Australia’s leading precast concrete arch solution, TechSpan®, is transforming road and rail construction in mining and transport infrastructure.
These precast engineered arch structures, which are fast and efficient to install onsite, are designed to accommodate high fills, heavy live loads, as well as alternating loading conditions imposed during both installation and in service conditions.
With a 100-year lifespan, Reinforced Earth’s TechSpan® precast concrete arches are utilised across various largescale mining and infrastructure projects.
Recently completed Rozelle Interchange in Sydney uses TechSpan® arches
The WestConnex Rozelle Interchange, in Sydney, New South Wales is a key example of a project utilising TechSpan® arches.
The major transport project transformed Sydney, linking the M4 to the Anzac Bridge and the M8 to the City West Link and Victoria Road, and boasts more than 24 kilometres of interwoven and overlapping tunnels. Reinforced Earth’s TechSpan® arches were utlised in the development of the Interchange’s M4 section, alongside other Reinforced Earth precast products and MSE walls, including more than 100 precast road and bridge barriers and two precast bridge headstocks.
What is TechSpan®?
TechSpan® is a buried precast concrete arch, used for bridges, tunnels, underpasses and crossings.
While sophisticated in terms of design, the solution is simple for planners and builders to incorporate into their bridge and tunnel projects across Australia.
TechSpan® is a three-pin, two-piece, funicular curve-shaped arch, designed and patented by the Reinforced Earth Company, consisting of single or half arch units that meet at the crown, supported by a footing sized for site specific conditions.
As with Reinforced Earth’s mechanically stablised earth (MSE) walls, the backfill around the TechSpan® arch contributes to the resistance of the entire structure, constraining lateral deflections of the arch under vertical loads (soil-structure interaction).
The funicular curve of TechSpan® precast concrete bridges and tunnels minimise the tensile forces in the arch, creating an axially compressed structure, leading to increased durability and cost savings.
TechSpan® technology, which is a result of decades of research and development, is designed to accommodate high fills, heavy live loads and altering loading conditions often associated with mining, industrial and railway applications.
TechSpan® by Reinforced Earth, transforming Australian construction. Try our free design tool to see how our precast arches can be easily integrated into your next project.
