THE PROJECT
Primarily used to support roof sheeting in commercial and industrial buildings, a recently completed project in the Queensland City of Ipswich, has showcased the versatility of PERMALITE® aluminium purlins in a different application.

The new Springfield Central Station Multi Storey Park ‘n’ Ride is a four storey $55M development, which has used 50 tonnes of this building material, but rather than holding up the roof, these lightweight aluminium purlins have been applied as a design feature, to deliver a vertical vein facade on all three sides of this triangular-shaped building.

During the design development phase, architects GHDWoodhead were required to address a number of complex design criteria while also meeting the project’s cost framework. It became apparent that the cost of a proprietary facade system would not allow the team to achieve these goals within the project budget, so a certain level of innovation was needed.

As well as being cost effective, the development by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads for Queensland Rail, also showcased the versatility of the PERMALITE® purlins, as explained by GHDWoodhead Senior Designer, Joshua Rhodes.

THE SOLUTION
“By separating the facade criteria into different elements such as anti-throw screening, crash rails, fall protection, natural ventilation, and light spill mitigation, we were able to combine particular elements that then changed the performance criteria for other elements,” Joshua said.

“By identifying overlaps and interdependencies, the batten screen’s primary function was revised to mitigate light spill and address context. The anti-throw screen behind the battens provided the flexibility to increase the batten spacing as they were not required to perform an anti-fall function at 120mm centers, which is typical of most batten screens. This allowed for a greater percentage of open area for natural ventilation and light and reduced the number of battens by over 60 per cent.

“A result of this reduction however was that the batten depths needed to increase to address light spill. Parametric form studies were undertaken to ascertain a balance between the blade depth and maximum spacing based on the standard LYSAGHT PERMALITE® Zed purlin. These profiles were identified as a suitable alternative to custom or proprietary façade systems based on cost and their ability to span the floor-to-floor heights,” Joshua explained.

Lysaght Account Manager – Northern Rivers / Gold Coast, Stephen Martin, said the development was likely the first of its kind in the way the PERMALITE® purlins had been applied.

“I’ve been in the industry for almost 20 years and have never seen purlins used in such a way previously,” Stephen said.

“Looking at the building now though, you’d have to ask why the material hadn’t been considered before, given how visually striking the finish is while still delivering the functionality required under the broader design brief.”

A high level of importance on longevity and low maintenance is placed on modern civil buildings, and while the carpark isn’t by the ocean it can still be exposed to dust, grit and sitting water, which made PERMALITE® purlin’s anti-corrosive properties extremely favourable in this project. Additionally, where the building design called for overlapping materials, the aluminium material of the PERMALITE® purlins provide safeguards against potential future issues at these points.

THE PROCESS
As well as providing the project with high quality marine grade aluminium PERMALITE® purlins, Lysaght also added efficiency and reduced cost for its partners by pre-punching drill holes at the positions specified by the client.

“Lysaght punched the holes on the production line where required, which meant that the only fabrication that was needed were cut-outs,” Stephen said.

Lysaght was also able to offer timely processing and delivery of the PERMALITE® purlins thanks to its extensive supply chain experience and streamlined processes. This capability as well as just in time delivery is vital when scheduling a major project such as this involving many trades and stakeholders.

“We quoted on the project in late 2020; in December we reserved 60 tonnes of coil and once we won the tender we began slitting in March and April 2021, with first deliveries in July and continuing until October,” Stephen said.

To provide an additional visual element, the purlins which were specified in both 400mm and 250mm widths, underwent a secondary anodising process by AAF Anodisers in Sydney, who finished the material in the colours of ‘Amber Gold’, ‘Stardust’ and ‘Summer Maize’. Lysaght liaised closely with the supplier to ensure colour continuity between batches.

With Springfield Central Station Multi Storey Park ‘n’ Ride now complete, all requirements for the project looked to be cleverly fulfilled thanks to a great partnership effort between GHDWoodhead, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads and Lysaght.

PROJECT NAME:
SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL STATION PARK ’N’ RIDE
IPSWICH, QUEENSLAND

MATERIALS:
PERMALITE® ALUMINIUM PURLINS

ARCHITECT:
GHDWOODHEAD

PROJECT SPECIFICS:
PERMALITE® aluminium purlins (250mm and 400mm) 50 tonnes