The NSW Government has invested over $700 million in healthcare for the Tweed-Byron region, including the construction of the brand-new Tweed Valley Hospital, which officially opened in 2024.

With greater capacity and enhanced capabilities, the new hospital is a vital healthcare hub for the local community. Moddex is proud to have played a role in supporting a project designed to improve the health and wellbeing of so many.

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Having built a strong working relationship with Lendlease across multiple projects such as the Ballarat Line Upgrade and the Springfield Sporting Centre, Moddex was once again trusted to deliver a handrail solution for this development. Moddex designed, supplied, and installed over 1000 metres of handrail throughout the hospital’s internal fire stairs and external grounds.

The handrails needed to meet three critical objectives:

Provide a compliant system with a warranty suitable for coastal conditions
Keep disruption to construction workflows to a minimum during installation
Allow for fast, efficient installation in a key access area

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The challenge

Located just 3km inland from the coast, Tweed Valley Hospital is subject to an environment of high humidity and salt laden air – conditions that significantly accelerate corrosion. For safety elements such as handrails, this presents an ongoing challenge, with the potential to affect structural integrity, longevity, and even visual appeal over time. Traditional site-welded handrail systems are particularly vulnerable in such environments, and for Lendlease, this posed a problem: they were unable to obtain the required warranty period using traditional welded systems.

In addition, most of the handrails supplied were required for the internal fire stairs, which were used for vertical movement for other trades during the build.

Installing handrails in these areas posed a challenge: any installation method that caused prolonged stairwell closures would disrupt site operations and delay the overall build. A fast and efficient solution was needed.

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The Moddex solution

Moddex was able to provide the required warranty period due to our modular, no-weld system. Modular handrails offer superior corrosion resistance compared to welded systems due to the way they are designed and installed.

Modular handrails don’t require on-site welding, which can burn off protective coatings and create weak points prone to rust. Instead, components are hot dip galvanised in a controlled factory environment prior to arriving on site, ensuring consistent, durable protection.

Modular handrails are also designed in a way that prevents water from entering and causing internal corrosion, a common issue in welded systems.

There are also maintenance benefits with modular handrails; individual parts can be replaced if needed without cutting or welding, preserving the integrity of the protective coating and extending the system’s lifespan.

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Lendlease understood Moddex was a reliable choice for this project, and subsequently contracted them to supply the following Moddex systems:

Conectabal Commercial Balustrades CB10, CB30 and CB50
Tuffrail Industrial Handrails TR20 and TR30
Assistrail Disability Handrails AR10 and AR45

Moddex’s modular handrail system also offered a crucial advantage on this project: speed. “Most of the handrails were for internal fire stairs,” said Gavin Pedersen, Project Consultant at Moddex. “These stairs were used for vertical movement during the build. This meant the stairwells had to be closed while the handrail was being installed. Modular meant that there was less time spent installing the handrail in these locations.”

With 12 internal fire stairs requiring handrails, every day counted. Unlike welded systems, which involve time-consuming onsite fabrication and hot works, Moddex’s modular components arrived ready to install, eliminating delays. On average, Moddex saved up to two days per stairwell, cutting down installation time significantly. Across all 12 stairs, this amounted to weeks saved – helping to keep the overall project on schedule.

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Want to learn more?

Moddex is trusted for our expertise in handrail and barrier systems, with a strong reputation for compliance, quality, and easy installation.

Ready to experience the Moddex difference on your next project? Get in touch with our team today.

Architecture & Design Team

Moddex

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