MMC-VA "Big Bertha" — Five-Level Continental Viaduct

The continental rollout configuration — five service levels, dual-leg, 50m to top deck.

Memo7 — MMC-VA
AuthorBrett Murrell
Versionv1.0
Date6 May 2026
PatentsAU 2026904069 (P#4), AU 2026904075 (P#5)
Word count~4,200
The MMC-VA viaduct is the continental expression of the MMC platform. Five service levels stacked on a dual-leg precast concrete pylon rising approximately 50 m from grade to top deck. The configuration carries continental aqueduct, freight, HVDC transmission, services, hyperloop reservation, and maglev passenger rail on a single 25 m-span structure. It is the deployment configuration for the six continental SBC corridors of Phases 1, 2, and 3 — Brisbane to Perth, Darwin to Adelaide, and the four further continental corridors that complete the 22,400 km national network. The transcontinental aqueduct (water transfer from the wet tropics to the Murray-Darling) is the governing load case and the principal economic driver of the configuration.
5 levelsService stack
50 mGrade to top deck
22,400 kmContinental network
AqueductGoverning load case

MMC-VA — BIG BERTHA — PRE-FEASIBILITY — INTERNAL WORKING DOCUMENT

SOVEREIGN BUILD CORPORATION

Memo 7

MMC-VA

"Big Bertha"

5-Level Dual-Leg Viaduct — Pre-Feasibility Structural Model

The full continental standard. Phase 1/2/3 intercontinental corridors — six corridors, 20,000km. Five integrated service levels from freight at 8m to maglev at 50m. Same 4m foundation family as MMC-B and MMC-C. The maximum expression of the MMC platform.

Levels 5 Freight · Aqueduct · Services · Hyperloop · Maglev Height to maglev 50m vs 17m MMC-VB, variable MMC-VC Concrete/span (dry) ~2,093t vs ~865t MMC-VB Modules/pylon ~112 vs ~54 MMC-VB, ~20 MMC-VC

Brett Murrell — Inventor & Candidate, Robertson

May 2026 — INTERNAL WORKING DOCUMENT — PRE-FEASIBILITY GRADE

1. Introduction — The Maximum Expression

MMC-VA — Big Bertha — is the full continental expression of the Multi-Modal Corridors platform. Five service levels, two legs, 50 metres to the maglev deck. It is the structure the Phase 1/2/3 intercontinental corridors are built to — the architecture that carries the complete continental service suite including the transcontinental aqueduct, hyperloop, and the full freight network.

MMC-VA uses the same 4m OD caisson foundation, the same tapered pylon segment family, and the same Megafactory production system as MMC-VB (Phase 0) and MMC-VC (Phase 0.2). The difference is vertical scale — more column segment pairs, more cap beams, more girder levels. The architecture does not change. The catalogue does not change. The factory does not change.

MMC-VA Big Bertha MMC-VB Phase 0 MMC-VC Phase 0.2
Legs 2 2 1
Deck levels 5 2 1
Height to top deck 50m 17m 6–100m+ (variable)
Services Freight + Aqueduct + Services + Hyperloop + Maglev Freight + Maglev + HVDC + services Maglev passenger only
Programme Phase 1/2/3 — six corridors, 20,000km (MMC-A standard) Phase 0 — Melbourne–Brisbane (MMC-B standard) Phase 0.2 — Newcastle–Sydney (MMC-C)
Foundation 4m OD caisson — 20m deep (planning) 4m OD caisson — 15m deep 4m OD caisson — 10m deep
Column pairs 5 pairs (P1–P10) 2 pairs (P1–P4) 1 (P1 only)
Modules/pylon ~112 ~54 ~20
Concrete/span (dry) ~2,093t ~865t ~347t (standard)
Tubulars/pylon 2 × 20" L80 13Cr 2 × 20" L80 13Cr 1 × 13.375" L80 13Cr

2. The Five Levels

MMC-VA carries five integrated service levels, each on its own structural deck, stacked vertically from freight at 8m to maglev at 50m. The levels are sequenced by load weight (heaviest at base), operational characteristics, and aerodynamic requirements (cleanest air at top for maglev).

LEVEL 1 8mm Electrified Freight — 8m

3 × electrified freight tracks — heavy haul continental freight. Heaviest load, lowest level, best access for loading/unloading at corridor towns. 3 tracks allows bidirectional heavy freight plus overtaking/passing. HVDC arm bracket sockets cast into HB1 cap beam via rib.

LEVEL 2 17mm Aqueduct — 17m

17m × 10m sealed pressurised water main — transcontinental aqueduct. Pumped north to Alice Hub (uphill, sealed and pressurised). Gravity-fed south and east from Alice Hub (open channel or sealed). Water load of ~4,250t per 25m span is the dominant live load on MMC-VA — exceeds all other service loads combined. HB2 cap beam and aqueduct-level girders are the most heavily loaded structural elements in the system.

LEVEL 3 26mm Services — 26m

Continental services deck — natural gas pipeline (750mm X80 high pressure), hydrogen pipeline, sovereign fibre (96 ducts), power distribution, communications, maintenance access. Mid-structure position provides protection, maintenance access from both above and below, and structural separation from high-voltage and high-speed services.

LEVEL 4 37mm Hyperloop — 37m

Vacuum tube passenger and freight — hyperloop guideway mounting points cast into HB4 cap beam via rib. Hyperloop requires ultra-low vibration environment — positioned above the freight and aqueduct levels to minimise vibration transmission, and below maglev to avoid aerodynamic interference. Vacuum tube diameter ~4m — fits within the 17m corridor width with maintenance clearance.

LEVEL 5 50mm Maglev — 50m

600km/h passenger maglev — top deck, clear air, no structural interference above. Maglev guideway seats cast into HB5 cap beam via rib at factory precision. Top position provides best aerodynamic environment — no structure above to create turbulence. 50m elevation gives dramatic views across the landscape and positions the world's fastest passenger service at the apex of the continental infrastructure stack.

3. Foundation — Standard 4m Caisson, Deeper

MMC-VA uses the same 4m OD caisson foundation family as MMC-VB and MMC-VC. The additional load from five service levels — particularly the aqueduct water load — requires a deeper caisson than the Phase 0 planning assumption. MMC-VA planning assumption: 20m depth (vs 15m for MMC-VB).

Parameter MMC-VA MMC-VB Notes
Caisson OD 4.0m 4.0m Same — standard MMC caisson
Wall thickness 300mm 300mm Same — C65 precast P#7
Design depth (planning) 20m 15m Deeper for MMC-VA load
Ring segments per leg 20 15 1m rings — same module
Ring weight each ~8.4t ~8.4t Identical production unit
Caisson head (donut) ~8.5t ~8.5t Same — 4m OD × 1m ID × 0.3m
Foundation per leg ~176t ~135t Additional 5 rings × 8.4t
Foundation per pylon (2 legs) ~352t ~270t Two caissons
Cutter head 1 per leg — Hub ONLY 1 per leg — Hub ONLY Same hybrid steel/concrete
Tubular 20" × 171ppf L80 13Cr 20" × 171ppf L80 13Cr Same SKU — higher PT load for 50m stack
The 4m caisson is the same production unit regardless of depth. A 20m caisson is 20 ring segments per leg — the same module repeated 20 times. The Megafactory produces rings at the same rate for MMC-VA as for MMC-VB. The deeper foundation adds cost through additional ring count — not through any change in manufacturing architecture.

4. Column Stack — P1 Through P10

MMC-VA has five column pairs — P1/P2 through P9/P10 — one pair for each level. Each pair carries from the cap beam below to the cap beam above. The column diameter reduces as the structure rises — the load path narrows as levels are successively left behind below. All segments use the same 3m height module from the same tapered production family.

Column pair From To level Height Segs/leg Dia (base→top) Wt/seg Notes
P1/P2 Foundation Level 1 Freight (HB1) 8m 3 4.0m → 3.0m OD ~18.4t Heaviest columns — widest base, max load path
P3/P4 HB1 (8m) Level 2 Aqueduct (HB2) 9m 3 3.0m → 2.5m OD ~14.1t Critical — carries aqueduct water load above
P5/P6 HB2 (17m) Level 3 Services (HB3) 9m 3 2.5m → 2.0m OD ~11.3t Services level columns
P7/P8 HB3 (26m) Level 4 Hyperloop (HB4) 11m 4 2.0m → 1.5m OD ~8.5t Hyperloop columns — longer spacing
P9/P10 HB4 (37m) Level 5 Maglev (HB5) 13m 5 1.5m → 1.2m OD ~6.2t Tallest pair — carries maglev deck at 50m
PYLON HEAD HB5 (50m) Top 1 ~1.5m OD ~1.9t Tubular tensioned here — 50m of continuous PT
The tubular runs continuously from the cutter head at foundation depth (20m below ground) through all ten column pairs and five cap beams to the pylon head at 50m above ground — a total length of approximately 70m per leg. One anchor at the bottom. One tension point at the top. The entire 50m structure above ground is locked in compression by a single post-tensioned element.

5. Cap Beams — HB1 Through HB5

Five transverse cap beams span the 17m between the two legs at each service level. The cap beams are the primary load-collecting elements — they receive the longitudinal girder loads and transfer them to the column pairs. Cap beam sizing is governed by the service load at each level. The HB2 aqueduct cap beam carries the heaviest load in the system — water at 4,250t per span plus structural weight.

Cap beam Level Height Width Depth Thickness Weight Critical load Notes
HB1 Freight 8m 17m 1.5m 1.2m ~65t 3 × freight tracks + dynamic HVDC arm sockets + P3/P4 connection plates cast in via rib
HB2 Aqueduct 17m 17m 1.5m 1.2m ~65t 4,250t water + structure — GOVERNING Heaviest loaded cap beam. Aqueduct sits directly on HB2 girders. Sealed pipe penetrations.
HB3 Services 26m 17m 1.2m 1.0m ~43t Services dead load Gas/H2 pipe penetrations, fibre conduit sockets cast in via rib
HB4 Hyperloop 37m 17m 1.2m 1.0m ~43t Vacuum tube + pressure differential Hyperloop guideway mount sockets cast in via rib. Vacuum differential load significant.
HB5 Maglev 50m 17m 1.0m 0.8m ~29t Maglev + dynamic + wind at 50m Precision maglev guideway seats. Top of structure — wind governs lateral design.

5.1 HB2 — The Governing Design Case

The HB2 aqueduct cap beam is the most heavily loaded element in MMC-VA. The aqueduct channel (17m × 10m, full of water) exerts approximately 4,250t of load per 25m span onto the HB2 girders and thence to the HB2 cap beam. This exceeds the combined load of all other service levels. The HB2 cap beam and its supporting girders are the governing structural design case for the entire MMC-VA system.

Load source Load per 25m span Notes
Water in aqueduct ~4,250t 17m × 10m × 25m × 1t/m³ — DOMINANT LOAD
Aqueduct wall concrete ~360t Precast P#7 channel wall panels both sides
HB2 girder concrete (5 × 38t) ~189t Heavier section for water load
HB2 cap beam ~65t
P3/P4 column dead load ~85t Columns above transferring upper loads
Upper levels (3+4+5) ~600t est. Services + hyperloop + maglev above
TOTAL at HB2 level ~5,549t Per 25m span — governs foundation sizing

The aqueduct water load of 4,250t per span is 3× greater than the entire MMC-VB concrete structure. This is the engineering rationale for the deeper 20m caisson foundation on MMC-VA — the foundation must resist a cumulative load significantly exceeding the MMC-VB design case.

6. Longitudinal Girders — Five Sets

Five sets of longitudinal girders span the 25m between pylons at each service level. Girder sizing varies by level load. The HB2G aqueduct girders are the heaviest in the system — carrying the full water load. The same Super-T girder family is used throughout, with section area scaled to load requirements.

Girder set Level Qty/span Section Span Weight each Total/span Critical load Hub or Spoke
HB1G Freight 5 0.50m² 25m ~32t ~158t Freight axle loads + dynamic factor Hub or Spoke
HB2G Aqueduct 5 0.60m² 25m ~38t ~189t Water 4,250t — GOVERNING Hub or Spoke
HB3G Services 5 0.40m² 25m ~25t ~126t Services dead load Hub or Spoke
HB4G Hyperloop 5 0.45m² 25m ~28t ~142t Tube + pressure differential Hub or Spoke
HB5G Maglev 5 0.40m² 25m ~25t ~126t Maglev + wind at 50m Hub or Spoke
TOTAL All levels 25 ~741t/span Governs: HB2G aqueduct

6.1 HB2G — Aqueduct Girder Design

The HB2G aqueduct girder carries a distributed load of 170t/m (water + channel walls + self-weight) over a 25m span. This is an extremely heavy loading condition — approximately 4× the freight girder load. The 0.60m² cross-section is a planning assumption; detailed FEA will determine the final section. Prestressed concrete with high PT strand density is the expected design solution. The girder top surface forms the aqueduct floor — the channel walls bear directly on the HB2G flanges, sealed against the top surface via P#7 embedded gasket grooves.

The aqueduct girder is simultaneously a structural element and a hydraulic element. The top flange surface is the aqueduct floor. The P#7 rib carries the gasket groove geometry at precision positions — the water seal is cast in at the Megafactory, not installed at site. This is P#7 doing what it was designed to do: eliminating field installation of precision interfaces.

7. The Aqueduct — Level 2 Water System

The MMC-VA Level 2 aqueduct is the transcontinental water system — a 17m × 10m sealed pressurised channel running the full corridor length. It operates in two modes depending on direction and topography:

Mode Direction System Power
Pumped — northbound North → Alice Hub (+520m elevation) Sealed pressurised pipe. High-pressure pumping stations at intervals along corridor. Pump power supplied from corridor HVDC. ~4-6 GW pump load — supplied from 72GW HVDC corridor
Gravity — southbound/eastbound Alice Hub → South/East coastal cities Open channel (lid removed) or sealed gravity pressure. 520m head drives flow south over ~600km. Zero — gravity fed from Alice Hub elevation
Parameter Specification Notes
Width 17m structural (14m water) Full corridor width — structural walls P#7 precast panels
Depth 10m (7m water + 3m freeboard) 3m freeboard for surge, flood events, thermal expansion
Cross-section area ~140m² Water cross-section at design flow
Volume per 25m span ~4,250m³ Water weight 4,250t — dominant load
Pumped mode (north→Alice) Sealed pressurised High-pressure steel pipe lining inside structural channel
Gravity mode (Alice→south) Open channel or sealed gravity Lid panels removed — gravity flow at ~0.3-0.5m/km slope
Channel walls P#7 precast concrete panels Gasket grooves cast in via rib — water-sealed at Megafactory
Pump power ~4-6 GW (planning) Supplied from corridor HVDC — self-powered system
Annual throughput To be determined by detailed hydrology study Dependent on catchment yield, pump capacity, gradient
Height above ground 17m (Level 2 of MMC-VA) Safe above 100-year flood levels across most of corridor
The corridor HVDC supplies the pumping power. The same structure that carries the water also carries the energy that moves it. The aqueduct is not an add-on to the corridor — it is an integrated service that shares the structure, the power supply, and the maintenance access of the full MMC-VA system. Continental water sovereignty, self-powered.

8. Weight Summary — MMC-VA per 25m Span

Element Weight (dry) % of dry total Notes
Foundation — 2 legs (concrete) ~352t 17% 20 rings × 8.4t + caisson heads × 2 legs
Column segments P1–P10 (concrete) ~393t 19% All 5 pairs × 2 legs
Cap beams HB1–HB5 (concrete) ~244t 12% Five transverse cap beams
Longitudinal girders all levels (concrete) ~741t 35% 25 girders across 5 levels
Aqueduct walls (concrete) ~360t 17% P#7 channel wall panels
Pylon heads (concrete) ~4t <1% 2 × 1.9t — top of stack
CONCRETE TOTAL (dry) ~2,093t 100% All precast concrete modules
Non-concrete (steel, services, HVDC) ~837t est. Tubulars, HVDC arms, rail, track, services
TOTAL SPAN WEIGHT (dry) ~2,930t Without water in aqueduct
Water load (aqueduct full) ~4,250t Dominant live load — governs design
TOTAL SPAN WEIGHT (aqueduct full) ~7,180t Maximum design load case
MMC-VA at 7,180t per span (aqueduct full) is approximately 4.5× the weight of MMC-VB at ~1,580t. The aqueduct water load alone (4,250t) exceeds the entire MMC-VB structure. This is the engineering rationale for everything that is heavier in MMC-VA — deeper caissons, larger columns, heavier cap beams, heavier girders. The water is the design driver.

9. Module Count — MMC-VA per Pylon

Module Qty/pylon Hub or Spoke Notes
Cutter head (hybrid) 2 Hub ONLY Deeper — 20m caisson
Caisson ring (4m OD, 1m) 40 (20/leg × 2) Hub or Spoke Same ring — more of them
Caisson head (donut) 2 Hub or Spoke Same ~8.5t donut
P1/P2 lower col seg (3m, 4m→3m OD) 6 (3/leg × 2) Hub or Spoke To freight level at 8m
P3/P4 col seg (3m, 3m→2.5m OD) 6 (3/leg × 2) Hub or Spoke To aqueduct at 17m
P5/P6 col seg (3m, 2.5m→2m OD) 6 (3/leg × 2) Hub or Spoke To services at 26m
P7/P8 col seg (3m, 2m→1.5m OD) 8 (4/leg × 2) Hub or Spoke To hyperloop at 37m
P9/P10 col seg (3m, 1.5m→1.2m OD) 10 (5/leg × 2) Hub or Spoke To maglev at 50m
HB1 transverse cap beam (17m) 1 Hub or Spoke Freight level — 65t
HB2 transverse cap beam (17m) 1 Hub or Spoke Aqueduct level — 65t — GOVERNING
HB3 transverse cap beam (17m) 1 Hub or Spoke Services level — 43t
HB4 transverse cap beam (17m) 1 Hub or Spoke Hyperloop level — 43t
HB5 transverse cap beam (17m) 1 Hub or Spoke Maglev level — 29t
HB1G freight girder (25m, 0.50m²) 5 Hub or Spoke ~32t each
HB2G aqueduct girder (25m, 0.60m²) 5 Hub or Spoke ~38t each — heaviest girder
HB3G services girder (25m, 0.40m²) 5 Hub or Spoke ~25t each
HB4G hyperloop girder (25m, 0.45m²) 5 Hub or Spoke ~28t each
HB5G maglev girder (25m, 0.40m²) 5 Hub or Spoke ~25t each
Aqueduct wall panel (P#7) ~20 Hub or Spoke Channel walls — gasket grooves cast in
Pylon head / cap 2 Hub or Spoke ~1.9t — top of 50m stack
XA-C viaduct arm (4m bolt-on, per side) ~10 (2/level × 5 levels) Hub or Spoke Bolt-on to outer face of standard column at each cap beam level. Bolt sockets cast into column face via P#7 rib. No saddle segment — viaduct configs use standard circular column.
TOTAL (incl. arm modules) ~122 Hub ONLY: cutter head only. All others: Hub or Spoke. ~2.3× MMC-VB module count per pylon

10. MMV Family Comparison

Parameter MMC-VA Big Bertha MMC-VB Phase 0 MMC-VC Phase 0.2
Programme Phase 1/2/3 — six corridors, 20,000km (MMC-A standard) Phase 0 — Melbourne–Brisbane (MMC-B standard) Phase 0.2 — Newcastle–Sydney (MMC-C)
Legs 2 2 1
Levels / decks 5 2 1
Height to top deck 50m 17m 6–100m+ (variable)
Foundation depth (planning) 20m 15m 10m
Foundation per pylon ~352t (2 legs) ~270t (2 legs) ~135t (1 leg)
Column pairs P1/P2 → P9/P10 (5 pairs) P1/P2 + P3/P4 (2 pairs) P1 only (1 single-leg)
Cap beams HB1–HB5 (5) HB1 + HB3 (2) HB1 (1)
Girder sets 5 × 5 = 25/span 2 × 5 = 10/span 1 × 3 = 3/span
Modules per pylon ~112 ~54 ~20
Concrete per span (dry) ~2,093t ~665t ~347t (standard)
Total span weight (operating) ~7,180t (aqueduct full) ~1,580t ~600t (standard)
Tubulars 2 × 20" L80 13Cr 2 × 20" L80 13Cr 1 × 13.375" L80 13Cr
Governing load Aqueduct water 4,250t/span Freight + HVDC + wind Wind (near zero — self-weight dominates)
Special feature Transcontinental aqueduct Level 2 Freight-first revenue in Stage 1 Arch option for terrain crossings

11. Longitudinal Wire Rope Continuity System

MMC-VA carries 25 longitudinal girders per span across 5 service levels (5 girders × 5 levels). Each girder has a smooth 60mm bore duct cast in via P#7 rib for the longitudinal wire rope continuity system — identical in principle to MMC-VB. At MMC-VA scale, 25 rope spools operate in the rear of the construction front, one per girder across all 5 levels. The HB2G aqueduct girders may warrant 2 ropes per girder given water surge longitudinal loads — to be confirmed at detailed design.

Parameter MMC-VA MMC-VB Notes
Ropes per span 25 (5 girders × 5 levels) 10 (5 × 2 levels) One per girder — same 40mm 316L SS spec
HB2G aqueduct Possibly 2 ropes per girder N/A Water surge longitudinal load — TBD at detailed design
Spool trolley 25-spool trolley 10-spool trolley Both ride on commissioned freight deck
Concept Identical to MMC-VB Primary reference design See Memo 6 for full system description

Wire rope continuity system concept locked. Full engineering design details in Memo 6 — MMC-VB and MMC-VC Viaduct Engineering. Installation methodology and spool logistics pending detailed engineering design.

12. Engineering Caveats and Next Steps

This memo is pre-feasibility grade. Numbers are within ±30% of detailed design values. MMC-VA is substantially more complex than MMC-VB and MMC-VC and carries a larger list of engineering issues requiring resolution:

Issue Impact Resolution
Aqueduct water load — governing case 4,250t/span drives all foundation and structural sizing Detailed hydraulic and structural FEA — HB2G girder and HB2 cap beam are critical path
Hyperloop vacuum differential Pressure differential across tube creates significant lateral and vertical loads on HB4 mounting Hyperloop system supplier engagement — loads depend on tube diameter and operating pressure
50m pylon lateral stability — wind At 50m, wind governs lateral design — significant overturning moment AS/NZS 1170.2 wind analysis — tubular PT requirement increases vs MMC-VB
Aqueduct sealing (pumped mode) High-pressure water in sealed channel — pressure ratings, joint design Hydraulic engineer engagement — operating pressure depends on pump head and pipe length
Aqueduct lid (gravity mode) Open channel at 17m elevation — safety, evaporation, wildlife Civil engineering — lid panel design, safety barriers, drainage
Column diameter tapering 10 column segment types (P1/P2 through P9/P10) — more die tooling Die family design — can adjacent pairs share dies if diameter steps are small
Aqueduct wall panel design P#7 channel wall panels — gasket groove geometry, water pressure rating Hydraulic + structural engineer — seal system design
Foundation depth — actual geology 20m planning assumption — actual depth depends on bore logs Geotechnical investigation along Phase 1/2/3 alignments
Total programme scale MMC-VA is Phase 1/2/3 — not yet scheduled Phase 0 and 0.1 build the Megafactory. Phase 1 ordering follows.

Pre-feasibility grade — ±30% of detailed design values. Detailed structural engineering by qualified engineers per AS/NZS 7000:2016, AS 3600, AS 1170, and relevant hydraulic standards required before any binding use. Contact brett.murrell21@gmail.com for technical enquiries.

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