Roof structure recycled

Published on 18 October 2019

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The City of Launceston has recycled the old Brisbane St Mall roof structure, after engineering reports indicated it would not meet safety requirements for future redeployment to a playground or sports facility without significant expense to have the structure re-certified.

The canopy was removed in April last year as part the Brisbane St Mall reconstruction, and was stored near Riverbend Park while the Council explored potential future uses for the structure.

City of Launceston General Manager Michael Stretton said it had become clear that future potential uses for the canopy were limited, given it was originally constructed of low quality mild steel and was now some twenty years old.

"Once the canopy was been removed from the mall and we had the opportunity to have experts assess it up close, it became apparent that reusing the structure would be complex and costly, and that there would be a lot of limitations around locations or types of uses," Mr Stretton said.

“We had hoped to reuse the canopy elsewhere for community purposes -- for example in a park or sports ground — but the advice we've received from various experts is that the structure is nearing the end of its lifespan, some areas of the steel have developed stress fractures, and that redeploying it is not going to be a safe or cost effective option for the city.

"On top of this, the structure was designed for specific wind loading conditions and it's going to be difficult to replicate those specific environmental requirements at a new site.

"Instead, the Council has opted to recycle the structure, and the materials will go on to be used in other products and projects in future."