An £8m joint partnership project between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield City Council is taking place around the University’s City Centre Campus to enhance its appearance and improve safety for students, staff and the general public.
The installation of pedestrian guardrail supplied by Alpha Rail has formed part of the transformation process.
The project is intended to encourage the people of Sheffield to enjoy and use the University campus to have lunch in one of its cafes, cycle through the campus area up to Weston Park, or just enjoy sitting and relaxing in one of the new greener, safer places that will be created through the development.
New pedestrian walkways, cycle routes and improved pedestrian crossings have been created around Upper Hannover Street and the Western Bank with the hope of turning the city into a much greener and safer city. The installation of architectural artwork and the planting of new trees and shrubs have also contributed towards the improvements for the redeveloped green space.
Funding for the project was provided by a £2.9m investment from Sheffield City Region Investment Fund and the rest of the work was funded by the University.
Alpha Rail was contracted by North Midland Construction to manufacture the pedestrian guardrail that was installed along new walkways and cycle paths as well as along existing paths which were extended to provide longer barriers along pavement areas, improve pedestrian safety and compliment the pedestrianisation of locations within the University Campus.
Uneven terrain meant that most of the railings had to be raked and therefore a through site survey was conducted by Alpha Rail in order to calculate the precise measurements of each section.
In total 85 metres of 1800mm wide by 900mm high pedestrian guardrail was installed. To provide added strength 25mm x 25mm square hollow sections infill bars were specified. All metalwork was supplied galvanised and polyester powder coated RAL 9010 white to prevent rust and protect against rain and frost.
Chris Davies, Senior Site Agent at North Midland Construction commented: “The University campus is at the heart of city centre infrastructure and it was very important that we provided a safe and visually pleasing environment for the students and residents of Sheffield to use. The installation of high quality pedestrian guardrail manufactured and supplied by Alpha Rail, has helped us deliver on the project brief.”
Commenting on behalf of Alpha Rail, Sales Director, Phil Ball added: “I am proud that Alpha Rail has supplied metalwork that will benefit the local community. Sheffield is a vibrant city and the installation of pedestrian guardrail has created clearly defined walkways and helped to ensure pedestrian safety.”
