ASF strengthens and refurbs a Grade II listed bridge

ASF strengthens and refurbs a Grade II listed bridge

ASF was specified to work alongside English Heritage in the renovation, refurbishment and re-strengthening of the cast iron parapets of a Grade II listed bridge.

The Cleggford Bridge is a 5 span arch bridge originally built in 1778 using stone masonry ashlar dressings. It was widened in 1889 at which point a cast iron parapet was fitted.

The whole bridge parapet was then brought to ASF's factory site in Brighouse for refurbishment, so the parapet needed to be uplifted. This required the smelting out of Victorian leaded fixings and the careful removal of hot rivets that were never intended to be removed. Careful attention was paid to numbering and ordering the bridge sections to ensure they could be replaced in exactly the same order.

ASF was able to rescue 80% of the entire parapet and 100% of the original panels by manufacturing individual cast iron sections and spindles to retro fit into the Victorian panels. A number of the older, weaker, and damaged spindles were also saved by the internal fixing of bright bar in a machined hole through the centre of the spindles.

ASF saved around 50% of the posts using similar methods and employing a modular system for post sections, so that only those parts of the bridge parapet that were absolutely beyond rescue needed to be fully replaced. Parts of the parapet that could not be saved were melted down and reused where possible.

The parapet was re-fitted and returned to its former glory on the newly widened and strengthened Cleggford Bridge, retaining the history and provenance of the bridge itself.

The bridge can now withstand modern heavy traffic loads.

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