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Renovating a bridge? krafton®!

krafton® can produce complete composite bridges, but we can also replace components such as a bridge deck on an existing steel or wooden structure. krafton® has a team that can perform the following work for you:

  • Removing the old (wooden) deck planks
  • Installing the krafton® composite planks
  • Cleaning up and leaving the bridge tidy

We work for various municipalities, water boards, semi-governmental institutions, businesses, and private individuals. If you are looking for a low-maintenance and sustainable solution, please contact us.

Our bridges are virtually maintenance-free; however, for aesthetic and safety reasons, we recommend cleaning the bridge annually and inspecting it for any damage. We can also perform this work for you.

GRP bridge deck planks made of krafton® for a sustainable renovation

Do you love wood? We do too!

The downside of this fantastic material, however, is that it doesn't have a long life expectancy when used in all kinds of outdoor applications. Only intensive and environmentally damaging maintenance, along with very high costs, can extend its lifespan. Wood is beautiful, but it's often not an economical, practical, or environmentally friendly solution for bridges.

Think of pedestrian and bicycle bridges in parks, cities, and rural areas. Wood rots, becomes slippery, mold and fungi thrive on it, and after a while, a beautiful bridge becomes a bridge fraught with risk, as we see in action movies or discover during a walk in the woods.

krafton® has the solution: Glass fiber reinforced plastic bridge deck parts

Strong as steel and light as aluminum.

With over 20 years of experience in fiberglass-reinforced plastic bridge decks and structural profiles, krafton® from BIJL is one of the most experienced suppliers of GRP bridge decks in Europe. Our numerous quality certificates attest to this. In our domestic market, we are the market leader with approximately 80% market share, and demand from other European countries is growing rapidly, thanks in part to DIBt approval for a wide range of fiberglass-reinforced plastic bridge deck planks.

In addition to the abbreviation GRP, abbreviations such as VVK and GVC are also used, for Fiber-Reinforced Plastics and Glass Fiber Reinforced Composites, respectively. For simplicity, we will use GRP here.

The choice for GRP is simple: GRP offers high durability, even under demanding conditions, with low maintenance costs and excellent properties for the construction of wide or narrow, short or long bridges. From lightweight park bridges and pedestrian bridges to intensively used bicycle bridges, krafton® has developed a variety of bridge deck planks for a multitude of applications.

Portfolio Kraftton GRP Bridge Deck Planks

Nearly 20 years of experience with bridges has resulted in a wide range of bridge deck planks for various applications. krafton® profiles and bridge deck planks have been used in the Netherlands for many years. Inspections according to the Building Decree, European legislation, NEN, DIBt, TNO, etc., are essential to guarantee quality.
These inspections establish values ​​for vehicle loads, braking and wheel loads, deflection, and so on. krafton® GRP planks achieve the highest values, and compared to our competitors, we distinguish ourselves through our consistently high quality, which is recognized by our numerous certificates and approvals. You can find these on the download page.

We produce six (6) different types of GRP bridge deck planks for the European market.
For the German market, we currently offer four of the six planks with DIBt approval. This approval is required to meet the requirements for bridge construction in Germany. Our krafton® 500.55, krafton® 500.40, krafton® 256.40, and krafton® 400.85 decking boards have been awarded the General Building Inspection (No. Z 10.9-655) by the German Institute for Construction Technology in Berlin. We also have DIBt approval for 12 installation methods, which we developed in-house.

Click here for the approvals.

We offer you the highest quality fiberglass-reinforced plastic bridge decking boards available on the European market!

The different types of decking boards vary in size and strength, with krafton® 500.55 being the powerhouse of the DIBt decking boards, boasting an unparalleled point load of 10 kN (on 100x100mm). This decking board is a top choice for heavily used pedestrian and bicycle bridges. Of course, this bridge deck can also be used by service, emergency, or rescue vehicles weighing up to 12 tons (12,000 kg).

Click here for more information about the different types of planks.

Benefits of GRP bridge deck planks

Kraft paper GRP planks have already been used to build bridges in parks, cities, and forests, spanning fast-flowing streams, rivers, and still ponds. We also bridge highways with our GRP bridge deck planks, such as the impressive pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the A73 near Venlo, which served as the base for the Floriade 2012. We also supply GRP planks for marina jetties, riverside terraces and walkways, apartment balconies, staircases, and more.

  • Easy installation
  • Good UV resistance
  • Very low expansion coefficient, comparable to steel and concrete
  • Dimensionally stable
  • Resistant to chemicals and road salt
  • Very long lifespan
  • Minimal maintenance
  • Corrosion-resistant
  • Low environmental impact
  • Installation possible on wood, steel, or fiberglass-reinforced plastic substructures

Low-maintenance GRP bridge deck planks with easy installation

krafton® GRP bridge decking planks have an extremely long lifespan and are maintenance-free. Thanks to the properties of the GRP material, the planks also have excellent weather and UV resistance.

In addition to these advantages, the low weight and ideal shape ensure simple, and therefore cost-effective, on-site installation. With its excellent material properties, glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP) is a decisive advantage for bicycle and pedestrian bridges compared to conventional building materials such as wood and steel. It is corrosion-free and dimensionally stable, highly resistant to chemicals, cold, and heat, as well as insulating and very low-maintenance.

Click here for more information about the assembly methods.

If you are considering other applications for GRP planks than those described here, please contact us.
We are happy to discuss your needs!

Kraft GVK bridge deck planks as an alternative to steel and wood

GRP bridge decking planks are an environmentally friendly alternative to wood, steel, or concrete. Their low environmental impact begins in the production process: Very little energy is used during the production of GRP profiles, and you don't have to worry about further climate-damaging logging of tropical timber.

Other advantages of GRP include its long product lifespan. There's no need for additional environmentally harmful processing, such as hot-dip galvanizing, painting, or preservation techniques.

The material properties of GRP make krafton® bridge decking planks very strong, durable, and low-maintenance. Compared to wooden bridges, bridge decking made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic offers a whole range of decisive advantages. They are much safer, more durable, and easier to maintain.

Another advantage is that our company supplies the planks with a TÜV-tested wear layer in various grain sizes and colors. This allows you to build not only a safe bridge, jetty, or terrace, but also one that fully meets your aesthetic needs.

Kraft paper GRP bridge deck parts in combination with steel and wood

Glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) in the form of krafton® bridge deck planks can be used in combination with a steel, wooden, or concrete substructure, or can be mounted on a GRP substructure.

During a bridge renovation, the current substructure is first assessed to determine whether it is still suitable or can be improved for reuse. This saves time and money. In any situation, the bridge deck planks can be easily attached using one of the twelve (12) krafton® installation methods.

krafton® fiberglass reinforced bridge deck planks for demanding locations

We manufacture krafton® bridge decking planks for pedestrian bridges according to our customers' wishes. We produce them in various colors, with gray as the standard. The planks can also be fully produced in other colors such as brown, anthracite, and black. We offer great flexibility because we manufacture the planks in our own production facility in Heijningen.

After producing the GRP plank, we apply the customer's desired TÜV-certified wear layers. We do this manually in our factory. krafton® supplies various grain sizes, from very fine to coarse, in many colors. This allows you to achieve an asphalt look or a natural sand color, so the bridge fits beautifully into the streetscape, nature, or a walking area.

In addition to producing high-quality, extremely safe, and virtually maintenance-free GRP planks, we are also taking a step forward in terms of aesthetics.

We want to offer the ideal solution for your bridge!

Click here for more information about the anti-slip layer.

Kraftboard planks with a wood look or asphalt look wear layer

krafton® composite bridge deck planks are also used in difficult-to-reach areas where maintenance is challenging, but where high demands are placed on the quality, durability, and safety of the paving.

krafton® GRP bridge deck planks are ideal for applications in humid environments. These include paths near recreational lakes, piers, boat docks, patios, and areas with significant temperature fluctuations, as well as walking and cycling paths in nature reserves and, for example, boardwalks. The combination with composite profiles, girders, and supports makes such structures extra durable.

krafton® Specialist in Pultrusion

When choosing to renovate your bridges, you will—hopefully—consider not only the investment costs but also the maintenance costs. An analysis of long-term maintenance costs will show that the total cost of a bridge with GRP profiles and planks is often lower than that of bridges with other types of deck planks.
Furthermore, indirect costs, often overlooked in the overall cost analysis, are minimal with GRP components. These include costs incurred due to the prolonged blocking or closure of roads for the construction of steel and/or concrete bridges.

Lightweight composite bridges can be completely prefabricated off-site and then installed on-site in a single operation. This saves significant time on the construction site.
In comparison, GRP bridge deck planks can be more expensive to purchase than wooden planks or steel decking. But if you consider all the costs, looking for a financially responsible and sustainable solution for renovating or building new bridges, you'll always choose krafton® GRP bridge deck planks.
krafton® is the future-proof solution for your bridges!

The applications for our krafton® GRP bridge deck planks are endless!

Kraft GRP bridge deck planks are a smart choice!

For the past 40 years, we have consistently innovated in polyester and GRP production. We are constantly innovating, and our innovation is rewarded with quality certifications and approvals from renowned bodies.

We always guarantee the best quality, tested, assessed, and approved, with quality certificates!