Swedish wooden bridges gaining ground

Sveaskog is predicting a surge in demand for wooden bridges in Sweden in the next five years.

According to Torsten Wiborgh, at the Swedish timber and forest products company, more wooden bridges will be needed to replace existing bridges, many of which are more than 50 years old.

The company has maintenance agreements to look after around 230 wooden bridges in the Bergslagen region, and has, to date, ordered a couple of new bridges a year.

However, according to Mr Wiborgh, demand is expected to increase, and as many as 10 new bridges a year will be needed to keep pace. “The need for replacement bridges will be great in the next five years,” he said.

“Previously, the rules for bridges have favoured concrete and steel construction, but timber now has a similar service life. A wooden bridge can last for as much as 80 years.”

The longest wooden bridge in Sweden is a pedestrian and cycle bridge in Skutgränd in Umeå, which is 230m long.

“Wooden bridges have a number of advantages over other materials and no real drawbacks,” said Mr Wiborgh. “The only limitation is the larger spans.”