Working Platform Design for Major Bridge Installation
Published: 04/06/2026 12:09
Richter supported Chasetown Civil Engineering Limited with the design of a temporary working platform to facilitate the installation of steel bridge sections as part of the Walton-on-Trent Bypass project.
The bridge installation required the operation of a 600-tonne Liebherr LR1600/2 crawler crane within a challenging site environment. Located on a floodplain and adjacent to an existing river embankment, the site presented significant geotechnical and stability considerations. The working platform needed to safely support the crane during lifting operations while protecting both the underlying ground and the adjacent embankment.
Initial assessments identified that the existing subgrade had insufficient bearing capacity to support the crane loads without substantial improvement. Conventional design solutions would have required a reinforced platform in excess of 1.2 metres thick, resulting in significant material importation and construction effort.
Richter explored alternative approaches to optimise the design while maintaining the required safety margins. By incorporating timber spreader mats above a reinforced granular platform, the applied bearing pressures were reduced, allowing the platform thickness to be significantly decreased. The final solution combined geogrid reinforcement with two layers of timber spreader mats, reducing the required platform depth to 700mm while still achieving the necessary performance criteria.
In parallel, detailed slope stability assessments were undertaken to evaluate the impact of crane operations adjacent to the existing river embankment. The crane position was assessed iteratively to ensure adequate stability under operational loading, resulting in a minimum stand-off distance being established between the crane track and the embankment crest.
The optimised design enabled the safe operation of the 600-tonne crane within a constrained riverside environment while reducing the volume of imported material required. By combining geotechnical assessment with practical construction considerations, Richter delivered a safe, efficient and buildable solution that supported the successful installation of the bridge structure.