The Brisbane River: Conduit and Barrier

About the seminar

The Brisbane River has been and remains a vital artery providing joy and commercial gain for those who live near its banks – interspersed with events of sadness and loss. This mix of outcomes applies similarly to those who design, build and maintain bridges and other structures in the waterway.

Peter will describe the natural environment of the Brisbane River, a history of the River and how this waterway has unified and divided the community. The changing approach to design and construction of bridges that cross the river will be discussed in the context of community expectations. Unusual challenges and innovative solutions will be described. Peter will also briefly touch on the approach to design of river walls, riverbank stabilisation, shared paths that extend along the river, building basements adjacent to the river and floating structures on the river.

About the speaker

Peter Burnton is an Arup Fellow, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland, School of Civil Engineering. He has served on the Australian Standards committees AS5100.5 Bridge Design – concrete for 25 years. Peter has 45 years of experience in the design and asset management of structures for the transport sector – bridges, in ground structures, earth retaining structures and marine structures. He has called Brisbane home since 1988 and in that time has contributed in different ways to many of the structures that cross or fringe the Brisbane River – Eleanor Schonnel, Goodwill, Kurilpa, Kangaroo Point, Go Between and Story bridges as examples.

Registrations closed Monday, 13 October 2025. For any enquiries, please contact hospa@civil.uq.edu.au.