A reinforced soil system from geotechnical specialists Maccaferri has been used in the construction of the iconic new bridge named “The Peace Bridge”, in Londonderry, Northern Ireland.The Peace Bridge spans the River Foyle which runs through the centre of Derry-Londonderry, and links the Ebrington Barracks on the east bank with the City side on the west. The bridge is the centrepiece of a wider regeneration plan for the city and its purpose is to physically and symbolically join two historically divided communities - hence the name, The Peace Bridge.At the City side, the abutments for the 312m long, self anchored suspension bridge are founded on bored concrete piles but at the Ebrington Barracks side an existing grassed embankment meant that a more visually sympathetic solution was required.Structural Engineers AECOM, in consultation with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and client Ilex Urban Regeneration Company, proposed a green faced reinforced soil structure which would integrate seamlessly with the banking. This arrangement also allowed the creation of a flat viewing area at the deck level as well as disabled access into the adjacent Barracks parade ground.Belfast based Maccaferri worked closely with the AECOM Design team and developed the scheme in accordance with the Approval in Principle. Macaferri supplied its Green Terramesh reinforced soil system for the construction of the 40.0m long, 8.0m high abutment wall which surrounds and supports the high level bridge bankseat.Green Terramesh comprises PVC coated, galvanised double twist wire soil retention units with integral geogrid tails. In the Peace Bridge project the system was used in combination with the company’s Paragrid 80/15 geogrid reinforcement. The unit tails and reinforcement geogrid are sandwiched between progressive layers of compacted granular backfill and create a stable and highly efficient reinforced soil structure.Behind the front face of the Green Terramesh units is a factory fitted heavy welded panel and a coir erosion control blanket. This stops the backfill from spilling out between the apertures in the mesh facing. About 250mm depth of topsoil is also installed directly behind the face of the unit to provide the nutrient reservoir for vegetation establishment.The welded facing panel and its support brackets hold the face at the correct angle during back-filling operations, removing the need for external formwork and shuttering, saving on installation costs and time. According to Maccaferri, this makes the installation of Green Terramesh quicker than traditional wrapped face soil reinforcement structures, yet also offering a crisper, more regular face aesthetic.Construction of the £14.7m Derry Peace Bridge was undertaken by main contractor Graham Construction. The project was sponsored by the SEUP III Peace Initiative – with funding from the European Peace Initiative, the Department of Regional Development and the Department for Social Development.
The bridge will become a focal point when Derry-Londonderry becomes the UK City of Culture in 2013.Construction began in early 2010 and the bridge was opened in June 2011 by the First Minister, Peter D. Robinson, MLA and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA, who said it would be a catalyst for change in the City.
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