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Maccaferri, a producer of a wide range of geosynthetics including geogrids and geocomposites, recently completed construction of a rockfall protection system for the Sydney Trains network. The rockfall barrier is used to protect and arrest falling rocks and boulders near the Coledale Train Station in Sydney, Australia. This project is one of the winners of the March 2022 Geofabrics & Maccaferri photo competition.
Sydney Trains hired Ground Stabilisation Systems to install a 96-meter-long by 2.5-meter-high Maccaferri rockfall barrier system near the Coledale Train Station to protect the line from future rock fall events. The system was installed to mitigate the rockfall hazards along the Illawarra Line to safeguard human lives and infrastructures. The Illawarra Line is a commuter railway line in the southern suburbs of Sydney.
Between kilometer 66.256 and kilometer 66.590 of the rail track, a rockfall barrier was chosen as the most appropriate solution to protect the rail infrastructure and users. This stretch of the railway line was identified as a high-risk area due to the presence of very large and fragmented boulders in the adjacent cut slopes.
The rockfall barrier is supplied in a “kit form” for easy installation and includes prefabricated wire rope mesh panels, posts, base plates, brakes, cables, anchors and other related accessories. The barrier is capable of withstanding an impact up to 250 kilojoules (kJ). Maccaferri is capable of supplying dynamic rockfall barriers with energy capacities ranging from 35 to 9,000 kJ.
Geofabrics Australasia Pty. Ltd., a Maccaferri distributor in Australia, supplied the rockfall barrier in February 2022. The project was completed over three weekend-shut periods using specialist drilling equipment and qualified rope access personnel. Click here to read more about it.