Last month, Competenz heavy fabrication apprentices Reagan Barnett and Krisnil Prasad worked on a super-important project - the much-anticipated design, build and installation of a new strut for the Auckland Harbour Bridge. It replaced a strut damaged by high winds in September that caused a three-week shut down of several lanes on the country’s largest bridge. 

Barnett and Prasad are employed by Culham Engineering in Whangarei. 

In his third year of learning on the job, Prasad worked on match drilling parts and assembly, and fourth year apprentice Barnett worked on assembly and welding of the New Zealand-made steel strut which is a like-for-like replacement. The 22.7m strut was engineered at Culham Engineering in Whangarei and transported on an articulated flatbed truck on the 160km journey to Auckland where it is now safely installed. 

Picture caption:  Reagan Barnett and Krisnil Prasad (kneeling)