Driving innovation at Calder Park

The Calder Park Drive Level Crossing Removal Project team is anything but set in its ways when it comes to concrete.  

In a first of its kind, the project has used glass fibre reinforced polymers to replace traditional steel reinforcements inside the 264 concrete panels that form the retaining walls of the new Calder Park Drive road bridge.  

The composite polymer material is 4x lighter and 2x stronger than steel reinforcements, and more resistant to corrosion, increasing the lifespan of the road bridge.  

It’s also more environmentally friendly than steel, cutting the project’s carbon emissions by as much as 13% in energy savings across the manufacturing process and transporting the lighter-weight wall panels to site.  

While the Calder Park Drive road bridge project is the first level crossing removal project in Australia to use glass fibre reinforced polymers for reinforced soil structure walls, it’s not the project’s only environmental innovation. 

The team has swapped crushed rock material typically used in retaining walls for Aerolite, a light-weight fill material that is almost half the weight of standard crushed rock, saving on transport costs and emissions.  

An added environmental benefit of opting for a lighter fill material and high-strength glass polymer composite has meant fewer concrete soil reinforcement grid strips are needed for each row of wall panels. 

Level Crossing Removal Project Program Director Travis Edmonds said such innovations demonstrated how LXRP was leading industry change in promoting construction practices and technologies that drive down emissions.

“Whether it is the way we build or the materials we use, we are always looking for ways we can apply more sustainable technologies across our program of works,” he said.

“Our goal is to leave a legacy of low-carbon construction practices while delivering these important transport infrastructure projects that are changing the way people live, work and travel.” 

The designs for the new road bridge were informed by community feedback, with the landscaping design featuring more than 100,000 new trees, plants and grasses to complement the Banchory Grove Grasslands, and the finish on the wall panels reflecting the nearby iconic Organ Pipes National Park. 

The Calder Park Drive level crossing will be gone for good in 2025, making journeys faster and safer, and the Sunbury Line one step closer to being level crossing free in 2025.