Massive reinforcing supply to new rail project in WA

InfraBuild Construction Solutions has supplied up to 35 tonnes of prefabricated reinforcing steel per day for the construction of Perth’s Forrestfield–Airport Link.

Construction of Perth’s $1.86 billion Forrestfield–Airport Link is at an advanced stage, with huge tonnages of complex, large-scale prefabricated diaphragm wall cages and processed reinforcing steel used in the project.

InfraBuild Construction Solutions has supplied the reinforcing steel used in the railway link, which will provide an essential new rail service to Perth’s eastern suburbs. The new line, part of the state government’s METRONET program, will spur off the existing Midland Line near Bayswater Station and run to Forrestfield through twin-bored tunnels. Three new stations will be delivered as part of the project: at Redcliffe, Airport Central and Forrestfield.

Streamlined supply

InfraBuild Construction Solutions has supplied over 7200 tonnes of prefabricated and welded diaphragm wall cages, with some cage panels 3.5 metres wide and up to 25 metres in length, to primary contractor Salini Impreglio – NRW joint venture. The supplied steel was used across the project’s main dive and station box structures, as well as egress shafts.

A second major component of the project has required InfraBuild Construction Solutions to supply 7600 tonnes of processed reinforcement steel.

According to InfraBuild Construction Solutions’ Maurice Murphy, the company has maintained an average daily production rate of 35 tonnes of fabricated and welded steel reinforcement during peak production periods. Reinforcing steel has been supplied from InfraBuild Construction Solutions’ Forrestfield bar plant, including glass fibre reinforcing Soft-Eyes that have been produced at the company’s Forrestfield mesh plant. Soft-Eyes are used as a replacement for conventional steel reinforcing bars to allow the penetration of the Tunnel Boring Machines through diaphragm walls.    

Maurice said having InfraBuild facilities strategically positioned to service projects such as this has been highly beneficial.

“It has allowed the project team to remain in close contact with our operations on an almost-daily basis for progress meetings and pre-delivery inspections,” he said. “All work happening inside our plants has continued – whether production of cages or bar shop processing – regardless of weather conditions.”

Maurice Murphy, InfraBuild Construction Solutions

Sophisticated coupler solution

A key value-add provided to the project team by InfraBuild Construction Solutions has been the use of the sophisticated Dextra Griptec mechanical coupler system to connect wall cages to the main raft and slabs (box-out zones).

InfraBuild Construction Solutions brought specialist firm Dextra Group on board as part of its team at tender stage. Dextra subsequently integrated its Griptec System into operations at InfraBuild Construction Solutions’ Forrestfield bar plant by providing a Griptec machine and training up machine operators.

To date, InfraBuild has supplied over 180,000 Griptec mechanical splices to the Forrestfield–Airport Link, as well as to other major infrastructure projects underway in Western Australia.

The new Forrestfield–Airport Link is expected to deliver a number of benefits to Perth’s public transport system once complete. It will provide an efficient train service between Perth’s CBD and the eastern suburbs and allow travellers quicker and more affordable access to and from Perth Airport.

The project is also expected to generate significant residential and commercial development in the areas surrounding the new stations at Redcliffe, Airport Central and Forrestfield.

Trains are expected to start operating on the new rail line in late 2021.