Deck the BORR with Concrete: How Jolly!
The concrete deck pour at the northernmost interchange on the new Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) project has now been completed. When the team said, “It all went to plan,” they cement it!
Published: 14 December 2023, Updated: 14 December 2023
With the bridge beams installed, the next construction stage at the Paris-Clifton Road interchange was the concrete deck pour. Accompanied by blue skies and plenty of sunshine, the BORR team poured approximately 350 cubic metres of concrete using two concrete boom pumps.
The bridge interchange before the deck pour
Once the concrete was pumped into place, it took around 20 team members, plus a handy trowel and roughened broom, to finish the 1,400 square metres of surface to perfection.
Ever wondered what exactly goes into a concrete pour? We’re glad you asked!
Before the actual concrete is placed, the formwork of the bridge needs to be set up. This is the mould into which the concrete is poured, and it ensures that the end shape and structure is correct. With the formwork itself in place, next comes the steel reinforcement, also called the rebar, which is put within the formwork. Its role is to provide strength and structural integrity to the deck from within the concrete.
The bridge interchange after the deck pour
The concrete itself is trucked to the site in a carefully timed procedure to ensure that it remains fresh and workable when onsite. Made up of a mixture of cement, water and other aggregates, the substance is carefully poured in a systematic manner, one layer at a time.
Once poured, the concrete is compacted to ensure that there are no trapped pockets of air that could undermine the strength of the structure. Last comes the levelling, smoothing, and finishing. During this process, maintaining the moisture and temperature is important to make sure that the concrete sets properly. This is the key for ensuring that it cures correctly and achieves that long-lasting, durable product we need.
When the concrete has hardened sufficiently, the formwork can be removed and the concrete structure completed.
“Between the interchange’s positioning (at the northernmost point of the BORR alignment), and its striking, iconic abutment artwork, the Paris-Clifton Road interchange is an integral part of this project,” said Jack Dalton, Senior Project Engineer at the South West Gateway Alliance. “So, it’s exciting to see the concrete deck pour completed and the next step in the bridge’s construction underway.”
To watch the deck pour in action, click here for the drone video footage.
