Super Therm® at Honeysuckle Park Playground, Newcastle
CASE STUDY
New Marine-Themed Playground at Honeysuckle Park, Newcastle
The former industrial maritime land at Honeysuckle is now a harbourfront park with a maritime-themed play area developed by the Hunter & Central Coast Development Corporation.
NEOtech Coatings Australia was approached by Terras Landscape Architects of Newcastle to utilise Super Therm® Solar Heat Block Coating to keep the heritage maritime bollards cool in summer during the restoration that once were used to moor ships at Newcastle Wharf.
Super Therm® was chosen for its outstanding feature that blocks heat load, meaning, it is safe to touch. Not only does Super Therm® reflect the visual, UV and Infrared heat but also contains a special ceramic that is 50 times lighter than paper which prevents most heat transfer into any substrate below. This is vitally important as the client needed to ensure that children and adults could use the play equipment during summer and remain safe without any chances of burning from the potentially hot iron bollards.
Shane Strudwick, NEOtech Coatings Australia
Application and Preparation
As the bollards were over well over 80 years old they were heavily corroded, contained salts and other contaminants after years of exposure to the harsh marine environment. The bollards were sandblasted multiple times to remove all the salts and corrosion then had 2 coats of safe, water based Super Therm® Solar Heat Block Coating applied by brush.
In this location we’d strongly suggest an epoxy coating like Enamo Grip is used over the top to help withstand the outdoor environment of dirt, grim, salts and to remain clean for carefree for future maintenance along with reducing damage to the Super Therm coating by vandalism and rough use.
The restoration of the maritime heritage bollards brings back the history of the wharf and repurposes their charm into a safe and meaningful connection and functional element of the redevelopment in the playground.
Similar to Award Winning Hoover Dam project
The same heat block principle and coatings were used on the award winning Hoover Dam bridge railings project. No other coatings could produce the level of corrosion protection, ease of application, and radiant heat reduction on the railings as demonstrated by the SPI products. Super Therm® blocks most of the solar heat and with the extreme temperatures of the Arizona and Nevada desert averaging 35 degrees to 43 degrees C on most days it needed a safe, long term solution for visitors. Read More >
About Honeysuckle Park
The park includes sandstone seating at the harbour’s edge, shelters with picnic seating, covered barbecue facilities and the Maritime inspired play area. Native trees, including banksia, tuckeroos and pines line new pedestrian links, making it easier to move from the waterfront to the Honeysuckle Light Rail stop. Construction of this park is an important step in completing the public connection from Wickham Marina, through Honeysuckle along the foreshore to Bathers Way.
Novocastrians will now enjoy a new $4.2 million waterfront park in the CBD which will provide an outstanding public space for locals. Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the new Honeysuckle Park forms part of a dynamic $55 million infrastructure and public domain works program in Honeysuckle Newcastle.
“This is an amazing public space on the waterfront that locals and visitors to Newcastle can enjoy,” Mr Stokes said.
“It form’s part of the city’s 11 kilometre harbour and beach walk from Throsby Creek to Merewether Beach, which will be one of the best public walks in NSW.”
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said families can now enjoy the shaded maritime-themed playground and wide green open spaces complemented by native plantings.
“Opening more quality public space right on the waterfront is an exciting outcome for the Hunter community as we finalise the planning for Honeysuckle,” Mr Martin said.
“Walkers, runners and cyclists will no doubt love the extension of the waterfront promenade.”
Honeysuckle Park has been designed and delivered in response to community feedback on the Honeysuckle Public Domain Concept Plan, which was released in 2019. Source
