V/Line engaged Brunton Engineering & Construction to undertake detailed investigation of the heritage-listed Melton Viaduct at Melton, Victoria. Originally constructed for Victorian Railways in 1886, the structure uniquely displays late 19th-century advances in bridge design and construction.
Comprised entirely of wrought iron, the superstructure is formed by four riveted double-lattice truss girders, supporting twin sets of cross girders and a steel trough deck bearing onto wrought iron lattice trestle piers. At an impressive 375m long, the bridge sits 40m above Melton Reservoir.
This demanding project involved Brunton Engineering & Construction staff working with rope access crews over a six-month period to perform periodic checks of the viaduct’s structural connections. The survey reported on the adequacy of thousands of structural fasteners as well as approximately 100 tie braces. This vital information was then forwarded to a leading engineering consultancy as part of the viaduct’s structural health monitoring regime.
Project highlights included:
