With 22 new stations being built across Western Australia’s METRONET Program, various materials are being prefabricated offsite to save time and support local manufacturers.

Prefabricated platform walls, noise wall panels, bridge beams and lift shafts are being delivered by local Western Australian suppliers like Humes, Permacast, Delta Corporation, BGC and Vertex Facades who are all playing a huge role in shaping each project.

On the METRONET Yanchep Rail Extension Project, more than 150 platform walls have been poured offsite and close to 500 structural planks for station concourses are ready to be delivered and pieced together at the future Alkimos Station.

Lift shafts and escalator pits are also in the prefabrication production pipeline and will be installed as station structures progress.

Prefabrication is also centre stage on the METRONET Thornlie-Cockburn Link Project. More than 660 noise wall panels are being poured at BGC’s precast yard in Kwinana while works continue onsite in Thornlie. With around 1425 cubic metres of concrete needed for the first section of noise walls, building the panels offsite delivers a higher quality product and helps minimise the impact of works for the surrounding community.

For the METRONET New Bayswater Station Project, prefabrication is helping achieve significant project milestones such as manufacturing 2600 square metres of aluminum cladding for the station’s rail-over-road bridges.

Locally designed by Hassell Design Studios and manufactured offsite by Vertex Facades, the fluted cladding will span 200m and complements the design of the new bridge piers.

Supporting local manufacturers across the program of works forms part of the METRONET Sustainability Strategy to provide economic opportunities through procurement for local and Aboriginal businesses.