Clients - Recent Case Studies

Our business model is to form strategic "partnerships" with Councils and Government instrumentalities in meeting their specific needs in managing bridge infrastructure.

Since winning the 2003 National Award for “Infrastructure Management” in Local Government, accessUTS Bridge diagnostics has been involved in numerous bridge testing projects for the Rail Infrastructure Corporation (NSW), the RTA (NSW), Queensland Department of Main Roads and a number of councils in NSW and Victoria. As at December 2004 we have tested and assessed over 150 bridges and 370 spans for asset managers in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

An extensive study of 15 timber “road over rail” bridges was completed in August 2004 with the Rail Infrastructure Corporation (NSW). This has led to acceptance and endorsement of the accessUTS Bridge Diagnostics system – in a number of cases it resulted in relaxing some load restrictions, in others identifying the need for a reduction in permissible truck loads until such time as remedial work can be undertaken.

Ongoing collaboration with Queensland DMR has confirmed the applicability of the predictive methodology used by accessUTS Bridge Diagnostics. In what is a “first” with regard to testing of timber bridges, we were asked to assess a bridge and predict the load capacity of each of the four spans. Eight girders from two of these spans were then removed from service and tested to destruction – the actual failure capacities of these spans were then compared with the probabilistic predictions made by Bridge Diagnostics. The results confirmed that the method accurately identified the “lower bound” – that is weakest girders – proving the effectiveness of the methodology as a risk management tool.

We encourage Councils to think “regional” when it comes to bridge assessment. There are a number of advantages to this approach – not the least of which is cost. Assessing bridge condition on a regional basis also helps accessUTS Bridge Diagnostics identify more general issues that may be particular to a region. This gives an impetus to developing regionally specific solutions. It encourages Council’s to “join forces” in helping one another address their timber bridge problems, think about bridge management strategies that can be shared and develop critical mass in resourcing repair and maintenance strategies.

 

©2004 University of Technology, Sydney- UTS:Engineering - accessUTS Bridge Diagnostics

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