Currency Creek Railway Viaduct Restoration - Slip Testing

1. NATA Quality Assurance Why slip test with us? Who we are Pay your account TESTING AND ANALYSIS INDUSTRY RESOURCES ABOUT US CONTACT Case study: Currency Creek Railway Viaduct Restoration Case study: Currency Creek Railway Viaduct Restoration JULY 18, 2024 JULY 18, 2024 Search … SEARCH CATEGORIES Select Category WHAT’S NEW Announcement of new leadership team Snapshot: Mark Milevski, Co-Director Snapshot: Kate Tonkin, Co-Director Snapshot: Thomas Baggs, Co-Director A new chapter: Founder Jim Mann retires CONNECT WITH US ON FACEBOOK Connect with us on Facebook Stone Initiatives has provided analytical heritage services for the restoration of a 157-year-old railway viaduct located in the South Australian township of Currency Creek. Engaged by Aecom, Stone Initiatives carried out testing and analysis to inform the repair of the viaduct’s piers, including identification of original stone types, compositional analysis of buttresses and mortar analysis. With base piers constructed primarily from bluestone rubble and sandstone quoins, the Currency Creek Railway Viaduct was completed in 1867 to carry a horse-drawn tramway and is listed as a State Heritage Place. It is said to be the tallest rail bridge in South Australia. Remediation works being undertaken by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport involve repairs to the bridge stonework, masonry, piers and concrete surfaces to ensure long-term structural integrity and safety.  Mark Milevski, a materials testing specialist who leads Heritage Services at Stone Initiatives, says the viaduct is an example of the excellent planning, engineering and skills coordination that went into the construction of such a large bridge.  “It’s fascinating observing the skill and craftsmanship of a finished product that has stood the test of time,” says Mark. “Working on heritage projects like this and learning about their rich history and the use of locally quarried stone is always rewarding.” To identify the original stone types and carry out the required testing, Mark visited the site to collect samples and inspect the structure. Once the stone types and provenance were identified, Stone Initiatives provided recommendations for suitable replacement stone sympathetic with the colour, texture and mode of decay of the existing stone. The analysis revealed the piers were made of random rubble face stone, using a local Kanmantoo Group bluestone. They also had dressed sandstone quoins, using a local fine grained glacial sandstone. The sandstone was most likely extracted from one of the historic quarries at Finniss River, about 30 kilometres from the bridge, while the bluestone was likely sourced from a historic quarry face about 50 metres downstream of the bridge, on the southern side of the creek. Both quarries are no longer in operation.  “As is typical for most heritage builds, local materials were used where possible,” says Mark. “I love seeing the local quarries, especially when they are close to the site of the structure. It’s fascinating to imagine how the quarry and work may have looked at the time of construction” “At the bluestone quarry near the bridge, I could see some interesting evidence of tool and quarrying marks on blocks and on the quarry face itself.”  Another element of the work was determining the internal composition of a buttress. This was achieved by drilling with a masonry bit through the joints in the external stonework to a maximum depth of 800mm.Samples of the drilling debris were collected from various depths and locations and analysed by X-Ray Diffraction to determine the mineral composition.  To assist the project team in carrying out repairs with like-for-like materials, samples of render, mortar and concrete were also collected for compositional analysis. The findings of render, mortar and concrete analysis by Stone Initiatives aided the project team in creating new mortar mixes that closely match that used on the original structure.  Collecting samples by drilling with a masonry bit through the joints in the external stonework of a buttress. “It is vitally important to repair historic structures, such as the Currency Creek viaduct, with like-for-like materials to ensure material compatibility and safeguard the longevity of the structure,” says Mark. “These historic structures have stood the test of time. The methods and materials used for construction in the 1860s can be significantly different to methods and materials used in modern constructions.” Remediation works on the viaduct are underway. The viaduct is today used by the Australian Railway Historical Society South Australia, which operates services on the SteamRanger Heritage Railway. The SteamRanger runs between Mount Barker and Victor Harbor, supporting regional tourism and carrying over 70,000 passengers per year on services that include the popular Cockle Train. CREDITS Project: Currency Creek Viaduct restoration project Stone consultant: Stone Initiatives Scope: On-site and laboratory analysis prior to restoration works Client: AECOM Australia Pty Ltd Works undertaken by: Department for Infrastructure and Transport Heritage architect: Swanbury Penglase Photography: Mark Milevski POSTED IN: PREVIOUS ENTRY: Quick guide: What are the slip resistance standards Case studies in Australia? TAGGED: NEXT ENTRY: currency creek bridge currency creek viaduct Quick guide: When should slip testing be heritage Kanmantoo bluestone mortar analysis conducted? piers railway © 2023 Stone Initiatives & Materials Testing Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Laboratory located at 19 Light Crescent, Mount Barker, SA 5252, Australia. Phone +61 (08) 8391 6844. 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