Polymer Concrete Pits, Risers and Access Covers by ACO Polycrete

Discreet Solution for a Showcase Project

Dandenong is the heart of Melbourne's growing south east corridor.

In partnership with the City of Greater Dandenong, the State Government of Victoria in November 2007, launched a $290 million initiative called Revitalising Central Dandenong. The initiative is being delivered through VicUrban, the government's sustainable urban development agency.

The master plan details a 15 to 20 year vision for one of Victoria's largest urban renewal projects. The CBD community will expand with new jobs, new homes and benefit from $1 billion of private sector development.

One of the projects is the upgrade of Lonsdale Street. This main thoroughfare divides the city and is destined to become one of Melbourne's great boulevards featuring wider, greener and safer walking areas, aligned by a bustling and diverse commercial retail district.

At night, the precinct will be illuminated with feature lighting expressing the area's broad range of cultures through the universal symbolism of a visual rainbow spectrum. The boulevards will comprise a colonnade of a total of 66 lighting poles housing LEDs of various colours to produce a composite spectacular rainbow effect.

An underground cable network was installed to provide power for street, footpath and seat lighting so that plants and art installations are illuminated. New cabling was also established for the boulevard's traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. Engineers, Arup required that all cable pits be durable and as visually unobtrusive as possible. Cabling was therefore pulled through more than 300 of ACO's Polycrete® (polymer concrete) pits & risers and to preserve the visual continuity of the pavement, ACO's Pavermate® access covers were installed.

Rated to Class B80KN-AS3996, Pavermate® (galvanised steel access covers) is a product solution for designers requiring a discreet cover. It allows the pavement material to be set into its pan to minimise the visual impact of any enclosure.