Marr Contracting was awarded the subcontract after being involved in developing the methodology for installation.
The 460m-long cable-stayed pedestrian bridge is being built for Brisbane City Council under a design and construct awarded in 2021 to Connect Brisbane, which is led by BESIX Watpac (link opens in new tab). Connect Brisbane also includes Rizzani de Eccher, WSP, Dissing & Weitling, Blight Rayner, Aspect Studios, Right Angle Studios and Rowland.
Marr was engaged by Connect Brisbane early in the design phase to develop a lifting strategy that supported the preferred construction methodology. Besix Watpac project director Tim Deere said: “Our in-house engineering team was instrumental in identifying this crane at tender phase as the preferred lifting solution for the project. After comparing barge crane and tower crane options, the team confirmed the M2480D was the most suitable crane in the Australian market capable of lifting the fully assembled mast head.”
The key challenge was how to construct the 83m-tall bridge mast while minimising potential impacts on the public ferries and private vessels that use the Brisbane River daily. Working with Marr’s Brisbane-based engineers, Robert Bird Group, Marr developed a solution using an M2480D heavy lift luffing tower crane with a 64m-long boom installed on a platform in the middle of the river. The heaviest lift the tower crane will undertake for the project is 180t and will be the 28m-tall prefabricated steel masthead.
“Reaping the benefits of modularised construction with fewer, heavy lifts is not only helping to deliver a safer, more productive site; but also allowing our client to share the economic benefit delivered by the project by engaging more South East Queensland businesses away from the workfront,” said Marr’s managing director, Simon Marr.
Marr’s scope of work will include more than 10 major lifts and general construction lifting requirements over a period of 12 months. Marr’s M2480D arrived on site in January. It has now been erected and commissioned, and completed its first lift – a 25m by 25m working platform.
The bridge is due for completion in 2024.
