Big things instore with the Mega-Bridge beams install
The Bunbury Outer Ring Road (BORR) team are putting the ‘bridge’ in Mega-Bridge with the installation of 60 beams now underway. The bridge is so aptly named because it has to be big enough to span across Golding Crescent, the Ferguson River, the freight rail line and Boyanup-Picton Road.
Published: 21 November 2023, Updated: 21 November 2023
It seems like only a few short months ago that the columns of BORR’s impressive Mega-Bridge, also known as the Boyanup-Picton Road bridge, were being installed. The bridge gained its ‘mega’ name as it will be the longest bridge in the South West once constructed and with the works that are currently taking place, it is living up to both sides of its hyphenated nickname.
60 beams in total, reaching up to 43 metres in length and weighing up to 201 tonnes, are due to be installed. The bridge is split into 12 spans, each with 5 beams. A single span takes at least one work day to be installed.
While the two cranes that are being used can both lift up to 750 tonnes in their own right, they are actually two different types of machinery.
The length of the Mega-Bridge's span
A telescopic crane (left) installing headstock shells, and lattice boom crane (right) installing beams
The first crane in use is a lattice boom crane. This enormous machine features criss-crossing, interconnected steel rods as its main boom, in contrast to the single, solid looking telescopic crane. The reason for this criss-cross design is to provide extra stability and greater lift capacity. It earns its name from the lattice-like look, and the rods and spaces created. The crane is also fitted with a super-lifting device to allow for extra capacity and reach.
The second crane is what’s called a telescopic boom crane. Much like its namesake, the telescope, this crane can extend or retract to allow variability in reach and lifting capacity. On BORR, this is vital to provide our construction team with the flexibility needed to get the job done efficiently and safely.
Together, the telescopic and lattice boom cranes allow the beam lift and installation to take place despite the various constraints of the worksite. Once in their final resting spot, the 12 spans of beams will sit securely on the concrete-reinforced headstocks and columns, which are designed to transfer their heavy load into the ground. This will allow the bridge to easily cope with anticipated traffic that will cross over the bridge every day once the BORR project is completed.
When the new outer ring road is ready, the Mega-Bridge will be the connection between it and the existing section of the Outer Ring Road that was constructed in 2013.
Crane in place and ready to lift some beams at the Mega-Bridge
We recently sent up a drone-mounted camera to capture the entire span of the Mega-Bridge before the beam installation began. Check it out below.
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