Partnership bridges the gap with sustainable solution

A HIGHLY sustainable bridge reinforced with carbon fibre made in Geelong could one day become commonplace across Australia.

To encourage sustainable innovation, the City of Greater Geelong, with support from Cleantech Innovations Geelong, last year tendered for a 100-year maintenance free pedestrian bridge.

The tender invited companies to come up with solutions to the costly maintenance problem associated with traditional bridges – usually made of timber, steel or concrete – which cost the city about $500,000 to inspect, repair, maintain and replace each year.

The winning submission came from a consortium including local manufacturer Austeng, the Carbon Nexus facility in Waurn Ponds and Australian engineering company Rocla.

The consortium researched and developed an innovative new building product made from geopolymer, including some recycled materials, and reinforced with carbon fibre, which will be stronger and longer lasting than existing products.

The first two bridges slated to be replaced with the new design are timber structures over Cowies Creek in North Geelong’s Deppler Park (also known as Seagull Paddock). Construction is expected to begin this year.

“This project, developed in Geelong, is an example of how we can lead the way in bringing sustainable solutions to the market, which is a key aspiration of our community-led clever and creative vision,” social and infrastructure planning co-chair Cr Peter Murrihy said.

The tender was the first in Australia to be offered using a Procurement for Innovation process, enabled by Cleantech Innovations Geelong, which aims to encourage the development and viability of clean technology – economically viable products that harness renewable materials and energy sources while reducing emissions and waste – using the buying power of public sector procurement.

Austeng managing director Ross George said Procurement for Development was the catalyst for his company to collaborate with others to combine expertise and to bring a world-first product to market.

“The new material will potentially eliminate ‘concrete cancer’ going forward and provide a new and disruptive approach that will have wide application in the construction industry generally.”