Mabey spans the globe to enter the Australian temporary bridge market
International bridge and construction services specialist Mabey is expanding its presence in Australia by entering the temporary bridges market.
For its first commission, Mabey is providing a temporary bridge to support leading Australian infrastructure company Ertech in its construction work at the Colongra gas generation plant. Based in New South Wales and owned by Snowy Hydro Power, the station’s existing bridges cannot support the required loads.
The new temporary bridge – the Mabey Compact 200™ (C200™) – is a pre-fabricated modular steel bridge that is light, re-useable and quickly assembled on site. This bridge consists of five bays (each 3 metres long), is 4.2 metres ide and has been configured to provide a safe crossing for a B-Double truck, and construction equipment access over a canal. A B-Double Truck is a prime mover train which pulls two semi-trailers linked by a fifth wheel, and can be up to 26 metres long. The bridge was installed in just four hours and will be on site until construction works are complete.
Jon Williams, Ertech Operations Manager, NSW, said, “Ertech was faced with a challenge to provide a temporary bridging solution to remove the inherent risk with undertaking structural repairs to an existing, access-critical bridge. The solution offered by Mabey provided a bridge that allowed for rapid deployment and operation, enabling Ertech to respond to the dynamic conditions of the site and client requirements. During this process, Mabey provided prompt and timely response to project requirements, in confirming the structural capacity of the solution, as operating conditions were further defined.”
Mabey Australia CEO Brendon Flaxman said, “Ertech’s requirements mean this type of modular steel bridge is ideal because it helps them deliver their project faster, safer and more efficiently. With standard, interchangeable components, modular steel bridges can be installed significantly faster and bear the weight of the largest vehicles and equipment that they bring onto site. What’s more, steel is lower in cost compared to concrete and the environmental impact is also reduced thanks to the fact that steel has high levels of recycled material. “This is the first time we have provided such a bridge on a temporary basis in Australia. The bridge hire market in Australia is significant in size and as a new entrant with significant global experience and expertise, we will be able to bring more robust, rapidly deployable and adaptable solutions to similar engineering challenges.”
Mabey entered the Australian construction services market, headquartered in Brisbane in 2013. Specialising in groundworks, and now expanding into bridging, the business has grown to support customers across Australia and New Zealand from eight depots.
Ertech serves clients across the oil and gas, mining, government, utilities, waste and land development sectors. The company delivers a range of engineering construction solutions incorporating civil and concrete construction, geotechnical, environmental, marine, electrical, and project management services to clients across Australia.
