- Made in North Devon since 1973
- BSI Kitemark ready-mixed concrete
- Manufactured to BS EN 14992
- UK-wide & European delivery
Civils · highways · rail
Bridge Beams.
Prestressed. Long-span. Built for the blockade.
Precast prestressed bridge beams to BS EN 15050 — Y-beams, M-beams, U-beams, TY and SY profiles, in spans from 6m to 40m (19ft8in to 131ft3in). C50/60 concrete to BS 8500-1:2023, 7-wire 15.7mm super-strand to BS EN 10138-3, designed to BS EN 1992-1-1 and EN 1992-2. Network Rail GRIP-stage and DMRB CD 360 compliant. Lead time 8–12 weeks.
A 24 m (78ft9in) Y6 prestressed bridge beam cast to BS EN 15050 carries the full HB44.5 highways envelope under DMRB CD 360, with prestress losses and camber calculated in accordance with BS EN 1992-1-1 long-term creep and shrinkage models.
Cast at Holsworthy on long-line prestressing beds. CAT III checked, manufactured to BS EN 15050; conformity documentation available on request. Delivered UK-wide on STGO trailers.
- · BS EN 15050
- · Y / M / U / TY / SY
- · 6m–40m spans (19ft8in–131ft3in)
- · Network Rail + DMRB
- · CAT III checked
- · 8–16 week lead
Specification
Beam profiles, depths and spans.
Six families covering 6m footbridges to 40m motorway viaducts. Bespoke profiles and non-standard prestress patterns cast on order — engineering will work the design from your bridge GA.
| Variant | Depth / span | Standard / style | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 to Y8 Y-beam | 600–1500mm (2ft–4ft11in) depth · spans 9–28m (29ft6in–91ft10in) | BS EN 15050 prestressed · DMRB CD 360 | Highway and rail bridge decks, short to medium spans |
| M2 to M10 M-beam | 720–1360mm (2ft4in–4ft6in) depth · spans 14–32m (45ft11in–105ft) | BS EN 15050 prestressed · DMRB CD 360 | Medium to long span motorway and trunk-road bridges |
| U7 to U12 U-beam | 1100–1600mm (3ft7in–5ft3in) depth · spans 18–40m (59ft1in–131ft3in) | BS EN 15050 prestressed · open-trough | Long-span rail and highway viaducts |
| TY-beam (inverted T) | 380–680mm (1ft3in–2ft3in) depth · spans 6–18m (19ft8in–59ft1in) | BS EN 15050 prestressed · TY profile | Short-span footbridges, agricultural underbridges |
| SY-beam (super-Y) | 1500–2000mm (4ft11in–6ft7in) depth · spans 24–40m (78ft9in–131ft3in) | BS EN 15050 prestressed · deep section | Major motorway and rail viaduct decks |
| Bespoke beam | To engineer's drawing | BS EN 15050 prestressed · CAT III checked | Network Rail GRIP-stage projects, DMRB AIP |
All beams cast on long-line prestressing beds at Holsworthy, manufactured to BS EN 15050; conformity documentation available on request. Network Rail orders include the GRIP-stage CAT III check engineer's certification pack.
Camber, prestress losses and creep modelled to BS EN 1992-1-1. Send us the bridge GA and we will return a beam schedule with depths, span lengths and prestress strand counts inside 48 hours.
The range
Bridge beams in the yard and on site.
Where they go
Common applications.
From a 12m (39ft4in) TY-beam footbridge over a Devon stream to a 40m (131ft3in) SY-beam Network Rail viaduct in Somerset, we cast and deliver to the same engineered standard — prestressed, made to current code, and on the trailer to your blockade slot.
- · Highway bridge decks — A-roads, motorways, slip roads
- · Network Rail under-track and over-track bridge renewals
- · Pedestrian and cycle footbridges
- · Agricultural and estate-road underbridges
- · Multi-span motorway viaducts and flyovers
- · River and floodplain crossings
- · Industrial-park and logistics-yard span structures
Standards & references
Cast to current code.
- BS EN 15050:2007+A1:2012
- Precast concrete bridge elements — beams, slabs and parapet sections.
- BS EN 1992-1-1 and EN 1992-2
- Eurocode 2 — design of concrete structures, Parts 1-1 (general) and 2 (bridges).
- DMRB CD 360
- Design Manual for Roads and Bridges — concrete bridge design and detailing.
- Network Rail NR/L2/CIV/003
- Engineering assurance of bridges — GRIP-stage certification framework.
- BS EN 10138-3
- Prestressing steels — 7-wire strand for prestressing applications.
- BS EN 13369
- Common rules for precast concrete products — factory production control.
Configure your bridge deck
Send us the bridge GA, span length and loading — we will return a beam schedule inside 48 hours.
Related products
Often ordered alongside.
Common questions
What people ask about bridge beams.
Five questions we answer most weeks. If yours is not here, ring the yard.
What standard do your bridge beams meet? +
BS EN 15050:2007+A1:2012 — precast concrete bridge elements. Designed to BS EN 1992-1-1 and BS EN 1992-2 (Eurocode 2 Parts 1-1 and 2 — bridges), with prestressed strand to BS EN 10138-3. Manufactured under factory production control to BS EN 13369. Network Rail orders include the GRIP-stage CAT III check certification pack; DMRB orders include the AIP (Approval in Principle) compliance documentation.
Y, M, U or TY — which beam do I want? +
Y-beams are the workhorse for spans 9 to 28m (29ft6in to 91ft10in) on highway bridges. M-beams handle 14 to 32m (45ft11in to 105ft) and are common on motorway widenings. U-beams (open-trough) are for long-span rail and highway viaducts to 40m (131ft3in). TY (inverted T) suits short-span footbridges and agricultural underbridges from 6m (19ft8in). Send us the bridge GA and span length and we will recommend the family.
Do you do Network Rail and DMRB schemes? +
Yes — we cast and supply for Network Rail GRIP-stage projects and DMRB-compliant highway bridge schemes UK-wide. The certification pack for Network Rail orders includes the BS EN 15050 conformity documentation, prestress strand mill certs to BS EN 10138-3, and the CAT III check engineer's sign-off. DMRB orders include the AIP compliance and CD 360 (concrete bridge design) cross-references.
How are they delivered to site? +
Beams up to 28m (91ft10in) on standard low-loaders, 28m to 40m (91ft10in to 131ft3in) on extending or super-low STGO Cat 3 trailers with police escort. We co-ordinate the route survey with the haulier and supply the lift drawing with the centre-of-gravity and pick-point positions. Beams are typically erected by 250-tonne to 500-tonne (about 551,000–1,102,000 lb) mobile crane in tandem with a second crane for the longer pieces.
What is the lead time? +
Catalogue Y and M beams typically run 8 to 12 weeks from order — prestressed beams need bed time on the long-line and a 28-day cure cycle. Bespoke and SY-beams sit at 12 to 16 weeks. Network Rail possession-driven orders are scheduled around your blockade dates — engage engineering at GRIP 4 if possible.
How would you like it?
Supply-only or fitted — Bridge Beams
Supply only
Per-unit / per-metre supply
Lead time: 8–16 weeks
- Prestressed beams to BS EN 15050
- CAT III check engineer certification pack
- BS EN 10138-3 strand mill certs
- STGO delivery to site with route survey
- Crane lift and erection works
- Bearing supply and bridge deck pour
Fitted (supply + install)
Supply + install crew
Lead time: 12–20 weeks (incl. site slot)
- Everything in supply only
- Mobile-crane erection (250–500 tonnes, about 551,000–1,102,000 lb)
- Lift drawing and method statement
- Substructure and abutment works
- Possession and traffic-management costs
. Bespoke beam profiles, Network Rail GRIP-stage and major-scheme packages priced individually — send the bridge GA and we'll return a beam schedule inside 48 hours.
Ready to spec it?
Send us the bridge GA, span length, loading and possession dates. Beam schedule inside 48 hours.