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Clip description
An aerial shot shows the completed steel false work for the bridge in preparation for the concrete stage. A concrete box unit is delivered by barge and elevated by lifting winch to the top of the steel arch where it is trolleyed along the slope of the arch into its final position. While a solid diaphragm component is placed along the arch, an artist sketches the bridge. A surveyor ensures that the units are located in the correct position. A second aerial shot shows the progress of construction with part of the first concrete rib completed. The final concrete box is raised to complete the first rib – the 127th unit to be placed on the steel false work. The narration explains the process as it unfolds on screen.
Curator’s notes
The film documents each stage of construction by breaking down the activities into segments and covering it from various angles to present a comprehensive picture of what’s going on. By showing the delicacy it takes to put one concrete unit into place – there are 127 concrete units – the viewer can extrapolate the massive scale of construction. The slow, repetitive and monotonous nature of the process is also described in this way.
The narrated explanation of each stage of construction is detailed but in a way that a general audience can understand. A cheerful musical score with a cocktail lounge feel moves the film forward at a leisurely pace.
