Case Study: the Victorian Government and City of Melbourne enhance bridge security with Thornton Tomasetti’s hostile vehicle mitigation design

Melbourne upgrades Princes Bridge HVM over 1,500 m² with Thornton Tomasetti

The City of Melbourne, working with the Victorian Government, faced the challenge of protecting pedestrians on the historic, heritage-listed Princes Bridge from hostile vehicle attacks without compromising the structure's integrity. They engaged the engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti to provide protective design and security engineering services for this critical infrastructure upgrade.

Thornton Tomasetti designed and deployed a custom-engineered hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) block system on an ultra-shallow-mount structure to overcome the bridge's limited load capacity and preserve its heritage significance. This solution, which included conventional bollards at the bridge ends, successfully secured the major gateway without exceeding the suspended slab's loading capacity, enhancing public safety for the city of Melbourne.

Melbourne