Geelong Bridges

Faced with significant bridge maintenance costs, in 2017 Council applied the Procurement for Innovation concept to a 100-year maintenance-free bridge tender to replace two timber bridges in Geelong’s Seagull Park. The two landmark pedestrian bridges are setting a new standard for designing public infrastructure to be free of corrosion.

The principles of construction used for the Roman Colosseum have been applied to the development of these footbridges as part of a Geelong geopolymer project that looks set to solve the multiple challenges of concrete cancer, embedded energy, lifecycle costs, and the circular economy.

Using fiberglass-reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcing as the backbone to concrete made with flyash, the 11m bridges are designed to stand for the next century without maintenance

Why GFRP

• Designed to last 100 years without maintenance
• No concrete cancer or corrosion
• Overall significantly lower life cycle costs
• Higher Strength

Traditional bridges usually made of timber, steel, or concrete – cost the council around $500,000 a year to inspect, repair, maintain and replace each year.

Dr. Subhani of Deakin University said “the new design would avoid the usual problem of corrosion that occurs in conventional steel reinforced concrete construction.”