Deltabloc Precast Concrete Barriers at Gasworks Remediation Project

Project snapshot

The Gasworks Remediation project at Macdonaldtown began in 2014 after extensive environmental review. After decades of use as a gasworks operation, the soil and groundwater had become contaminated.

Therefore, land users RailCorp sought to have the site rehabilitated. During the works, extensive perimeter screening was required.

Jaybro supplied contractors Thiess (now Ventia) with over 300 metres of DB80 precast concrete barriers. These were supplied fitted with anti-gawk panels. The precast concrete barriers lined the rail corridor around Erskineville.

The challenges

The Macdonaldtown Gasworks Remediation in Sydney’s inner west involved extensive remediation processes.

RailCorp manages the site which stretches over 7500 square metres of land at Erskineville. Workers constructed a weatherproof enclosure to cordon off the environmental control area. The work was primarily within this enclosure and had no impact on the operation of trains in the area.

Yet, with additional worksite vehicles frequenting the area, the project managers required traffic rated precast concrete barriers to delineate access road traffic from the neighbouring rail corridor.

Jaybro's Solution

After discussing a hire vs buy cost comparison, the team at Thiess saw a significant advantage in the fixed cost of purchase.

As opposed to the unknowns of hire, Thiess chose to buy precast concrete barriers. Jaybro supplied 312 linear metres of Deltabloc DB80 barriers fitted with anti-gawk screens.

The precast concrete barriers measure 6 metres and are TL-3 approved to 100km/hr on NSW roads. They Austroads and RMS approved as a crash rated road barrier.

For this application, Thiess required the addition of an anti-gawk panel to each of the precast concrete barriers.

With the addition of shadecloth to the anti-gawk screens, these provided both security and debris control. Anti-gawk panels measure a metre high and are constructed from a strong galvanized mesh. Approved to Australian Standards AS4687, they are easily installed using star posts, pickets or dynabolted posts.

The project in detail

The Macdonaldtown Gasworks Remediation project began back in September 2014. The historic site housed a gasworks operation from 1892 until 1958 which produced gas for railway carriages and the Eveleigh Railway Workshops. Over the decades however, the waste has contaminated the site’s soil and groundwater. Following an Environmental Assessment, RailCorp received approval to remediate the site.

The contaminants of concern at the site included hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene, and asbestos. Remediation involved the excavation and removal of the contaminated soil to licensed offsite facilities. 

RailCorp engaged Ventia (then known as Thiess) to undertake the remediation of the site. Stemming from a merger of Leighton Contractors Services, Thiess Services, and Visionstream in 2015, Ventia is an Australian-based contractor whose project teams have experience in remediating varied and complex contaminated sites including the former Toowoomba Gasworks site in Queensland.

Workers removed more than 36,000 tonnes of hazardous waste and asbestos from the site. Additionally, more than 11,000 tonnes of hazardous material was successfully treated

Since its completion in 2016, the site has been used by Sydney Trains for storage and staging works.

Key Data

• System Used: DB80 Deltabloc crash barriers with anti-debris screens
• Time Period: Installed Oct 2014
• Customer: Thiess Contractors (now Ventia)
• Install Length: 312m
• Barrier Length: 6m