The City of Greater Geelong has completed the construction of two new bridges that will be maintenance-free for at least 100 years.

The bridges, located at Cowies Creek in Seagull Paddock, North Geelong, are made from a world-first geopolymer.

The new geopolymer uses up to 80 per cent less greenhouse gases in production than concrete.

The concept for the bridges came out of a ‘procurement for innovation’ process, which invited companies to come up with a solution to an unmet need.

In this case, it was the costly maintenance and waste problem associated with traditional bridges, which normally cost City around $500,000 to inspect, repair, maintain and replace each year.

“These world-first bridges showcase our global reputation as a UNESCO Creative City of Design and support the community’s vision for Geelong to be known as a Clever and Creative city-region.” – Peter Murrihy, chair of the innovative solutions portfolio

Peter Murrihy, chair of the innovative solutions portfolio, said the procurement for innovation process encouraged sustainable innovation in line with the city’s vision.

“Through this clever and creative procurement process, we have come up with these new icons for Geelong that represent our passion for innovation and sustainability,” he said in a statement.

“These world-first bridges showcase our global reputation as a UNESCO Creative City of Design and support the community’s vision for Geelong to be known as a Clever and Creative city-region.”

The procurement for innovation process was led by Cleantech Innovations Geelong, an industry support program funded by the City, the Victorian Government and the Geelong Manufacturing Council to drive investment in clean technologies.

The geopolymer for the bridges was created by a group of local companies and organisations, including Austeng, Rocla and Deakin.

Austeng Managing Director Ross George said Austeng was proud to be part of the innovative process.

“This project gave us a unique opportunity to collaborate and develop a novel approach to one of the City’s existing challenges,” he said in a statement.

“Our long-term aspirations are for Geelong to be the geopolymer centre of excellence, capitalising on its exciting environmental advantages and ultimately, creating local jobs and generating more opportunities for growth.”