Camden Street Footbridge, New Plymouth

The need to replace an ageing New Plymouth footbridge was an unlikely context that united Council, industry and a local tertiary education provider in inspiring a group of Taranaki high school students to consider a career in engineering.

Location

Taranaki, New Zealand

Client

New Plymouth District Council (NPDC)

The Camden Street footbridge, located on the Huatoki Walkway in New Plymouth, is popular with both pedestrians and cyclists. A condition assessment, conducted by WSP in 2018, established that the condition of the bridge’s superstructure was extremely poor, with severely corroded steel beams and decayed timber deck planks.

New Plymouth District Council (NPDC), working with Infrastructure Talent Pipeline partners including Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT) and Taranaki Futures, kicked off a project in 2020 to support WITT students in building a replacement bridge. The Build a Bridge Trades Academy Programme, a collaboration between WSP, NPDC, Taranaki Futures, WITT and Fulton Hogan, was finally completed in October 2021.

Eight students from six different Taranaki high schools took part in the project, which aimed to promote study pathways available to students, including engineering, roading, civil construction industries.

The bridge before the renovation.

New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) engaged WSP to design a 21m-long, three span footbridge on Huatoki Walkway in New Plymouth.

WSP provided bridge design and construction supervision and the bridge beams were fabricated by WITT students under the supervision of Fulton Hogan. WSP Graduate, Amber Gao, led the programme, demonstrating the possibilities on offer for younger people entering the profession, and underlining WSP’s commitment to graduate development.

During the design phase of the project, Amber provided instruction to the students in the process of design and project management. Through a series of presentations to students and parents, she encouraged students to apply critical thinking skills to understand why the bridge failed and what steps were needed to design and construct a new one. She regularly visited the build site, providing explanations and insights as the new bridge took shape.

Proud Student Bridge Builders

During the first term, students spent time visiting local sites including a quarry, new sub-division and various bridges, including the one they will be replacing, to get insights about different worksites and bridge designs.

Once WSP engineers had designed the bridge, Fulton Hogan supervised its construction and installation. Part of the bridge build happened on campus, with students constructing the timber platform and handrails and learning to use circular saws and drills in the process.

Students participating in the project at the opening of the Camden St Bridge. Photo Credit: Stratford Press

It really showed that in a work environment like civil engineering and infrastructure that no matter what culture, religion or colour you are, we are all willing to accept one another.

William Faoagali Student, Francis Douglas Memorial College

William Faoagali Student, Francis Douglas Memorial College

A Huge Success

The project exposed students to “real world” experience and built an understanding of the types of organisations, and collaboration involved in bringing such a project to fruition. Along the way, they learnt new skills with small tools and built teamwork, health and safety and communication skills.

Being involved in a process that began with a drawing and resulted in the delivery of a physical structure that will be used by their community for many years to come was a big confidence boost for the students. Their hands-on experience also helped them determine if engineering is a career they would like to pursue. Two of the students involved have now secured employment with the contractors who took part.

With the success of the "Build a Bridge" project, the Taranaki Pipeline partners are now looking to expand the training programme in 2022.