News

After years of site labour, material costs, and interrupted services on the railway, our futureproof GRP structural stair tread and landing design has replaced the entire process with one unique modular system – ZedSPAN®.

The challenge

To simplify footbridge upgrades and refurbishments, a simple system was required to extend the design life of traditional materials used, such as timber, which begins to degrade after a short time.

The solution

 ZedSPAN® was designed to solve this problem, with a design life of 35+ years and replaceable wearing parts. Lightweight, rot-proof, and simple to install, ZedSPAN® can be used for footbridge upgrades, refurbishments, overbridges, landings, platforms, and staircases.

The GRP structural stair tread and interlocking landing deck units are designed with a 78mm thickness to replace the typical timber build-up. The traditional existing timber tread (generally 78mm) comprises of 320mm x 75mm beam covered with an anti-slip surface tread generally 4mm thick. The new ZedSPAN® single units can be easily installed to replace the build-up of several layers and remove any requirement for extra packing materials on the bridge stringers, which mitigates any risk of water sitting between layers.

The Unique ZedSPAN® System Is…

✓ DDA/AfA Compliant

The high vision front edge assists passengers with visual impairment and meets AfA requirements of 55mm.

✓ Load Tested to BS4592-0:2006 +A1:2012

Engineered to exceed the loading requirement of 5k/n per m², the Waux ZedSPAN® range has been tested by a third party, independent testing house to BS4592-0:2006 +A1:2012. The market-leading results show a deflection of 0.6mm over a 2m span under the maximum test load. Full test report and certification available upon request – Contact Us.

✓ Further Load Testing to a safety factor of x4.0

To give Waux clients further assurance, ZedSPAN® underwent further third-party tests to prove its durability and strength. Using a 2.2m span on 50mm bearers, Waux ZedSPAN® range conformed with BS4592-0:2006 +A1:2012 under a total load of 18k/N. Further test reports are available upon request – Contact Us.

✓ ZedSPAN® 524 Deck Plank Load Testing to a safety factor of x3.0

The ZedSPAN® 524 interlocking deck plank successfully passed third-party load tests under a total of 15k/N. Using a 2.3m span on 50mm bearers, a single plank passed at x2.666 the minimum requirements, and 3 interlocked planks passed at x3.0. Full test reports are available upon request – Contact Us.

✓ Versatile

Available from stock in lengths of up to 4100mm, our in-house fabrication team can work to drawings to cut to exact site requirements, saving install time on site. Suitable for use in many different applications including, pedestrian footbridges, staircases, rail crossings, car park staircases, landings, platforms, and overbridges. ZedSPAN® can become a landing or overbridge unit by joining horizontally with hidden fixings and adhesive. A sequence of treads can have the front and rear risers of successive treads simply fixed together for additional stiffness if required.

✓ Easy to Install

GRP is lightweight in comparison to timber or steel so manhandling on site is minimal and no heavy lifting equipment is required. Waux can recommend and supply fixings and adhesive to suit the project based on site requirements. In general, our ZedSPAN® range is fixed with a combination of stainless-steel bolts and PU adhesive.

✓ Heavy Duty 

The 8.5mm GRP wall thickness on the front edge gives the structural stair tread gives the system rigidity and strength and will not wear under repeated footfall.

✓ Low Maintenance  

Thanks to the non-rot properties of GRP, our ZedSPAN® range requires minimal maintenance after installation. As the front edge nosing is replaceable, only this part of the stair tread system requires replacement as aggregate wears with higher footfall.

✓ Fire Tested to EN13501-1:2018

Requested by Network Rail, our ZedSPAN® range has been tested by third party and accredited company, SATRA. Contact us for a copy of the full reports.

✓ Cost Effective

With a longer design life compared to traditional materials such as timber, no maintenance is required so repeat materials will no longer have to be purchased.

Did you know what makes our ZedSPAN® range so unique?

Our GRP structural stair treads have a provision for a variety of AFA compliant anti-slip front edge nosings. This means that ZedSPAN® is not limited to specific areas, as the various material types that the front edge nosing options offer, cover from light to extremely heavy footfall areas.

• VulcaGR!P® GRP anti-slip front nosing edge (Standard)
• OxClaw® Extruded aluminium with GRP anti-slip inserts
• ASTEP® Aluminium castings with GRP anti-slip inserts
• ASTEP® Nickel bronze castings with GRP anti-slip inserts

All inserts and front edge options in GRP can be manufactured to any RAL or BS Colour

REQUEST A CALL BACK TODAY