Dora Creek Pedestrian Bridge,
Cooranbong
| Client | Johnson Property Group |
| State | New South Wales |
New bridge unlocks new opportunities at Cooranbong.
Watagan Park is a major urban release near Cooranbong, 120km north of Sydney. As part of its approval for further expansion of the Watagan Park community, Lake Macquarie City Council required the developer, Johnson Property Group, to deliver a new 50-metre clear span pedestrian and cycling bridge across nearby Dora Creek.
Having already completed another bridge in the same area, Fleetwood Urban was contracted by Johnson Property Group to design and construct the new structure. Engaged early in the process, we were able to offer significant input to reduce the inherent project risks – influencing the design, confirming feasibility, informing the budget and creating a methodology that worked for both the client and the site.
Despite major flooding during the construction program, the new bridge was successfully delivered, enhancing the profile of both Johnson Property Group and Watagan Park which was able to proceed to the next stage of its development.
Our involvement.
We were appointed directly by Johnson Property Group, having previously delivered another bridge for them, also in Cooranbong. As the sole contractor, our brief was to design, detail and construct the new cable-stay bridge in alignment with the requirements of Lake Macquarie City Council. To do this, we applied our proprietary project methodology – moving from initial sketches and cost planning, through to engineering, concept design and shop detailing, before final construction and installation on site at Dora Creek.
We worked closely with key the stakeholders from both Johnson Property Group and Council from start to finish, with our involvement running for a period of 11 months. The bridge opened to the public in November 2022.
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Design Challenge
Aesthetically, there was an opportunity for the new bridge to complement other structures across Dora Creek, most notably the historic Cooranbong Swing Bridge built at the nearby Weet-Bix factory site back in 1934. For this reason, a custom twin tower cable-stay approach was chosen.
The design also needed to satisfy strict Council criteria in terms of quality and longevity, including being of sufficient height and span to withstand a 1 in 100-year flooding event. This necessitated a significant clear span of 50 metres. While exploring the option of using AS 2156, the design was ultimately guided by AS 5100 and the Ausroads cycle code.
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Construction Challenge
The sensitive location, coupled with the sheer scale and height of the bridge, provided a number of challenges for crews and equipment. Site access was tricky and crane selection was especially important to avoid damage to the surrounding area. Persistent wet weather – compounded by flooding during the construction window – made site conditions quite treacherous at times.
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Innovations
50 metres represents a major span for a cable-stay pedestrian bridge. The large scale meant traditional cabling was inadequate. Following a global search, we instead specified specialised tension cables, custom-made and imported from Italy. Unique tower angles were also designed to allow for a greater clear span without compromising structural integrity.
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Features
- Twin tower cable-stay bridge
- 50-metre clear span
- 2.8-metre clear width
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Materials
- Painted mild steel support towers (finished with a Coastal specification protective coating)
- Galvanized mild steel superstructure
- Low maintenance FRP decking
- Stainless steel inset rails
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Safety & Risk Considerations
Structurally, the main risk for the new bridge was withstanding future flooding events. This made it essential for the design to rise comfortably above the 1 in 100-year flood level.
From a user safety perspective, great care was taken to ensure the finished structure complied with the Ausroads cycle code for pedestrian shared paths, including a clear width of 2.8 metres that allowed for safe passing in both directions.
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Sustainability Considerations
To preserve the local waterways and catchments, several important steps were taken to minimise the environmental footprint of the new bridge. Low VOC paints and coatings were applied. FRP decking was specified due to its durable/low maintenance properties and high recycled content. Open steel sections were also detailed to minimise the overall weight of the bridge and reduce its embodied carbon.
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Certifications
Environmental Management : ISO14001
Quality Management : ISO 9001
OHS Management : ISO 45001
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