Akkerwinde

Spanning 105 feet and rising more than 50 feet in the air, the Akkerwinde, as the wooden bridge is known, was successfully transported and installed on Saturday November 29th 2008. The world’s first heavy traffic road bridge made from Accoya wood will serve as a grand entrance to the city of Sneek.

The €3.5 million bridge was commissioned to OAK Architects
(a collaboration between Achterbosch Architectuur and
Onix Architects ) and constructed by German firm
Schaffitzel Holzindustrie.

It is the first wooden bridge in the world that can support the heaviest load class of 60 tons. The official opening ceremony and celebration is planned for April 15, 2009.

When designing their masterpiece, OAK Architects specified Accoya wood because of its many benefits, including high strength to weight ratio, enhanced durability and dimensional stability, non-toxicity and aesthetics.  The wood used in the bridge's dramatic design not only makes it look impressive but performs also the important function of bearing the traffic load.

Accoya wood was specified after a thorough testing and verification process. Project Manager, Sieds Hoitinga, said, “Several independent European research institutes were contracted to test Accoya wood’s suitability for this project.  After rigorous testing, we found that its dimensional stability and incredible durability put it head and shoulders above other species and showed that it is suitable for laminating in large sections measuring 1080 x 1400 mm.

Sources: Contemporist & Titanwood