A total of 650 bespoke wooden spindles have been carefully crafted from Accoya for the restoration of the venetian-style Marina Bridge in the English seaside town of Southport.
Accoya, the world-leading modified wood product manufactured by Accsys Technologies, was also used to create handrails with an intricately curved radius matching the rise and fall of the bridge’s walkway.
The impressive 1930’s structure connects the town centre to the promenade and restoration was required earlier this year as the original wood had become worn from years of weathering and damage from the elements.
As part of a larger £5.5m marina redevelopment project, UK-based Dresser Mouldings was appointed to supply wood for the upgrading of the structure. The firm specified Accoya for the project, recognising its outstanding properties of stability and durability which result from Accsys Technologies’ propriety acetylation technology.
Initial plans proposed replacing the original cedar spindles with Cedar or Iroko wood, however the kiln drying process for Cedar is substantial and would have had an impact on the progress of the restoration. Furthermore Dresser Mouldings were keen to use FSC® certified wood for the bridge, and therefore Iroko was not suitable.
Each spindle was created by bonding two pieces of 75x150mm Accoya together to produce 150x150mm pillars. These were then machined using the most technologically advanced CNC equipment to accurately cut each spindle to size.
Bill Gunn, Managing Director of Dresser Mouldings said: “The marina bridge is a beautiful piece of workmanship from the 1930’s, however over time and with weathering, aspects of the bridge required upgrading. We were keen to keep as much of the existing wood in place as possible, but where aspects of the structure, such as spindles and handrails, required replacement, there was only one option for us.
“Accoya is FSC certified and has outstanding durability and stability compared to any other hardwood products. This means that it will last longer without nearly as much maintenance as other woods. We are really delighted with the finished result.”
Accsys Technologies’ acetylation process results in a non-toxic and attractive wood, which matches or exceeds the properties of tropical hardwood. Accoya also boasts excellent environmental credentials and is produced with raw materials sustainably sourced from FSC certified forests.
Accoya also demonstrates superior resistance to UV degradation, which is of great benefit to the permanent outdoor application. Furthermore despite being exposed to changing weather conditions Accoya has an extended maintenance life due to its enhanced dimensional stability when compared to other wood materials.
Bryan Crennell, director of sales and marketing for Accsys Technologies said: “Southport’s marina bridge is a stunning but a very intricate piece of joinery. Accoya is perfect for such applications as it offers excellent machinability and its enhanced stability means that any coatings made to the wood last three to four times longer that normal. The bridge has now been preserved for people to enjoy for generations to come.”