At the start of November, more than 160 designers, landscape architects, product suppliers and Council representatives registered for Fleetwood’s latest round table event – ‘AS 2156 or AS 5100? Choosing the right standard for bridges and boardwalks.’

To discuss the issues, challenges and opportunities presented by both standards, senior members of the Fleetwood Urban Design, Project and Estimating teams were joined by two highly respected independent structural engineers: Liam Sacco, Principal Structural Engineer with Cardno in Sydney and Brett Wall, Senior Engineer – Structures with WSP in Melbourne.

The expert panel

Calling upon their extensive experience in the delivery of bridges and boardwalks across Australia, the panel tackled some curly topics over the course of the 60-minute session – together with a record number of audience questions! The result was another information-packed discussion.



Download the summary here.

Just some of the key highlights of the session included:

• Exploring why there is confusion between AS 5100 and AS 2156
• Identifying when a standard is law and when it’s simply a guideline
• Designing safely and sustainably for the unique context of every structure
• Determining whether a structure is a ‘bridge’ or a ‘boardwalk’
• Considering hybrid solutions that apply elements of both standards to create an ideal outcome
• Understanding the implications of AS 5100 and AS 2156 on a structure’s Design Life and ongoing maintenance requirements
• Having the confidence that AS 2156 structures will always be safe structures
• Analysing the significant cost impacts of designing to AS 5100 vs AS 2156
• Using AS 2156 to help reduce a project’s environmental footprint and deliver a more sustainable community outcome
• Ensuring governing bodies have enough information to be confident in accepting AS 2156 (where it’s appropriate)

“Identifying the right Australian Standard for a new bridge or boardwalk project is absolutely critical. But it can be far from straightforward. We know there’s confusion out there, which is why this session was so valuable. From architects and designers to developers and councils, it’s an important issue for a lot of people, as evidenced by the record number of registrations and questions we’ve received!”

Roger Joyce, Director, Fleetwood Urban

Additional Resources

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