Bionik AG Boom Gates Playing a Vital Role at Cross River Rail Work Sites
WOOLLOONGABBA STATION PRECINCT | Woollongabba station is one of five new high-capacity Cross River Rail stations expected to be used by over 164,000 passengers daily.
The first full station site to be prepped and ready, Woolloongabba is the engine room of the Cross River Rail project. The two huge boring machines were launched from this site in early 2021 and tunnelled 2.5 half kilometres beneath the Brisbane River and CBD breaking through at Roma Street in August.
The site has been a continuous hive of activity since early works began. Ensuring construction work at this site continues to progress at a fast pace and without incident is vital to the whole project meeting scheduled deadlines.
“There is a lot of big gear so we have to make sure there is a good separation between people and plant to keep people safe on the site”
– Inaki Goni, RIS Area Engineering Manager, Cross River Rail
The key to keeping the works on track is to facilitate unhindered movement of people and heavy equipment in and round the construction site.
DELIVERING SAFE & SECURE ACCESS CONTROL AT CRITICAL LOCATIONS
The Delivery Authority was faced with two safety priorities – keeping its workforce safe and protecting the general public from harm. The solution was to put access control systems in place, both in and around the site, at locations where workers or the public are potentially at risk.
Keeping its workforce safe
Despite being the biggest of the Cross River Rail worksites, excavation, tunnelling and earthmoving works on such a large scale leave little room for contractors to move around the site safely.
To ensure their workers go home safe to their families every day the Delivery Authority implemented a raft of workplace health and safety measures.
One of these initiatives was to install Rotech’s Bionik boom gates at various high-risk locations within the workspace. Operated by long-range transmitters, the boom gates control the flow of internal pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Keeping the public safe
The Woollongabba site is bounded on all sides by busy roads and pedestrian walkways. A busy commercial and residential area means many people and vehicles are moving around the worksite perimeter.
To protect passers-by from haulage trucks and other heavy traffic moving in and out of the site the Delivery Authority installed Bionik AG pedestrian access gates at the three site entries at Main, Vulture and Leopard Streets.
EXAMPLE: One of the ways Rotech’s Bionik AG Automatic Boom Gates are being used to keep pedestrians safe at busy entry points the Woollongabba Cross River Rail site.
- The vehicle boom gate across the entry/exit road usually remains closed
- When a vehicle wants to enter or leave the site, the entrance operator activates the gates via a long-range transmitter
- Lights on the top of each pedestrian boom gate positioned on either side of the entrance flash a warning to passers-by
- After 2-3 seconds, the poles on both gates come down across the footpath, preventing people from walking into the path of the exiting vehicle
- Once the pedestrian gates are fully closed, the boom gate at the site entrance opens, allowing the truck through the intersection.
- After the truck clears the safety loop on the entrance road, the boom gate closes again.
BIONIK AG AUTOMATIC BOOM GATES
Ideal for construction sites, the Bionik AG combines intelligent programming, multiple safety features and tough construction to reliably provide safe and secure access control in harsh industrial locations.
The new generation Bionik AG’s unique design offers precise speed control, easily programmed multi-function digital controller and ultra-responsive performance.
Advanced features provide smooth operation, instant reversing, superior safety sensing, tough 100% duty cycle and low power consumption at an affordable price.
Strategically placed warning lights on the top of the boom gate cabinet and the boom pole, loop detectors and 2 safety beams ensure vehicles and pedestrians alike are protected.
The mechanical quality of the Bionik AG is exceptional, with machined steel gears and high-quality bearings. The strong gearbox and self-locking mechanism prevents damage from vandalism as the pole cannot be forced.
The revolutionary brushless motor provides much greater efficiency – allowing up to 4000 operations per day with ultra-low power consumption.
If you would like further information about this or other safety and security solutions call Vince on 07 3250 1123 or email us at info@rotech.com.au
References: Information relating to Cross River Rail project activity was sourced from the official State of Queensland website at https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au – Last Accessed 26 October 2021
