Upgrading an old timber boardwalk in an ecologically important mangrove forest that is home to several threatened speceis and feeds into an internationally recognised marine park is no mean feat! Read on to find out how MI Engineers and ALI Civil designed, planned and executed the upgrade of Huskisson Mangrove Boardwalk on Currambene Creek in Jervis Bay, NSW!
The Huskisson Mangrove Boardwalk is located in the Jervis Bay Marine Park in New South Wales and was originally constructed in 1991; and at the time was 300-metres long and constructed from treated soft and hard woods. In 2023, ALI Civil were engaged to replace the boardwalk as it had reached the end of its serviceable life.
Designed by MI Engineers, the new boardwalk was constructed from Wagners Composite Fibre Technologies (CFT) Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP), which was manufactured in Wellcamp near Toowoomba by Wagners CFT. Since 2017 the asset owner, Shoalhaven City Council had been experiencing ongoing and constantly rising maintenance costs to keep the boardwalk open.
There were significant site constraints for the project including:
- The project was within the boundary of the Jervis Bay Marine Park
- The project site was also located within the Sanctury Zone of the Marine Park
- The site was significant habitat of the threatened black estury cod
- The site was significant habitat of the endangered curlew
- There was a mature and dense mangrove forest
- Acid sulfate soil was identified
- Poor ground conditions
Listen to Cohen Jirgins from ALI Civil, and Thomas Showan from MI Engineers discuss the project in greater detail and explain why Wagners CFT Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) was the ideal modern material for this project.
