technical condition TP 253 Modular footbridge ML18 (Ministry of
Transportation) pp 1-25
[2] Simon P, 2014 Technical condition TP 254 Modular footbridge ML36 (Ministry of
Transportation) pp 1-35

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Modular system of steel bridges for pedestrian and bicycles

1. Temporary footbridges after natural disasters

Figure 1. ML36-9 and ML18-12 at Ministry of transportation exhibition

Figure 2. Design of temporary footbridges 2xML36 1xML18, Prague

2. Use for planed reconstructions

Figure 3. Typical situation, walkways Figure 4. Inappropriate solution with a

3. Brief description of the technical solution

4. Practical examples as a temporary construction:

4.1. Kozlovice, ML36-18m

Figure 6. ML36-18 and MS for 21 m

4.2. Chlumec nad Cidlinou, ML36-27m

4.4. Kutná Hora, ML18-21m

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