Adelaide Oval Western Grandstand

Overview

In late 2010 an internationally renowned Australian icon, Adelaide Oval, received a major face lift to the Western Grandstand. This upgrade represents the first stage in making the venue ready to host games for the Australian Football League. The project aimed to create a brand new Western Grandstand with 14,000 seats, a member’s dining room and bar, atrium bar, 2 ground level bars and a large atrium thoroughfare. With a long and rich history, the solution needed to amalgamate new designs and stadium features with elements of the existing heritage listed George Giffen Stand. The Grandstand was constructed using a number of building materials including 45,000 Adbri Masonry honed coloured and grey blocks.

The initial specification requested a 190 x 190 x 190mm block to be used for areas requiring designer coloured block, however Adbri Masonry was able to create a unique block that contained a fake joint within a 20.01 Ryltex® block (390 x 190 x 190mm), proving to be the perfect solution for both the block layer and architect. In order to adhere to the strict quality and time restrictions, Adbri Masonry’s Ottoway manufacturing plant created a project specific honed mix with an increased saturation of charcoal oxide to give a consistent rich colour to the block produced. In addition to this, after initial samples were produced it became evident that enhanced levels of cement and aggregate were also needed to ensure the desired honed finish was achieved. To further improve the process, Adbri Masonry worked with a local contractor to create a customised honing disc with 25% more embedded diamonds than usual, which minimised chipping from the face of the blocks. These measures ensured the efficient and timely production of the 15,000 honed charcoal blocks which effortlessly enhanced the distinctive design of the Western Grandstand which were completed in time for the 2010/11 Ashes series.

Given the importance of this iconic stadium, a quality finish and hassle free build were essential to the success of this project. The Adbri Masonry team supplied the blocks to head contractors Pascale Construction. In an effort to ensure there were no issues with product availability or delivery, Adbri Masonry produced all required products before the first day of delivery giving confidence to the installers. Jack Kyriacou, Masonry Manager from Pascale Construction said “We were very happy with the end result. The blocks were supplied on time ensuring our ongoing stock needs were met. The product was of a consistent high quality which was important on a project that is such an iconic South Australian landmark.”

Other projects in South Australia

• • Edinbourough Barracks – 120,000m2 of Charcoal 80mm Anchorlok®
• • University South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus – 50mm Flagpave
• • Glenside Units – 65,000 Coloured 10.01 Blocks

Other projects using Adbri Masonry

• • Sydney Olympic Park – Eco-Trihex® Permeable Paving
• • Broadmeadows Main Street– Havenslab® and Havenpave®
• • University of Western Sydney – Euro® Honed Paving