When it comes to working with interesting clients, one of our recent favourites has to be METRONET. For one thing, it is incredible to be a part of projects that will make a genuine difference to the people of Western Australia in the long term, but we’re also fully behind the idea of a well-connected Perth that will see more transport, housing and employment choices come into play for all WA residents.
METRONET is the single largest investment in public transport that Perth has ever seen, with the physical railways and stations forming just a small part of the overall ethos of the project. Over the course of this program, approximately 72km of new passenger rail will be installed as well as 23 new stations to manage the commuting public using the rail. METRONET is also the catalyst to turning more than 8,000 hectares of land around new stations into desirable places to live, work and play. This in turn will create more community opportunities, a sense of belonging for many and hopefully lead a cultural shift in the way government, private sector and industry work together to achieve integrated land use and transport solutions for the future of Perth.
Where does AFI come in?
AFI has been brought in to partner with METRONET to design, build and install the fire protection systems at 7 of the new train stations that will form part of this program. We were brought in to provide both fire detection equipment as well as gaseous suppression systems.
The Job
This job is one of many moving parts, multiple key stakeholders and a lot of coordination between various contractors. At AFI, we own the contract for the fire services across all of these sites and we report to NEWest, who in turn report to PTA.
Due to this being a huge construction undertaking, spanning multiple stations, railways and buildings, we work alongside various other contractors to align with the overall plans for the project. This meant that a third-party design business provided us with a scope of the large-scale design, and then we refined the designs based on what the various facilities needed.
Following confirmation of the design and an approved plan from all relevant parties, we were able to proceed with the procurement of materials needed to complete the job. The lion’s share of our equipment for this job centred around fire panels, detectors and alarms. The suppression element is automatic following detection, and in this case, the suppression method that has been chosen is gas based.
Unique Challenges to the Job
The most challenging part of working with a client like METRONET is the need for much of our work to be done in a live railway setting.
Another element that is more challenging than the norm was that the construction process was in various stages of completion, which has created a very unique environment for us. We have been able to manage this through great communication and coordination with our other design and construction-based colleagues as well as continued and extensive QA processes.
We will be continuing to watch this project unfold with much excitement and look forward to a better-connected Perth in the future, knowing that we had a hand in bringing this wonderful program to life.
