The Level Crossing Removal Project is pioneering the use of a more environmentally sustainable form of steel, one of the first government infrastructure projects in Victoria to use the innovative product.
The new form of reinforced steel is made from Australian scrap steel and is being used in the deflection walls of the new road bridges being built to remove the level crossings at Hopkins Road, Truganina and Ferris Road, Melton.
The product, called Sense600, uses up to 17% less raw materials to deliver a reinforced steel bar with the same load capacity as the industry standard, cutting carbon emissions in the process.
A willingness to embrace new initiatives and products has been key to the Level Crossing Removal Project’s success in transitioning to greener construction methods and materials, according to Senior Sustainability Adviser Natalie Yan.
“We are willing to try things that others haven’t done before, such as these materials initiatives and low carbon initiatives,” she said.
“It’s important to really re-think the materials that we choose to build with and how we build, because it can cut our emissions by a lot,” she said.
Project Environment and Sustainability Advisor Ashleigh Smith said the product’s greener credentials could be measured across the product’s lifecycle.
“Sense600 is innovative because it's made from scrap metal, so it's a part of that closed loop, circular economy, and it’s stronger and lighter than its traditional steel counterparts, which means that there's actually going to be less steel in the overall product,” she said.
“So, when we're installing the Sense600 in the deflection wall, we can actually use less of it, which means that there's less embodied carbon in the structure.”
The product’s design and manufacturing process can cut embodied carbon emissions - total greenhouse gas emissions released throughout the product’s lifecycle – by up to 39% compared with other standard grade reinforced steel.
Krzysztof Koralewski, sales engineer with manufacturer InfraBuild, said Sense600 was part of a broader shift towards more sustainable construction materials.
“The construction industry hasn’t traditionally been seen as a very green industry, but at the same time we can have a massive impact on the environment,” he said.
“A small change in the design at Hopkins Road, we’re taking out 20 tonnes of CO2 from our environment.”
The dangerous and congested level crossings at Hopkins Road, Truganina and Ferris Road, Melton will be gone for good and the new road bridges open to traffic in 2026, two years ahead of schedule.
