Tensile collaborated on Hobart’s award-winning Bridge of Remembrance project by supplying and installing the stainless steel Webnet mesh balustrade.
Webnet mesh is an ideal material for a bridge safety barrier such as this, due to its high strength, durability, transparency and adaptability.
The material also has very low maintenance requirements, making it a cost-effective solution for the long term.
The unique bridge design
The 200m long, 4m wide pedestrian and cycle bridge is situated over the busy Tasman Highway. It creates a subtle arched shape over the highway, ranging from 5.4m to 6.5m in height.
The bridge links two significant places of commemoration – the Cenotaph monument and Soldiers Memorial Avenue on the Queens Domain.
The bridge has a very unique twisting plane design, with a steel box girder deck and steel box structure for the ‘wings’. The cladding is made from anodised aluminium panels.
The $11 million structure was commissioned by the City of Hobart and partially funded by the Anzac Centenary Public Fund. DCM (Denton Corker Marshall) Architects designed the bridge, and worked in partnership with Arup for engineering and lighting. The builders were Fulton Hogan for the main construction and Haywards Builders for the steel fabrication.
To minimise disruption to traffic, the bridge was installed over a weekend road closure.
A safe balustrade that complements the design
For the balustrade, we used 40mm aperture-opening mesh made from 1.5mm stainless steel wire. The mesh sheets we used were sized full-length in order to minimise installation time and maximise efficiency.
We used 40mm for the aperture size of the mesh to maximise non-climbability. Mesh of 40mm (or smaller) is the generally accepted standard in the industry for preventing footholds and handholds, which in turn significantly reduces the risk of climbing and jumping from the structure.
Webnet’s excellent strength and durability means the barrier should last 25 years or more with minimal maintenance, even considering heavy crowd use. The material’s light and translucent appearance also creates minimal disruption to views or interference with the design intent.
Finished project wins awards
As well as being functional and elegant in appearance, the bridge was designed to be respectful to cultural heritage and environmental values.
It has won numerous awards. These include:
- 2021 Idea-Tops International Space Design Awards: Best Transportation Space Award.
- 2021 AIA National Architecture Awards: National Commendation for Urban Design.
- 2020 AIA Tasmanian Chapter: the Dirk Bolt Award for Urban Design.
- 2019 Australian Urban Design Awards: Commendation for Built Projects – Local and Neighbourhood Scale.
The jury citation for the 2019 award describes the bridge as a “heroic yet sophisticated gesture that provides an important connection and new landmark for Hobart’s visitors and residents.”
Tensile is very proud to have collaborated on a project of such cultural and architectural significance, and looks forward to many similar projects in the future!
