In June 2014 Downers made contact with Kevin Lavers, Project Manager – Specialised electrical & Minor Safety Projects at Signals, Signs & Services Ltd, to discuss the possibility of using their expertise with precast concrete traffic islands to supply and install lane separators for the new cycleway on Beach Road in Auckland CBD.
Because Beach Road is a heavy transport route used by numerous trucks for port traffic, Becca consultants had specified that the lane separator islands should rise to at least 150mm above the carriageway.
As with any major project on a busy road, timing was tight, with various companies working to implement new capacity for the underground power, telecommunications and drainage networks prior to the final surfacing work.
The solution
Signals, Signs & Services Ltd liaised with Auckland Transport and recommended precast concrete islands as the lane separators.
The normal specification for the traffic islands is 40mpa steel reinforced, but working with Jagas Paving’s Production Manager, Warwick Smith, Signals, Signs & Services decided on 50mpa mix and added seismic fibre mesh for the Beach Road traffic islands.
The result is a very lasting, very strong piece of roading infrastructure which ensures safety for all traffic flows in the region including cyclists.
Jagas Paving provided:
- Precast concrete traffic islands cast at numerous custom lengths
- Additional reinforcing with seismic mesh and 50mpa steel reinforcing
- Higher than usual traffic islands due to with heavy traffic
Kevin from Signals, Signs & Services Ltd reports that the team at Downer were excellent at liaising with all parties, and delivering on time, to get the project completed.
Because Jagas Paving custom manufactured different lengths of precast concrete traffic islands, Signs, Signals & Services were able to easily accommodate the various site conditions such as manhole covers, driveways, pedestrian crossings, and so on.
Kevin explained how the project evolved and became more complicated: “With all the civil works being undertaken it became apparent that all footpath vehicle crossings needed to be brought up to spec. With this adjustment of existing site plans, I had to come up with a matrix of module lengths, so as to ensure that the length of separator islands coincided with driveway crossings, surface water transition points and service lids on the carriageway. I divided the job into three sections and created the production schedule.
A Cemix 25 mpa mortar bed with galvanised coach bolts driven into the asphalt was used to give additional security in the case of a severe strike from heavy transport.
The result
Jagas Paving custom manufactured the required precast traffic islands while the final touches were being made to roading, and began the phased delivery and install in the last week of July, with the placement of the traffic islands following the completed sections of the roading project.
On the final stretch around Mahuhu Crescent by Vector Arena, the precast traffic islands were cut into sections so they would smoothly follow the meandering curve of the road, and joined with high spec grey sealant to allow for expansion and contraction due to temperature changes.
The traffic islands were a great success from both a functionality and appearance point of view.
