ENHANCING PUBLIC ACCESSIBILITY & SAFETY: TERRAGRATE FRP SOLUTIONS AT PENGUIN PARADE

You’re probably familiar with the experience of walking along a bushland track to access one of Australia’s many beaches and coastal locations – often crossing a boardwalk, ramp or wooden stairway to reach the water. Access infrastructure is an overlooked feature of many beach and coastal locations. However, maintaining these ageing structures is an ongoing problem for park and council authorities.

The recent introduction of new disability access guidelines, and the evolution of bushfire ratings, have further highlighted the importance of the functionality and condition of public boardwalks and ramps. When ageing walkways are made of wood, covered in chicken-wire, and located in bushland by a beach, maintenance and access issues are further compounded.

Many of these walkways were built in the 1980s and 90s and are showing signs of decay or reaching the end of their lifespan. As traditional wooden boardwalks age, their surfaces lose integrity and can become hazardous. Although these structures looked great when built, nearly 40 years later they don’t always meet bushfire ratings and are now showing their age. One of the main issues is surfaces that can become slick in wet conditions. The traditional chicken wire anti-slip treatment becomes less and less effective over time and even becomes a trip hazard when it detaches from the wooden surface.

Victoria’s most popular regional tourist attraction, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade, was no exception. The walkways at this iconic location were beginning to show the wear and tear of their age, heavy use and exposed location. However, most importantly, they were becoming a pedestrian slip risk. Now, thanks to the Phillip Island Nature Parks walkway upgrade program, this hazard is being addressed. Terra Firma is excited to have TerraGrate FRP (Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic) chosen as the product of choice for the more steeply inclined sections of the walkway.

TerraGrate FRP has the highest slip-resistance rating possible for pedestrian surfaces (AS4586 rating P5), making it ideal for exposed, inclined areas such as a portion of the main Phillip Island Penguin Parade walkway and bathroom access.

Several features that make Terra Firma’s TerraGrate perfect for these types of locations:

• TerraGrate FRP is lightweight and easy to transport and handle on site.
• Unlike traditional wood and metal, TerraGrate FRP doesn’t rot or corrode, which means it requires less maintenance.
• TerraGrate FRP is also fire-resistant and can be installed onto existing sub-structures using simple hand tools, which means no ‘hot works’ are required in sensitive coastal environments.
• Most importantly - TerraGrate FRP looks incredible!

Phillip Island Nature Parks are ticking all the boxes to ensure the Phillip Island Penguin Parade will continue to be Victoria’s premier regional tourist attraction long into the future.

From design to construction Terra Firma offer composites solutions for every problem - explore Terra Firma's TerraGrate FRP solutions.