Winner
McLaren Falls Pedestrian Bridge for Western Bay of Plenty District Council, McLarens Falls, Bay of Plenty – Bridge IT NZ
The bridge at McLaren Falls came about through the initiative of the company to develop an innovative solution that met the Councils needs and resolved a problem they had faced for many years. A visually appealing footbridge spanning some 33 meters at an affordable price.
Bridge IT developed the design in collaboration with their designers, Tiaki Engineering, to ensure the bridge could be readily constructed within the tight constraints the site had. This lead to an incremental construction design with component sizes being such that they could be installed across the river from the single crane location available.
Bridge IT managed the risks of component alignment and connectivity by fully constructing the bridge superstructure off site prior to assembly on site. Strict restraints were met by Bridge It to ensure the adjacent road and one lane bridge was available at specific times to provide access for the residents. The company developed strong relationships with the affected parties, keeping them advised of the work proceeding and any changes. Bridge It had a strong focus on Health and Safety, developing work practices to mitigate H&S issues on site particularly around working at height and heavy lifting. They ensured environmental risks around the pristine site were managed well during construction on site.
A job to be proud of and a Council that is grateful to Bridge IT’s initiative.
Judges Dave Macdonald Paul Bishop
