Engineering our industry’s future

By December 16, 2019Uncategorized

For the last two weeks, the team at Madsen Giersing have been heavily involved in Constructionarium Australia’s latest Story Bridge build. Comprising an 8-day programme, 20 young engineers and industry professionals worked as a team to build a 25m long, 4-tonne replica bridge, managing every aspect of construction from tender to handover.

Madsen Giersing’s Lasse Madsen outlined our involvement “We are delighted to have supported the latest Story Bridge build. For any young engineer, it is impossible to place a value on practical experience that supports university learning and professional development.”

As specialists in temporary works, Lasse addressed the cohort and passed on insights that would help the team as they moved through the build phase. “Temporary works play a pivotal role in any construction project and can often define the success of a project’s schedule.”

Using the Hegigio Gorge Pipe Bridge in Papua New Guinea as a case study, Lasse discussed the principals of developing a temporary works strategy. “Hegigio Gorge is a fascinating project due to its remote location, limited access and the sheer scale of its 470m span and 500m gorge depth. Through the use of temporary works, including temporary platforms, access towers, trolleys, and restraint systems, we were able to overcome the challenges the site posed and enable construction to proceed.”

“To complete their bridge build, the team would need to adopt a similar approach, and best consider how to work with their site and resources to effectively construct their structure. I wanted the cohort to think about temporary works being far more than props and formwork and to ensure that they meticulously planned their strategy. In reality, temporary works are structures or systems that can facilitate construction, and in many cases, can be designed to be reused on future projects.”

“Following on from the session, it was great to be approached by the cohort for advice on their construction methodology and to share the passion that they have for Constructionarium Australia. But even more exciting was to see the team implement a temporary works strategy that supported their build and assisted in the on-time and under-budget delivery of their project.”

“As an organisation, we cannot wait to be involved in future builds. Supporting Constructionarium Australia in their mission to provide the next generation of industry leaders with real-world project experience is something of which we are very proud.”