Working with Kier Integrated Services and the Canals & Rivers Trust, Smart Video & Sensing Ltd have completed the automation of the Sandfield Bridge on the Gloucester-Sharpness canal near Saul, Gloucestershire.
The swing bridge has been upgraded from manual operation by a bridge-keeper to potentially unmanned operation by registered canal users utilising an App on a mobile device such as a cell phone. The user can open and close the bridge as they transit this section of the canal. Safety is critical. Safe operation is maintained by the use of laser detection to identify objects on the bridge or in the water adjacent to the bridge.
SVS Ltd provided an integrated solution and supplied, installed and commissioned wifi, traffic signals, laser detection, CCTV, radio links over VoIP and a help point plus a remote ‘back office’ as a back-up to the local installation. The project was managed by Kier Integrated Services on behalf of the client who is The Canals & Rivers Trust. This project is the first of its kind in the UK and heralds a step forward in bridge control on our waterways.
