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The case for designing bridges that last

create by create
3 July 2025
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4 min read
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The case for designing bridges that last

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Industry experts are pushing for components that match a structure’s full design life – cutting costs, disruption and long-term risk in the process.

Despite bridges being designed for 100-year lifespans, deck joints and bearings often begin breaking down decades earlier. 

As traffic moves across a bridge with worn deck joints and ageing bearings, the constant load speeds up their deterioration. Over time, the bearings start to stiffen and lose their ability to absorb movement. This can lead to spalling concrete around the joints and reduced flexibility in the structure – eventually affecting the bridge’s performance and durability.

Traditional elastomeric bearings are often rated for 50 years, said Nimal Jayasekera, Delivery Manager Structures at Main Roads Western Australia (MRWA).

“We’ve had quite a few bearings fail well before that,” he said. “Some were installed 30–40 years ago and are already out of spec.”

The real cost of failure

Maintaining bearings and deck joints on existing bridges is a very difficult job, particularly in metropolitan and south west areas with high traffic volumes. To replace these vital components, entire lanes may need to be shut down and traffic rerouted, said Peter Newhouse, Asset Manager Structures at MRWA. 

“We’ve had to contraflow traffic off a major bridge,” he said. “On a busy road like the Forest Highway where we’re doing those [repairs] you have to slow the traffic right down for the contraflow system – So you end up with traffic backing up.”

And it’s not only traffic management that poses a problem. To remove and replace a bearing, the load must be temporarily removed from the bearing location, Jayasekera said.

“It’s not a simple or easy task to lift the whole bridge to replace a bearing,” he said. “It’s highly technical and hugely expensive.”

Constructing crossovers solely for contraflow traffic management on a four-lane bridge during a bearing replacement can cost up to half a million dollars. 

“On top of that are the traffic management plans, implementation and the bearing replacements,” Jayasekera said. “It’s millions we are talking about.”

And that’s without counting the risks. “When people are not used to contraflow, they can inadvertently go into the other lanes,” he said.

Materials solutions

In recent years, Newhouse and Jayasekera have championed the use of longer-life solutions.

“With our new bridges that are being built, we’re trying to get bearings that have the same life as the bridge so we don’t have to replace them,” Newhouse said. “The quality of the bearing is in the materials used and its general fabrication.”

One example is the Bunbury Outer Ring Road project in WA, where the main alignment – spanning rivers, roads, and rail – features products chosen by MRWA for their low maintenance needs and long lifespans, including Mageba’s high-performance (HP) pot bearings and Polyflex Advanced deck joints.

The team applied a targeted sustainability strategy – prioritising durability where failure would be most disruptive.

“We needed to make sure that in future we wouldn’t have to replace those bearings,” Jayasekera said. “Just imagine trying to do that over a busy road or a river.”

Unlike traditional finger plate or strip seal joints, which can accumulate debris and generate significant noise, the Polyflex Advanced joint system creates a smooth, continuous surface.

“It’s effectively self-cleaning,” Newhouse said. “And it’s quiet too – which is important for bridges near residential areas.”

But not every bridge got the gold standard treatment. “We used Polyflex joints on critical bridges along the main alignment, but for others – like local government roads with lower traffic – we went with more mid-range products like strip seal joints,” he said.

The case for lifecycle costing

For Newhouse and Jayasekera, using more durable materials is a no-brainer.

“You pay upfront, but in terms of whole-of-life costing, it definitely stacks up in favour of putting in state-of-the-art bearings to reduce maintenance costs,” Newhouse said.

However, the challenge lies in convincing project delivery teams – who are often laser-focused on capital cost and fast delivery – to adopt a longer-term mindset. 

“These teams are under pressure to deliver projects cheaply and quickly,” Jayasekera added.

That disconnect is often driven by contractual models. “Design and Construct contracts are particularly difficult,” Newhouse said. “Unless the scope of works and technical criteria are clearly defined upfront, there’s little room to push for higher quality components.”

On alliance projects such as Bunbury, where asset managers had input during design, more sustainable solutions could be implemented. “We worked closely with the team – even during construction – and managed to get our message across,” Jayasekera said.

Australian standards now require that bearings be tested in accredited local laboratories. “That’s one of our main criteria,” he said. “We always highlight that requirement in our specs.”

Mageba’s materials are tried and tested, said Virendra Ghodke, General Manager of Mageba.

“There’s significant research and development that goes into ensuring these products are fit for purpose,” he said. “For example, we spent over $5–6 million on R&D and testing before launching Polyflex.”

For engineers tasked with delivering sustainable infrastructure, the message is clear: upfront investment in high-performance bearings and joints can deliver massive long-term savings and risk reduction. But it requires a shift in how projects are conceived, budgeted, and delivered.

“Our focus is always on long-term durability,” Jayasekera said. “Even if you spend a little more at the beginning, it’s a long-term gain – and ultimately, it’s better for the client.”

Learn more about Mageba’s long-life solutions for bridges. Discover how high-performance bearings and joints can future-proof your bridge projects. 

Contact Mageba today to discuss how to extend the lifespan of your bridge assets. Request a consultation with a Mageba expert on bridge durability.

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