Bridges and Civil Structures

Today’s bridges have become lifelines for major cities, and transportation agencies face a myriad of challenges to optimize the flow of goods and people. From ensuring the operability of aging structures, to planning, financing, and constructing modern replacements that improve accessibility, solutions to the challenges posed by bridges are essential to social and economic development.

WSP’s expertise extends to all types of bridges, from viaducts and interchanges, to railway and pedestrian bridges, and even wildlife crossings. Having designed, analyzed, built, maintained, and managed thousands of bridge projects, we are able to offer fully integrated services that meet all financial and aesthetic requirements.

Global Leaders in Bridge Engineering

All bridges require optimal designs to ensure resistance against wind, earthquakes, and other external forces. Innovations in materials, equipment, and construction methods have allowed us to cross great distances in safer ways, while minimizing environmental impacts. To create infrastructure that is resilient and sustainable, our bridge experts work with the latest design tools, including BIM, 3D analysis, and modelling systems.

Many of WSP’s projects include award-winning signature bridges, including the Finnevik Bridge in Finland, the Redhayes Bridge in the UK, the George C. King Bridge in Canada, the Ekensbergsbron Bridge in Sweden, the Tran Thi Ly Bridge in Vietnam, and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Replacement in the US.

We know that all bridges are unique and require a good comprehension of the local geology, hydrology, and wind forces. The development of reliable computer software for predicting structural behaviours, both during and after construction, has helped pave the way to higher, longer, and more resilient bridges.

We look at each opportunity with fresh eyes, and take into consideration local specificities, financial realities, and the desired purpose of the bridge to find the best solution. Our experts have worked on all types of bridges, from girder bridges to truss and cable-stayed bridges, and they have mastered all construction methods.

Bridge Management, Inspection, and Maintenance

Infrastructure agencies increasingly face challenging questions in managing their aging bridge assets. According to the 2019 version of the Canada Infrastructure Report Card, developed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, more than 80% of the arterial, collector and local bridges in Canada are more than 20 years old, as well as almost 60% of the country’s footbridges. Approximately 40 per cent of those bridges are listed in fair, poor, or very poor condition. 

At WSP, the international experience of our bridge teams can be leveraged to help clients envision the complete lifespan of their projects here in Canada, from the feasibility stage forward. Our teams provide expertise in areas such as statutory approvals and planning, heritage, construction methods and economics, foundations and materials, and more.