Precast Intergral to Perth Stadium Transport Infrastructure

Sports fans in Perth are eagerly awaiting their new stadium with the promise it will attract national and international events to the Western Australian capital.

The Perth Stadium and Sports Precinct in Burswood has been under construction since December 2014 and is due to open for the first bounce of the 2018 AFL season.  A vital part of this major infrastructure project is the road and rail network to take sports enthusiasts to and from events.

While the stadium is being built, there is also a suite of works underway to deliver an integrated transport system to manage all pedestrian, car, bus and train movements. Included in that is a $29 million dollar package of road and bridge works on Victoria Park Drive to accommodate the stadium.

Perth-based National Precast member Delta Corporation was contracted to supply precast elements for one of the main bridges as well as to extend an existing pedestrian footbridge. The company’s Managing Director Matt Perrella says the footbridge expansion comprised a large precast beam measuring 30 metres. “The formwork was the biggest challenge because of the complex shape. The underside is flat and then rotates to a fairly shallow beam,” he says. Although transporting a beam of this size may seem testing, Mr. Perrella says it was a relatively straightforward operation that posed no issues.

At its state of the art production facilities, Delta also manufactured 27 precast prestressed TeeRoff beams to expand the rail bridge interchange connecting Victoria Park Drive to the Graham Farmer Freeway. The varying sized beams were only 800 millimetres deep to maintain as much height room as possible for the trains passing underneath.

Precast was chosen for this project because of its convenient off-site manufacture, high quality finishes and faster installation. “This bridge is over an existing rail line, and disrupting the trains gets very expensive,” says Mr. Perrella. “It was a very congested site and there was only a very short period of time for installation. Using precast saved on costs and also minimised any disruption.”

The road and bridge expansion will enable new railway lines to be installed on the Perth-Armadale line to service the new Stadium Station, which is now under construction. The pedestrian underpass will ultimately connect the station to the new stadium and sports precinct.

Mr. Perrella says it’s satisfying to be involved in such an important infrastructure project and part of the bigger development of the Perth Stadium and Sports Precinct. It’s a project that will revolutionise the fans’ experience of sporting and entertainment events in Perth.