
Since the early 1980s, the architectural range of tension bars have grown in popularity providing designers an opportunity to offer contemporary designs and solutions.
The lighter carbon and stainless bars are used in lightweight canopies, facades and suspended structures. The high strength bars provide support for bridge decks, in bolstering bridges the good fatigue properties of the bar are an important design feature in road, tram and pedestrian bridges alike.
Benefits of Macalloy
Tension Bars.
- Fatigue resistant rolled thread
- Available in 460N/mm2, 520N/mm2 and now a 550N/mm2 strength for both carbon and stainless
- All products compliant with ETA21/0053 and CE compliant
- Bars and fittings can be supplied primed or painted and/or hot dipped galvanised to BS1461:2009
- Bespoke fittings can be designed to suit customer applications
- Technical literature is available with design calculations and loadings to EC3
- Macalloy engineers are always available to help

In the 1980s Sir Norman Foster was commissioned by the French car company Renault to design a hightech building for their UK operations the brief was to maximise the internal space by hanging the roof using external bracing the building now a grade II listed building went on to win numerous design awards and began a trend in wide span structural design using Macalloy Tension Structure products.

Macalloy tension bar range includes a 460N/mm2, 520N/mm2 and the new 550N/mm2 available in carbon and stainless steel.
All systems are 9001 accredited and approved to European technical approval ETA21/0053, providing the CE certification. Carbon bars can be supplied primed ready for paint or hot dipped galvanised to BS EN 1461 – 2009 all fittings (forks, pins, turnbuckles, couplers and lock covers) are supplied with a galvanised coating.
Fittings are designed to give the maximum amount of flexibility and adjustment, special fittings can be designed to suit customer requirements.
Cast fittings are UT and MPI tested in accordance with European technical approval – ETA21/0053.
Technical literature is available with design calculations and loadings to design code EC3 our technical team is always available to assist with specification, installation and design.
Contact a Macalloy agent today to discuss all things tension rods and architectural structure bars.
Our Projects
“Lithic Chords” at The Architecture Biennale, Venice
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“Somethinging”- Sculpture, Paddington Station, London
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Dipolodocus, Fern, The Natural History Museum, London
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Chateau Des Peres, Rennes, France
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Cau Tay Do Bridge ,Can Tho, Vietnam
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Nội Bài International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam
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Centre for World Culture, Dhahran Saudi Arabia
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Las Arenas de Barcelona, Spain
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Reflective Flow Chandelier, Qatar
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London’s New Sewage System
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Cork Airport, Ireland
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Kraków Bridge, Poland
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University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
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University of Canterbury Strongfloor, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Wind Turbine Foundation Anchor Bolt, Uljabuouda, Sweden.
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Queen Victoria Shopping Centre, Sydney, Australia.
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Esplora Interactive Science Museum, Kalkara, Malta.
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Dubai Metro Station, Dubai, UAE.
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Center Parcs, Longford Fores, Ireland.
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Arc by Crown Apartments , Sydney, Australia.
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Gibson Hotel in Point Village, Dublin, Ireland.
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Clarke Quay, Singapore.
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The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, USA.
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International Spy Museum, Washington,DC, USA.
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The National Library , Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center ( SNFCC) Athens, Greece.
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Waterloo Station, London, UK
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The Renault Distribution Centre, Swindon, UK
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Golden Jubilee Bridge, London
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New Witry Bridge, Reims , France
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The Green Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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Okavango Delta Bridge, Mohembo, Botswana
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Hammersmith Flyover, London
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Viaducto Marin UTE, Arlaban, Spain
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Troja Bridge, Prague
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Valiyazheekkal, Kerala India Bridge
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Regents Park Bridge, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Wainwright Arch Bridge, Blackburn
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Pont Shuman, Lyon, France
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Brayford Footbridge, Lincoln
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Sofia Bridge, Sofiero Palace, Helsingborg, Sweden
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KL8 Footbridge, Poznan, Poland
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Navia River Viaduct, Asturies, Spain
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John Paul II Bridge, Pulaway, Poland
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Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Istanbul , Turkey
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Izmir Airport, Turkey
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Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport, Canada
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Niagara Falls International Airport, New York USA
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Birmingham University, Dubai
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Munich International Airport, Germany
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Dubai International Airport, UAE
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