The Challenge

The Tampin to Kuala Pilah (FT009) federal road runs through the Negeri Sembilan State, about 50 miles South East of Kuala Lumpur. The road had to be closed to all traffic, near the town of Jalan Tampin, when it was discovered that the bridge structure had become unsafe. The original bridge was built on concrete foundations and one of the main abutments had eroded due to heavy rain. It was imperative that the road was re-opened in as short a time as possible, since the bridge was located in an urban area and traffic volume on this section of the federal road was high. According to a 2019 traffic census, over 5,000 vehicles typically used the road over a 16 hour period.

The Solution

The contractor, employed to carry out the bridge re-building work, had already enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Mabey Bridge, having bought bridging stock in the past and had also undergone training in the assembly and launching of Compact 200™ (C200™) modular bridges. Some of this stored stock was readily available to be used as an immediate and alternative solution for the damaged bridge. The contractor was therefore able to respond immediately to the situation, to the relief and delight of their client, the Public Works Department of Negeri Sembilan.

An 18m double lane C200™ (HA 1978 specification) was selected from stock and deployed within 13 hours by a team of 20 people and a 25t crane. Following works to the bridge approach and once all of the surface and testing had been completed, the bridge was declared ready for use. In total the road only had to be closed for a little over one week.

The Result

The emergency installation of the C200™ modular bridge meant that the road could be fully re-opened to resume normal traffic movement until the original bridge is repaired.

The opening of the C200™ modular bridge was officiated by the Chief Minister of Negeri Sembilan State, and attended by the State Secretary and State Urban Well-Being, Housing, Local Government and New Villages Committee Chairman.