Originally established in 1185, 's-Hertogenbosch (better known as Den Bosch) is now a dynamic city in the south of the Netherlands. One of Den Bosch's most significant features is the open green landscape which surrounds the city.
When Den Bosch decided to redevelop its Paleiskwartier, planners wanted to create a new bridge to link the district to the natural landscape which surrounds the built environment. Benthem Crouwel architects designed a 10-metre-wide bridge made from Indaten® weathering steel by ArcelorMittal.
The bridge carries bicycles and pedestrians across Den Bosch's rail line. It includes plants, trees, benches, and lighting which are integrated into folded plates of Indaten® S355J2W. The Indaten® forms a changing but protective patina that evolves with the environment. This patina offers excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion, ideal for a bridge that is surrounded by nature. The robust appearance of the steel also fits in well with the atmosphere created by the ancient city’s fortifications.
Weathering steel is a steel alloy with a dense corrosion layer which brings the corrosion process to a virtual standstill. This means that the metal can be left exposed. The steel, which corrodes about 0.5 millimetres per century, is one millimetre thicker than required. This gives the Paleisbrug a lifespan of at least 100 years.
In addition to its long-term durability, Indaten® does not require maintenance or painting. The use of Indaten® means the bridge will not need to be closed to maintain the weathering steel.
The Paleisbrug was opened in May 2015. In 2016, it won the National Steel Prize.
Architect: Benthem Crouwel architects
Client: City of 's-Hertogenbosch
Structural engineering: Arup, Amsterdam; Grontmij, Houten
Steel fabricator: Jos van den Bersselaar Constructie, Udenhout
Contractor: Mobilis, Apeldoorn
Source text: Benthem Crouwel architects &
Constructalia
Copyright images: Jannes Linders