Project description

A pioneering example of circular design in rail infrastructure. Using repurposed steel components, the team employed in-house digital tools to refine the structural form around available stock, thereby minimising waste and carbon while proving the viability of non-virgin materials. Believed to be Network Rail’s lowest embodied carbon footbridge to date, the project challenges conventional procurement and design approaches, with its findings shared widely to inform future sustainable infrastructure.

Judge’s comments

A rigorously executed footbridge that showcases the potential of reclaimed steel in modern infrastructure. Using repurposed circular hollow sections, the team employed advanced digital tools to test thousands of configurations, matching the design to available stock and minimising waste. The resulting form recalls the elegance of Victorian structures while delivering a greatly reduced embodied carbon footprint, setting a valuable precedent within a highly governed rail environment.

Project overview

Structural Designer

  • Format Engineers, WSP

Client Name

  • Network Rail

Location

  • Berkshire, UK

Architect

  • Format Engineers

Principal Contractor

  • Balfour Beatty

Key Contractors

  • Structural steel contractors: SH Structures 

    Repurposed steel supplier: Cleveland Steel & Tubes 

Year Submitted

  • 2025

Submitted By

  • Format Engineers

Key attributes

  • Planet