ANZAC Bridge in Sydney - Article Example

ANZAC Bridge – Sydney Name Institution Name Date Introduction The ANZAC Bridge connects Glebe Island and Pyrmont, which spans Johnstons Bay. The bridge was opened in December 1995. Before the construction of the ANZAC Bridge, two bridges were in the place. After opening of the bridge, it became part of the Western Distributor freeway and formed a more structured way for the people linking the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the city to the western suburbs. After the construction of the bridge, it was called Glebe Island Bridge and in 1998, the name was changed to ANZAC Bridge to remember the soldiers of New Zealand and Australia who participated in World War I. It is a remembrance of the contribution of the soldiers from both countries and the contribution is indicated by the two countries flags, which are positioned on top of the two bridge’s pylons. It acknowledges the legacy and reminds inhabitants and visitors of all the contribution of Kiwis and Australians. The bridge has six lanes of traffic and also has a combined cycle and pedestrian way. The following image shows the completed bridge with traffic. Source: Acrow Bridge (2012) How it was designed and built Numerous companies were involved in designing and construction of the bridge. The client for the bridge was The Road and Traffic Authority of NSW (RTA). The notable designers and contractors include Ken Wheeler, Peter Wellings, Leighton Contractors, and Baulderstone Hornibrook Engineering Pty Ltd. Others include Sandy Buchan, Hugh Bishop, and Austress Freyssinet Pty Ltd. The length of the bridge is 805m while the main span is 345m, and the deck of the bridge is 32m. The bridge has height towers of 120m and has a 128 stay cables (The Budget Wanderer, 2013). The total length of the stay cable is 5km, and the cable are made of strands. The thickest is 74 strands while the thinnest and shortest is 25 strands (ANZAC Bridge, 2015). The original design was a concrete box girder with three spans: 125m, 200m and 125m respectively with the balanced cantilever method. However, the environmental requirements required a change of design, which adopted a cable-stayed design with main spans: 140m, 345m, and 140m respectively. The piers were designed to be economical and were each of the piers was constructed within a period of 24 hours by Hymic Concrete (Lendlease, 2015). The following image shows the western end of the construction. Source: ANZAC Bridge (2015) What materials were used The main materials that were used to complete the project include concrete, cables and reinforced steel (Stockings, 2012). The concrete mixture was based on the requirements and stress/strain of each point. The estimated amount of concrete used is 35,700 cubic meters, reinforcing steel is 6,635 tonnes while the amount of prestressing steel is 760k. The wire strands are used to strengthen the cables as indicated in the following image: Source: ANZAC Bridge (2015) What makes it special when compared to other similar projects ANZAC Bridge is the longest cable-stayed span Bridge in Australia because of its total span including the length (ANZAC Bridge, 2015). It is also among the longest concrete cable-stayed bridges across the world. It is aesthetic in nature, and it is a landmark, which is visible from numerous regions in the metropolitan suburbs (The Budget Wanderer, 2013). Furthermore, the renaming of the bridge and acknowledgment of the bridge makes it unique in nature (Boral, 2002). The bridge has been used for numerous activities including athletics and has addressed the traffic related challenges that were witnessed in the area (ANZAC Bridge, 2015). The easiness and connection across the bridge ensured transportation requirements were addressed conclusively (Lendlease, 2015). The renaming of the bridge to ANZAC and acknowledgment and remembrance of the World War I soldiers made it a unique artifact for both Australians and New Zealand. The Five Characteristics Scope The scope of the projected consisted of three central spans, which are cable-stayed, and the total length of the bridge should be 805m. The three spans are pre-stressed concrete while the main span can provide for minimum navigation clearance of 27m (ANZAC Bridge, 2015). The bridge also has two towers, which is supported by cable stay deck via 128 cables (Lendlease, 2015). Other factors that were associated with the scope consisted pavements, earthworks, environmental requirements, electrical works and community issues. Furthermore, other requirements included usability of the bridge and ensuring the safety requirements were championed and addressed conclusively (The Budget Wanderer, 2013). Time The decision to replace the Glebe Island Bridge began in the mid-1980s (Sydney Architecture, 2015). The bridge footings, which were steel casing for piles were constructed in 1989. The bridge footings were completed in late 1990 because of numerous financial challenges. The construction was stopped for a while and commenced in April 1992 (ANZAC Bridge, 2015). The Western tower was completed in November 1993, and the Eastern tower was completed in September 1994. The Western deck was completed in July 1994 while the Eastern deck was completed in June 1995. The two halves were joined together on July 24, 1995 (Preston, 2009). The bridge was then opened to traffic on December 3, 1995. The construction and completion of the bridge faced numerous challenges because of the requirements of funding and other technical requirements (Lendlease, 2015). Resources It is estimated the cost of the project was AUD$ 170 million. In addition, additional resources, such as the equipment, human resource, and other operational requirements played an important role in constructing the bridge. Moreover, the technical and supervision issues including managing and collaborating with other stakeholders contributed to the success of the project (ANZAC Bridge, 2015). Quality The original requirements of construction were fulfilled, but the changing requirements of modern bridges and challenges witnessed after opening the bridge; the client has introduced newer measures. The measures are aimed at investigating and improving on safety fence, access, stay capacity, water ingress and durability and cable vibrations (The Budget Wanderer, 2013). The structural capability of the bridge has been upgraded to fulfill the changing requirements including the increase in traffic. Risks In the construction of any project, risks are inherent and numerous projects strategies to prevent occurrences of risks (MacMahon, 2001). The sustainability requirements and environmental concerns were addressed conclusively, in which the construction met the specifications and expectations (The Budget Wanderer, 2013). Moreover, during the construction period, the international best practices were used to champion the safety requirements (ANZAC Bridge, 2015). The safety requirements were exceptional because Class 1 injuries were not reported. Moreover, the project was completed within the updated budget and time (Lendlease, 2015). In addition, the objectives and scope of the project were achieved because traffic and pedestrians were able to use the bridge (Janssen, 2011). Conclusion Project management is an integral component is ensuring a project is completed according to the scope. It determines the allocation of different resources, quality, risk, scope, and time. The ANZAC Bridge is an example of a project that incorporated the different factors into ensuring it achieves its scope. The use of concrete, reinforced steel, and the design ensure the traffic is effectively, and the span of Johnsons is bridged. The bridge was renamed to ANZAC Bridge because of acknowledgment of the World War I soldiers and the bridge is the longest in Australia based on its structural and technical design. Moreover, the project was accomplished based on the five characteristics of projects. Hence, it can be concluded that the project was completed based on the scope/objectives. References Acrow Bridge. (2012). ANZAC alliance. Retrieved from http://www.bridgeweb.com/MemberPages/Article.aspx?typeid=3&id=2862 ANZAC Bridge. (2015). ANZAC Bridge – Sydney. Retrieved from http://www.groveoz.info/ Boral. (2002). ANZAC Bridge Project Gallery. Retrieved from http://www.boral.com.au/cement/project_gallery/nsw_anzac_bridge.asp Janssen, P. (2011). Worth a detour: New Zealand's unusual attractions and hidden places. ReadHowYouWant.com Lendlease. (2015). ANZAC Bridge Sydney. Retrieved from http://www.lendlease.com/australia/projects/anzac-bridge MacMahon, B. (2001). The Architecture of East Australia: An architectural history in 432 individual presentations. Victoria: Edition Axel Menges. Preston, W. (2009). Sydney for Kids: The choice guide to over 400 fun activities for children in and around Sydney. Sydney: UNSW Press. Stockings, C. (2012). Anzac's dirty dozen: 12 myths of Australian Military History. Sydney: UNSW Press. Sydney Architecture. (2015). ANZAC Bridge. Retrieved from http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/PYR/PYR11.htm The Budget Wanderer. (May 8, 2013). The legacy of the ANZAC Bridge. Retrieved from http://thebudgetwanderers.net/2013/05/08/the-legacy-of-the-anzac-bridge/ Read More