Strengthening of the heritage listed stock subway bridge

Stock subway Bridge is a two span reinforced concrete beam and slab bridge located on Epson Road in Kensington, Victoria. The bridge was built in 1911 to provide a subway for stock crossing Epsom Road. The bridge was originally designed for a 16 tonne steam roller. The heritage-listed bridge is significant because it is an intact representative example of the innovative work of John Monash and the Reinforced Concrete and Monier Pipe Construction Co. Today the bridge provides vehicular and pedestrian access over a pedestrian walkway. During a Level 2 bridge inspection flexural cracking was indentified in the deck of the bridge over the pier and shear cracks were observed in the beams adjacent to the supports. A subsequent level 3 inspection and load rating was undertaken and it was found that the bridge did not have an adequate rating factor for current legal vehicles. It was concluded that the bridge had been damaged due to overloading. Pitt and Sherry subsequently designed a strengthening solution to solve the problems identified without changing its appearance and without significant disruption to the public. This project is a good example of how following the hierarchy of the level 2 and 3 inspections can lead to the identification and mitigation of risks associated with bridge infrastructure. (a) For the covering record of this conference, please refer to ITRD abstract no E218285.