Civil Engineers at Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with pre-cast concrete specialists Macrete Ireland have developed the world’s longest ‘flat pack’ arch bridge.

Based on the ‘FlexiArch’ system, the bridge is unique in that it will be transported to site in flat-pack form but when lifted, will transform under gravity into an arch.

The bridge is due to be installed near Portsmouth in coming months and will span 16 metres (53 feet) over the Wallington River in Waterlooville, Hampshire, England.

Made up of 17 units (1m wide) of pre-cast concrete, each weighing 16 tons, the bridge will take less than a day to install using a 200-300 tonne crane in association with a lifting beam also designed and built in Northern Ireland.

“This is a real milestone which has been reached as a result of the hard work, effective collaboration and the combined expertise of the Queen’s and Macrete team,” said Professor Adrian Long, from the School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering at Queen’s University, who patented the FlexiArch concept in 2004.

“We are delighted with this latest development and of how successful the FlexiArch system has become,” he added.

If the alternative of a conventional arch had been utilised it would have taken months to construct and would have been much more costly.

A FlexiArch bridge requires little maintenance and should last 300 years, compared to the projected lifespan of up to 120 years that accompanies a conventional bridge.

According to the University it is the result of 10 years of research from the early 1990s in the School of Civil Engineering.

“The award-winning FlexiArch system is attracting international interest and this project is a reflection of the world leading research being undertaken at Queen’s and the effectiveness of our collaborations with industry and business,” Long explained.