Tensile was responsible for the design and construction of a Webnet screen barrier for a new 36-metre pedestrian bridge at Medlow Bath Station in the Blue Mountains.
Construction of the bridge forms part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program, which is designed to reduce congestion and improve public safety and accessibility.
We collaborated with architect Design Inc and builder Arenco throughout the project – two companies we have worked with many times in the past. This made for a great team, as we know and complement each other very well!
Prior to tender, we worked with the consultant team to provide design and engineering input, in order to ensure a smooth delivery process.
Bridge purpose and design
This contemporary steel bridge allows people of all abilities to safely cross the Great Western Highway and access the station. It features ramps, stairs and a white circular lift tower at its entrance that houses a glazed steel lift.
The elegance and sweeping curves of the structure make it feel more like an elevated walkway than a railway footbridge. From the deck, it also provides access to some pretty nice views of the valley, which is facilitated by the transparency of the tensile mesh screens.
Our brief
The screen barriers are a hybrid of Jakob Webnet mesh panels and cable perimeters – a combination that was a first for us. To create them, we used 40mm x 2mm Webnet, perimeter cables up to 8mm, and Jakob Inviss frames (which hide the lacing rope from view) at the base. Using Inviss frames allowed for a very clean integration with the base steel structure, and produced a nice finish.
The top cables provide minimal support. This creates the flexible and permeable effect that our Webnet screens are known for.
Webnet is ideal for this type of job, due to its geometry, transparency and strength, on top of it being very low maintenance and durable. For installations of this kind, no other material can match it!
The completed bridge is anything but ordinary. We think it is gorgeous to look at, a landmark structure and a real place marker. And while many barrier jobs can be challenging, this one went off without a hitch. This was largely due to the teams involved, who all deserve credit for an excellent outcome.
Design Inc described the transparency of the mesh screens as “representing the ephemeral nature of cloud formations while minimising visual impact, and allowing views to and from the bridge.”
We think that quote perfectly sums what we aim to achieve in our safety barrier projects!
