Hopping Softwood Products supplied Q-Grip® heavy-duty anti-slip decking for the F02, F03 and F09 temporary footbridges and U06 and U07 underpasses at the London 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford.

To allow ease of removal, Hoppings designed a special bespoke heavy-duty decking board. A fixing clip was inserted into a machined channel in the board. The decking was installed by screwing it through this clip, rather than through the timber itself. To remove the decking it could be unscrewed without suffering damage.

Bridge F03 was a centrepiece structure that crossed the River Lee, connecting the north and south areas of the park. At 56.5m, it is the longest bridge in the park.
Benefits

Q-Grip® decking and other softwood products provided by Hoppings met one of the key elements of brief, as in addition to being manufactured from strength graded and FSC and PEFC certified sustainable sources, they could be easily removed and recycled after the Olympic Games.

Q-Grip® decking is tested to BS 7976 parts 1 and 2, and provide a 'low potential for slip' under classifications as set out by the UK Slip Resistance Group. It also had to meet a minimum mean corrected Pendulum Test Value of 45 units (prEN13036-4), actually achieving a value of 81. As such the risk of slips and falls to visitors and spectators was greatly reduced during the Games.

The wood in bridge F02 and other temporary bridges has been passed on to Community Wood Recycling, who operate a wood recycling scheme. Some of the material is destined for a community play project in Gravesend. Hoppings' bespoke installation / removal system made this journey easier for BAM Nuttall, who are contracted to convert the Olympic Park after the Games.