Reprinted with permission from THE LONGREACH LEADER
First Printed Friday, November 9, 2018, Page 2
Story and Photos Colin Jackson, THE LONGREACH LEADER
THE BARRACADES came down last Friday on the new 2,500sq.m covered car park situated between Emu Street and Crow Lane, after 24 weeks of construction. When it does rain in Longreach in the future, the roofline will harvest a vast amount of rainwater.
Bearing a striking design of huge wheels carrying the central roofline, the new 40m x 60m area has 73 car parks, four motor cycle areas, plus access for two mothers/prams and two disabled parks. The area is fully sealed in asphalt and cost $1.76 million to build.
Erected by Spantech, a family company based on the Gold Coast, this is the fourth project using this particular design.
Director Rick Lucas said each section of roof was 55.4 metres long, and roll-formed on site from five tonne coils of 1mm sheet metal. Holes are punched into the metal where necessary as part of the process.
The company has three roofing profiles: the 300 series can have a 30 metre span as an arch or seven metre flat roof in 1mm flat steel. The larger 370 series uses 1.2mm metal and can have a 40 metre arch or nine metre flat roof.
Referring to the Longreach design, he said this is a straight panel that can span 20 metres. “This one is 18 metres, and can also be in a curved design.
“Across the entire length the roof has a one degree slope and a 900mm fall.”
Rick Lucas said the car park is floodlit and operates on an automatic trip. It can be used for markets.
“We are presently considering whether we market this design as ‘The Longreach’,” he said.
