The Tunkawanna-to-Rosella Railway Duplication project involved the construction of seven heavy haul rail bridges, through rugged terrain in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The bridges provide a dual-rail track at this critical section of Rio Tinto’s rail system.

BG&E provided bridge design, and structural and civil engineering services for this project. Specifically, designing bridges that comprised precast prestressed concrete girders to maximise off-site construction, robustness and durability. The bridge foundations are subject to very large railway and flood forces, and ground anchors were used to resist overturning forces, while minimising in-situ works.

Simple and repetitive concrete shapes were adopted to allow re-use of forms and economies of scale. The overall design provided a robust and highly constructible solution, in a harsh and remote environment.