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civil projects
Makatote Viaduct Bridge
Makatote Bridge is a historical railway viaduct on the southwestern slopes of Ruapehu, which bridges the Makatote Gorge. It was first built in 1908 and refurbished from 2014-2016. TBS Farnsworth were head contractors of the refurbishment. They worked with Opus International Consultants to generate a brief on the current condition of the structure, the environment, and a coating design life of at least 50 years before full replacement would be required.
After OPUS carried out a capacity assessment, TBS recommended increasing the axle load of the bridge. The axle load was strengthened to a trestle pier of 262m long and 79m high at the foot of Mt. Ruapehu National Park.
TROW Group was contracted by TBS for construction design.
10 minutes from Mt Ruapehu National Park.
- Harsh weather conditions.
- Live rail and road (level crossing installs).
- Multiple stakeholders interfaces to manage (KiwiRail, AT and Auckland Council).
- Remote locations for materials.
- Post-tensioning and strengthening unable to be done under live load from train movements.
- Severe section loss in existing members requiring substantial replacement.
Start: June 2014
Finish: May 2015
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