The blast deflector fence in question is made with steel from BlueScope but that's where the similarity ends, according to its developer, University of Wollongong Associate Professor Alex Remennikov.

The 120-metre fence, located at Qantas's jet maintenance base at Mascot, has been recognised with two industry awards due to its highly functional and eye-catching design.

Prof Remennikov said yesterday he was honoured to receive a 2012 Australian Steel Institute Steel Design Award and the Consult Australia 2011 silver award.

"The role of the blast fence is to protect airport infrastructure, vehicles and people from the effects of jet blasts - or exhaust gases - coming from the engines during aircraft testing," he said.

"These blasts can uproot trees, overturn cars and large trucks, destroy buildings and badly injure people.

"The fence has to withstand temperatures of up to 100 degrees and withstand and redirect the air streams moving at speeds up to 200km/h.

"I spent one year working on the design which included a lot of numerical modelling and preliminary and live testing."

Prof Remennikov, head of the university's School of Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, worked with North Sydney-based Woolacotts Consulting Engineers to come up with the fence to accommodate the new A380 and 787 aircraft based at Sydney Airport.

"My area of expertise is designing structures to withstand extreme loads and I had worked with Woolacotts previously on a project concerning blast protection for Reserve Bank facilities," he said.

"This was a collaborative project."

The fence, which cost $3 million, is rail mounted allowing it to be moved to suit weather conditions.

"It can run full circle so it can be moved into position behind the aircraft, depending on the wind direction," Prof Remennikov said.