FRP Engineering was contacted by a client with what appeared to be a pretty straight forward job on first look. A platform, walkway and stairs were required to replace a rotted timber structure and to provide access down a step bank to a river below. It had to be designed to met the relevant Australian standards (AS1657-2013 & AS 1170).

Where the job became a little more involved was the location. It was in the middle of nowhere and access was limited to “whatever you can carry in by hand”. For years, the job was put on hold while a suitable solution could be found by which time the existing timber platform was well past its used by date.

Steel was considered but proven to be far to heavy to carry down the steep bank and over the dam wall. Aluminium was then looked at however the cost of fabrication meant the client had to keep looking.

After much deliberation, FRP Engineering provided a solution that ticked all the boxes.

The lightweight nature of the FRP structural elements coupled with the design meant that components were easily carried to the site and assembled without the use of any specialised lifting equipment.

For more information, please contact FRP Engineering.