Project: Upper Harbour Bridge

Date:  December 2005

Location:  Auckland

Architect:  Beca

Engineer:  Beca

Contractor:  Fletcher Construction - Civil Engineering

Concrete Supplier:  Firth

Reason for choosing SCC:  SCC was chosen for the tall bridge piers.  These were difficult to compact using conventional concrete, and the contractor has health and safety policy limiting the time that workers can hold vibrators in a 24 hour period.

Type of Unit:  Bridge piers

Outcome:  The piers have an excellent finish and there were no modifications to the formwork to account for increased pressure.  A review of the published literature showed that for the rates of placing that would be achieved, the congealing effect of well-designed SCC could be relied on to reduce the full hydrostatic fluid pressure.

Submitted by:  Graham Frost