Rhodesfield Station - PRASA

The project takes place in Rhodesfield where the new elevated Gautrain rail link crosses above the existing PRASA railway. Gautrain has a station at this point and so by building a PRASA station here too, it will facilitate commuters to transfer from one train system to another. The project involved relocating the existing four railway tracks to accommodate two landing platforms. The construction of the station which is built above the railway lines and is accessible from both sides, needed to be designed to minimise disruption to the operating trains.

• Unique in the need to construct it over operating railways and the short construction program
• Use precast concrete which can be constructed off site simultaneous to the other on site operations
• Placement of precast members can be co-ordinated to have minimal disruption to the operation of the railway
• Due to poor founding conditions, the foundation required piles, pile caps and interconnecting ground beams
• Columns, platform retaining walls and beams above platforms were constructed as cast in-situ reinforced concrete since these operations could take place without affecting the operation of trains
• Concourse deck which straddles over the railway lines was made of precast reinforced concrete beams and infill panels slabs
• Concrete structural topping was added to stitch all members together to form the finished slab
• There was also significant steel design with the requirement of a 32 m bridge providing access to the station from the eastern side. It spanned over a road where only limited occupancy for construction could be allowed and so off site steel work made this possible
• Roof consisted of steel trusses, but was unique that a large portion would be exposed visually, and so to have an aesthetic appeal, needed to be designed from tubular steel members