With United Rentals continuing to grow its footprint and enhance its capability across Australia, customers have access to a greater choice of products, services and local expertise.
As the world’s largest equipment rental provider, United Rentals’ range of site management solutions includes temporary fencing and traffic management products to help customers complete projects safely, efficiently, and on budget.
“We are building a team of industry experts focused on understanding and delivering on our customers’ expectations,” says Neil Littlewood, Regional Vice President United Rentals ANZ.
With more than 700 employees in 60 branches across Australia and New Zealand, including over 30 dedicated engineers and product designers, the company provides:
• General Equipment Rentals – including the innovative Fortawall Temporary Fencing system and a comprehensive range of earthmoving and traffic management equipment.
• Container Storage and Worksite Facilities – offering high-quality storage solutions, portable buildings, site offices, and customised modular spaces.
• Trench Safety – offering innovative shoring, propping, and fluid solutions as well as engineered safety systems.
Evolving to meet demand
Mr Littlewood says expanding United Rentals’ footprint and its fleet is key to providing a “one stop shop” for customers across Australia.
“Our local expertise, local knowledge, and commitment to delivering great service and innovative solutions is stronger than ever,” says Mr Littlewood.
To address the diverse needs of the modern construction and building environment, United Rentals continues to evolve with groundbreaking temporary fencing solution Fortawall.
“Fortawall revolutionises site security,” says Mark Whitfield, Director, Region Sales and Marketing.
“With safety and security of work sites paramount, Fortawall is specifically designed with commercial and government projects in mind.”
Its strength, durability, and distinctive design provides a robust barrier against unauthorised access and ensures enhanced site protection for both workers and pedestrians.
“Providing safe passageway for members of the public is crucial for urban construction sites where maintaining pedestrian safety is as important as securing the site itself,” says Mr Whitfield.
One of the key benefits of Fortawall is the reduced risk of injury when installing and removing the product.
“Traditional fencing requires the lifting and placing of heavy concrete blocks repeatedly whereas Fortawall weighs just 12kg per barrier when empty. It reduces the risk of hand, arm, shoulder and lower back strains and crushing injuries.
“It’s a product that helps keep contractors safe which improves both their physical wellbeing and productivity.”
Additional key features of Fortawall compared to traditional temporary fencing options include:
• Exceptional Wind Resistance – With a wind rating of up to 165km/h, Fortawall provides a 254% improvement compared to standard temporary fencing. Tested to AS/NZS 4687 standards, it remains stable and secure even in extreme weather conditions.
• Space-Efficient Design – Fortawall requires only 450mm of space compared to traditional, F brace fencing which requires at least 1200mm overall length. This space efficiency is critical for maximising a site’s footprint, especially in confined areas.
• Security, environmental advantages – The fully enclosed base of Fortawall eliminates trip hazards and prevents rubbish, fauna and other objects moving past the fence line. It ensures a cleaner, ecologically balanced and more secure environment around construction sites.
• Rapid Installation and Demobilisation – Fortawall reduces installation and demobilisation times by 70% compared to traditional fencing. The water-filled barriers deliver stability and impact resistance while being easier to transport and install than traditional concrete barriers. This provides significant project time and cost savings and streamlines overall site management processes.
• UV Stabilisation and Australian designed – Created and crafted in Australia, Fortawall is built with the highest UV stability to withstand harsh Australian conditions.
This quality ensures long-life durability and reliability of the fencing and aligns with Australia’s high quality control standards for construction and environmental resilience.
A recent high-profile project in Sydney’s Hyde Park utilised Fortawall temporary fencing to ensure safe pedestrian access and separation from workers in a busy central city location.
The Hyde Park Lighting Upgrade involved replacing 248 halogen lights with new energyefficient LED units, a project spanning more than 100 weeks.
Because of the long-term nature of the project, high foot-traffic, and the heritage-listed status of the area, United Rentals tailored a solution to minimise disruption to the public and to support workers to meet strict compliance requirements.
From temporary fencing to container storage
With its future-focused approach, United Rentals continues to expand its product range across its general rental, temporary works solutions, and storage and worksite facilities divisions.
Mr Whitfield says the hire industry must be extremely reactive to ensure customers’ needs are met.
“Efficiency and expertise are key. We solve problems for our customers, and the main aim is to help make their project a success – that’s incredibly satisfying.”
“A product like Fortawall is a major leap forward in temporary fencing solutions. It’s a great example of one of our innovative products that puts safety first and enables customers to get on and do their job efficiently with limited disruption.”
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