BYANGUM BRIDGE, TWEED HEADS

The proposed bridge is on Kyogle Road, 5km west of Murwillumbah on the border of QLD & NSW comprises 5 x 24m spans of pre-cast pre-stressed concrete planks, on pre cast headstocks, 4 x 720mm columns, on pre cast pile caps and 4 x 900mm dia. piles per pier and 3 x 900mm piles per abutment. The bridge was officially opened mid-December 2004, approximately eight weeks ahead of schedule.

Altogether 22nos. x 900mm dia. piles were required to be installed with permanent steel casing by a specialist piling contractor with stringent tolerance requirements to fit the pre-cast elements on top of the caissons. The piling works were undertaken from false works built along the upstream of the proposed bridge in Tweed River and a heavy duty drilling rig was necessary to drill through the high strength bed rock. The bridge is only 1 km upstream of council’s main drinking water treatment plant intake and weir. Non –disturbance of this water catchment obviously was critical and no pollution of the catchment was allowed.

Avopiling was contracted by Tweed Shire Council to complete the piling works and SOILMEC R620 was used to install the piles. The bed rock boulders were penetrated through special drilling tools manufactured by Avopiling Pty Ltd.

Senior Contracts engineer Tony Bennet wrote to Avopiling “ thank you for your professionalism in the manner that this contract has been carried out.”

Construction Engineer Greg Thomson wrote to Avopiling “we take this opportunity of thanking Avopiling, for what we trust has been a mutually satisfying contract”

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