Crews building the new West Tarneit Station have been using excavated rock as part of a recycled concrete mix that has reduced the project’s waste.
The rock was excavated from around the site, including beneath the rail line to make way for a pedestrian underpass that will connect passengers to both platforms and future links to the growing suburb. Crews removed about 60 cubic metres of basalt rock while excavating the new underpass. Typically, only a small portion of this material would be reused locally, with the rest sent to a quarry as waste.
Instead, the basalt was sent to Aurora Construction Materials, located less than 20 minutes from the site, where it was crushed and incorporated into a concrete mix that was returned to site and poured to form some of the ramps in the new precinct.
Reusing excavated rock in concrete at the same site it came from is still relatively uncommon in Australia, largely due to logistical challenges. Similar approaches have only been trialled on a small number of projects, highlighting the potential for more sustainable construction practices in future.
The new West Tarneit Station will open later this year with 400 car spaces and a 4-bay bus interchange, helping to ease pressure on nearby Tarneit Station and improving access to transport in Melbourne's west.