The colour scheme, lighting, and side railings on the Stridsberg Bridge are bat-friendly. Many bats in the area have their hunting grounds around the river Göta Älv, especially the endangered pond bat, which must be protected. The adjustments of the bridge help avoid light reflections on the water, which encourages the bats to hunt as usual. | Photo BG Landin
The new Stridsberg Bridge in Trollhättan has been inaugurated and is open for traffic since June. The bridge extends from Hjulkvarnelund to the new district of Vårvik, thus enhancing the city’s infrastructure by creating new paths and facilitating traffic flow. With its length of 254 m, width of 16 m and weight of 20,000 tons, it is Sweden’s largest double-leafed bascule bridge. Infracontrol has delivered the SCADA-based control system, which is part of the contract carried out by Peab for the City of Trollhättan.
All of the bridge’s systems for electricity, hydraulics, as well as control and monitoring, of which Infracontrol’s SCADA system is a part, have been delivered by Bro Underhåll & Service (Bridge Maintenance & Service) BUS Inc. on behalf of Peab. BUS Inc.’s CEO Kent-Arne Svensson talks about the challenges:
– It has been intensive work “all the way to the finish line”. But we succeeded even this time thanks to competent employees and good cooperation with Infracontrol. The Stridsberg Bridge, just like all other bascule bridges, is a complicated facility with many different functions. It requires a lot of knowledge and experience to get all the systems to work and cooperate.
An important project that provides new opportunities
The construction of the Stridsberg Bridge took around 2.5 years and was met with significant challenges from the weather, the surrounding environment and waterway traffic. Now, at last, the bridge is in place and open to traffic since June, thereby relieving both the Klaff Bridge in the middle of the city and the Stallbacka Bridge. The Stridsberg Bridge also makes reaching the new district of Vårvik easier.
– This is big news for Trollhättan! The Stridsberg Bridge is an enabler in several different ways – a shortcut, a link that connects the city and makes visitor attractions accessible, a fantastic entrance to our new district Vårvik and incredibly important for a more secure traffic situation in Trollhättan, says Peter Eriksson, chairman of the municipal board in Trollhättan, in an interview that SVT did at the time of the bridge’s inauguration.
BUS Inc. has delivered all systems for electricity, hydraulics, as well as control and monitoring in an execution contract on behalf of the main contractor Peab, who was responsible for the functional and design aspects.
– It has been an extensive project where, in addition to our PLC system and Infracontrol’s SCADA system, we have also delivered systems for alarms, cameras, sound, lighting, power supply and network, says Kent-Arne Svensson. In addition to the bridge machinery, the PLC and SCADA systems also manage functions such as barriers, traffic and marine signals.
The bridge is monitored and controlled both locally and via computer-based user interfaces from multiple locations.
Simple user functions despite complicated systems
Infracontrol has delivered the superior SCADA system where all user functions for remote bridge control are located. Charlotta Lundberg, project manager at Infracontrol, is satisfied with the result:
– We are happy to be part of this project. Our role has been to deliver the SCADA system based on iFIX. It is an extensive system with many signals and functions, but thanks to our experience and good cooperation with BUS Inc., we have created a safe, easy-to-use and reliable control system.
She says there is much to consider as a movable bridge contains many different functions and systems, while transparent and straightforward user functions are essential to ensure a safe and user-friendly operation of the bridge’s functions.
Many years of experience
Infracontrol has developed and delivered systems for remote control of bridges since 1994. Today, 17 objects in the form of bridges and locks have been equipped with remote control systems.
– We have a long history regarding movable bridges, says project manager Charlotta Lundberg. We built the first bridge system as early as 1994 on the Göta Älv Bridge and have carried out numerous projects since then. It has given us a unique experience that we are happy to share to simplify for the staff and create conditions for safe and efficient remote operation.
An intuitive, easy-to-use and straightforward user interface makes operating the bridge simple and safe. | Screenshot from iFIX
