Tsunami Relief, Sri Lanka

Challenge

On 26th December 2004, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake occurred off the western coast of Northern
Sumatra, affecting 14 countries across South East Asia. It was one of the largest earthquakes ever
recorded and triggered a tsunami that swept away entire communities around the Indian Ocean. It
caused devastation to everything in its path and affected over 5 million people.

Much of the road infrastructure in Sri Lanka was affected, bridges across the region were destroyed,
leaving communities isolated and unable to access much needed aid. To start to rebuild the region,
access points were required to ensure that relief work could go ahead.

Solution

Southern regions across Sri Lanka including Akuralla and Magalle were destroyed by the Boxing Day
Tsunami. Due to the unexpectedness of the Tsunami, no plans had been put in place in its aftermath.
This meant that there was an urgency to bring relief to affected areas, quickly, safely and efficiently.

The Ministry of Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation (MoRRR) had Mabey Compact 200™ bridging
equipment in stock, which was originally intended for the ‘Rehabilitation of Bridges in the North and
East’ project. Capable of being erected quickly and able to deal with heavy traffic, the Mabey Compact
200™ was a vital solution and allowed communities to take refuge and emergency repairs to begin.

A local contractor was drafted in to install the three vital bridges, two 30 metre bridges with two lanes
based in Magalle and Akuralla, which would allow traffic to flow across the East Coast Highway.

The Mabey Compact 200™ was an ideal solution due to its ease of construction and rapid installation,
meaning that vital relief work could begin quickly.

Result

Mabey was able to deliver several temporary solutions to Sri Lanka quickly, safely and efficiently.
The construction of the temporary Mabey Compact 200™ ensured that major road networks could be
reopened rapidly and enabled relief work to begin in areas affected by the devastation caused by the
Tsunami.