Promoting Eco-Friendly Infrastructure and Urban Accessibility Development
The Alfred Street Bridge is a new pedestrian and cycling bridge spanning the Parramatta River, located 24 km west of Sydney’s city center, in Parramatta. With a total investment of AUD 19 million, the project is part of the region’s revitalization and a key factor in the planned transportation infrastructure improvements. Its purpose is to provide an accessible pathway over the river, connecting to the Parramatta Light Rail, popular urban destinations, and the waterfront area. This investment aims to support the creation of an eco-friendly city gateway. New South Wales recently retired Minister for Infrastructure, Cities, and Transport, Robert Stokes, said, “Once these works are completed, more residents will be able to walk, run, or cycle to Parramatta Park, Parramatta CBD, Sydney Olympic Park, the wider M4 cycleways, and the Alfred Street cycle path.”
The Alfred Street Bridge is 4.5 meters wide and nearly 200 meters long and will be Australia’s first true-leaning arch bridge. It features an 80-meter-long, 30-meter-high steel arch that leans over the river, supporting a steel-concrete composite deck. Civil engineering contractor Abergeldie Contractors, based in Regents Park, NSW, bid on this complex project.
To assist in submitting the bid, Abergeldie enlisted construction planning consultants Solid Support, who created a digital presentation to showcase the construction process most clearly and concisely, describing how the bidding company would build the bridge. The aim was to provide an accurate visual insight into the construction method. Solid Support’s BIM Manager, Alexander Stojevski, said, “The animation was created to help the bidding company showcase their approach, highlighting site construction, gantry crane positioning, temporary works, and public management.”
Facing Site, Structural, and Timeline Challenges
Building this iconic bridge posed numerous site and structural challenges, requiring innovative and precise construction methods. Due to the riverside location, Solid Support’s team also had to consider settlement and tree protection. They had to test different construction scenarios and mitigation strategies to minimize environmental impacts, such as the types of sediment control measures required.
Another challenge was minimizing environmental impact and any effects on residents. Therefore, the contractor aimed to build a temporary pedestrian bridge and construct the arch and deck off-site. Both sides of the river are lined with high-rise residential buildings, so the team could only work during the day to minimize disruption to local roads and reduce noise for residents. The plan involved hoisting structural components into place, requiring the team to avoid any mistakes.
Crane assembly and bridge installation were highly complex procedures, necessitating detailed coordination with various NSW government agencies and the skills of specialists worldwide. Solid Support’s BIM Manager, Jim Gao, said, “This is Australia’s first true leaning arch bridge, requiring a large crane to hoist the entire 200-tonne bridge arch in one go.”The hoisting mechanism of this crane uses a winch system to lift heavy loads.
Since this was Australia’s first such bridge, the bidding company needed to demonstrate its installation vision. Stojevski noted, “For this special project, Abergeldie wanted to prove the impact of temporary works on the river.”
Solid Support aimed to create a 4D animation that clearly defined the bridge construction process from start to finish to assist the client in submitting a bid and winning the contract. The animation would help sequence the logistics and movement of equipment, showing which materials needed to be moved to specific locations at specific times. They wanted to innovate the traditional bidding process using 4D modeling to create an accurate visual plan for the construction team. However, they had to deliver this in a short timeframe. Previously, they had used various simulation applications that led to technical failures and rework, causing delays and ineffective client results. Stojevski said, “This meant we needed to deploy reliable software to create the 4D animation to ensure timely delivery to the client.”
Utilizing SYNCHRO to Visualize the Construction Method
Given the importance of time, Solid Support chose the industry-leading Bentley SYNCHRO 4D to visualize the bidding company’s construction method digitally. The software’s reliability and ease of use were key factors in using it from the start. Jim Gao said, “We chose SYNCHRO because of its reliability since we had strict deadlines and could not afford any accidents or errors.”
They used SYNCHRO to link the 3D model with the bidding engineering plan and produced a 4D simulation video. Solid Support relied on the software’s 3D path functionality to create high-fidelity animations of the main bridge arch and crane installation, accurately demonstrating how Abergeldie intended to install the bridge on site. Jim Gao explained, “From the simulation we created in SYNCHRO, stakeholders could see the site boundaries and diverted pedestrian pathways.”
By integrating Bentley’s interoperable construction simulation technology with third-party rendering technology, the basic views were elevated to a true representation of pre-construction operations. The animation also showed that Sydney ferry services could continue operating on the river, except for a limited two-to-three-week closure during the installation of the prefabricated steel bridge.
Once the video animation was completed, the bidding company could identify potential conflicts and areas where the construction method needed to change. Solid Support then worked with Abergeldie to make appropriate changes to the video and create multiple versions. The software provided complete freedom to animate equipment, crane movement, and hoisting strategies. Jim Gao noted, “We were amazed by the freedom it offered. The more information we input, the more realistic the animation becomes.”
4D Simulation Transforms Construction Bidding
Using SYNCHRO 4D, Solid Support completed the work while ensuring deliverables were met. Instead of submitting paper bids or multiple engineering drawings to demonstrate how the construction would proceed, the video was an ideal eco-friendly way to timely and accurately showcase the project. Jim Gao said, “SYNCHRO offers a more immersive and interactive experience because clients can visualize the construction process, making it feel more realistic and engaging.”
Bentley’s application saved 50% of the digital animation production time and helped Abergeldie win the contract. Stojevski added, “The stability of SYNCHRO 4D meant we could always rely on it to complete the work on time and within budget.” If Abergeldie had used grading plans, it would have taken longer and required 20 to 30 engineering drawings. Moreover, they might not have been able to prove the efficiency of their construction method in time, leading to a failed bid. Jim Gao said, “SYNCHRO’s user-friendly interface allowed users to easily navigate the simulation, making it simple to access and view different phases of the construction process.” The construction company collaborated with Solid Support to swiftly submit the digital bid, showcasing their advanced technical capabilities for this unique project.
Solid Support has successfully used SYNCHRO in over 200 projects, making Bentley’s application their preferred bidding software. Jim Gao noted, “SYNCHRO offers powerful analysis capabilities that allow us to identify potential issues and adjust construction plans in real-time. This helps reduce costs and improve overall planning efficiency.” While 4D animation used to be niche, it is now becoming mainstream in construction bidding, and without these simulations, contractors risk losing jobs.
Solid Support’s bidding sales have skyrocketed, and using SYNCHRO has helped them stay ahead of the competition. Jim Gao concluded, “Other software can create beautiful pictures and designs, but the functionality of the technology is lacking. SYNCHRO links real-world results to the animation.” By using SYNCHRO, Solid Support aims to improve how construction firms communicate with their potential clients and win more jobs.