Canberra Times: Bridge collapse: contractor says plans to blame

[Paul Rands]

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/bridge-collapse-contractor-says-plans-to-blame/1926339.aspx

Bridge collapse: contractor says plans to blame

Heavy equipment moves in to clear up debris from the Barton Highway bridge collapse. Photo: GARY SCHAFER

BY MICHAEL INMAN

29 Aug, 2010 09:45 AM

A FORMWORK contractor has broken his silence to claim shoddy plans, not construction, were to blame for the Barton Highway bridge collapse.

Speaking to the Sunday Canberra Times, Reynders Constructions managing director Marty Reynders said he followed approved designs when constructing formwork for the bridge, which collapsed during a concrete pour on Saturday, August 14.

Mr Reynders said he welcomed an engineering report which found formwork design flaws caused the accident.

''An expert and independent investigation by [Snowy Mountains Engineering Company] on behalf of Roads ACT into the cause of the collapse of the formwork found that there were critical design errors,'' Mr Reynders said.

''Our works were constructed fully in accordance with the designs produced.''

The bridge formwork collapsed on to the Barton Highway during the concrete pour of the main deck, injuring 15 workers.

SMEC blamed the collapse on a lack of bracing for the formwork the temporary support structure used to hold the wet concrete in position until dry leaving it too weak to support the 500 cubic metres of concrete.

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Paul Rands
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