Temporary works training course study Pack - Book - Page 109
Case Study 1
The Loddon Bridge Disaster, Berkshire, October 1972
by a system of falsework. This consisted of a series of 26 lattice trusses beneath the deck.
These measured 98 feet 4 inches (29.97 m) in length (extending into an adjacent span) and
were made of four lattice sections connected together by scaffolding. The trusses were of a
German system built under licence by Rapid Metal Developments.
The trusses were supported by 24-foot (7.3 m) high trestle towers adjacent to each pier. The
trusses were connected to the towers by rocker bearings. These were supported by a two-layer
grillage of I-beams. The upper layer was formed of 10-by-10-inch (250 mm × 250 mm)
universal column sections running perpendicular to the carriageway. These were supported by
the lower layer, formed of 12-by-6.5-inch (300 mm × 170 mm) universal beam sections
running parallel to the carriageway. The lower layer of the grillage was supported by the 16
pairs of forkheads at the tops of the towers. The towers were manufactured by French company
Indumat.
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