Newport City Footbridge
GRP Walkways - Newport City Centre Footbridge - Anti-Slip GRP Flooring Project.
Project Background
Newport City Council approached Non Slip Shop to design, manufacture and install an Anti-Slip Flooring System for Newport's Millennium Walk.
The heavy-footfall pedestrian footbridge is located in the heart of Newport, Wales. It serves a vital connection for residents accessing the city centre across the River Usk.
Our client was seeking an innovative solution to reduce noise pollution and improve safety for users across the walkway.
Newport City Centre Footbridge opened to the public in September 2006. It won various awards including the British Constructional Steelwork Association Award, the 2007 George Gibby Award from the Institution of Civil Engineers in Wales, and a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors award for regeneration in Wales.
The construction was also highly commended from Wales Business Insider for their best regeneration project of 2007.
Since the bridge was opened, local residents had complained about the noise of the footbridge when wheeled traffic such as bikes, scooters and wheelchairs passed over the bridge.
The steel surface had worn over time and had become very slippery which was causing slips, trips and falls.
Project Scope
Once we were approached by council representatives, we participated in initial discussions with stakeholders, residents and local representatives to discuss the project and the problems that they need to solve.
After the discussions and initial inspections had taken place, our technical specialists attended the site to survey the area.
It was apparent the bridge required a retro-fitted, slip-resistant flooring panel system, with sound reducing characteristics.
Due to the worn and slippery surface of the footbridge, it was apparent there was an immediate requirement to take action to prevent any further accidents from taking place.
Upon inspection, the noise issue was clear - especially for the local residents on the east side of the bridge.
Newport's City Centre Footbridge plays a crucial role for allowing access for residents, students and tourists to the city centre - for leisure, work and commuting purposes - 24 hour hours a day, 365 days a year.
The link between the University District in the City Centre with Rodney Parade Stadium is fundamental to the local economy.
It was crucial the project could be installed quickly & efficiently – without disruption to pedestrian users or closure at any time.
To not cause any further inconviniences, the bridge had to remain open to the public throughout the installation works taking place.
Our Solution
Non Slip Shop's technical specialists approached council representatives with an innovative solution, in the form of our bespoke GRP Anti-Slip Flooring Sheets.
The long-term, low-maintenance external walkway flooring panels would be designed to retro-fit onto the existing surface using a specialist structural adhesive to provide a swift, fast-curing and long-term bonding solution.
Our nationwide installation team would then fasten the GRP Walkway Panels with a mechanical fixing system to ensure the flooring sheets would remain secure and stand the test of time.
GRP (Glass-Reinforced-Plastic) Materials have a high level of strength, wear-resistance and weather-proof characteristics. This provided a suitable and reliable solution for covering the walkway area.
We manufacture the flooring panels in-house in Telford, Shropshire. Our team produced the products to the clients desired panel sizes, grit size and colour matched the sheets to suit the surrounding environment.
GRP Flooring Panels feature the specialist industry-leading anti-slip surface finish to provide a reliable and safe surface underfoot for pedestrian users.
Our team made several visits to the site with a professional sound engineer to test the concept - which was positively recieved with commendation after extensive on-site testing had taken place.
We also worked closely with bonding experts to develop a specialist structural adhesive in the labaratory for the clients specific steel-galvanised surface.
The Result
Non Slip Shop's GRP Anti-Slip Flooring Panels were produced within 10 Working Days, whilst our installation team completed the job on-site within a working week without any disruption.
Our installation team were commended by local residents and the solution has been a great success – keeping noise to a minimum, whilst preventing slips, trips and falls!
Contact our technical specialists at Non Slip Shop today, if you have a project of your own which could benefit from GRP Anti-Slip Flooring Sheets!
