Canary Wharf Footbridge, London
1995
In 1994 London Docklands Development Corporation held a design competition for a pedestrian bridge to link the new Canary Wharf commercial towers development with the refurbished Victorian warehouses of West India Quay. It was a condition of the competition that no loads be imposed on the waterfront at the two ends.
The Insect Water Skater
Future Systems with Anthony Hunt Associates won the design competition with a floating structure. This is a gently curved, 94m arc aluminium deck supported on four sets of splayed tubular steel legs which rest on largely-submerged pontoons secured by light-tension piles. The effect has been likened to that of an ‘insect water skater’. The ‘insect’ lies low on the water, avoiding visual competition with the buildings of Canary Wharf and West India Quay.
Bridge Structure
The bridge is a steel structure with 750x300 U - shaped spine beam. Tapered angles, set diagonally to the spine beam, help to cross-brace it. The splayed legs are in 244.5 CHS and are bolted to the spine beam. They terminate in solid, cone-shaped connections welded to circular plates that are bolted to the pontoons. Only 500mm of the 2800mm diameter foam-filled pontoons are above the water surface.
Fact file
Client
London Docklands Development Corporation
Architect
Future Systems
Structural Engineer
Anthony Hunt Associates
Steelwork Contractor
Littlehampton Welding
