Construction of Banana Creek Bridge was part of major haul route upgrades, allowing Cockatoo Coal to maintain access
to its Baralba Mine and operations during severe weather events and to increase its annual coal production.

OVERVIEW

Securing 1 of 3 major haul route upgrade packages, Epoca was contracted to replace the existing timber bridge with a single 12m span pre-stressed concrete deck unit bridge.
The new bridge was constructed directly downstream of the existing timber bridge, requiring the roadway to be re-aligned to connect neatly with bridge abutments.
During construction the bridge was re-designed to enable mining vehicles with a gross loaded weight of 115 tonne to cross the bridge and travel on the road.

PROJECT SCOPE

The project involved the replacement of an existing timber
bridge with a single 12m span pre-stressed concrete (SPC) deck unit bridge.

The bridge scope of works included:-

• 10 PSC piles of 19.5m average length;
• Reinforced concrete abutments and relieving slabs;
• Transverse stress bars, asphalt deck wearing surface, guardrail and abutment protection works;
• Asphalt deck wearing surface;
• Guardrail and Abutment protection works.

The bridge approach works included construction of a 10m
wide sealed road. Roadworks changed from using part of the existing formation to removing all existing road and carrying out subgrade replacement, ensuring road stability and longevity. Works included vegetation clearing, bulk earthworks, unbound pavements, sub-soil drainage, table drains, sealing, linemarking, road furniture and re-vegetation.

KEY CHALLENGES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Design changes to bridge and road to improve stability and longevity due heavy mine vehicular traffic movement.
• Environmental & heritage management owing to constraints surrounding the creek area.
• Project co-ordination and liaison between Client (TMM Group), Cockatoo Coal and Banana Shire Council officers.