Temporary Road Bridge Support – Platipus® ARGS Anchors

The project was at Beames Brooke located 25km South West of Burketown in the Gulf of Carpentaria, North Queensland. The project consisted of the stabilisation of the two new concrete bridge abutments prior to the replacement of a temporary road bridge.

Design Input and Site Constraints

• Remote location with limited options for transportation of plant and materials.
• Condensed construction timeframe for temporary works.
• Design loading to include cyclonic weather conditions and extreme flooding events.

Design Solution

FSA Consulting Engineers and Cirtex Australia worked together in consultation with the contractor Smithbridge to develop the preferred design solution:

• A total of 16 no. Platipus B8 Anchors Systems were driven 5m to achieve Working Loads of 150kN.
• Cirtex Australia supplied the Platipus B8 Anchor System, installation equipment and technical advice and support.
• FSA Consulting Engineers provided design development to required codes and structural certification.

Outcomes of Design Solution

The outcomes of the implementation of the Platipus B8 Anchor System were:

• ‘Buildability’ & ease of installation in a remote location.
• The Platipus Anchor Systems were reliable and relatively quick to drive, minimising construction time for temporary works on site.
• Anchors provided a cost saving over traditional concrete and piling solutions.