Point Resolution Footbridge

Client: Auckland Council

Contractor: Hawkins Infrastructure

Status: Completed 2013

Point Resolution Footbridge is a footbridge in an iconic location bordering the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland and alongside the historic Parnell Baths. The original bridge was built in the 1930’s. Suffering severe corrosion and with the imminent electrification of Auckland’s Rail Network, the bridge needed to be replaced.

The bridge design is formed using three primary elements: a hull-like post-tensioned concrete deck extending from the headland and out into the harbour, which is in turn cradled by a highly expressive exoskeleton and a simple cantilevered glass balustrade.

The slender piers were designed as propped cantilevers for adequacy for road and rail collision loads. Detailed stress analyses of the piers were facilitated using 3-D finite element software. Vortex shedding calculations were performed to ensure the arches would not vibrate in resonance with the wind. 

Perhaps the most innovative feature of the footbridge is the seismic design philosophy. The footbridge deck beam is secured longitudinally by ground anchors at the headland abutment and transversely by the steel stairs which function as lateral struts. To minimise the moments on the slender steel piers, the bearing supports were inclined to align through the shear centre of the Deck beam. The torque induced in the beam by live loads on the stairs is then carried to the abutment where two widely spaced bearing pads prevent the beam end from rotating.

The number of sub-consultants within the construction programme of the project required a collaborative mind-set that would ensure that all parties involved were recognised. With the support of the Client, the Architect, and the Project Management Team, we were able to formulate a strategy that worked for everyone and resulted in the successful completion of the bridge. The result is a stunning iconic footbridge on the waterfront of Auckland harbour.