Located approximately 15 minutes from the Townsville CBD, the Fairfield Tavern development forms part of a growing retail and commercial hub serving Fairfield Waters and Townsville’s expanding southern suburbs.
Housing a Dan Murphy’s store and other retail tenancies, the project required dependable underground infrastructure for electrical and telecommunications services. The selected products needed to be durable, economical to transport to North Queensland and straightforward for contractors to handle, modify and install.
Mascot Engineering supplied a combination of Australian-made Mascot GRC pits and lightweight plastic telecommunications pits, together with galvanised mild steel checkerplate covers.
Reducing freight and installation costs
Freight is an important consideration when supplying civil products to Townsville and other regional locations. The relatively lightweight construction of Mascot GRC pits provides significant freight efficiencies compared with traditional heavy concrete alternatives.
Their lower weight also makes the pits easier to unload, position and install on site. This can reduce reliance on heavy lifting equipment and help contractors save time and labour throughout the installation process.
Mascot’s plastic telecommunications pits provided further handling and freight advantages. Their lightweight construction makes them particularly easy to move around the site and install, while providing a practical solution for the project’s telecommunications infrastructure.
By supplying both GRC and plastic pits, Mascot Engineering was able to provide appropriate solutions for different services and installation requirements across the development.
Easier pipe and conduit entries
Mascot GRC pits are manufactured without conventional steel reinforcement. This allows trades to create accurate pipe and conduit penetrations without encountering reinforcing bar.
Entries can be formed in the locations required to suit the project’s electrical and telecommunications layout, giving installers greater flexibility to respond to actual site conditions. This helps reduce installation time and avoids the difficulty associated with modifying traditional steel-reinforced concrete pits.
The plastic telecommunications pits are also easily adapted for conduit entries, providing a practical and efficient solution where a lightweight telecommunications enclosure is appropriate.
Galvanised checkerplate covers
The pits were fitted with galvanised mild steel checkerplate covers, providing robust and practical access to the underground services.
The checkerplate surface provides a recognisable industrial finish suited to service areas and other locations where durability, accessibility and straightforward maintenance are priorities. Galvanising provides additional protection for the steel, supporting long-term performance in Townsville’s demanding climate.
Products suited to North Queensland
North Queensland’s heat, humidity, heavy rainfall and severe weather can place additional demands on underground infrastructure. Selecting proven products suited to Australian conditions was therefore an important consideration for the Fairfield Tavern development.
Mascot GRC pits have been developed and refined in Australia over more than 40 years. Purpose-designed for underground electrical, communications and drainage applications, they provide high strength and durability without conventional steel reinforcement. The absence of steel within the pit walls also eliminates the risk of reinforcement corrosion.
Together with Mascot’s plastic telecommunications pits and galvanised checkerplate covers, the system provided a practical combination of durability, ease of installation and long-term access to essential services.
A complete pit and cover solution
For the Fairfield Tavern retail hub, Mascot Engineering supplied more than individual pits and covers. The project team had access to an experienced Australian supplier able to provide multiple pit types and compatible access solutions for the development’s electrical and telecommunications requirements.
The completed solution delivered:
- Freight efficiencies for delivery to Townsville
- Australian-made Mascot GRC pits
- Lightweight plastic telecommunications pits
- Easier unloading, handling and positioning on site
- Efficient formation of pipe and conduit entries
- Reduced installation time and lifting requirements
- Durable galvanised checkerplate covers
- Products suited to North Queensland conditions
- Support from a proven and trusted infrastructure supplier
The Fairfield Tavern project demonstrates the benefits of selecting the right pit for each application. By combining Mascot GRC and plastic telecommunications pits with durable galvanised checkerplate covers, the project achieved an efficient and practical underground infrastructure solution for a growing North Queensland retail precinct.
