Curved, nature-inspired shelters and amenities at Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve showcase innovative...
- Client
- Brimbank City Council
- Project Partners
- GP Bluestone (Lead Contractor)
- State
- Victoria
Safe passage for cyclists, pedestrians... and skinks.
Sydenham Park is a 231-hectare reserve in Keilor North, 30km north-west of the Melbourne CBD. Brimbank City Council wanted to enhance recreational access for cyclists, pedestrians and joggers as part of their wider Sydenham Park Master Plan, but it was also essential to preserve the native skink population.
To achieve both outcomes, FORGE was appointed following a closed tender to design, construct and install nine ‘wildlife’ boardwalks and a public viewing platform. The result was a network of lightweight, highly durable FRP-based structures that allows easy access for local residents – and safe passage for the local skinks and other small wildlife as they migrate through the reserve.
Our involvement.
FORGE was approached directly by Brimbank City Council to provide a design solution for a ‘no excavation’ boardwalk as part of a closed tender. As part of our proposal, we provided a concept package that included various installation approaches and a lump sum D+C cost.
We were chosen as the preferred supplier and worked through the final designs in direct consultation with Council, whilst also preparing engineering drawings for the nine boardwalks and viewing platform.
With the project approved for delivery, we were then engaged under the lead contractors at Sydenham Park, GP Bluestone, to develop detailed drawings before completing the manufacturing, pre-assembly and installation works for all structures at Sydenham Park - much of which needed to be completed entirely by hand.
Design Challenge
It was essential that the boardwalks and viewing platform were designed and specified in way that provided maximum durability and design life, whilst having the smallest possible footprint and environmental impact - both during the installation stage and for years to come.
Construction Challenge
Crews had to work within a very narrow 3-metre-wide work area along the entirety of the site was a challenge for install and logistics. This was in place due to the cultural heritage overlay of the land as well as the skinks.
We had to bring the sections in piece by piece and work on one boardwalk at a time, before leaving site and letting the principal contractor complete their works on the connecting pathways.
Precast concrete footings also had to be used as we weren’t allowed to excavate due to site being heavy in cultural heritage artefacts. We couldn’t even drive a peg into the ground. The FRP decking also needed to be hand installed, piece by piece.
Innovation
The ‘no dig’ nature of the project required innovations around both the design and installation methodology of the boardwalks, with several options explored as part of our initial proposal to the council. One example was the use of custom precast footings. Developed with direct input from the project engineers, these allowed us to proceed with confidence despite not having the usual certainty of a geotechnical report.
Features
- 9 x boardwalks (12m long x 2.5m wide)
- 1 x viewing platform (35m x 3m) around an established tree that could not be removed
Materials
- Galvanised steel framing (suitable for 3T vehicle accessibility)
- Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) micromesh decking
- Kiln dried Australian hardwood (timber seating and kick rails)
- Precast concrete footings (crushed rock)
- Stainless steel wire balustrades
Safety & Risk Considerations
Given we were not able to conduct geotechnical reporting prior to installation of the structures, assumptions had to be made on the ground conditions.
Sustainability Considerations
With significant cultural and environmental sensitivities at Sydenham Park, key design and installation decisions were guided by feedback from the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrng Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation and Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DELWP). One of the main directions was to adopt a strict ‘no dig’ approach to avoid any potential damage to the local flora and fauna habitats and cultural artefacts.
