South Pine River bridges replacement

[red dragin]

Came across this e Tender

https://secure.publicworks.qld.gov.au/etender/tender/display/tender-details.do?CSRFNONCE=BFDF7B63228578C9272988C1EFE1282F&id=14818&action=display-tender-details&returnUrl=%2Ftender%2Fsearch%2Ftender-search.do%3FCSRFNONCE%3D1BDEE564F4C489529B8C1C4DCDC8B784%26amp%3Baction%3Dsearch-from-main-page%26amp%3Bkeywords%3Drail

In brief - replacing the double track bridges between Bald Hills and Strathpine over Christmas 2015 during a MBRL track closure (final tie in?). Using the existing (newer) concrete piers with new concrete beams with the aim to enable 100 kph running through that section.

Will be interesting project to watch.

[SurfRail]

Would be nicer if they were spending some bucks on a fourth track all the way from Petrie to Strathpine, upgrading Lawnton, Bray Park and Strathpine, and closing all the LXs in that stretch, but can't have it all I suppose.

[petey3801]

Wow! That surprises me! Will be a great asset when it's done, that's for sure. Those bridges are an absolute pain in the rear!

[red dragin]

Wow! That surprises me! Will be a great asset when it's done, that's for sure. Those bridges are an absolute pain in the rear!

I was trying to find any tender info on KSD and stumbled across it.

Not surprised that's it's frustrating up the pointy end.

[Golliwog]

So does that mean they'll end up with 6 tracks across the South Pine river?

[red dragin]

So does that mean they'll end up with 6 tracks across the South Pine river?

Pulling the steel decks off the twin track bridges and dropping concrete spans back in place onto the concrete piers.

Still only 3 tracks.

[Golliwog]

So does that mean they'll end up with 6 tracks across the South Pine river?

Pulling the steel decks off the twin track bridges and dropping concrete spans back in place onto the concrete piers.

Still only 3 tracks.

Haha, woops. Sorry was tired last night apparently. Miss-read which Pine River bridge it was and for some reason thought it was the North Pine River bridge just south of Petrie where MBR just built a new quad track bridge next to it.

[red dragin]

The old two track bridge on the North Pine is being removed though.

[petey3801]

I'm not honestly sure whether the old bridge will be removed on the North Pine.. There is a new track diagram up on the wall in Petrie crew room which shows there still being two bridges, plus there are only two signals in place on a gantry on the Petrie end coming off the new bridge. They may do a similar thing here and remove the old bridge spans off and replace with new concrete spans? I really don't think the new bridge is wide enough for 4 tracks, but will soon see!!

[red dragin]

There was a notice for the westbound reopening of Leis Parade (the road under the bridges at North Pine) that said it would be closed again later this year to remove the bridge.

That's where I read about it but plans may have changed and just not filtered down yet. Could be a beam swap out (same concrete  pillars as South Pine).

[petey3801]

Yeah, i'd say it would be a span swap out, like the South Pine bridge. By memory there are new piers on the North Pine bridge (like Sth Pine) that they could use as well?

[red dragin]

Tender was awarded 5th of June. $10.9 million (fixed) awarded to JF Hull Holdings in Brendale.

MBRL tour confirmed removal of the old North Pine River Bridge.

[red dragin]

Big crawler crane in place now as well as a road base for it to operate on.

Given its still 2 months away I would have thought it a gamble leaving a crane like that on a floodplain.

[petey3801]

Interestingly,underneath the road base is a lot of old tyres to help keep the ground solid.

[red dragin]

On top of a fabric base as well.

Clever engineering, the fabric allows a quick clean up, the tyres provide support and would slow erosion in a minor flood event.

[red dragin]

Big crawler crane in place now as well as a road base for it to operate on.

Given its still 2 months away I would have thought it a gamble leaving a crane like that on a floodplain.

Turns out the crane is to unload bridge deck sections, already about 8 on the ground.

Local paper reporting three more cranes of similar size to be delivered.  Going to be worth checking out once they get underway.

[red dragin]

Short platform built on the river bank to allow a crane to reach the last deck sections.

Most deck sections appear to be on-site. Each span looks like it will be made of two or three pieces, railings are already bolted to the side pieced

Plenty of sleepers on-site as well. Some rail is stored nearby.

Second crane was delivered and assembled yesterday. Aside from the short time window for the works, there are also overhead high voltage distribution power lines that split the site into two work zones, requiring the four cranes.

[red dragin]

Third crane now in place.

[red dragin]

http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/Community/Projects/Pages/South-Pine-River-and-Tributary-Creek-rail-bridges-upgrade-project.aspx

Has it's own page now. With just over a week to go, the site is pretty busy. Going to try and get a look at the works during the shutdown. My 4 yr old will turn to jelly when he sees the size of the cranes 

[red dragin]

Had a quick sticky beak this morning. No pics as too far for phone camera.

Main bridge:
Looks like as a steel section is removed, redundant pillars are destroyed and then new deck put in. About four spans redecked so far.

Second bridge.
All old deck removed, redundant pillars gone, waiting for new spans to go in.

Down Main showing single yellow northbound. Must still be open for freight?

Some activity around Petrie, looks to be more in preparation for work during the weekdays when penalty rates aren't in place.

[Otto]

I heard there will be a special extra long Freight coming through heading north later today. Just a one of maybe ?

[red dragin]

I heard there will be a special extra long Freight coming through heading north later today. Just a one of maybe ?

When we toured MBRL they said negotiations with the freight companies was the biggest issue they faced with the shut down. They can keep the Down Main open at Bald Hills, around Petrie is the main issue.

[bretto82]

There are 3 freight periods over the shut down Sunday morning x4 trains 2 each way with the long one off Northgate around 830. Tuesday there are x4 not sure of times and Wednesday x7 4x inbound 3 out

[red dragin]

All the bridge decks appear to be in place and the ballast train is on the smaller bridge.

Work still ongoing near Virginia (didn't get a good look) and haven't been through Petrie yet.

[hU0N]

Ballast train? Are they installing ballasted track on the bridge deck? Why do this? Surely a vibration absorbing mounting block of some sort would be a better solution..

[ozbob]

Ballasted track on pre-stressed concrete slabs. 

Upgrades will allow speed increase from 60 to 100 km/h.

[petey3801]

Ballast on concrete slab bridges are quite common. Vast majority of bridges in the suburban network that are concrete are also ballasted (quite possibly all of them).

[#Metro]

When do you choose one over the other? I see some look like teeth braces. For example, I don't think there is any ballast on the Merivale Bridge - you can see straight through to the river if you look down.

[ozbob]

When do you choose one over the other? I see some look like teeth braces. For example, I don't think there is any ballast on the Merivale Bridge - you can see straight through to the river if you look down.

The actual bridge span itself, the track is not ballasted but on the steel girders. That is related to the structure.

The elevated track on the approaches to the span is ballasted.

I think it just depends on the bridge structure and whether or not it can be slab/ballast or fixed to to the actual bridge.

I am no bridge engineer, but my understanding is that where practical it is better to use slabs/ballasted track as reduces maintenance and allows some lateral positioning/variation of the track.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Work still ongoing near Virginia (didn't get a good look)

Track reconditioning and new signaling/points IIRC as part of the MBRL. Can't recall if its new points going in or just swapping the existing ones.

[red dragin]

Work still ongoing near Virginia (didn't get a good look)

Track reconditioning and track realignment/modifications/new signaling in prep for the MBRL IIRC.

Thanks to a slow moving bus waiting for the timetable to catch up I got a good enough look today.

Crossovers in, ballast being spread.

As to the bridge question above, my completely uneducated guess would be that it allows the bridge to move independently to the rail when heating and cooling. The bridge at the North Pine River is also rail on ballast.

[petey3801]

Work still ongoing near Virginia (didn't get a good look)

Track reconditioning and new signaling/points IIRC as part of the MBRL. Can't recall if its new points going in or just swapping the existing ones.

Completely new set of points, Down Main to Middle Road just before the neutral section at Virginia. Should make things a bit more flexible at Northgate in the afternoon peak.

[ozbob]

Glad the weather has been kind for these important works.  Everything should be on track from here.

[ozbob]

From a vehicle .. some photographs







Photographs mufreight 30th December 2015

[Golliwog]

When do you choose one over the other? I see some look like teeth braces. For example, I don't think there is any ballast on the Merivale Bridge - you can see straight through to the river if you look down.

The actual bridge span itself, the track is not ballasted but on the steel girders. That is related to the structure.

The elevated track on the approaches to the span is ballasted.

I think it just depends on the bridge structure and whether or not it can be slab/ballast or fixed to to the actual bridge.

I am no bridge engineer, but my understanding is that where practical it is better to use slabs/ballasted track as reduces maintenance and allows some lateral positioning/variation of the track.

Slabs/ballasted tracks also have a bit better noise control - blocked downwards and sometimes to the sides depending on how tall the side wall is. OTT I think ballasted is a bit quieter than bolted slab. I think. The open steel/timber girder structures would be cheaper but also much noisier.

Maintenance can be neither here nor there. Steel girders bridges inspections would be much easier - you can see all the components easily so can monitor their deterioration and schedule maintenance effectively. Bolted slab would also be similarly easily inspected, and it would be obvious when drain scuppers became blocked. Ballast track (which as Bob noted allows for some variation in alignment if the bed is wide enough) would potentially have issues as ballast would block you from inspecting the top of the deck and if there are blocked drain these could also be hard to spot - short term not an issue but long term water seeping into the concrete could lead to the reo corroding. Only way to properly inspect would be to remove ballast - cost and time. Best bet would be to aim to have drains that don't block or are easily cleaned.

[red dragin]

Speed restrictions seem to have been lifted now.

[petey3801]

Speed restrictions seem to have been lifted now.

Yep, fiiiiiiiiinally! Was around the start of last week sometime I believe.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Trains now running across $168m rail bridge over North Pine River between Petrie and Lawnton

[red dragin]

Some pics including an explanation as to why the park looks like an old railway storage yard.

[tazzer9]

they're not even trying to hide the idea that this is direct copy of what they did with the metropolitan goods line in sydney.