2016

Wooden bridge – Laboratory – in Tērvete receives The annual award of Latvian Construction Industry

The new wooden pedestrian bridge - laboratory - in Tērvete can now be proud not only for its innovativeness and beauty, but also for its first award - the third prize in the competition "Annual Awards of Latvian Construction Industry 2015" in the category "Wooden Construction". For LVM Nature Park in Tērvete, the wooden bridge - laboratory - marks the beginning of a new stage of development in performing active recreation, entertainment and education functions.

"Getting to LVM Nature Park in Tērvete is now an exciting adventure for the guests, because they have to cross an impressive 87-metre long wooden bridge structure. In the dark hours of the day, the bridge railing and the surrounding pine tree tops are illuminated with colourful lights. The wooden bridge - laboratory - is a great example of how successful cooperation between experienced researchers, producers and forest managers leads to creation of something brand new - visitors are offered a wonderful spare time activity, scientists - a long-term research opportunity, and local producers have gained experience in creation of innovations," says Normunds Namnieks, LVM Recreation and Hunting Project Manager.

  Open gallery 

The new wooden bridge over the highway connects the Nature Park in Tērvete with the parking space, making access to the park not only safer and more enjoyable, but also full of new adventures. The goal of the innovative curved laminated wooden bridge - laboratory - is to ensure measurements and monitoring of a wooden structure, according to the Latvian climatic conditions throughout the course of its operation. Moisture meters are placed in sixteen locations on the bridge, and every two hours they provide information on the moisture content of the wooden bridge structures, while bridge deflection measurements are made on a monthly basis. In the inspections carried out before setting up of the bridge, it was found that deflection of the bridge is five times smaller than provided for in the laws, and the level of comfort for pedestrians is appropriate for the public status of the structure. It is expected that the lifetime of the bearing structures will be at least 80 years.

Three tree species: spruce, pine and larch have been used in the construction of the innovative curved laminated wooden bridge. The bridge roof shields the bridge structure and pedestrians in our ever changing weather conditions. To make the bridge suitable also for parents with prams and people with disabilities, the larch decking of the bridge has been made flat.

To promote public awareness and interest, the Latvian Forest Industry Federation is planning to open a pavilion of the interactive forest educational centre, right next to the entrance of LVM Nature Park in Tērvete. Here guests will have an opportunity to learn about the role of forests in the Latvian economy, about how future forests are sown, planted, tended etc.

95 building facilities were submitted for the competition "Annual Awards of Latvian Construction Industry 2015", covering the whole territory of Latvia; also projects carried out in Great Britain, Estonia and Lithuania by Latvian companies were evaluated in the contest.