Heathcote Road Upgrade

Project Overview

Heathcote Road is a significant Sydney thoroughfare that connects the city’s southwest suburbs to the motorway network. Upgrading and maintaining the road and reducing the impact traffic has on the surrounding area is a priority for the NSW government. SD Group were contracted to enhance Heathcote Road’s infrastructure by building and installing a selection of noise walls. They approached Ozcast to create noise wall panels that feature a distinct design taken from historical photos.

This distinct design brief required Ozcast to undertake specific production processes and posed its own unique challenges, but it also provided an opportunity to showcase the aesthetic possibilities that can be achieved with precast concrete.

Scope

Ozcast were responsible for producing precast noise walls that featured engravings of historical photographs. Delivery on this brief required a fine-tuned production process and highly specialised tools.

The result of this process is an aesthetically distinct noise wall, but it is not without its own challenges. To ensure Ozcast can create a high-quality engraving, the original photo needs to be high quality as well. The image provided for this project was 80 years old, requiring back and forth communication between parties to ensure the engraving created was as clear as possible and the client would be satisfied with the result.

Each form liner is one-time use only. This meant the process had to be started again for each engraved noise wall panel. Ozcast approached each engraving with precision, sticking to their processes to ensure each attempt was successful and delivery was as efficient as possible.