Bridges, dams and a whole lot more big things: and the stories behind them.
Engineering
So where does my green waste go to?
February 6th, 2024
8 Comments
Every fortnight a rubbish truck goes past my house and empties my bin full of green waste. Well I found out a few months ago, when my local council organised a tour of Veolia’s Bulla Organics Facility. Road trip time The Bulla Organics Facility was opened in 2013 at a cost of $15 million by […]
Inspecting the West Gate Bridge
January 10th, 2023
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The West Gate Bridge is a key part of Melbourne’s transport infrastructure, connecting the east and west sides of the city since it was opened to traffic in 1978. But how does VicRoads ensure the bridge stays in good condition? Some history The 2.5km long West Gate Bridge consists of two concrete box girder approach […]
New South Wales coal mines undermining road and rail
November 1st, 2022
3 Comments
In New South Wales coal mining is big business, with mines hidden beneath ordinary looking forests extracting millions of tonnes of coal each year. However once the coal is removed, an empty void is left behind – and the resulting land subsidence impacts road and rail networks on the surface. This is an incomplete list […]
Where does Geelong’s sewage go?
July 10th, 2015
12 Comments
Whenever a toilet is flushed in Geelong, the contents head south of the city to a locality known as Black Rock, located on the shores of Bass Strait midway between the towns of Torquay and Barwon Heads. So what happens to all the turds and toilet paper?
How do you refuel a ship?
December 16th, 2014
4 Comments
Have you ever wondered how ships get refuelled while in port? Unlike cars, ships don’t get taken to a petrol station, but the tanker comes to them.
