Innovative bankseat for new Highfield Lane Bridge, UK

Highfield Lane Bridge in Rotherham, UK is a three-span, road-over-rail bridge that has a number of unusual design features and is also built on poor ground. Durability, buildability, low maintenance and whole-life cost-effectiveness were the main aims of the conceptual design. The use of an integral design was considered to be of paramount importance in meeting these aims to eliminate the bridge engineer's nightmare of movement joints between spans and at end supports. Due to the presence of a shallow worked coal seam and soft made ground, a conventional monolithic integral design or bank pad abutment could not be used. The solution adopted utilised a unique ‘floating’ base form of integral bankseat. In addition, a conventional integral approach slab was incorporated with an innovative pressure relief hinge.