CRL was engaged by Minicon to undertake the replacement of two bearings on a heritage-listed pedestrian bridge in Melbourne as part of broader redevelopment works.

The existing roller rocker bearings had not been maintained and were no longer capable of performing as designed. These were replaced with Granor Series B sliding bearings to accommodate current structural requirements and integrate with adjacent infrastructure upgrades.

The replacement process posed several challenges due to limited clearance between the base plate and bridge footing. As a result, low-profile hydraulic jacks with restricted stroke lengths were required, necessitating the bridge lift to be executed in multiple incremental stages.

Further complexity was introduced by the bridge’s heritage status and lead-based protective coating, which prohibited the use of mechanical bracing or support attachments to the bridge structure. These constraints demanded a carefully coordinated and non-invasive approach.

Despite encountering undocumented design conditions during the works, CRL completed the project within the constrained program timeline and without disruption to surrounding critical activities, demonstrating strong problem-solving capabilities and adaptability in heritage-sensitive environments.

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