Two More Bridges With A Full Deck (Slab)
Two bridges along the Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) alignment now have bridge deck slabs: The Boyanup-Picton Road overpass bridge, also known as the Mega-Bridge for its length and size, and the Yalinda Drive Bridge.
Published: 17 April 2024, Updated: 17 April 2024
Before the deck pours took place, the substructures for each of the bridges needed to be constructed.
The substructure refers to all of the supportive elements and components—such as the piers and columns—of a bridge. Of course, this support structure needs to be strong and durable enough to withstand the weight of the deck above it and the load of vehicles that will be moving on top of it.
Deck pour at the Mega-Bridge
The concrete deck pour on the Yalinda Drive bridge took place in a single pour due to its relatively small size with just 150 cubic metres of concrete laid out across the deck.
Compare that with the Mega-Bridge which saw over 2,000 cubic metres of concrete being laid over a series of pours across two months. Each span of the Mega-Bridge needed to be poured separately with the equipment and teams moving over to the next span once done.
Make no mistake: Concrete pouring isn’t just about pouring concrete. To meet the durability and specification requirements for the bridge, temperature controls and water content controls had to be maintained throughout the pouring process. For example, the concrete mix had to contain cold water to prevent rapid heating and the works commenced early morning to prevent premature hardening and drying of the surface. In fact, all deck pours are carried out in the morning, before the beautifully warm South West climate kicks into gear.
By the late afternoon, the concrete poured in the mornings across both bridges is hard enough to walk on but will continue to strengthen overnight to get to the point where it’s safe for cars.
Deck pour at the Yalinda Drive Bridge
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