Expedition Engineering and Format Engineers have launched Re-Bridge, a new digital platform designed to accelerate the reuse of structural steel in bridge construction and refurbishment.

Developed following groundbreaking research into the reuse of structural steel in bridges, Re-Bridge represents the next steps to enable a more circular approach to infrastructure design and delivery.

It connects asset owners, engineers, designers, local authorities and industry partners, providing a shared space to catalogue, identify and directly reuse bridges. By facilitating collaboration across the supply chain, the platform aims to unlock the value of existing assets that might otherwise go to waste.

The initiative addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing the infrastructure sector today. By promoting direct reuse, Re-Bridge supports:

• Reduction of embodied carbon in construction
• Lower project and material costs
• Extension of the lifecycle of structural materials
• Retention of valuable infrastructure within the built environment

“Re-Bridge is about moving from theory to implementation,” said Hazel Needham, associate structural engineer at Expedition and co-author of Steel Reuse in Bridges. “With the right tools and collaboration, existing spans can become valuable assets for new projects.”

Camille Chevrier, associate dngineer at Format, added: “This catalogue is the first step towards bridge stock-led-design. It will change the question from ‘what can we build?’ to 'what do we already have?'. We’re redefining waste as a resource, one span at a time.”

The platform is now live and open to contributions from across the industry. Asset owners and operators are encouraged to participate by cataloguing structures and components that are currently unused, or due to be replaced or upgraded with no identified future use. By doing so, they can play a direct role in enabling reuse and reducing the environmental impact of new projects.

Re-Bridge has been developed with support from Useful Simple Trust.

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