Keeping pedestrians safe was the priority at a major Melbourne construction project but ensuring easy and efficient access to the site was also key for workers.
Royal Wolf worked with Kapitol Group and MCG Cranes Pty Ltd to develop and install an intricate pedestrian hoarding solution that enabled vehicles to come and go while ensuring the footpath around the site could stay open.
Made up of five 20-foot hoardings, a 10-foot hoarding, and four specially designed entry and exit points created from platforms, the containers run alongside Plenty Road on a major urban arterial route in the suburb of Preston.
Specialist install
Business Development Manager Bradley Doak says the 10Kpa pedestrian hoardings, which are a standard requirement for over-head protection, were combined with bespoke sections designed to create entrance ways and service holes.
“Because some of the sections needed these service holes and entry and exit points it required us to find an alternative to traditional hoarding containers. Basically, we created containers with no floors.
“The beauty of containers is that they’re strong and robust but also versatile and practical, so the vehicle bridge sections enable entry and exit capability while still maintaining overhead protection,” he says.
Adding to the challenge, the site is located under high-voltage power lines and alongside tram tracks. This, along with merging the traditional hoardings with the bespoke sections, required specialist machinery, including a tilt-tray truck to load equipment onto the ground and a heavy-duty forklift.
“It was a hugely technical job but it was a very good result,” says Mr Doak.
With the long-term nature of the project, the containers also provide a clean and aesthetically appealing boundary for the Kapitol Group project.
