"We were able to minimise the visual impact of installing a fall protection system on beautiful large Sandstone blocks. The architect wanted the sandstone to remain the hero of the space. The alternative of concreting posts into the ground or bolting baseplates to the surface would have been an eyesore. Core drilling and grouting the posts into the blocks gave the architect the clean result they were after and it still met the fall protection strength load requirements for a public area. It's very rewarding when we can help deliver the designer's vision in outdoor spaces."
Regal Innovations engaged ENCAT to measure, supply and install balustrades for a new public open space at Neptune Avenue, Leppington, as part of a new residential subdivision. The work included partial and full balustrade mounted into natural sandstone blocks, a fixing method that protected the architectural intent of the landscaping while delivering compliant fall protection for a public space.
Scope of work
ENCAT delivered the full scope in house from our factory in Wollongong from site survey through to installation:
- Site measurement using a Topcon laser theodolite
- Cad 3D site modelling in SolidWorks
- Production of manufacture and installation drawings
- Tube laser cutting and CNC machining
- Welding to Australian standards
- Hot dip galvanising
- Core drilling of the sandstone blocks
- Grouting of posts into the sandstone
- On site installation utilising ENCAT’s non-weld Snakebite fixing system
Fall protection that did not compete with the sandstone
The Neptune Avenue site forms part of the Leppington Open Space Precinct, a local council project that combines creek corridor rehabilitation and Cumberland Plain revegetation with new public landscaping. Stage 1 of the works introduced new stormwater infrastructure, including retaining walls built from natural sandstone blocks, alongside water sensitive urban design basins and replanted open space for the surrounding community.
Wherever the new sandstone walling created a level change next to a path or public area, balustrades were required to provide statutory fall protection in publicly accessible areas. That gave ENCAT a clear brief: deliver compliant public fall protection along the new stormwater walling and creek edges, without the hardware competing with the natural sandstone the design was built around.
The design challenge was straightforward to state and harder to solve. The balustrades had to be fixed into the sandstone and still meet the structural requirements of public fall protection, while keeping the natural stone as the visual focus of the space. Fall protection had to be installed into the sandstone without diminishing the appearance of the stone, because the natural blocks were central to the architect’s vision for the space.
For a specifier, fall protection is a duty of care that outlives the project. The people who lean on a balustrade in ten years’ time will never read the drawings, so the responsibility to get it right sits entirely with the person who specified it. Going a step further does not mean a heavier or busier barrier, it means a system engineered to the surveyed conditions before it is made, fixed into the structure rather than modified on site and detailed so the safety is real where it counts and invisible where it does not.
A balustrade the public never notices is one that is quietly doing its job every day, holding the line on protection while leaving the architecture to speak for itself. That is the standard worth specifying: protection that the design conceals and the engineering guarantees.
Ball stanchion balustrade for a public waterway
This newly constructed public stormwater management corridor located within a residential development needed fall protection. The waterway forms a key component of the subdivision’s drainage infrastructure, incorporating engineered sandstone block retaining walls, rock-lined energy dissipation zones, culvert structures and vegetated drainage channels designed to manage stormwater flows, reduce erosion and improve water quality outcomes.
For Australian public infrastructure, fall protection is commonly required to meet the National Construction Code where applicable & meet Australian Standards for public infrastructure & typically this is when:
- There is a drop that exceeds the relevant authority’s threshold (often 1 metre, though requirements vary).
- The consequence of a fall is severe.
- The area is publicly accessible.
- A risk assessment identifies foreseeable pedestrian access.
As part of the overall civil works design, fall protection was required in locations where publicly accessible areas adjoined significant changes in level created by the sandstone retaining wall structures and drainage channels. While the waterway is primarily designed as functional infrastructure, it is also situated within an area that is readily accessible to residents, pedestrians, maintenance personnel and visitors.
The combination of open access, elevated embankments and hard rock-lined surfaces below created a foreseeable fall risk requiring mitigation through the installation of compliant safety barriers.
The sandstone retaining walls create distinct level transitions throughout the corridor, with several sections featuring elevated landscaped areas directly adjacent to drainage channels and energy dissipation structures below. In the event of a fall, individuals would be exposed not only to the vertical drop itself but also to impact with large sandstone blocks, rock armour and concrete drainage structures. The severity of potential injuries is significantly increased due to the hard and uneven nature of these surfaces.
The need for fall protection is further heightened by the operational characteristics of the stormwater system. During rainfall events, water levels and flow velocities can increase rapidly, creating additional hazards associated with slippery surfaces, reduced footing stability and flowing water. Even during dry weather conditions, the combination of sloped terrain, rock-lined channels and elevated retaining structures presents an ongoing risk to members of the public.
To address these risks, our galvanised steel balustrade system was installed along nominated sections of the waterway where pedestrian access and level differences intersect. The barrier system provides a physical separation between accessible public areas and the drainage infrastructure below, reducing the likelihood of accidental falls while maintaining clear sightlines throughout the corridor. The open design of the balustrade also preserves visibility for inspection and maintenance activities and minimises visual impact within the surrounding landscape while our unique method of fixing retains the beauty of the sandstone.
A key project challenge involved the installation of the balustrade directly into the engineered sandstone block retaining walls. The natural variation in the sandstone block dimensions and surface profiles required precise site measurement and careful positioning of each stanchion to ensure alignment, structural integrity and a consistent finished appearance. The installation methodology was developed to accommodate the unique characteristics of the sandstone while delivering a robust and durable long-term solution suitable for a public environment.
The challenge of mounting balustrades into natural sandstone
Balustrade posts are usually concreted into the ground or bolted to a concrete surface using baseplates. Neither option suited this site. A concrete footing would have interrupted the sandstone, and a bolted baseplate would have sat proud of the stone with visible fixings, drawing the eye to the hardware rather than the landscaping.
ENCAT’s solution was to core drill the sandstone blocks and grout the posts directly into the stone. This kept the connection below the visible surface, retained the natural face of the sandstone, and avoided the bulk of a concrete footing or a baseplate connection. The architectural intent was preserved while the balustrade still achieved the structural performance required of public fall protection.
Engineering the installation before arriving on site
ENCAT measured the site with a Topcon laser theodolite LN-150 and created a 3D model of the site in CAD SolidWorks. That model was used to produce both the manufacture drawings and the installation drawings.
3D Modelling the site before manufacture meant the balustrades were made to fit the as-built conditions rather than being adjusted on site. For a project where posts are grouted into core-drilled sandstone, with little margin to correct a misaligned post once it is set, accuracy at the drawing stage matters.
The approach delivered:
- No site reworks, because components were manufactured to the surveyed conditions
- Zero errors or defects
- Lower cost through process efficiency
- Minimal time on site, because the parts fitted correctly the first time
A non-weld system designed to stay in the background
ENCAT’s Snakebite fixing system is a non-weld balustrade system. The fixings are mostly invisible to the eye, producing a seamless balustrade.
The Snakebite system assembles quickly and without on-site welding, which suited a public landscaping setting where a clean finish and a short installation window were both important. It is popular with architects because it is an elegant public-space fall protection system in the “cost-effective” category. It delivers the statutory fall protection a public space requires without dominating the environment like alternative bulky connector fittings do.
Manufactured in Australia at ENCAT's Unanderra factory
All post manufacture was completed at ENCAT’s Unanderra factory in New South Wales. The process used tube laser cutting and CNC machining, with welding completed to Australian standards and quality packaging for zero damage transport to site.
The posts were hot dip galvanised steel, providing the corrosion protection required for a permanent outdoor public asset. Powder coating can be added if required.
Compliance with Council and the National Construction Code
The completed balustrades comply with Council requirements and the National Construction Code (NCC) barrier height and the barrier design loads in AS/NZS 1170.1
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On-site installation took approximately one week.
The full project ran approximately six weeks, including two weeks for hot dip galvanising.
The result delivered the architect’s vision. The natural sandstone retained its architectural appearance because the coring and grouting kept the connections discreet, and the open space gained compliant fall protection that reads as part of the landscaping rather than as added hardware.
ENCAT designs, manufactures and installs balustrades, handrails and civil use products Australia wide. Encat has manufactured in Wollongong, New South Wales since 1989. Managing the survey, engineering, manufacture, galvanising and installation in house gives clients a single point of accountability and the dimensional accuracy that fixings into natural stone demand.
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