Outdoor balustrading for lookouts that keep people safe
"It was great to see Bayside Council being proactive to improve the safety of this lookout on Botany Bay.
The existing site conditions meant it was relatively easy for someone to lose balance, trip and potentially fall from the raised viewing area.
They used our Ocean Wave outdoor handrail with balustrade system that immediately reduced the risk for visitors & is durable enough to withstand the prevailing coastal area conditions."
A balustrade system suitable for coastal areas
Molineaux Point Lookout is located in Botany Bay NSW. It sits at the end of an access road that runs parallel to the shipping port logistics precinct but is accessible to the public. The raised lookout viewing area provides a commanding view over Botany Bay and is a great spot to take photos or have a picnic.
The council and NSW Ports had performed beautification works around 2001 to create an architectural tribute in the form of a monument to Sydney’s sister port relationship with Yokkaichi Port in Japan. This was Australia’s very first sister port, formed on the 24th October 1968 more than 50 years ago.
Making public lookout viewing areas safer visitors
The design of the lookout viewing area consisted of a timber boardwalk leading from the car park to a raised area on the grass area a short distance away. Timber balustrades had been installed on the raised boardwalk and large sandstone blocks were placed around the raised viewing area as a visual deterrent to signify the boundary for visitors.
The lookout had unobstructed views out into the bay but the height of the sandstone & the gaps between the pieces also meant it was relatively easy for a visitor to trip or lose balance, perhaps falling or sliding down the raised embankment that was covered in large stones causing injury.
So the installation looked visually pleasing but presented a potential safety hazard to people visiting the site. It was a fairly easy decision to install new balustrading that would wrap around the perimeter of the viewing area to keep people safe from falling.
How did our Ocean Wave outdoor balustrade system improve safety?
Starting with the timber boardwalk we installed steel handrailing leading from the car park. This would ensure any visitor had something to hold onto as they walked along. More importantly, the steel has a soft, smooth finish compared to the timber that was becoming brittle and aging. Our handrails are made using marine grade steel which is perfect for coastal installations.
Our Ocean Wave Outdoor balustrade system with handrail was then installed around the circular viewing platform area. The soft curves of the balustrade fits nicely with the circular platform and the verticle bars also reduce the risk of visitors trying to climb onto the handrail.
We hot-dip galvanise the balustrade to ensure it will remain in excellent condition for many years, this installation has been in place for more than ten years. This helps the local council reduce their maintenance & total cost of ownership costs.
Most importantly the new design keeps people safe & prevents a person from falling when they are taking a photo, spotting planes or walking around the viewing area.
For tourists that love photography the structural lines of the installation create some perfect composition options to show off the monument & ocean in the background.
Can outdoor balustrading be custom made for a lookout?
ENCAT made it easy for the council to get this balustrading installed because we assisted with the site surveys, custom design & manufacturing of all the required elements. Everything was done by our team in Australia.
This meant that once we arrived on site it was a case of installing the system without the need for making any further adjustments, cuts, welds or modifications. This shortened the period the site had to be shut down & reduced variation costs.
Could the timber boardwalk be replaced with a metal one?
The other advice we provided the council was to replace the timber boardwalk which was beginning to show its age. The initial cost of installing timber decking, furniture or boardwalks may be cheaper, but in the long run can have a higher total cost of ownership.
ENCAT only designs civil use products that not only keep people safe, but have the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry, it is what we are known for.
With that in mind, we developed a unique modular boardwalk system that can replace timber ones with a durable steel system that will last practically forever & require very little servicing. Take a look at our installation in Minnumurra Rainforest
