Investigating design and construction issues for precast concrete bridge over Bookookoorara creek

NSW local government is faced with an aging timber bridge stock and resultant increase in maintenance burden. When considering replacement of there are a number of precast concrete proprietary systems which are typically investigated including the Holcim HumeDeck, Rocla M-Lock, Doolan Deck and plank bridge. RMS is developing a new type of modular bridge called Country Bridge Solutions which consists of precast headstocks, sill beams and wing walls in addition to precast prestressed deck modules. Constructability and safety in design are key considerations when investigating these options in the development stage of a bridge replacement. Time, quality, safety and cost are all important criterions in such an evaluation, as optimisation of these variables will inevitably lead to an overall improvement in project outcomes. This dissertation firstly documents the construction of the bridge over Bookookoorara Creek in Tenterfield Shire Council as the pilot bridge under the Country Bridge Solutions system. The construction identified twenty areas in which the design or methodology could be altered to create better outcomes with regard to constructability or safety in design. Concepts were then developed for each of these issues, with selected concepts evaluated using weighted time, quality, cost and safety criteria to determine a recommended concept that may be progressed to detailed design by others. Overall, this project has contributed to the engineering body of knowledge by documenting the construction of the pilot bridge for the benefit of future construction teams. The identified areas and concepts are presented to assist in the development of the Country Bridge Solutions system which is ultimately aimed at providing an efficient and effective bridge replacement option on low volume roads