Projects

#119 Eliminating Silica and Other Construction Risks using Cast-in Ferrule Systems

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure is a significant work health and safety challenge in construction, particularly during overhead drilling into hardened concrete when installing mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services beneath slabs. As well as RCS exposure, workers are also exposed to falling debris, eye injuries, manual handling strain, fatigue and work-at-height risks. These hazards are compounded by the repetitive nature of the task and the extended duration of overhead drilling on major projects.

This project investigates how cast-in ferrule systems can be more consistently adopted to eliminate these risks at source. Cast-in ferrules provide a practical, design-led alternative, by installing threaded anchorage points during the concrete formwork stage, removing the need for post-pour drilling.

While this approach is well established in precast construction, its adoption in cast-in-situ concrete construction remains limited. The project focuses on identifying key barriers, mapping practical workflow integration, and developing guidance on coordination, tolerance and assurance requirements to support safer-by-design construction and improved productivity.

Project team: A/Prof. Xuemei Liu, Bryon Price, Luke Snell