Tensile has completed a barrier installation as part of a major commuter car park project at Emu Plains train station for Transport for NSW.
Emu Plains station is situated at the foot of the Blue Mountains in Sydney’s west. The commuter car park project is a joint initiative of the state and federal governments. It includes 750 extra parking spaces, a steel pedestrian bridge over the highway, gardens and landscaping, a pedestrian footpath, cameras and overhead lighting for security, and provision for electric vehicles.
The builder was Stephen Edwards Constructions – a family-owned firm committed to a co-operative contracting approach. The architect for landscape and design was DesignInc, a company that aims to create facilities that are beautiful and sustainable as well as functional.
We worked closely with the builder and architect for this project. This made for great teamwork and a very positive experience all round!
Our scope
Our brief was to design, supply and install the safety barrier for the pedestrian bridge over Old Bathurst Road.
As for many other footbridge barriers, we used stainless steel Webnet mesh. Webnet has a light and near-transparent appearance, while being highly robust, low-maintenance and durable. When used for fall-protection barriers, it can be made compliant with safety codes and rated for heavy crowd use.
Another feature of Webnet is that it is made from up to 70% recycled content in facilities that operate on 90-100% renewable energy. And while installations using the material can last for decades, if it does need replacing, Webnet can be recycled after use. This makes it a great material for projects with a sustainability focus.
The material comes in a range of sizes and configurations. For this barrier, we used 2mm wire-rope mesh with a 40mm aperture size opening, supported on a series of 6mm stainless steel perimeter cables for the handrails. The barrier was designed to cover the full height of the bridge. This, combined with the 40mm-aperture size to prevent foot and hand holds, maximises safety by ensuring the barrier is non-climbable.
Putting it all together
The mesh was pre-installed to the bridge off-site – just as we have done for various other bridge projects. This approach helps to minimise installation time and get the project finished faster.
As for all our work, the details were very important to us – right down to the penetrations for the handrails through the mesh while ensuring a barrier compliant to AS1170.
We also felt it was important (as always) to adapt the Webnet to the bridge rather than the other way around! Webnet’s versatility makes this possible on barrier and facade projects.
The completed bridge with its attractive sculptural forms and lightweight safety barrier allows for sightlines and views as well as safety. It also looks great at night when the lighting comes on – illuminating the structure itself and highlighting the barrier and surrounding landscape.
Tensile is thankful for the opportunity to work with such an awesome team. We look forward to many other similar projects in the future!
