What was the role of Steel Detailing in the construction of the Lachlan's Line Bridge?

It is always a moment of pride when you have been acknowledged and appreciated for the work and the time that has been spent on the project which has given an open opportunity of being appreciated and nominated for the project.

Indeed, we at Silicon Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd, feel proud and honored on being nominated as well as receiving the prestigious award by Australian Steel Institute for providing Structural Steel Detailing Services in delivering as well as building up the design and drawings for Lanchlan’s Line Pedestrian Bridge, Sydney.

The winning moment and the award that we have been honored is “2020 NSW and Act Steel Excellence Awards” and winner of Engineering Projects.

About Company

Silicon Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd is a leading Engineering and CAD Outsourcing company based in Adelaide, Australia. Our pool of services includes all major types of engineering services, detailing services, BIM services, architectural and structural services, etc in one single roof. With experience of over 13 years, we have bagged and served a lot many projects specifically in Australia as well as other parts of the countries as well.

The company is having an in-house team of well-trained engineers, designers, modelers, architects, who have sound knowledge in giving advice and details that are required in the projects on which the ultimate aim is to have result-oriented delivery of the work that our valued clients expect from us.

Let us now proceed further, and share with you factual information about the Lachlan’s Line Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge for which we have been awarded and it was for sharing steel detailing design and drafting services in it.

Project Details

Now let us proceed further, and share with you the details about the award-winning project. Lachlan’s Line pedestrian and cycle bridge is an award-winning helical-shaped steel structure, bright blue in color and 178m in length, that connects the Macquarie Park precinct to North Ryde station in Sydney.

Silicon Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd was responsible for providing and assisting steel detailing services in the entire construction of the project that considers from its start to its end. Moreover, it is not all wrong in saying that “The design of the bridge is unique in structure and for that, it is necessary that the team along with the firm need to think out of the box” to create the same.

Without any doubt, it was that when the company bagged the project, there were a lot many questions that the team was having, and along with that the challenges the team had to face. Well, no matter what all challenges the team has faced, in the end, all the hard work was paid and this achievement gave us a moment of pride and honor.

Materials used and case study of the project :

Let us now proceed further and have a check on the list of the raw materials that were being used for the inception of the entire project.

Declaration of the Project - September 2013
Company Name - Landcom Company
Delivery Timing: 2015- 2025
Location: Bounded by Epping Road and the M2 Motorway, 15km from Sydney
Project Value - Lachlan’s Line Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge project is worth $40million
Steel Used in (tonnes) - 335 tonnes
Developed Steel Structure- 170m
Number of doubly- curved nodes - 164
New Residents - 5000 resident
The diameter of Helix Shape - 2.3 m
Service Undertaken - Structural and Steel Detailing Services
Sizing - Width - 7.8 m in diameter. Base - Slimmest as 5.5 m
The uniqueness of the Project - Located between North Ryde and Macquarie Park stations
Facility Provided - It facilitates two railway stations, bus transport, and the M2 Motorway

Challenges :

The overall bridge was divided into four parts, and they were Helix, Deck, Pier, and Abutments.

The overall length of the bridge is 17mtr and to understand the entire details of the bridge our team of steel detailers had divided the bridge into four parts from the helix and seven parts from the deck. The concept of dividing the bridge was to make sure that the installation and transportation of these parts were done easily and comfortably.

To make it more understandable here is the image shared that shows the parts where the team of steel detailers and the engineers have worked and this was the process that made it easy for them to continue and divide the work to take it further.

Here is the detail shared as per the viewpoint of a detailer who was involved in the project.

Now moving further, let us check the challenges that the team has undergone and how those were taken into consideration to make sure that there is no chance of any error or mistake. The detailed list of challenges is as mentioned below.

Helix :

The main center of attraction of the bridge is the outer frame of the bridge which is none other than Helix.

It was the team of four engineered lifts/segments who have assisted in the process of construction of the helix part of the bridge. Since the part, the outer part of the helix is having a spiral structure, the details of the parts were like nodes, chords, and diagonal chords.

Now, as they say, every attractive thing that comes up is not easy, it always has major complexities and by solving each one of them, the final result comes up is well-finished. This is where Helix too had a lot many. So, let us check each one of them.

The very first step was to understand the entire geometry of the helix. Also, to know the helix the team here was required to know the diagonal chord which was again a challenge.

The shape of the diagonal chord was in a curved shape and was in different directions that make it more twisted with fine curves. The process of this twisted diagonal chord was considered in connecting onto one junction that is called Nord and that too in six different ways. The design was looking like an octopus spreading his legs in different ways. (Refer to the image as shared below)
The team was facing an issue in the process of bending the hot-rolled member. It was the need for getting the accurate shape of the curve. Thus, to overcome this challenge, the engineers here made these members into four plates and this was then welded together.
Since the process of getting the design and modeling was not possible with the use of simple components use of additional software, techniques, and plug-ins were taken into consideration. (Refer to the image)
Another challenge here was the shapes of the helix. The shapes were their curves and twisted design which was not at all easy to model by using simple tools. This is why the team requested the software company to assist them with advanced tools for the project that was the requirement from our end.
Creating something unique also required time of more than an 8-hour job and this was also over and above the standard pattern. For this process too, it was our team who had to think from the point of view of a fabricator.
To prepare a single drawing, the team have used different tools and more than one software. Moreover, to finalize the single drawing of a Helix too contained efforts of hours and hours.

Deck :

After the work of the Helix was done, the team of engineers and steel detailers thought that the work of designing the deck would be easy and not so complex as that compared to the Helix. But as they say, all attractive things are not available at an easy cost. Similarly, there were challenges faced while designing and drafting the part of Deck as well.

The overall design of the deck was required to going hand-in-hand with the slopes of the helix. It was considered to give a convenient and effective way to the people for an easy walk to the local residents.
Considering this point it was necessary to maintain the curves of the deck and that too with the most important terms of infrastructure, which was indeed not that easy and accurate.
The division of the deck was done in 7 different segments. This was only because of its complexity of the work that was required in each segment.
The challenge here was the process of creating each segment because the requirement of the client was to have a single assembly for each. This was therefore very hard to cover each and every assembly drawings.
The work of covering one segment of detailing, the team here was required to create 10 numbers of A1 sheets and this was only for one assembly. So, you can easily count as to how much then was required to create it’s 7 segments.
The process of making the deck was from the floor plate, balustrade, mesh frame, top, and handrails
To prepare a single drawing, the team have used different tools and more than one software. Moreover, to finalize the single drawing of a Helix too contained efforts of hours and hours.
The most difficult part of the deck was the design of its floor plate. It was only because of its slope, curve, and twist.
Later on, to overcome this challenge, there were a lot many efforts taken into consideration. The team here has to use ultra-advanced tools and plug-ins that made it easy to finalize the 1st segment of the floor plate and that too as per the demand of the client. This process was indeed not so simple as that it was looking alike.
The deck is owning diverse sets of services like stormwater drainage, electrical lighting, conduit pipes, and each one of those were connecting to the deck within steel supports which was quite difficult as the deck is inside of helix and there is very little space to manage those things exposing out from the deck.
We need to check and coordinate throughout all 7 segments for the clash to happen and need to change steel supports at every junction to remove the clash.
It was very hard for the team to provide assistance and support to the rail and that too with the standard height which was from the deck. Here it was necessary to maintain the slope of the helix and that is why the team had to change the balustrade geometry.
Also, it was the team who had to make sure to take care that these patterns should not be forgotten for the arrangement of balustrade and the homogeneous pattern that looks so unique and perfect in its own style.

Conclusion :

The article shared here clearly specifies the challenges and the overall case-study of the entire project. It was the team of engineers who made it possible to complete the complex project and it was all with the understanding of the entire concept of the project and the need of the client.

It is that because of all the hard work, and the skills on which our company and engineers were tested and were all successful. This is why we were being appreciated, honored, and bestowed for the project that indeed made us realize our capabilities beyond our expectations.

By adhering to all the necessary codes, international standards, and practices we are committed to delivering the work that our customer demands from us and with this said no matter how complex or easy the project requirement is we are the leading consultants when it comes to engineering services or detailing services.

Connect with us to know more about the services or to outsource your project. Email us at - info@siliconec.com.au or can also fill the inquiry form and the team will reply to you with respective detail.

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