The Tensile team designed and installed a stainless steel mesh barrier for the multi-level Shepherd Street Carpark at Sydney University.
This was a total upgrade project, involving remediation works and the addition of crash barriers, new lighting and more.
The building works were carried out by Patterson Building Group. We were responsible for the installation of tensile mesh around the perimeter of the six-level carpark, as well as over the rooftop.
The safety barrier installation
This was a retrofit barrier installation to bring the existing carpark up to modern safety standards.
We were heavily involved throughout the design phase, which included providing the university with advice on materials, methods and engineering.
For the barriers we used 100mm Jakob Webnet mesh made from 2mm wire rope, supported by a mixture of 6mm and 8mm stainless steel cables. The use of Webnet ensured compliance with all required safety codes and crowd loads.
Using Webnet for these types of projects has multiple benefits:
- The material’s flexibility allows for versatility in design and methodology (especially important for retrofits!).
- No (or minimal) requirements for secondary framing.
- Minimises the need for costly structural modifications.
- A balance of strength and transparency which reduces the requirement for expensive air exchange or sprinkler systems.
- Faster installations and lower volumes of material required, saving on material, transport and labour costs.
In addition, the use of Webnet over the rooftop level was particularly advantageous. It provides a high degree of safety, but without the steel structure it would take to achieve this with other materials.
Overcoming the challenges
Retrofit projects are always more challenging. Existing structures may have restricted or limited access, which was certainly the case here with the university being in inner Sydney. The existing structure may need to remain in operation to ensure minimal disruption, which happened in this case as well. There is also the need to integrate the new architecture with the old, while ensuring the integrity of both.
However, the Tensile team is used to such challenges, and we know how to approach them. In this case, we were thinking about methodology, access and installation from the outset, and how we could design the materials and installation to meet all potential challenges. We also knew from experience that Webnet would be more than up to the task, due to its flexibility, strength and adaptability!
The completed barriers meet the needs for safety, and the excellent longevity of the materials should ensure that the structure continues to serve the needs of the university community for a very long time to come.
