University Footbridge, SA
The University Footbridge links Victoria Drive on the southern side of the River Torrens to Memorial Drive on the northern side.
The footbridge was proposed and designed in 1928. The designers were University of Adelaide staff under the direction of R W Chapman who was the Chief Engineer of South Australian Railways and was the son of the Sir Robert Chapman, the foundation Professor of Engineering at the University of Adelaide.
The construction of the footbridge was delayed until 1937 because of the Great Depression. The City of Adelaide provided £26,000 with an additional £2,000 provided by Misses Eva and Lily Waite.
The bridge was fabricated by L Grove and Sons of Highgate using steel supplied by Perry Engineering.
The bridge consists of two identical balanced cantilevers forming an arch span of 152 feet over the River Torrens with a nominal clearance of 20 feet above water level. The overall length of the bridge is 180 feet.
The balanced cantilevers pivot on the inner bearings which are cast into concrete pile caps that transfer load to 4 Blue-Gum piles driven 12 feet into the river formation.
The back spans are bolted to large concrete blocks rather than to the abutments. These concrete blocks act as counterweights to the load on the bridge.
Two lateral shear locks are located where the two cantilevers join in the middle of the bridge. These shear locks prevent lateral movement of the two halves of the bridge.
The bridge is considered the first welded steel bridge in South Australia.
As part of the 1971 PROSH day celebrations at the University of Adelaide Engineering students hung an FJ Holden form the bridge over the river.
References:
Kemp, DC; Pickles, JM; and Ward, RA, “Adelaide – Engineering and Industry – A guide to aspects of our engineering and industrial heritage in the City of Adelaide", Engineering Heritage Branch, Institution of Engineers Australia South Australian Division, March 1992.
Institution of Engineers, Australia, South Australian Division “Ponds, Ponts and Pop-eye – Notes for an afternoon afloat on Adelaide’s River Torrens” Institution of Engineers Australia publication number SAD 99/02, 21 November 1999.
Donovan, Marsden and Stark “University Footbridge over River Torrens” City of Adelaide Heritage Survey – Item no. 349, 25 November 1982.
