The 10th Australian Small Bridges Conference
The 10th Australian Small Bridges Conference was held on Monday 15th – Tuesday 16th February 2021 at the JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa, Australia. The two-day conference focused on providing practical guidance and informing bridge, road, and rail engineers (as well as asset owners, managers, contractors, and suppliers) on significant new developments and requirements for small to medium span bridges, culverts, and associated civil and geotechnical works. The conference also included a Geotechnical Engineering and Civil Works Stream.
There were over 200 delegates in attendance over the two days (attendance of council representatives remained steady this year), as well as 22 exhibitors, including MABEY. Our stand highlighted MABEY’S commitment to innovative solutions and services that allow for quicker, safer, and more efficient delivery of projects. Three staff represented MABEY this year including:
- Michelle Cooper, Bridging Sales Support Manager
- Martin Cross, Engineered Products & Services Manager
- John Wilson, Engineering Manager
Due to COVID-19 and the restrictions in place in Victoria at the time, this conference was smaller than previous years. Nevertheless, speakers and presentations covered a wide range of topics for small bridges, such as pile remediation, scour protection, maintenance and structural repairs, barrier designs, lightweight footbridges and more. Speakers ranged from Professors to Senior and Principal Engineers, as well as Asset Managers and Technical Directors.
The conference also offered a variety of sponsorships, exhibition and advertising benefits, including the following:
- Time with key decision-makers and specifiers
- Networking and building new relationships
- Promotion of Mabey’s products and services
- Demonstrated Mabey’s commitment to the industry
- Increase the Mabey’s brand awareness
- Develop new markets
- Gain exposure to knowledge and professional development
The majority of attendees provided positive feedback to the conference structure and we received very good attendance at our booth. Most questions were concerned with how to construct the abutments interface for our temporary designs, and how can we provide this service.
This is the third time Mabey has attended the Australian Small Bridges Conference and we look forward to doing so in the future.