Located on the north shore of the Swan River, the Elizabeth Quay development project was designed and delivered by the State Government to revitalise Perth and embrace one of the city’s best natural assets. Part of the development included the construction of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge, forming an iconic feature of Elizabeth Quay.
The Elizabeth Quay Pedestrian Bridge contract was awarded to DASSH (a JV between Decmil, SRG Limited and Hawkins Civil). DASSH handled the construction of the 110m long, 22m high double arch, cable stay suspension bridge – the first of its kind in Perth. The bridge provides a link from Williams Landing to the new island, reinstating the pedestrian and cyclist access from the Narrows Bridge to the Causeway.
The Bridge is 22m high, 5m wide and suspended over the inlet with a 5.2m current mean clearance. Two 45m spans connect in the middle, with the bridge’s arches sweeping down towards the water to rest on concrete piers supported on piles socketed into the rock bed. The bridge includes feature lighting, distinctive architecture and fit out, allowing cyclists & pedestrians to enjoy the view of the city and quay while allowing recreational vessels to pass underneath.
Innovative structural engineering and detailed civil infrastructure works conducted by the DASSH team were integral to bringing this ambitious architectural design to reality. An extensive amount of design work was undertaken, including structural calculations, hydrostatic analysis and geotechnical investigations to ensure all load cases influencing the sheet piles were dealt with by the beams. Installation was made more challenging because of having to dig below the local water table. The walers were designed with consideration to progressive back fill operations and allowance for staged construction of pile caps, piers and finishing works.