Walkway bridge, Panjim

DHIPL, the main contractor, needed railings for a pedestrian bridge in Panjim that links a park to the sea. The railing had to keep people safe on the bridge without closing off the view of the water. Acier supplied and installed about 50 m² of Webnet infill in 2023, laced into stainless frames between stainless posts.

A bridge railing over water has to prevent falls, including by small children, and resist people leaning and pushing on it. At the sea front it also faces salt air, humidity and monsoon rain, which quickly corrode ordinary steel. And on a walkway whose purpose is the view, the railing should stay as light as possible.

The infill is Jakob Webnet in AISI 316 stainless steel: Ø2 mm rope with a 50 mm mesh width. AISI 316 is the marine grade of stainless steel, chosen here because the bridge stands so close to the water. The fine rope and open diamond mesh let people see through the railing to the water, while the 50 mm mesh forms a close, continuous barrier that small children cannot climb through.

Webnet is flexible and spreads an impact across the mesh rather than at one point, which makes it well suited to a pedestrian edge. It needs no painting, which matters on a structure over water where maintenance access is awkward. The installation took about two weeks on site.

People on the bridge now see the water through a light stainless net, with a safe edge along the walkway. The railing is part of the view rather than a wall in front of it. AISI 316 mesh is a sound choice for any waterside railing, from promenades to jetties.