Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................................................1
RESEARCH....................................................................................................................................................................... 3
ANALYSIS/SYNTHESIS......................................................................................................................................................4
 INNOVATIONS/FORWARD THINKING
 POSSIBLE LIMITATIONS/CONSTRAINTS
 ABILITY TO PROVIDE FOR THE ONGOING NEEDS OG THE AREA INTO THE FUTURE
 TECHNICAL DIAGRAM
 JUSTIFY THE MATERIALS TO BE USED
 IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE THE MANUFACTORING PROCESSES

CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this report is to assess the Tunks Creek bridge, refer to the objective and history of the bridge and
propose a new design for a replacement bridge to better serve the demands of the future. The Tunks Creek bridge is
a heritage listed timber Mc Donald truss bridge built in 1893 spanning 20m across Tunks Creek in Galston, NSW,
Australia. In the 19th century timber McDonald truss bridges were very common within Australia and extensively
used in New South Wales because of the high-quality local hardwoods and lack of steel during this period. An
estimated 91 timber McDonald truss bridges were built in NSW now only five remain and three are to be preserved,
Tunks Creek included. 1

Into the 20th century however timber McDonald truss bridges became less common and less favourable across small
creeks and rivers with the introduction of steel to stronger and longer lasting designs e.g. Warren, Allan and
Bowstring. A new design of bridge is needed for Galston Road to facilitate the needs of the future. Below is a list of
problems associated with the current Tunks Creek Bridge:

 This McDonald truss bridge has a narrow deck only 5m wide. There traffic must wait for cars already on the
bridge before crossing causing congestion. Due to the series of tight hairpins and steep descent on the
Hornsby side leading to the bridge this congestion can be especially dangerous during wet weather.

Galston Road (Image 1.1) Tunks Creek Bridge (Image 1.2)

 The bridge is approximately 129 years and made of timber. This means its load bearing capabilities and
structural integrity are much lower than a steel truss. Its vulnerability means it could be damaged or
destroyed in the event of a storm or flood just as the second nearby bridge was between 1937-1942 which
was replaced by a concrete arch bridge. For years of timber truss members that have been subject to local
weather conditions and undergoing stress and strain for over a century a collapse is inevitable. To counter
this the Tunks Creek bridge has undergone 5 modifications and repairs between 1958 and 2019 by replacing
girders, truss members and adding additional supports on each side. These repairs resulted in redirection

1
http://bridges.chookman.id.au/mcdonald/mcdonald.html
 through various roads over a span of a few days shown in image 1.3 and increased travel time by a
minimum of 30 minutes.

‘Galston Road, Galston Gorge Detour Route’ (Image 1.3)2 ‘Tunks Creek Bridge, Galston Gorge, undergoing repairs
(Image 1.4)

‘McDonald Truss Bridges, Galston Gorge, 1893 (Image 1.5)

 Tunks Creek Bridge is positioned on two wooden wingwall abutments roughly 20 metres apart, as a result
dismantling and replacing this bridge with a steel truss would not be viable as the wooden planks would not
be able to take the compressive force and would collapse under its own weight.

‘Tunks Creek McDonald Truss Bridge’ (Image 1.6)

2
https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/social-media-files/galston-rd-closure-tunks-creek-bridge-13jan.pdf
  With the considerations for the future a larger carriageway is needed to increase traffic flow. Using the
‘Annual Average Daily Traffic’ (AADT) from results from ‘transport for NSW’3 and road design guides4 from
‘Austroads’ the desirable carriageway width for two lanes on Galston road is between 7m-8.7m, this means
the current wooden abutment is not wide enough to support the deck of the bridge and must be rebuilt or
another bridge built adjacent to the original.

RESEARCH
The current solution being a McDonald timber truss was at the time an acceptable solution for crossing Tunks Creek
and preferable to the Public Works Department because this design was relatively cheap to construct and used
mostly local materials. Galston Road in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s became the main route for orchardists and
commercial fruit sellers from orchards in Dural, Arcadia and Galston heading to Sydney and the path this bridge
provided later allowed fire-fighting vehicles access from Dural to Hornsby. This meant all commuters passing over
this bridge initially had relatively light vehicles often horse and carriages and later earlier models of automobiles.
McDonald truss bridges were built in Australia between 1880-1902 and were highly developed for these purposes
but eventually were not appropriate for heavy loads such as fire trucks and modern automobiles.

The bridge of Tunks Creek was constructed by NSW Department of Public works in response to agitation for a new
road to shorten distance fruit growers had to travel within the Galston area. The road it follows was a major public
works undertaking costing £4,800. It was difficult task involving the movement of 40,000 cubic yards of rock by hand
with horse drawn drays using ropes, drag lines and pulleys on the steep mountainside. It was also part of the
depression relief scheme to provide work for the poor during the depression of the early 1890’s. Thirteen tenders
were received the lowest of these was £2651 by Francis Boland. It was accepted and construction began in 1893 and
concluded in 1894.

3
https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/about/corporate-publications/statistics/traffic-volumes/aadt-map/
index.html#/?z=16&q=Galston%20Road,%20Galston%20NSW,%20Australia&lat=-
33.660439607912224&lon=151.07561835936&hv=0&id=T0342&tb=0&to=1&di=1

4
https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/hdp.au.prod.app.vic-engage.files/
9415/0364/5787/114._Austroads_Guide_to_Traffic_Management_Part_3_2017_part.pdf
ANALYSIS/SYNTHESIS
The Tunks Creek Bridge is flawed in many ways as mentioned earlier and therefore a new replacement bridge must
be made to address the aforementioned issues and better serve the demands of the existing and future community.
Approximately 10m from the original Tunks Creek Bridge an embankment and wing wall should be made to allow a
smooth turn onto the bridge. This would allow vehicles to easily turn without crossing into another lane or
potentially damaging other vehicles. The proposed Howe bridge will be 8m wide and will have a carriageway 7m
wide with one lane for each direction, the deck will span roughly 24m over Tunks Creek with concrete serving as the
road and will be supported by a precast reinforced concrete abutment. The truss will consist of 6 diagonal truss
members at 45° connected to 5 verticals of 4m on each side as seen below.

‘Proposed Tunks Creek Howe Truss Bridge Dimensions’ (Image 1.7)

Innovations/Forward thinking:

 The new Tunks Creek Bridge is innovative from the original as the two laned road makes trips through
Galston Road quicker and safer.
 Concrete abutments and wing walls provide stability and strength. Learning from the flood of 1942 the
bridges higher elevation from the creek and its strength means any possible large floods in the future may
not damage the bridge at all.
 The addition of 600cm diameter holes evenly spread across the ‘I beams’ decreases the overall weight
significantly while maintaining high compressive strength.
 Replacing a timber McDonald truss with a steel/concrete Howe truss and concrete for road instead of wood
ensures this bridge will not need any repairs for decades possibly centuries.
 The Howe truss bridge is a strong and aesthetically pleasing bridge and leaving significant distance from the
abutment and the creek without any piers to block the waterflow the ecosystem and nearby wildlife remain
unaffected.

Possible limitations/constraints:

Unfortunately the proposed Tunks Creek Howe Truss Bridge is subject to various limitations especially during the
construction process. The deck of the proposed bridge is approximately 24m in length and 8 metres wide, each
vertical member is 4 metres long and each diagonal 5.86m in length. For transport flatbed trucks with tray
dimensions of 6.85m5 and 4.3m6 are to be used with 6m segments of weathering steel ‘I beams’ individually
transported. Transport of resources is severely limited down Galston Road as these trucks from
5
https://sctr.com.au/vehicle/trucks/flatbed-trucks/6-tonne-tray-truck/
6
https://sctr.com.au/vehicle/trucks/flatbed-trucks/12-tonne-tray-with-container-pins/
‘SoutherCrossTruckRentals’ narrowly have the acceptable turning circle for such tight hairpins and are only slightly
below the 7.5m maximum length7 permitted down Galston Road towards Tunks Creek. Standard cement trucks are
appropriate for Galston Road and all concrete must be poured in-situ as the abutments are too large to be precast
and transported to the site.

From on sight inspection, at least one tree and nearby flora must be removed to provide room for the proposed
bridge. For this to occur Hornsby Council permission is needed. During construction, vehicles and workers will have
little room to work, as a solution, the embankment and road to the current Tunks Creek Bridge will be occupied by
cranes during construction. Due to this a detour route similar to the maintenance from 2019 will be implemented by
Transport for NSW. Additionally, due to the design of the proposed bridge and distance from each abutment the
maximum clearance of the proposed bridge is 4m, in accordance to guidelines from the Roads and Maritime Services
adequacy of measured vertical clearance must be confirmed on sight and a signpost with a minimum safety margin
of 100mm shall be erected and clearly displayed on each end. When the proposed Tunks Creek Howe Truss Bridge is
finalised the original Tunks Creek McDonald Truss Bridge must be blocked off from Galston Road indefinitely.

Ability to provide for the ongoing needs of the area into the future:

A steel howe truss bridge adjacent to the original Tunks Creek Bridge would be an excellent replacement and
addresses every problem stated in the introduction:

1. This replacement bridge is very valuable to the Hornsby shire as its two lanes will streamline traffic flow in
Galston Road which has shown increasingly high levels of activity between 2015 and 2018 8 and will likely
continue this trend after COVID restrictions and cases disappear.
2. The innovative steel design insures no repairs will be needed into the future and therefore no delays in the
area will be experienced for centuries.
3. Constructing the new Howe Truss Bridge 10m adjacent from the current Tunks Creek Bridge will provide
future generations with tangible history as destroying a 129-year-old heritage listed bridge with only 4
others like it in NSW would spark public outrage and destroy an important part of Dural’s history.
4. Entering Berrowra Valley National Park and lying directly adjacent to the ‘Great North Walk’ 9 Galston Road is
an important destination for tourists and locals and constructing this replacement bridge will not only
preserve the architectural history of Dural but would bring attention to Berowra Valley National Park and
assist the ‘National Parks & Wildlife Service’ in reporting illegal dumping and spreading awareness of
Sydney’s shrinking National Parks.

7
https://www.google.com/maps/@-33.6556244,151.0631627,3a,75y,66.4h,83.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-
b8g5TzpI9EtPCVzCtOFjg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
8
https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/about/corporate-publications/statistics/traffic-volumes/aadt-map/
index.html#/?z=17&q=Galston%20Road,%20Galston%20NSW,%20Australia&lat=-
33.660439607912224&lon=151.07561835936&hv=0&id=T0342&tb=1&to=0&di=1
9
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/berowra-valley-national-park/map
Technical diagram:

Proposed Bridge Force Analysis (Image 1.8)

Howe truss: Blue members in tension, Red members in compression

Give reasons why certain shapes, cross-sections etc are to be used within the structure:

Within this truss module there is 10 isosceles right triangles, these were used as isosceles triangles and equilateral
triangles are the best shape to evenly distribute load within this structure. This distribution of loads leads to
members being in tension and compression, by distributing forces in this way the trusses individual members don’t
have to take as much force and instead evenly support eachother so the bridge can support more force without
collapsing.

Along each ‘I beam’ situated on each side of the bridge is twelve 600mm diameter holes. These holes were added
carefully into the structure to reduce the overall weight while also maintaining high compression and tension
strength. To design this and maintain this strength each hole is centrally placed, eccentricity of the hole is avoided
and each hole is 10% the total span away from each support10. Ideally each hole should be placed on a part of the
deck that experiences low shear force, this would prevent the likelihood of deformation in the beam but
unfortunately as many holes had to be introduced as possible since much weight needed to be shed and this was
unavoidable.

This was especially significant in the wooden model, adding these holes reduced weight by 25% with little impact on
its load bearing capabilities. The reason steel ‘I beams’ within the structure have circular holes is because by
removing a circle the load is spread evenly across the side. When subjected to vertical forces the circular hole acts as
a rectangular hole, this is represented in (Image 1.9) (b). If a rectangle of equal size to the effective size as illustrated
below is used then less material and therefore weight would be shed with the same effect as the circle.

10
Steel beams with web openings.
 (Image 1.9)

For added strength steel rings will be welded within these openings to provide reinforcement. Doing so will greatly
strengthen the weak points of the opening while expending little weight and resources, this also proves to be an
aesthetically pleasing solution.

(Image 2.0) (Image 2.1)

Justify the materials to be used:

In designing a bridge engineers must be aware of the forces and loads that can be applied to the bridge in many
different ways, some include compressive forces, tensile forces, torsional forces and shear forces. Loads are present
as dead loads, live loads, impact loads and wind loads. To resist the compressive dead load of the bridges own
weight the proposed Tunks creek Howe truss bridges superstructure and truss module will be supported by two pre
cast concrete abutments and four wingwalls. Concrete is used because the granite aggregates within the
microstructure are very strong in compression. Mixed with cement and water the gaps between the aggregate is
filled and held in place performing exceptionally with the correct ratio. Concrete is a reasonable and reliable material
to be used in the abutments for its relative ease of transportation, compressive strength, cost and availability of
trained workers who can work with this material.
 Concrete microstructure (Image 2.2)

To resist the compressive, tensile, torsional and shear forces from live, wind and dead loads present the bridges deck
will be made from pre-stressed concrete. This composite material is commonly implemented into many construction
projects as concrete, while great in compression is weak in tension as the grains and aggregate slip ultimately
cracking. To transfer and assist in tension forces steel tendons within the bridge will undergo gradual tensioning
from each end of the member decreasing their diameter, concrete is then cast onto a steel casting bed below the
tendon and surrounds it. Concrete and steel tendons are used together as a composite as they are very strong in
compressive, tensile, torsional and shear forces and will likely resist high impact loads experienced in floods. This
composite also allows the deck to be thicker than without a tendon and is a common composite used in many
construction projects.

(image 2.3) (Image 2.4)

The superstructure and truss module of this proposed bridge will be made from weathering steel to resist the
compressive and tensile forces experienced in dead, live and wind loads. This is a high strength low alloy steel that
may be left unpainted due to the formation of “Patina”, a protective rust, this will slow the corrosion rate 5 to 10
times more than uncoated mild steel. It will also be very strong in tension and compression within the truss structure
and will resist compressive forces with the utilisation of ‘I beams’ within the deck and (subjectively) will be
aesthetically pleasing in the current environment of Tunks Creek.
Identify and describe the manufacturing processes:

The proposed Tunks Creek bridge will be constructed 10m adjacent to the original Tunk Creek McDonald truss
bridge. Initially a detailed contour survey of the surrounding area by ‘Summit Geomatic’ 11 will be completed and
reviewed by the engineer. Co-ordinates and dimensions are marked for the abutments and embankment using a
TS1612 an additional detailed 3D scan of the local geography by a ‘Leica RTC360 3D Laser Scanner’13 will also be
obtained. This will provide the engineer and workers with a detailed summary of the site without travelling down
Galston Road saving time and preventing possible workplace injuries.

On the day of construction Galston Road will need to be closed until construction is complete and a detour route
identical to that of 2019 will be implemented by Transport for NSW. Due to the lack of area and accessibility to the
designated construction zone many construction workers and vehicles will be parked along Galston Road. Each side
of the original Tunks Creek bridges embankment will be occupied by two ‘Chalenger 3160 all terrain cranes’. These
were chosen as they have the necessary turning circle and are below the minimum length of vehicle permitted down
Galston road. An embankment leading to the proposed bridge will be formed then two pre cast concrete abutments
will be transported by two flatbed trucks from ‘SothernCrossTruckrentals’ 14 and positioned exactly 24m apart from
each side of the creek.

‘55T Demag Challenger 3160 all-terrain crane’ (Image 2.5). ‘FUSO 6 Tonne Tray Truck’ 6.85m (Image 2.6)

Ten weathering steel ‘I beams’ of 4m, twelve 5.86m, five 7m and eight of 6m will be transported 4 at time by flatbed
trucks previously mentioned. These materials are transported in multiples of 4 as to not exceed the weight limit of
these trucks while also limiting the number of travels and trucks needed to transport all beams to the construction
site. Over the course of the following days the bridges deck and truss will be erected by onsite workers and the
available all terrain cranes. Once the steel Truss module is erected and the deck steel framing is in position steel
tendons along the bridges deck are positioned within the frame and through the abutments they are then pre
stressed on each end by multiple pre tensioning jacks.

11
https://summitgeo.com.au/
12
https://leica-geosystems.com/products/total-stations/robotic-total-stations/leica-ts16
13
https://leica-geosystems.com/
14
https://sctr.com.au/
 Tensioning Jack (Image 2.7)

This process usually takes 6-8 hours and no other construction will be able to take place during this time. The next
day cement trucks will travel down Galston Road, on sight the cement, aggregate and water are mixed. Once all
tendons are adequately pre tensioned a steel casting bed is installed, this will be permanent and allows the concrete
to be poured in situ around the tendons. This process, once complete, will create pre tensioned concrete. After this
concrete sets all that is left is the appropriate road signs and safety clearance signs. Once the bridge is evaluated by a
representative of Roads and Maritime Services and the original Tunks Creek bridge is blocked by concrete barriers
the Proposed Tunks Creek Howe Truss Bridge is complete.

(Image 2.8) Pre tensioned concrete (Image 2.9)

CONCLUSION
The purpose of this proposed Tunks Creek Howe Truss Bridge is to replace the existing Tunks Creek McDonald Truss
bridge to better serve the demands of the future. To achieve this the proposed bridge will solve the problems
associated with the current solution; 5m one lane carriageway, constant repairs causing detours and delays,
difficulty finding skilled tradesmen and materials for style of bridge when repairs are needed, vulnerability to flash
floods and inadequate abutments. The proposed Steel Howe Truss bridge will be successful in resolving all of these
problems and in doing so will accommodate for the future community.

This replacement bridge will be very beneficial to the Hornsby shire community and will solve all problems previously
mentioned. The proposed bridges 7m wide carriageway and two lanes will streamline traffic flow in Galston Road.
Currently because this bridge has only a single lane, individual vehicles must wait for others to cross before they can
begin, slowing overall travel time and causing congestion. Estimates from NSW government in ‘2019 NSW Population
Projections’15 indicate that Hornsby’s population will increase by 27,400 people between 2016 and 2041. Together
with these projections and statistics from ‘transport for NSW16 which have shown increasingly high levels of activity

15
https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/-/media/Files/DPE/Factsheets-and-faqs/Research-and-demography/Population-
projections/2019-Hornsby.pdf
16
https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/about/corporate-publications/statistics/traffic-volumes/aadt-
map/index.html#/?z=17&q=Galston%20Road,%20Galston%20NSW,%20Australia&lat=-
33.660439607912224&lon=151.07561835936&hv=0&id=T0342&tb=1&to=0&di=1
between 2015 and 201817 it is evident that in the future the demand for fast transport and adequate roads will
increase within Hornsby shire. With the use of modern technology e.g. power tools, pre-tensioned concrete and
weathering steel, many workers will have the necessary skills to construct and possibly repair the bridge at any time,
the proposed Howe Truss Bridge will likely not need any repairs in the following decades reducing detours and
thanks to large pre cast concrete abutments it is doubtful that in the event of a flash flooding it will be damaged. Its
additional carriageway width will be successful in streamlining traffic on Galston Road and replacing the current
Tunks Creek Bridge with the proposed Howe Truss Bridge will improve upon the current bridges shortcomings and
better serve the demands of the future in all these ways.

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17
https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/about/corporate-publications/statistics/traffic-volumes/aadt-map/
index.html#/?z=17&q=Galston%20Road,%20Galston%20NSW,%20Australia&lat=-
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