Construction and works

ECOBRIDGE

ECODESIGN OF REUSABLE MODULAR BRIDGE

THE ECOBRIDGE PROJECT CAME OUT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BILBAO SOUTH METROPOLITAN BYPASS. This is a radically different structural concept compared to traditional bridge design which aim to find monolithic elements, with a service life of up to 100 years, but rarely considering maintenance. In these traditional scenarios, demolition of elements and full life-cycle management are not taken into account and the issue is simply passed on to future generations. ECOBRIDGE presents a modular ecobridge which improves the end-of-life of bridges. As opposed to the usual demolition operations, modularisation allows the bridge to be cleanly dismantled and reused on another site, without waste generation.

VIUDA DE SAINZ is a construction company dedicated to providing services related to construction, operation and maintenance of all types of public and private works.

VIUDA DE SAINZ
OBJECTIVES
  • Extend the end-of-life of conventional bridges and usual demolition work through the eco-design of a new modular and reusable bridge.
  • Verify Ecobridge structural performance and evolution over time.
  • Quantify the environmental advantage of Ecobridge through a comparative LCA.
RESULTS
  • The Ecobridge developed saves 3% in CO2e emissions compared to the traditional solution, with a single use.
  • As Ecobridge is reused, the improvement in CO2e emissions increases dramatically: from 3% to 49% with just one reuse; to 64% with three uses; and up to 71% with four equivalent uses compared to building an additional traditional bridge.
  • Reusing the ecobridge avoids the demolition of 300 tonnes of materials and cuts CO2e emissions by 1,200 tonnes.
CONCLUSIONS
  • ECOBRIDGE has validated the developed ecobridge complies with structural performance over time, and this was materialised in the limit states imposed by the reference standards in the sector.
  • By using the bridge in a location other than the original one, CO2e consumption per square meter of deck is reduced by about 50% compared to traditional equivalent solutions.

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