42 | Eastbridge A bridge to the future of design Hugh de Lacy This shared-user bridge on the Te Awa cycleway is another local government project completed by Eastbridge. “Companies that are not looking to the future and focussing on efficiency will be left behind in a few short years.” ENGINEERING The only company of its kind in New Zealand, Napier’s Eastbridge Ltd not only specialises in fabricated steel for bridges and other large infrastructure projects but will also assist with their design if necessary too. Sited within a couple of kilometres of the Port of Napier, Eastbridge operates out of 8000sqm of workshops on a 5.2ha site, employing a staff of more than 120 producing steel structures for a range of heavy infrastructure projects. Typically the steelwork is shipped out to the Pacific Islands or distributed by road throughout the country. One of the few steel fabricators in New Zealand that can manufacture parts over 100 tonne, the current boom in infrastructure construction has Eastbridge working close to full capacity. “The industry is busy with full workloads being exacerbated by material supply issues and the difficulty in finding skilled staff,” Eastbridge General Manager Jayden Mellsop says. “Steel fabrication is diverse within New Zealand, and many manufacturers are advancing and reinvesting in improved technology processes,” says Jayden. “Industry 4.0 is a term being used to describe the modernisation and automation of the steel manufacture and the fabrication process. “Companies that are not looking to the future and focussing on efficiency will be left behind in a few short years.” Driven by public demand and awareness, clients are increasingly demanding that sustainability criteria is evaluated when deciding on the structural form, construction and overall lifespan of an asset. Steel has inherent properties that yield very good results when considering the full ‘cradle to grave’ lifespan of the material, says Jayden. “The high energy inputs required to manufacture raw steel are offset and won back over time because the material has such a long lifespan and can be reused multiple times. “Our industry research association (HERA) and the Sustainable Steel Council are focussed on providing support, guidance and information to its members so that fact based and informed decisions can be made at all levels of the supply chain. “This stands our domestic fabrication industry in good stead long-term to deliver largescale projects in New Zealand and compete with international fabricators.” Most of the demand for Eastbridge’s steelwork comes from national road and rail network projects, and from local government projects like shared user-path bridges over motorways and waterways. Construction contractors working on heavy and large-scale off-shore projects are another source of demand, as are the Pacific Islands states of Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Fiji “We have a good forward work-load and are focused on provision of fabricated steelwork for the infrastructure market,” Eastbridge director Bruce Mellsop says. The company was founded on its present site in the early 1970s and bought in 1996 by the current owners who have since embarked on a steady programme of modernisation and expansion. Recently completed projects include Te Ara a Toa (BR20) over Cannons Creek at Transmission Gully, viaduct bridges for Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway involving more than 4000t of steel. Projects in progress include the Old Mangere Bridge in Auckland, and the Peacockes Bridge over the Waikato River in Hamilton which has huge 105t box girders to be fabricated and trucked to the site. Iconic South Island builds include the gateway arches at Christchurch International Airport, and the elegantly curved Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown. “Many designs now place value form as well as so the structures become a piece of urban artwork as well as just a bridge. “This often means more complexity due to curved surfaces and complementary materials being used in tandem with steel structures,” Jayden Mellsop says. “These complex and visually striking structures are fun to build and provide great opportunities for those within the industry looking to grow their skills.” 06 842 0348 www.ramagesheet.co.nz laser@ramagesheet.co.nz
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