BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

The part of the BMS Group called BMS Krangården has practically been growing up alongside the Danish wind industry. Therefore, the company has over the years accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience in carrying out of both onshore and offshore assignments for this part of the energy sector. However, one of the company’s latest major tasks is not on a wind farm, but in connection with the extensive Marienholm Connection infrastructure project in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Gothenburg has only one single-track bridge for rail traffic across the Göta River. This bridge carries all traffic bound for the Port of Gothenburg so it is easy to understand that any disruption here can bring great harm to industry and port activities. A new Marienholm Connection is therefore being built in order to strengthen the robustness of the infrastructure in Gothenburg.

BMS Krangården helps in removing old bridge sections and putting new ones in place.
Depending on the conditions at the site in question this is done either by cranes, hydraulic towers or low loaders. In one case rigging and moving of a 500 tons bridge section took place with hydraulic towers.

At another point BMS Krangården removed three old bridge sections using SPMT low loaders – and the same method was used when three new sections prefabricated on site were brought in place. The heaviest of these sections weighed 650 tons. SPMT is a self-propelled modular transporter, a platform vehicle with a large array of wheels. The SPMTs are used for transporting massive objects such as large bridge sections, oil refining equipment, engines, and other objects that are too large or heavy for trucks. The choice of method is based on an assessment of not less accessibility, area and load.

The first Marienholm bridge was built in 1908 and was at that time Sweden’s longest railway bridge. The original iron bridge was replaced in 1996 by a new bridge in concrete and in 2013 ground was broken for the Marienholm Connection of the future.