AIL’s buried metal bridges and tunnels offer many opportunities to bring enhanced aesthetics to your projects inside and out. From interior finishes and lighting, to exterior end treatments and even urban greenways over top, take a look at what’s available in our design aesthetics toolbox.
Urban greenways — bridge creates a park
Adding green space is a common goal of today’s progressive urban planners. Buried Metal Bridges have a natural advantage over traditional span bridges in that they can be used to create very wide continuums of green space. With your vision and a little imagination from our designers and engineers, we can bring your green space ideas to life.
Interior finishes — a palette of possibility
Our Buried Metal Bridges and Tunnels are usually provided with a Galvanized or Polymer-Coated Finish and left that way for low-maintenance service of up to 100 years. However, they can also be custom-coloured to provide a brighter interior or to create unique artistic installations. With a little inspiration, the sky’s the limit!
Interior lighting and panels — creating experiences
Beyond safety and security, light can invoke feelings of peace, harmony and creativity. With today’s modern LED lighting technologies, light can be used to accentuate a structure’s geometry and create a welcoming and memorable experience for users. Acoustic paneling can transform the interior, break up space, deaden sound and hide utility pipes and electrical conduits.
Headwalls — choose your own ending
One of the most important facets of Buried Metal Bridges and Tunnels are the Headwalls. With a limitless array of panel sizes, colours and textures, our MSE Precast Panel Walls help every installation make a statement. A custom mural wall could tell your community’s story with a sense of context and place. Other treatments include masonry, architectural blocks, applied natural stone or our MSE wire walls with cobblestone at the face.
Interior halfwalls — extending the headwall look inside
The MSE Precast Panel Headwalls can be extended to the inside with matching concrete halfwalls running the length of the structure. This hybrid design sets the structure on a raised engineered concrete foundation and provides a vertical surface that doesn’t encroach upon pedestrian walkways or bike lanes.
Architectural canopies or extensions — adding a flair
Added elements help create distinctive designs to ease transitions from exterior to interior. They can finish the edges with a flair. Opportunities for legacy projects can add a sense of movement to the more static face of the underpass or tunnel.
Bevelled ends — gracefully sweeping curves
If site geometries permit, bevelled ends are a very natural way to help a structure be one with the natural contour of the land. Sloped embankments can be left green or finished with natural stone. Any variety of architectural coping or collar treatments can be integrated to accentuate their gracefully sweeping curves.
Natural finishes — part of the green scene
Preserving and enhancing urban green space is important. Consider surrounding one of our Buried Metal Bridges or Tunnels with Green Walls created on battered, wire-faced configurations of our MSE Retaining Wall Systems. Artistically designed living walls are another possibility.
Buried Metal Bridges — part of the surrounding landscape
Look around and you will soon see how nicely buried metal bridges can integrate with their surrounding landscapes.
Like this Banff wildlife crossing, flanked by natural boulders.
Or this Calgary proposal with mountain mural, boulders and wild roses.
Or this avalanche protection structure in South Korea.
The Precast Panel finish on this Nebraska grade separation echoes the local stone.
The faux brick pattern in this Mississippi structure reflects the historic architecture.
While this one seemed to just create its own environment with natural stone.
We can help you make the most of your next project
Our Technical Sales Representatives, Designers and Engineers are ready to help you make the most of your next Buried Metal Bridge project. Certainly, we can value-engineer your solution to make sure you are saving time and money, but we can also draw from the many devices in our aesthetics toolbox to make the end results truly notable. Typically, the sooner we get involved, the better the outcome.
Call 1-877-245-7473.
Learn more about the benefits of AIL’s Buried Metal Bridges
Discover the many benefits of AIL’s Buried Metal Bridges over their concrete equivalents and traditional beam bridges. Fast and easy installation with local crews and equipment, lower costs, smooth road surfaces, service of up to 100 years, low maintenance, environmentally friendly — and the list goes on.
