EL CABO FOOTBRIDGE REFURBISHMENT

Near the mouth of the ravine of Santos in the ocean is the bridge of “El Cabo”. It is a riveted steel lattice bridge, from the late nineteenth century, which has been open to light vehicle traffic until the beginning of the 21st century.
The bridge connects both banks of the ravine between what used to be the Civil Hospital (now the Museum of Nature and Man) and the Church of the Conception, in the neighborhood of El Cabo, an old fishing district that has received the growth and expansion of the city center.
The hydraulic adequacy of the ravine required the elimination of the central pile and the elevation of the deck, in order to avoid strangulation of the hydraulic section of the channel.
There are two large longitudinal steel beams that are dimensioned to collect the weight of the existing deck and the overloads of a gangway, as vehicle traffic is diverted. The new beams, with a lower edge to the total edge of the original bridge, are hidden inside, providing a hanging system using stainless steel rod-type braces, to suspend the original bridge of the new beams supporting system.
A wooden board that allows you to see the original structure below complete the walkway. The walls of the abutments are reconstructed with the original masonry, while at the bottom of the channel the concrete footprint is left of the eliminated pile that stands out among the continuous masonry floor.
The original structure received a cleaning and rehabilitation treatment suitable for its aggressive marine environment.