North Geelong projects building bridges

A PAIR of bridges in North Geelong have been commended by Australasia’s peak engineering and public works body.

The two bridges at Seagull Paddock’s Cowies Creek received three awards and a commendation at the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia (IPWEA) Victorian Division awards earlier this month.

City of Greater Geelong councillor Stephanie Asher said following the success of the first bridge project, the council was delivering another sustainable bridge at Seagull Paddock through a $500,000 investment outlined in its draft 2022-23 Budget.

“The awards are well-earned recognition for the team who worked on the project, the suppliers who engaged with the city, and the innovative procurement process we used to make it happen,” Cr Asher said.

“The sustainable bridges are made from a world-first geopolymer designed to be maintenance-free for at least 100 years.

“The geopolymer is extremely long-lasting and uses up to 80 per cent less greenhouse gases in production than concrete.

“The bridges are made using recycled materials so it’s a great example of a circular economy solution in practice.”

Austeng, Rocla, Inconmat and Deakin University played massive roles in the construction of the bridges with the city, collaborating to create the geopolymer that has been mentioned.

Cr Anthony Aitken said the bridges were a perfect example of the calibre of investment the council is producing moving forward.

“This is also public recognition that the council is trying to be innovative in environmentally sustainable opportunities.

“Delivering innovative investments in our community and in our north in particular is becoming a hallmark of this council.”

In total, the bridges received recognition in four separate categories including Environmental Sustainability winner, Excellence in Public Works winner, Excellence in Innovation Regional winner, and Excellence in Asset management (Commendation).