A new bridge maintenance procedure being undertaken by Bundaberg Regional Council's Bridge Crew has resulted in enormous cost savings for Council.
Bundaberg Regional Council’s bridge crew are reducing repair costs and extending the life of bridges in the region through the use of innovative new equipment and techniques.
The small crew is tasked with maintaining more than 160 bridges and major culverts across the region and are currently improving bridge piles (foundations) at Wendlands Gully and Pine Creek.
Using a new bridge maintenance product and a long-lasting epoxy, supervisor Hunter Cole said the piles were expected to last for another 50 years.
“What we’re doing here is we’re wrapping the piles to improve their longevity,” Hunter said.
“The product we’re using encases the piles and then we fill them with a hight-strength epoxy.
“The epoxy, it’s guaranteed for a 50-year life span, so that will really improve the health and the strength of these piles.
Longer lasting, with reduced costs
Bundaberg Regional Council’s bridge crew have already applied both products to the St Agnes Bridge in Morganville and described the finished piles as “better than new”.
“We have done a previous bridge that was the St Agnes Bridge and we actually wrapped 13 of those piles up and that’s brought it back up to an A class structure, open load limit bridge.”
The bridge crew have also been able to further their skills, completing approved accreditation training.
“At St Agnes we had technicians who used this wrap there with us and they showed us the step by step process of doing it, and our crew were given accreditation.”
Roads and Drainage portfolio spokesperson Cr Bill Trevor said these works would ensure the structural stability of the bridges into the future.
“The talent, knowledge and work this team has been doing on our region’s bridges is invaluable,” Cr Trevor said.
“These foundations will be around for years to come and very little to no work will have to be done on them, which in turn is a huge cost reduction in Council maintenance.”
See the piles being wrapped and filled by the Bundaberg Regional Council’s bridge crew in the video below.
