CMG Frames - Carrum Station

• Minimal on-site disruption

• Fast, efficient and easy to install

• Designed and pre-fabricated off site

• Precision engineering

Located just 125m from Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne’s South East, Carrum Station is the first of 12 new rail stations that comprise the Victorian Level Crossing Removal Projects. Created to remove 19 dangerous level crossings, the project will improve safety, reduce congestion and increase train frequency along the Frankston line.

The design and use of LGS framing made from TRUECORE^® steel to underpin the CFC (compressed-fibre-cement) cladding helped to realise the following benefits:

Engineered for dynamic load

CMG Frames designed a 3D module frame section that was engineered to withstand both dynamic loading from the trains and wind from Carrum Beach. The box frame design also left a large cavity for necessary services to achieve the design intent.

Designed with expertise

CMG Frames worked closely with BlueScope’s technical representatives to obtain a Design Life Statement for the project and to ensure the prefabricated LGS frames were designed to suit the environment, the specific application and were compatible with other materials used in the project.

Minimal onsite disruption

Level Crossing Removal Projects demand minimal disruption to commuters. “By using a prefabricated modular design, all manufacturing was done off site, reducing on-site time by over a third with only installation required on-site” said Luke Cockerell, Managing Director CMG Frames.

Project highlights

Commissioned by the Victorian Government, the $3 billion Level Crossing Removal Projects aim to remove 19 dangerous level crossings and build 12 new train stations along Victoria’s Frankston line. The Projects seek to improve safety, reduce congestion and increase train frequency.

Using the new stations as vehicles, COX Architecture saw opportunities to create communal spaces that reinforce local character, celebrate heritage and increase commercial viability. Andy Hayes, Director at COX, said “These projects represent a story of connection, how infrastructure can become catalysts for new public places.”

To deliver an aesthetic that hides the station’s complex essential services from view, builder Laing O’Rourke adopted a fully collaborative approach with the Victorian Government, sub-contractor Casello and steel fabricator CMG Frames.

The project had a high degree of engineering complexity and involved significant community impacts. To ensure issues and risks were resolved creatively and promptly, the contracting partners and many other stakeholders worked with a mindset of transparency, innovation and support.

Working closely with Casello, CMG Frames designed and prefabricated LGS frame box sections made from TRUECORE^® steel. These were pre-clad and then lifted into place to conceal services on the underside of the overpass. “The project had a short timeframe with heavy site restrictions, as streets needed to be re-opened”, said Dan Thomson at CMG Frames. Project Manager Gary Fidanza at Casello added, “The LGS frames made from TRUECORE^® steel were manufactured with precision and accuracy, immensely strong yet light-weight and easier to handle than we thought possible. This project delivered exceptional cost benefits.”

The Carrum Station project was awarded the Victorian ASI Steel Excellence Award, Engineering Projects.

The Carrum Station project was also described by the Jury for the Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design as “An extraordinary offer of civic generosity. The project not only encourages the use of public transport but also fosters a place to gather and connect, feeling intuitive and safe. Thinking “beyond the station”, the design was chosen after hearing from the community, with locals keen to see the station enhance the bayside village feel of the suburb.

Carrum Station was completed in 2020 and was used as the impetus for over a dozen level crossing redevelopments in suburbs such as Lilydale, Cheltenham, Edithvale and Glenhuntly.

• Luke Cockerell, Managing Director CMG Frames

• Dan Thomson, Business Development Manager CMG Frames

• Gary Fidanza, Project Manager Casello Group

• Andy Hayes, Director COX Architecture