Not all our composite bridges are large in span or designed to carry heavy loads, SIS were recently approached to assist with design elements and the supply of FRP component materials for four bridges, to replace aged timber structures along a mountain bike trail and walking track at Melrose, in the southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. The town of Melrose is famous for its tracks and trails stretching over 80 kilometres in the foothills of Mount Remarkable, showing some truly special Australian landscapes for those with a love of nature, tranquility and adrenaline. SIS FRP materials were the material of choice for their durability in any environment, a 50 plus year design life and their light weight nature making remote installation much easier and more cost effective than traditional alternatives.  

FiberCore Europe in conjunction with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft, The Netherlands), recently completed a world first by manufacturing an FRP composite bridge using bio-resins, the structure being 15 metres in length by 2 metres wide.  

Basalt fibres and bio-based polyester resin are the main raw ingredients in the bridge – basalt fibres are extracted from basalt rock, the igneous volcanic rock that is created by the solidification of lava. The polyester resin used is partly of natural origin whereby vegetable glycerine is a key part of the process classing it as a bio-resin.

The end result is a high performance structure, expected to last at least 100 years with only a very basic maintenance requirement that is made mainly from natural materials and is 100% recyclable at the end of it useful life.

SIS is proud to partner with such an innovative and sustainably minded Company in Europe and look forward to bringing this technology to Australia & New Zealand and the wider Oceania region.

SIS FiberCore® SUREbridge® – Sustainable Refurbishment of Existing Bridges using FRP – Now available in Australia, New Zealand and the wider Oceania region.

In line with our Company vision statement, that begins with the following sentence: ‘Sustainable infrastructure is not just about new infrastructure, it is about rehabilitation, reuse or the optimisation of existing infrastructure, which is consistent with the principles of sustainability and sustainable product development, whether it be from civil infrastructure to mining sectors.’, SIS is proud to announce the arrival of the SUREbridge® system into the markets we serve.

SUREbridge® was developed to address the growing need to restore, widen and add pedestrian / shared path access to existing concrete road structures that are aesthetically pleasing  and financially attractive. 

There are many advantages to stakeholders adopting this technology where it is suitably applicable including not having to demolish an existing structure, increased strength and stiffness of the structure, extension of the assets service life of 50 years and beyond, all the while without the risk of fatigue, corrosion and delamination by using the patented InfraCore® inside technology. 

Contact SIS to request a copy of our SUREbridge® brochure or to discuss your project by email: service@sisau.com.au or call 1300 261 074 in Australia or +61 8 7007 0441 from overseas