GRP bridge decking planks

Nearly 20 years of experience with bridges has resulted in an extensive range of bridge decking elements for different applications. In the Netherlands, bridges have been built using krafton® profiles and bridge decking planks for years. Approvals and certification according to the Buildings Decree (Bouwbesluit), European legislation, NEN, DIBt and TNO play an important role in guaranteeing quality.

GRP bridge decking planks from krafton® for durable and sustainable refurbishment of pedestrian and cycle bridges

Do you love wood? So do we!

The disadvantage of this fantastic material is that its lifespan is limited when used in outdoor applications. You can only extend the service life through intensive and expensive maintenance that has a negative impact on the environment. Even though wood is a beautiful material, it is often not an economical, practical or environmentally friendly solution for bridges.

For example, bridges for pedestrians and cyclists in parks, cities and outlying areas. Wood rots, becomes slippery, mould and fungi rapidly start to spread across the surface and, after a while, what used to be a magnificent bridge becomes an accident waiting to happen, like the ramshackle bridges we see in action movies or come across when walking in the woods.

krafton® has the solution: Glass fibre-reinforced plastic bridge decking planks

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As strong as steel and as light in weight as aluminium.

With a track record of more than 20 years in glass fibre-reinforced plastic bridge decking planks and structural profiles, krafton van BIJL is one of the most experienced suppliers of GRP bridge decking components in Europe. Our many quality certificates demonstrate our strength in this area. We are the market leader in our home market, where we have a share of about 80%, and demand from other European countries is growing strongly, partly due to DIBt certification for a large number of different glass fibre-reinforced plastic bridge decking planks.

Glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GRP) is also referred to as fibre-reinforced plastic and glass fibre-reinforced composite. For the sake of clarity, we will use just one abbreviation: GRP.

The reasons for opting for GRP are obvious: GRP is extremely durable, even when installed in challenging environments, requires little expenditure for maintenance and possesses characteristics that are ideal for building wide, narrow, short or long bridges. krafton® has developed a varied range of bridge decking planks for many different applications, ranging from lightweight bridges in parks and pedestrian bridges to intensively used bridges for bicycle traffic.

krafton®’s range of GRP bridge decking planks

Nearly 20 years of experience with bridges has resulted in an extensive range of bridge decking elements for different applications. In the Netherlands, bridges have been built using krafton® profiles and bridge decking planks for years. Approvals and certification according to the Buildings Decree (Bouwbesluit), European legislation, NEN, DIBt, TNO, etc. play an important role in guaranteeing quality.
These certificates demonstrate compliance with the required values for vehicle loads, braking and wheel pressure loads, deflection, etc. The krafton® GRP bridge decking elements achieve the highest values and we differentiate ourselves from competitors through consistently high quality that has been recognised in the form of our many certificates and approvals. These are available on the download page.

We produce six (6) different types of GRP bridge decking plank for the European market.
At present, we offer 4 of our range of 6 planks in the German market with DIBt certification. This certification is required in order to comply with bridge building standards in Germany. Our krafton 500.55, krafton 500.40, krafton 256.40 and krafton 400.85 planks have been awarded a general building standards conformity certificate (allgemeine bauaufsichtliche Zulassung Z 10.9-655) by the German centre of expertise for building technology (Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik/DIBt) in Berlin. In addition, we have also achieved DIBt certification for 12 fitting methods that were developed in-house.

We offer you the highest-quality glass fibre-reinforced plastic bridge decking elements that are available in the European market!

The different types of element vary in size and strength; the krafton 500.55 – our powerhouse product among the DIBt-approved elements – can handle an unrivalled point load of 10 kN (on 100 x 100 mm). This plank is the first choice when it comes to intensively used bridges for pedestrians and cyclists. Obviously, this bridge decking element is also capable of withstanding the loads of service & repair vehicles, line service vehicles and rescue vehicles up to 12 tons (12,000 kg).

Click here for more information about the different types of plank.

Advantages of GRP bridge decking planks

The convincing benefits of glass fibre-reinforced bridge decking planks can be summarised in a list of features:

  • Easy fitting
  • Good UV resistance
  • Very low coefficient of expansion, comparable with steel and concrete
  • Dimensionally stable
  • Resistant to chemicals and road salt
  • Extremely long service life
  • Minimal maintenance
  • Resistant to corrosion
  • Low environmental impact
  • Can be installed on wood, steel or glass fibre-reinforced plastic support structures

Advantages of krafton® GRP bridge decking planks

  • All bridge decking planks in krafton®’s range are mature developments that have been designed to achieve specific structural strength performance. They are supplied with a plank-specific report.
  • The planks and materials are delivered directly from the factory without intervention by distributors
  • All project-specific planks are cut to size, both in terms of length and the sawing angle
  • All fasteners and fixing hardware are delivered with the planks
  • Basically, your order is a complete, custom-made, assembly kit for your bridge deck.
  • The planks are coated with your choice of TÜV-certified wear-resistant finish (R12 – R13)
  • This top-quality wear-resistant finish has been tested based on durability, non-slip performance and appearance
  • The wear-resistant finishes are available in many different (RAL) colours
  • The bridge decking planks are available in several colours
  • krafton® planks are recyclable and covered by krafton’s guaranteed return policy

krafton® GRP planks have already been used to build bridges that cross fast-flowing streams and rivers or ponds in parks, cities and forests.
Our GRP bridge decking planks have also been used to cross motorways; e.g. the impressive bridge over the A73 near Venlo that provided access to the Floriade 2012 exhibition for pedestrians and cyclists.
We also supply GRP planks for jetties in marinas, for outdoor terraces and footpaths on river banks, for apartment balconies, for stairs, etc.

Easy-fit and low-maintenance GRP bridge decking planks

krafton® GRP bridge decking planks have an extremely long service life and require very little maintenance. Thanks to the properties of the GRP material, the planks are also extremely resistant to weathering and UV radiation.

In addition to these advantages, the planks’ low weight and ideal shape make on-site installation easy, and therefore cost-effective. The outstanding properties of glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GRP) make it a clearly better material for pedestrian and cycle bridges in comparison to conventional building materials such as wood and steel. It is corrosion-free and dimensionally stable, highly resistant to chemicals, cold and heat, a good electrical and heat insulator and extremely low-maintenance.

Click here for more information about the fitting methods

If you are considering using GRP planks for other applications than those described here, please contact us.
We will be glad to contribute our ideas!

krafton® GRP bridge decking planks as an alternative for steel and wood

GRP bridge decking planks are an environmentally friendly alternative for wood, steel or concrete.
They have a low environmental footprint at all stages of the life cycle, starting with the production process: Very little energy is required to produce GRP profiles and there is no need to be concerned about further climate-damaging destruction of tropical forests.

The long service life of the product is a further advantage of GRP. There is also no requirement for further finishing processes that are harmful to the environment, such as hot dip galvanising, painting or conservation.

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The material properties of GRP make krafton® bridge decking planks extremely strong, durable, sustainable and low-maintenance. In comparison to wooden bridges, bridge decks made from glass fibre-reinforced plastic offer several decisive advantages. They are much safer, more durable and easier to maintain.

A further advantage is that our company supplies the planks with a TÜV-certified wear-resistant finish in a range of different grain sizes and colours. Not only does this allow you to build a safe bridge, pier or outdoor terrace, you can also build one that meets your aesthetic requirements.

krafton® GRP bridge decking elements in combination with steel and wood

Glass fibre-reinforced plastic in the form of krafton bridge decking planks can be used in combination with a steel, wooden or concrete support structure, or can be mounted to a GRP support structure.

The first step in a bridge refurbishment project is to determine whether the current support structure is still suitable, or can be upgraded to allow further use. This saves time and money. The bridge decking planks can be fastened down very easily in all situations using one of the twelve (12) krafton® fitting methods.

krafton® planks with a wood style decor or asphalt-look wear-resistant finish

We produce krafton® bridge decking planks for pedestrian bridges in accordance with our customers’ requirements.
The standard colour is grey, however other colours are available. The planks can also be produced in brown, anthracite grey and black. We are extremely flexible because we produce the planks in our own production facility in Heijningen.

After the GRP plank has been produced, we apply the TÜV-certified wear-resistant finishes specified by the customer. We do so by hand in our factory. krafton® supplies different grain sizes from extremely fine to coarse in many different colours. As a result, you can order an asphalt finish or a natural sand colour to ensure that the bridge matches the surrounding street environment, rural area or hiking region.

So, in addition to producing a high-quality, extremely safe and almost maintenance-free GRP plank, we also offer progressive aesthetics.

Our aim is to offer you the ideal solution for your bridge!

Click here for more information about the non-slip coating.

krafton® glass fibre-reinforced bridge decking planks for challenging locations

krafton® composite bridge decking elements are also used in poorly accessible locations where maintenance is difficult, but where high standards apply in relation to quality, service life and the safety of the paving.

krafton®’s GRP bridge decking planks are ideal for applications in wet environments. For example, paths around recreational lakes, piers, boat jetties, terraces, areas with high temperature differences, footpaths and cycle paths in natural areas and boardwalks. The combination of profiles, girders and beams made from composite material make these structures extra durable.

krafton® GRP bridge decking planks are a smart choice!

If you decide to refurbish your bridges, you will almost certainly consider the maintenance costs as well as the initial outlay. An analysis of maintenance costs in the long term will show that the total costs of a bridge with GRP profiles and planks are often lower than those of bridges with different types of decking planks.
In addition, indirect costs, which are often not included in the total cost analysis, are minimal in the case of GRP components. These include costs caused by lengthy lane closures or complete road closures when constructing steel and/or concrete bridges.

Lightweight composite bridges can be prefabricated completely at an external location and subsequently installed on site in a single operation. This saves a great deal of time at the construction site.
GRP bridge decking planks can be more expensive in comparison to wooden planks or steel decking elements. However, if you consider all the costs when looking for a financially responsible and durable solution for your bridge replacement or refurbishment projects, krafton® GRP bridge decking planks will always end up at the top of your list.
krafton® is the future-proof solution for your bridges!

The applications for our krafton® GRP bridge decking planks are almost infinite!

krafton® Specialist in Pultrusion

During the last 40 years, we have innovated constantly in the area of polyester and GRP production. We continuously introduce new production methods and products, and our drive to innovate has been rewarded with quality certificates and approvals from highly respected institutes.

We always guarantee the best quality: tested, assessed and approved, and backed up by quality certificates!

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