KANGAROO POINT BOARDWALK RENOVATION
01 Mar 2023
When Brisbane City Council needed to upgrade the Kangaroo Point Riverwalk, the council enlisted the help of Terra Firma Industries to resolve several problems including safety issues with the old wooden boardwalk.
The boardwalk was rotting, slippery, and uneven resulting in a potentionally structurally unsound boardwalk and a public trip and slip hazard. The biggest worry, however, was how to protect the integrity and character of the historic pavilion and substructure while making these spaces safely accessible.
Terra Firma Industries aided in supplying a safe, strong, slip-free underfoot surface that would look great and last long into the future but wouldn’t damage or impinge on the structure of the historic pavilion. The project did not come without its challenges including the City Council also needing to keep the Riverwalk open to the public during the renovation to avoid disruption to busy cyclists and pedestrian traffic.
The surface needed to be perfectly heel-safe and meet a wide range of testing standards. As well, the Brisbane City Council wanted the new walkway to be strong enough to allow access for a variety of emergency and maintenance vehicles.
Terra Firma’s design and engineering team solved all the technical challenges posed by the Riverwalk using its specialist, fibreglass reinforced polymer (FRP) TerraGrate Trench Deck™ system.
TerraGrate Trench Deck ™ is an interlocking, solid surface, modular plank system that is engineered to offer enhanced weight-bearing, UV resistance, slip-resistance and fire-resistance properties. TerraGrate Trench Deck™ offers up to 50 years lifespan as standard but can be further tailored to meet specific demands.
By designing a modular system to integrate onto existing sub structure, Terra Firma was able to solve all the technical challenges. The TerraGrate Trench Deck™ was pre-cut to size in the factory. A detailed installation plan was drawn up showing where and when each board should be laid. Individual boards were marked with the corresponding number from the plan and the whole installation was then completed seamlessly by Brisbane City’s selected contractor.
The modular installation plan developed by the Terra Firma design team was split into two stages allowing one side of the Kangaroo Point Riverwalk to remain open to pedestrians while the second side was replaced. When the left-hand side was completed, it was opened to the public and the right-hand side was replaced. The modular Trench Deck ™ plank system locked perfectly into the previously laid side, giving a seamless, solid surface that was simply screw fixed to the existing sub-structure. Final minor modifications were easy to make onsite using hand tools to allow for exact positioning around heritage structures including seating and fenceposts.
The results speak for themselves. The historic pavilion was protected, disruption was kept to a minimum, the results look fantastic, and the new boardwalk integrates perfectly into its heritage surroundings and the Kangaroo Point Riverwalk is now safer and stronger than ever before.
Check out more projects completed by Terra Firma Industries via the links below.