Insights from the 2026 Small Bridges Conference

One of the highlights of the conference for me was seeing Tonkin contribute three technical papers and presentations to the program. It was great to see our team sharing ideas, project experience and innovation with the broader bridge engineering community. Those contributions reflect the passion we have for helping advance bridge technology and outcomes across Australia.

I also appreciated the strong focus on smaller structures, which are often the unsung heroes of our transport networks. These bridges play a critical role in connecting regional and rural communities, a sector that continues to be an important focus for Tonkin.

A standout presentation was Dr Peter Shaw's introduction of Austroads' new Bridge Assessment Guideline: Heavy Vehicles. The guideline highlights a shift in industry thinking towards decisions based on sound risk management and real-world asset performance, rather than analytical outputs alone. For me, this represents a real opportunity to reassess how we manage bridge infrastructure across Australia. By taking a more balanced approach, we can potentially extend the life of existing assets, improve sustainability outcomes and help bridge owners make better use of limited funding.

One of the biggest themes throughout the conference was bridge assessment, inspection and asset management. A key takeaway for me was that there still doesn't seem to be a consistent approach across the industry when it comes to defining service levels for local government bridges and applying them across an entire network. Better-defined service level frameworks could help asset owners make more informed decisions about maintenance, renewal priorities and future investment, while also providing greater consistency across bridge portfolios.

I was also interested to hear about recent Austroads guidance that promotes a more risk-based approach to bridge assessment and inspection. Rather than relying solely on traditional inspection methods, this approach places greater emphasis on risk and asset performance to support decision-making. It's something I'm keen to explore further and consider how it could be incorporated into our existing bridge inspection practices.

The conference also featured several excellent examples of bridge strengthening and rehabilitation projects. These case studies highlighted how targeted interventions can often extend the life of existing bridges at a significantly lower cost than full replacement, delivering better value for asset owners while making the most of existing infrastructure.

The conference was a fantastic opportunity to learn, connect and gain new perspectives. One of my favourite parts was catching up with former colleagues and meeting new industry contacts, including suppliers and potential project partners whose products align with both current and future work. Building those relationships and exchanging ideas was incredibly valuable.

From a technical perspective, I enjoyed learning about the challenges involved in remediating ageing road and rail infrastructure, as well as some of the innovative solutions being used to address them. Sessions covering highly skewed integral bridges, updates to AS 5100 and cable-stayed pedestrian bridge design were particularly interesting and provided practical insights that I can take into future projects.

I also really appreciated the conference's focus on women in bridge engineering. As the only female engineer in Tonkin's transport and structural team, hearing the experiences of other women in the industry was both inspiring and encouraging. Watching my Tonkin colleagues present their work was another highlight, and it motivated me to continue building my own experience with the goal of sharing my project insights at a future conference.

One thing that really stood out at the conference was hearing how many councils are facing the same challenges when it comes to managing bridge assets. For regional councils in particular, there was a lot of discussion around how current bridge inspection frameworks can be difficult and expensive to apply, with many feeling they are better suited to larger state road authorities than local government networks.

It was also interesting to see that many of these challenges aren't just limited to regional areas. Whether you're in a country or metropolitan council, there's a shared need to manage ageing bridges, keep up with maintenance demands and make the most of limited budgets.

Another key topic was the increasing expectation for bridges to carry larger trucks and heavier freight loads. As vehicle configurations continue to change, councils are under growing pressure to assess and upgrade existing structures to meet future demands.

Across the industry, councils, consultants and contractors are finding smarter ways to strengthen and rehabilitate bridges, extending their service life and improving capacity without immediately resorting to full replacement. It's a practical approach that delivers value while making the most of the assets already in place.