NZ Contractor 1605

NEW ZEALAND’S CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

PAVING THE WAY Unique and innovative mini paver arrives

INSIDE: Realising dreams – generosity comes in many forms National Excavator Operator Competition 2016 Drapers Earthmoving makes a case for motorised scrapers Roads of National Significance – a lesson in remedial work

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CONTENTS CONTRACTOR

INSIDE: Regulars 2 Editorial 4 Upfront 10 Contractors’ Diary 14 On the Cover 48 Motoring 50 Classic Machines 54 Innovations 56 Civil Contractors NZ update 56 Advertisers Index

Company profile 12 Hick Bros and the Race4Life

Comment 42 Peter Silcock CCNZ 44 Arie Moore & Kate Henderson Kensington Swan’s Construction Team 45 Jonathan Bhana-Thomson Heavy Haulage Association 46 Tommy Parker NZTA

30 Highlights / Features 16 National Excavator Operator Competition

Highlights from this year’s show in March. The 21st event since the Manawatu branch of the NZCF (now CCNZ) started in 1995.

24 RoNS a lesson in remedial work

Part two of a three-part series covering current and future project highlights and contractor performance, and their funding.

30 Scrapers reign supreme

At Drapers Earthmoving, the sun never set on the scraper’s ‘heyday’

ON THE COVER

38 Bauma 2016

3423 exhibitors from 58 countries showcasing their wares to 580,000 visitors from 200 countries, in Munich.

Technology

The Ammann AFW150 G mini wheeled asphalt paver has set a new standard in compaction machinery.

See page 14

39 Robot assists rebuild

Christchurch contractors are using a hydro-demolition robot in a project to rebuild part of the city’s wastewater system.

40 Big dam project benefits from ICT

Kajima Corporation and engineering company Tomijima Construction, are working together on the Oitagawa rock dam on the southern island of Kyushu, in Japan.

Training 36 Civil Trades: Meet more graduates 37 Talking with Ross McArthur

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24 MAY 2016 1

CONTRACTOR EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER Contrafed Publishing Co Ltd Suite 2.1, 93 Dominion Road, Mt Eden, Auckland PO Box 112357, Penrose, Auckland 1642 Phone: +64 9 636 5715 Fax: +64 9 636 5716 www.contrafed.co.nz

Altruistic, benevolent and generous – the art of goodwill Behind the well-known logos and head-office facades of some of our largest contracting families, you’ll often find a little-known aspect of that company’s DNA that goes beyond its core business goals.

And behind the fancy job titles or designations that these same companies bestow on their employees, you’ll often find a little-known aspect of that person’s official role that encompasses committees and official engagements that could test the patience of the gentlest soul.

And don’t forget that behind those people with the fancy titles, logos on their hats, or name on the cheque-book, there’s an army of supporters who support because that’s how things get done. That’s our culture. That’s the way we do things around here.

In this issue of Contractor we acknowledge these acts of benevolence and generosity.

There’s the story on page 12, “Realising dreams”, which details Hick Bros’ involvement with Race4Life – giving people with a terminal illness the chance of a spin in a race car, or to enjoy a helicopter, truck or motorbike ride. Hick’s managing director Mark Cole donates a serious amount of his time to this good cause, which we felt was worthy of a special mention.

On page 45 Jonathan Bhana-Thomson, CEO of the Heavy Haulage Association, also acknowledges the industry members “who dedicate their time and effort towards benefiting not only their own business, but the wider industry sector of which they are a part (and often in direct competition with those they help)”.

Jonathan says, “The strength of an organisation is the sum of the various parts that it has – but particularly the efforts, information and passion that the members put into the organisation.

“It all adds up to a strong and proactive industry group which is equipped to represent the sector and put forward the interests of the industry for the benefit of all.”

Then at grass-roots level, the National Excavator Operator Competition which we review on page 16, wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for volunteer support. You’ll read how the NEOC competition grounds take a good week to set up, thanks to local volunteers who give up their jobs and free time to design and prepare the site. The team of officials and helpers get together on a regular basis from the beginning of the year.

So with conference season once again looming, no doubt there’ll be plenty of opportunities for people who benefit from a strong industry to consider putting themselves forward for committees, working bees, sponsorships or lending a helping hand. It’s that spirit of generosity – of talent, time, and sometimes even money – that brings an industry together.

Kevin Lawrence, editor CL

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PS: If you enjoy Richard Campbell’s Classic Machines you’ll want to read what else Richard has to say in his monthly blog at www.contrafedupdate.me

GENERAL MANAGER & EDITOR Kevin Lawrence DDI: 09 636 5710 Mobile: 021 512 800 Email: kevin@contrafed.co.nz EDITORIAL MANAGER Alan Titchall DDI: 09 636 5712 Mobile: 027 405 0338 Email: alan@contrafed.co.nz REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Malcolm Abernethy, Mary Searle Bell, Richard Campbell, Hugh de Lacy, Cameron Officer, Richard Silcock, Chris Webb.

ADVERTISING / SALES Charles Fairbairn DDI: 09 636 5724 Mobile: 021 411 890 Email: charles@contrafed.co.nz ADMIN / SUBSCRIPTIONS DDI: 09 636 5715 Email: admin@contrafed.co.nz PRODUCTION Design: TMA Design, 09 636 5713 Printing: PMP MAXUM

Contributions welcome Please contact the editor before sending them in.

Articles in Contractor are copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher.

Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the shareholding organisations.

www.linkedin.com/NZcontractor @NZContractormag nz contractor magazine nz contractor magazine The official magazine of Civil Contractors NZ www.civilcontractors.co.nz The Aggregate & Quarry Association www.aqa.org.nz The New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association www.hha.org.nz The Crane Association of New Zealand www.cranes.org.nz Rural Contractors New Zealand www.ruralcontractors.org.nz The Ready Mixed Concrete Association www.nzrmca.org.nz Connexis www.connexis.org.nz

ISSN 0110-1382 2 www.contractormag.co.nz

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CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

Local councils not spending enough Last year local authorities spent far less than their capital expenditure budgets, with some spending below the rate of depreciation, says the AuditorGeneral in a report on local government audits for the year to June 30, 2015.

The Auditor says local authorities recorded capital expenditure spending of $2.2 billion, down from $2.3 billion in 2014 and just 66 percent of the total budgeted capital expenditure of $3.4 billion.

With Auckland Council excluded, that shrank to 62 percent of total spending compared to budget.

“For all local authorities, spending against each category of capital expenditure was well below budget,” says the report.

“It ranged from 66 percent for spending to meet additional demand, to 91 percent to improve levels of service and 71 percent to renew existing assets. This low level of capital expenditure calls into question the accuracy of budgets and highlights the risk if under-investment continues, that local authorities might not be doing enough work to maintain service levels in the future.”

Nineteen local authorities spent less than depreciation, with a range of 51 percent to 99 percent spent compared to depreciation. Of those, 13 local authorities’ spending on renewal or replacement of existing assets was 40 percent or less of depreciation.

“Such low results are likely to indicate that the quality of the assets is deteriorating and could indicate costs that will fall on future generations,” says the report.

NZTA board appointments Transport Minister Simon Bridges appointed Fran Wilde, Chris Ellis and Leo Lonergan, and reappointed Gill Cox, to the eight member board of the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Wilde replaced Dame Patsy Reddy as deputy chair of the board. Ellis’, Lonergan’s and Wilde’s appointments are for three years and start from this month. Cox will serve another one year term and, a chartered accountant and director, has been a member of the agency board since September 2011 and chairs the board’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Fran Wilde is a company director and ex Cabinet Minister, Mayor of Wellington, chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council and CEO of the New Zealand Trade Development Board.

Chris Ellis is a company director with a background in civil engineering, while Leo Lonergan works with two international consulting organisations, and spent 36 years working for Chevron Corporation.

New asphalt specs The NZTA has released a new specification, M1-A Performance specification for asphalt binders, which predicts binder performance in asphalt with respect to traffic volumes and speed within the New Zealand temperature range.

“Our M1 specification for roading bitumens has served us well for years,” says Principal Surfacings engineer Robert Busuttil.

“However, premature shoving or rutting on roads, particularly those with high or heavy traffic volumes, has shown the need to link binder properties to performance.

“Industry has developed, and we’ve facilitated, this specification that will ensure better quality pavements and which is aimed at lowering the risk for the Transport Agency, and the contractor.”

The new specs sets out four performance levels (standard (S), heavy (H), very heavy (V) and extreme (E)) based on traffic

in equivalent standard axles. To meet some of these grades, particularly the V and E grades, the asphalt supplier may decide to use additives, such as polymers, to meet the properties.

The M1 specification is still in use for chip sealing binders and asphalt on low traffic local government roads.

The new M1-A can be found on http://hip.nzta.govt.nz/ and for a simplified selection table, go to http://hip.nzta.govt.nz/tan.

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UPFRONT CONTRACTOR

On display Here are some of the industry suppliers at the Central Districts Field Days at Manfield Park in Feilding this year. Its also the site of the National Excavator Operator Competition (NEOC) and we have full coverage this month from page 16.

The weather was unseasonably wet but it didn’t detract from

another well-organised and well-run national competition – the 21st event since the Manawatu branch of the NZCF (now CCNZ) started it in 1995.

Nor did it deter the public to the 2016 Field Days with close to 30,000 people through the gates (best yet) and 570 exhibitors.

Downer wins Taupo water contract The Taupo Council granted Downer with its $11.4 million three waters contract for a five year period with rights to two, two-year renewals subject to performance and council approval.

The contract also includes electrical maintenance work at the council’s treatment plants and pump stations.

Taupo Mayor David Trewavas says the council undertook a robust process to select the successful tender. Of the 10 companies which expressed an interest, four were shortlisted and evaluated by a team of five including an independent moderator. Each company was assessed against a weighted attribute system and a score given.

Sixty per cent of the score was based on attributes and 40 per cent was based on price. Downer had the highest score.

The original engineer’s estimate for the merged contracts was

$12.5 million. Trewavas says “Our procurement policy acknowledges that value for money does not necessarily mean selecting the lowest price but rather the best outcome for the district.”

Chris Jobson, National Water manager for Downer sees the opportunity for a long term partnership with Taupo District Council as beneficial to the local community.

“Communities are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in the future growth of the Taupo District and our commitment to providing quality three water services goes beyond our contractual obligations. We will employ a local team dedicated to the three waters maintenance contract and we also intend to support the local area with support for the voluntary fire service.” The contract begins on July 1.

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CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

Chorus criticised for dropping contractor Chorus came in for criticism from engineering union E tu for dropping Downer from its fibre rollout contract in the lower North Island.

“Chorus is hell-bent on contracting out these jobs to owner-operators, to the detriment of working conditions and the service provided,” says E tu communications industry coordinator, Joe Gallagher. E tu represents some 50,000 workers previously covered by the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU) and the Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU).

“It’s a de-skilling of the network, it undermines health and safety, and allows for migrant workers to be exploited, undercutting well-paid New Zealand jobs.”

Joe says that the move will put more pressure on contractors and affect quality.

“We’re already seeing quality issues in Auckland, and customers are sick of the constant delays and mismanagement of this essential infrastructure project.”

SH20A progress It has been a year since the first sod was turned on the SH20A project leading into Auckland Airport.

Construction of the interchange is well underway and excavation of the motorway trench has begun, says the NZTA. The new northbound motorway ramps are nearing completion and the first half of the Kirkbride Road bridge began carrying traffic last month.

“Completing the Hunua 4 watermain works at the SH20A/ Kirkbride Road intersection in December was a great achievement,” says the agency.

Civil Trades evaluators Christchurch Training Day – March 2016: (From left to right) David Tunbridge – SCIRT (Downer); Shane Heyns – Downer NZ, Rodney; Pete Sleeman – Downer NZ, Dunedin; Mahia Bennett – Civil Trades registrar; Gary Lock – Downer NZ, Tauranga; Rob Harris – independent, Christchurch; Eric Mace – independent, Christchurch; Ross McArthur – Civil Trades evaluator; Snow Edgar – independent, Nelson.

2016 GEM Awards open The NZTA Going the Extra Mile (GEM) Awards are being held on September 22 and nominations are now open.

The awards are a way for the industry to celebrate outstanding examples of our diverse range of activities on the state highway network.

“Through these awards, we acknowledge our suppliers’ commitment to our priorities and quality industry standards,” says the transport agency.

“They are a fantastic way to celebrate and recognise the work that can sometimes go unseen but that touches everyday New Zealanders.”

Any contractor or consultant who provided a service to the NZTA’s Highways and Network Operations group between January 2015 and April 2016 is eligible to enter.

There are two new categories this year that demonstrate innovation, and safety in design processes. There is a Supreme Award for the most outstanding performance in going the extra mile.

The other categories are customer care, connecting with our community, customer champion, keeping customers moving, protecting the environment, teaming up, and zero harm.

So go to www.nzta.govt.nz/about-us/awards-and-sponsorship/gemawards/ and find out more about the categories and how to enter. Entries close at midday, Friday July 15.

6 www.contractormag.co.nz

Orange is the new orange Fifteen female prisoners have completed a level 2 infrastructure course at Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility (ARWCF), including civil construction, surveying assistant, traffic controller, general labour, and pavement surfacing.

“Our partnership with these companies and industries is vital in establishing mutually beneficial relationships that could potentially open the door to future job opportunities for the women upon their release,” says Cheryle Mikaere, ARWCF prison director.

“The course prepares women for roles in the civil construction sector. We make sure the women are fully trained and skilled so that when they leave the prison, they will be an immediate asset to any employer in a relevant industry.”

The eight-month infrastructure course started in May 2015 and included maintaining small machinery on a work site, reading and interpreting civil construction drawings, understanding the basics about earthworks and pavement surfacing, and obtaining a licence to operate as a traffic controller.

Each participant also gained an understanding of the health and safety requirements in the civil and earthworks industry.

A level 3 course started back in March. So far, 12 women have already enrolled, seven of whom are continuing on from their level 2 course.

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CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

Connexis gains another industry Connexis has taken over responsibility for qualifications and standards for the Telecommunications Industry from the Skills Industry Training Organisation.

Connexis is also responsible for Civil Infrastructure, the Electricity Supply Industry and the 3 Waters (Reticulation, Waste and Storm).

Next stage of AMETI

International roading assessment The NZTA has signed up to Greenroads, a third party certification system for roading projects.

This will give the agency the benefit of knowing how its outcomes stack up against other international roading projects.

“We already get some great environmental and social outcomes from our state highway projects – and contractors play a huge part in us achieving these outcomes,” says NZTA group manager Tommy Parker.

“By using Greenroads, we build our understanding of how these outcomes rate against an international framework and can communicate these outcomes to interested parties.”

The Mingha Bluff realignment project is the first project in New Zealand to register with Greenroads, and it is being used as an early demonstration project.

To date, other teams required to seek Greenroads certification are those working on the Transmission Gully, Pūhoi to Warkworth and Christchurch Northern Arterial projects. Some New Zealandbased contractors and consultants have already signed up as members of Greenroads, says Parker.

For more information: http://hip.nzta.govt.nz/technicalinformation/environmental-and-social/greenroads.

Get on board with ConstructSafe The Construction Safety Council’s ConstructSafe App was officially launched last month for Tier 1 (non-specialist trades) and is currently rolling out its scheme across the industry. Tiers 2-4 (and possibly up to Tier 5 for designers, engineers, architects etc) will follow.

The council says ConstructSafe represents everyone that works in the construction industry – from clients and industry bodies through to contractors and regulators.

Back in 2009, the chief executives and presidents of Registered Master Builders Federation, Certified Builders Association, Contractors’ Federation, Specialist Trade Contractors Federation, and Site Safe NZ got together to develop a health and safety strategy for the entire construction sector.

Over past years the Safety Council has set up a strategy that aims at improving worker’s competency and setting a common standard through the ConstructSafe scheme. Construction Safety Council chair Dave Kelly likened ConstructSafe to a drivers licence rather than a driving lesson. It’s evidence of competency, not evidence of training.

“If you are a client organisations, please begin to specify ConstructSafe as a minimum standard for your sites,” says Kelly.

More information: www.constructionsafetycouncil.co.nz.

8 www.contractormag.co.nz

Auckland Transport has lodged a Notice of Requirement (NoR) application with Auckland Council to designate the route for the proposed Panmure to Pakuranga busway and other transport improvements.

As part of the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI), the busway will be extended to Botany in the future (the new Panmure Station and Te Horeta Road opened in 2014 as part of AMETI – Stage 1).

Based on current funding, construction is likely to start in 2021, if the designation is approved.

More roundabout news The NZTA awarded Downer a $5.25 million contract to build a roundabout on State Highway 2 Te Puna, with work expected to start this month.

The two-lane roundabout will replace the Te Puna/ Minden Road intersection just north of Tauranga. The work will be split over two construction seasons and the roundabout is expected to be complete in mid-2017.

The total cost of the project including preliminary works and property purchase is $7.5 million, says the agency, and is part of a $12 million package of works that have been rolled out to boost safety on SH2 while it finalises a long term plan for the route.

Search for WorkSafe chief The Chief Executive of WorkSafe – Gordon MacDonald – has resigned and is returning to the UK later this year.

MacDonald has been here two years. “This has been an agonising decision for me and my wife,” he says.

“I would dearly love to steer this organisation to further success and effectiveness, but as I explained to the Board, and they agreed, family must come first.”

The WorkSafe Board has begun a recruitment drive for his replacement. He says he will remain in his role up to the end of November, if needed, until his successor is found.

October start for Hamilton Expressway Public submissions were called for on a key connection to the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway, as the NZTA gears up for full construction to start.

A Notice of Requirement was made last month to alter the designation and extend Resolution Drive to meet the expressway and create a link across the Expressway to Horsham Downs Road.

The process is another step as the Transport Agency gears up to start full construction on the 21.8 kilometre Hamilton Section in October.

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CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

Rotorua roundabout One of the country’s high-risk intersections is set to get a major makeover, with the NZTA $7.3 million contract awarded to Fulton Hogan.

The contractor will build a roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 30 and State Highway 5 Hemo Road in Rotorua. Work started last month and is expected to be finished mid-2017.

The Transport Agency’s acting Bay of Plenty highways manager, Chris Young, says the roundabout will replace a t-intersection that is ranked as the fourth riskiest in the country due to the high crash rate.

Around 15,000 vehicles travel through the intersection every day, including 1500 trucks and commercial vehicles.

Young says the total cost of the project including property purchase and new cycleway and pedestrian features is $8.1 million.

The Alliance, made up of the Transport Agency, Fletcher Construction, Beca, Higgins, Coffey and Hick Brothers, has started some enabling works at the northern end of the project between Lake Road and Osborne Road. This included a three kilometre, 10 metre wide haul road, and associated environmental controls, culverts, stripping topsoil and building a trial embankment just south of Lake Road.

Conferences coming up

NZ First calls for more rail

The Intelligent Infrastructure Summit brings together innovators and thought-leaders from the utilities and transport sectors, and is taking place June 13-14 at the Rendezvous Hotel, Auckland.

On the agenda is the 30 Year Infrastructure Plan; supporting infrastructure through policy and funding; strategies for managing the digital revolution; case studies of innovations in transport and utilities; discussion around big data; and the application of UAV/ drones.

NZ Transport Agency and NZIHT 17th Annual Conference – Towards World Leading Road Operation, Construction & Maintenance will be held at the Dunedin Centre October 30-November 1. Call for papers close June 30. Visit: www.nziht.co.nz/Conferences-and-Seminars/.

New Zealand First says it is in favour of reinvigorating rail freight and lines around the country and building a link to Northport to handle Auckland freight.

“We recognise that rail infrastructure is critical for the economic development of regional New Zealand and places like Northland where rail is being shut down by stealth,” says NZ First Leader MP for Northland, Winston Peters.

“Investment has to be made to attract freight to rail and remove the immense pressure that is being placed on our road networks.

“The government has committed $1.25 billion towards the Auckland supercity’s $2.5 billion railway upgrade. This will cover 3.4 kilometres at $735 a metre, and provide for two additional stations near Aotea Centre and Karangahape Road, along with a redeveloped Mt Eden station.

“Yet for just nine percent of that cost, or $220 million, 270 kilometres of track in Northland could be updated lifting both speed and height restrictions so that hi-cube containers can be carried.”

CONTRACTORS’ DIARY Date

Event & Venue

8-11 May 18-20 May 13-14 Jun 22-25 Jun 13-15 Jul 27-29 Jul 3-6 Aug 10-11 Aug 30 Oct-1 Nov Nov 7-8

FIDIC-ASPAC Conference hosted by ACENZ Water New Zealand Stormwater Conference, Nelson The Intelligent Infrastructure Summit IPWEA NZ Conference, Auckland Joint AQA/IoQ QuarryNZ Conference, Blenheim Crane Association Conference, Nelson Civil Contractors NZ Conference, Auckland Heavy Haulage Assoc Conference, Christchurch NZTA/NZIHT 17th Annual Conference, Dunedin NAMS Advanced Asset Management Forum, Wellington

Contact www.fidec-aspac2016.com www.stormwaterconference.co.nz www.conferenz.co.nz conferenceteam.co.nz/ipweanz2016 www.aqa.org.nz www.cranes.org.nz/conference www.ccnzconference.co.nz www.hha.org.nz www.nziht.co.nz/conferences-and-seminars www.nams.org.nz

Please send any contributions for Contractors’ Diary to kevin@contrafed.co.nz, or phone 09 636 5710

10 www.contractormag.co.nz

UPFRONT CONTRACTOR

East West project progress

Good on yer Jo

As part of the planning and consenting phase of the East West project (a new RoNS), the NZTA contracted ground testing work last month along the proposed route as well as in the wider project area of Onehunga, Penrose and Otahuhu.

“The more we know about ground conditions in the area, the more this can be used to develop the design for the project in more detail,” says agency highways manager Brett Gliddon.

The work was carried out by the East West Link Alliance, made up of GHD, Beca, Buddle Findlay and the NZTA. The Alliance, which was formed last month, will progress with preparing the consents and reports needed to support the agency’s application to lodge an application with the Environmental Protection Authority at the end of the year.

Wellington Mayoralty Jo Coughlan is making improvement of city infrastructure her top priority, including double-tunnelling the Mt Victoria and Terrace tunnels, along with other infrastructure.

Jo Coughlan is in her third term as a city councillor.

“Wellington has made some progress but we can do much better,” she says.

“I will work with government to accelerate building of city infrastructure. We need to grow our economy, keep the city moving and create more jobs.

“We need to double-tunnel the Terrace and Mt Victoria tunnels and see four lanes along Ruahine St to the airport.

Wellington’s Mayor must lead on this and that is my commitment.”

Infracon liquidation Some 220 workers were made reduandant when council-owned construction company Infracon went into liquidation, but the sale not only paid all debt but returned money to the owners.

Infracon was placed into liquidation in August 2014 by its two owners, Tararua and Hawke’s Bay district councils, after claiming it was going to cost two million each year for another three years to keep the company going.

The company was bought Higgins (waiting sale to Fletcher

Building) for $7.6 million.

After all debts were paid, including the liquidator’s fee, there was even money left over to pay the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council $304,000 and the Tararua District Council $680,000.

Of the 220 staff made redundant, ex-employees were reportedly paid about $25,000 each, although they would have varied between the long-term and short-term employees.

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MAY 2016 11

CONTRACTOR COMPANY PROFILE

Realising dreams

Inspired by the movie The Bucket List, the Race4Life Wish List Service provides thrills and fulfils dreams for those with a terminal illness. Hick Bros is helping make those wishes come true. By MARY SEARLE BELL. RACE4LIFE HAS A SIMPLE AIM: “To enable people living with lifelimiting illness to realise dreams that they and their families can cherish.” In other words, the charity grants wishes to those who’ve received a terminal diagnosis, allowing them to fulfil a dream while they are still physically able but which they are unable to fund themselves.

For some, it’s an exhilarating ride around a race track in a high-powered car; for others it’s a trip to visit family or even something as simple as a special meal.

It all began nine years ago. Viv James was working in palliative care for Mercy Hospice in Auckland. Her role was establishing the Opening Doors Programme, aimed at improving the quality of life for people living with a life-limiting illness.

Viv approached Hicks Bros managing director Mark Cole, a keen racing car driver, and asked him if he could arrange a ride in a race car for a few terminally ill patients. Mark had been racing cars for years and was happy to share the thrill of the track.

That first phone call to Mark was regarding just four patients, however, by the time the day at the track arrived, 18 patients were signed up to experience the buzz.

The day was such a roaring success that it was decided it should become an annual event, and thus, Race4Life was born.

The event has grown and developed considerably over the years. In March this year it provided thrills to 80 palliative care patients from nine hospices. Along with the race cars, there are now helicopter, truck and motorbike rides.

Naturally, the number of sponsors and helpers has increased along with the event. The race cars are supplied by a team of racing enthusiasts, while Continental Cars donates the use of exotic cars like Lamborghinis and Ferraris. Oceania Helicopters supplies the choppers, Envirowaste the big trucks and a number of enthusiasts share their Harley Davidsons and other motorcycles. All up, around 150 volunteers are involved in this day of opportunity.

When Viv resigned her role at Mercy Hospice a couple of 12 www.contractormag.co.nz

years ago, the organisation wasn’t keen to continue with the race day but Viv, Mark and others saw the need for this event.

Consequently, they set up the Race4Life Trust, with Viv in the role of CEO and Mark as chair.

From chatting to patients at the track days, it became apparent that there were a good many unfulfilled desires amongst those who had been given a terminal diagnosis. So the trust set up its Wish List Service.

“We’ve brought families together in special places, helped communities arrange weddings and organised special treats for people wanting to live life to its fullest before they die,” says Viv. Race4Life Wish List Service is the only one of its kind in New Zealand. Currently it’s granting about two wishes a week, and demand is increasing.

Mark says the trust is growing and they’re keen to harness more support.

“The risk is we could easily be oversubscribed,” he says.

The time Mark gives to the trust is voluntary, and he estimates that it’s about 10 or more hours a week. This is on top of his role running Hicks Bros. The company is involved too, contributing financially to the charity as well as providing a truck at the track day.

Mark says the Race4Life is very important to the company: “It’s absolutely stunning the number of people living their lives under the threat of being limited by cancer and the like.”

Hick Bros is also involved in a number of other charitable causes – it has provided substantial funding support for its local Silverdale Rugby Club for many years now and also supports the Orewa Surf Lifesaving Club and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

Mark says he’s been keen on helping rescue services ever since he was “unfortunate enough to get a ride in the Westpac helicopter” following a motorbike accident.

• F or more information on Race4Life, and to contribute, visit www.race4life.co.nz.

“To enable people living with life-limiting illness to realise dreams that they and their families can cherish.”

Viv James (above) approached Hicks Bros managing director Mark Cole (right)and asked him if he could arrange a ride in a race car for a few terminally ill patients. Mark had been racing cars for years and was happy to share the thrill of the track.

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CONTRACTOR ON THE COVER

Unique and innovative

mini paver arrives The Ammann AFW150 G mini wheeled asphalt paver has set a new standard in compaction machinery.

AMMANN IS A WORLD-LEADING supplier of compaction machinery to

the construction industry and is known for it progressiveness. Since 1869, Ammann has been setting benchmarks in the road building industry thanks to countless innovations and solutions that are as competitive as they are dependable.

The recent launch of the AFW150 G mini wheeled asphalt paver is ample testimony to this philosophy. If you’re one of those who believe that asphalt pavers are just big pieces of machinery that take up half the road, then you need to think again.

The Ammann AFW150 G mini wheeled asphalt paver is so simply designed and compact that you’ve got to wonder why somebody hadn’t thought of it before. The fact is they hadn’t and with not a competitor in sight the Ammann AFW150 G is the only machine that efficiently uses its size to pave footpaths, handle repair work in narrow surroundings and do small road repairs with the minimum disruption to traffic. As well, the Ammann AFW150 G is just right when it comes to paving areas where cable installation has to be put in place.

According to Ed Richardson, sales and marketing director of New Zealand distributor, Youngman Richardson & Co, the Ammann mini paver is a unique machine and there has been nothing quite like it in 14 www.contractormag.co.nz

the country, until now.

“I really think roading contractors should give serious consideration to having at least one of these in their arsenal,” says Ed. “For one thing the paver is easy to transport and can be quickly set up on the jobsite. For another, the fixed hopper is very accessible and can be easily side loaded with a skid steer.”

The AFW150 G is a three-wheel paver with two in the rear for traction and one in the front for steering. For the technically minded the mini paver has an air-cooled engine with electric start/ stop assembled together with the hydraulic pumps. Hydrostatic transmission with a variable flow rate feeds two orbital motors fitted to the planetary drives of the wheels. A proportional hydraulic control mounted on the variable flow pump provides for smooth starting and stopping. The paver also features hydraulic steering with a lever distributor.

For those looking for some more hard facts, the Ammann AFW150 G mini wheeled asphalt paver has a paving width range of 2501650mm and is ideal for narrow environments due to a clearance width and tight turning radius of 0.8 metres.

A reliable Hatz engine with a maximum working speed up to 10 metres/minute means you can depend on the AFW150 G to give you

“...the Ammann AFW150 G is the only machine that efficiently uses its size to pave footpaths, handle repair work in narrow surroundings and do small road repairs with the minimum disruption to traffic.“

proper power for any and all applications. Furthermore optional twin wheels are available to provide that extra boost traction on difficult terrains.

Ammann in New Zealand The Ammann range of compaction equipment continues to grow and there is now a strong presence in this market.

“It’s been a while now since Youngman Richardson & Co took on the New Zealand distribution for Ammann compaction equipment,” says Ed Richardson.

“However we can report that sales have been excellent and there has been a great deal of interest in the wide range that is now available, particularly the ARX light tandem vibratory combination rollers.”

There are 13 models in the new generation Ammann ARX Tandem Vibratory Roller range covering a weight range from 1.5 to 4.5 tonnes. There are eight standard Tandem rollers and five are available in combination versions. The rollers are designed for use on small to medium construction sites as well as on road construction, civil construction, hire and rental and general landscaping projects. In this country the Ammann ARX Vibratory

rollers are also proving themselves very efficient and effective for blacktop compaction and for compacting unbonded base layers.

Youngman Richardson & Co has recently announced it has moved into single drum rollers with the introduction of the Ammann ASC 70.

The ASC concept uses three hydromotors for drum and independent rear wheel drive. Like the ARX rollers the ASC has an extensive range, which will in time be broadened as demand increases.

Servicing excellence Youngman Richardson & Co is committed to customer support and has workshop facilities and mobile mechanics to match.

Purpose-built mobile service utes have been specifically fitted out to handle planned and unplanned maintenance across all equipment including Ammann products.

Meanwhile more efficient workplace layouts have been created to improve service times whilst the company’s reputation for a fast turnaround of parts is second to none.

For more information on the new Ammann mini wheeled asphalt paver, contact Youngman Richardson & Co on 09 443 2436, or for South Island enquiries, 03 341 6923.

•

MAY 2016 15

CONTRACTOR

L NATIOANTAOR EXCAV OR OPERAITTION COMPET

2016

Rain and mud no problem The 11 regional finalists who competed at the National Excavator Operator Competition (NEOC) at the Central Districts Field Days at Manfield Park in Feilding, had more than each other to contest.

The weather was unseasonably wet on March 17-19 (the dates of the show), turning the site (in fact the whole showgrounds) wet and sticky for the competitors, competition site organisers, and public alike.

However, it did not deter another well-organised and well-run national competition – the 21st event since the Manawatu branch of the NZCF (now CCNZ) started it in 1995.

Nor did it deter the public to the 2016 Field Days with close to 30,000 people through the gates (best yet) and 570 exhibitors.

The NEOC competition grounds take a good week to set up, thanks to local volunteers who give up their jobs and free time to design and prepare the site. The team of officials and helpers get together on a regular basis from the beginning of the year.

Contestants, organisers and judges meet up for dinner the night before the first day for a detailed briefing about the competition and this is also the official ‘induction’ to the two-day event.

“We are in for a bit of excitement,” said chief organiser and CCNZ executive Malcolm Abernethy – referring to the rain. “But if it starts getting dangerous, we will make changes, but in a way fair to all competitors.”

This year the One-Day-Job site was brought into the main

Before the start of the first day – contestants and judges in a huddle.

16 www.contractormag.co.nz

competition area to save the expense of hiring two different sites at the showgrounds. This meant there were four machines working together at any one time, which made it more exciting for the public.

Not only does the national competition honour the country’s top excavator operator, it is also a public display of industry skills and recruitment.

It is also a learning exercise for all contestants, no matter how experienced they are, as many mistakes are made, and points lost, under the pressure of working against the clock.

If there is a lesson to be learnt from the winners over the years it is to take a ‘softly-softly’ approach to the tasks. In the history of the competition, it is not the winner of each task who takes out the trophy cups, but usually the competitor who comes second or third and gradually builds up consistent points.

So rush in at your peril. Yes, work against the clock, but lose valuable points through haste and overlooking hazards as in underground cables.

Read the site signs. If in doubt – ask.

The machines

CCNZ executive Malcolm Abernethy has been running the NEOC for the past 15 years. It helps that he lives and works in Palmerston North. A steady approach to each competition task is the answer to winning he says.

The competition site featured two areas – the smaller site was for the practical part of the One-DayJob competition, sponsored by Contractor, using two Axis 3.8 tonne diggers. On the larger, main competition site competitors used two 12 tonne 120 Hitachi excavators for digging jobs and performing tricks such as slam dunking a ball down an upright concrete pipe supplied by Humes. All machines were new and supplied by main sponsor – CablePrice. Energy company Z provided the fuel and Earthworm provided the augers.

The tests At any one time there were four contestants competing on the site, placed from picking a number out of hat.

This year the One-Day-Job, sponsored by Contractor magazine, was based on an actual contract between the local authority and local contractor Blackley Construction. It involved a one-kilometre pathway and cycle lane following a railway line. Contestants were given the actual plans and drawings from the contract, and had to scope the job and explain their methodology to judges Graeme Blackley and Grant Smith.

Many turned up without supporting documents, or a toolbox, says Graeme, so lost valuable points.

This theory test represented 25 percent of the total marks for the One-DayJob award (the rest achieved on the mini diggers). One of the machine tasks involved a speed trench 600 metres deep and 10 metres long. This required a bucket change and attaching an auger to install two posts that stuck up 1200mm from the ground. Tyres had to be stacked over one of these posts.

The trick was not to take too long digging the trench (contestants were given a tape measure). A trap was an orange (live) cable buried in the ground where the trenches were to be dug. Many failed to ask the judges if there were any underground cables before starting their engines.

First contestants start on the One-Day-Job practical – first days.

MAY 2016 17

CONTRACTOR NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION 2016

Main course Competitors had 60 minutes to complete the tasks on the main course. A surprising number didn’t complete the full course before running out of time, having spent too long on one task at the expense of the others.

The first task on day one was to build a 500mm cone with a 45-degree slope and a trench 2.4 metre wide, half a metre deep, and six metres long. The job could only be dug from one side.

Right Local lad Paul Keenan (pictured) representing Manawatu (JR Collins Contracting) and Jamie Einam from Wellington (Dirtpro Excavator) were first in action on the main course on the first day.

Above: On the main course, Daniel van der Hulst.

SPECTATORS A constant stream of public spectators filled the stands over the two-day event. This year they included soldiers of the Queen Alexandra cavalry regiment, which was formed in 1864 during the Waikato land wars. Having long traded their steeds for light armoured carriers, the soldiers respected the heavy machinery skills on public display.

Left: Children’s mini digger in action.

Above: Alistair (right) and Mitch, who had a go on his mini digger five years ago and was hooked. He now works for John Deere service equipment in Stratford.

The children’s mini digger Alistair Mcintyre’s mini digger is a permanent feature at the NEOC, which functions as both a public promotion of the industry (as in ‘get them while they are young’) and a test for competitors in handling instruction safety.

18 www.contractormag.co.nz

Someone has to do it The chief executive of CCNZ in control of the BBQ.

Far left:Contestants should have picked up the live wire.

Left: Steve Galbraith was one of the ‘electrocuted’ contestants at this test, but went on to win the national contest.

Below:The first aid score sheet – representing 50 points.

The first aid test This mock accident set-up looks straightforward enough, but most competitors were failed from the start because they touched a ‘live’ excavator operator who had been thrown out of their cab. Give-away signs were the orange (live) cable pulled out of the ground by the bucket, the safety handle in front of the operator’s seat being down, and the body still in contact with the track.

Rewards for the winners Trophy and awards line-up on stage at the Saturday night dinner. The One-Day-Job-Cup, sponsored by Contractor magazine is brand new. The first three contestants and the Good Bastard winner get a year’s subscription to Contractor magazine.

HOW DOES HE DO IT? Keeping up the competition commentary over the two-day event is long time master of ceremonies – Neil (turbo tonsils) Ritchie.

A family affair Contestants are encouraged to bring along family friends and workmates for support. Pictured is James Lux, 2015 champ and winner of the 2016 One-Day-Job, with his wife Sarah and three children – Savahna, Connor and Indi.

Top left: In the CablePrice stand were Ryan Cage (technical support), Cameron Wait and Nick Davies. Right: 18 Hirepool’s Michael Fulton at the company’s stand. Above left: At the award dinner: Michael Rogers (Humes); Mark Palmer (CablePrice); Michael Fulton (Hirepool); and Colin Bartlett (Vector).

Grateful to the sponsors Supplying machinery and fittings, pipes, fuel, containers, heavy haulage, transportation fencing and lighting, the NEOC could not happen without its sponsors: Platinum Sponsor CablePrice; Gold Sponsor Hirepool; Silver Sponsors, Humes, Vector, and Z; plus ENZED, Earthworm and Brand Embroidery.

This year Hirepool supplied new galvanised fencing for crowd control and light towers, so the course designers and officials could start preparing at 6.30am.

Contractor magazine sponsored the One-Day-Job.

MAY 2016 19

CONTRACTOR NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION 2016

Meet the NEOC 2016 contestants STEVE GALBRAITH,

PAUL KEENAN,

Hawkes Bay, Gair Contracting

Manawatu, JR Collins Contracting

Steve is a competition veteran – 12 regional finals and five national finals, and he finally took out the NEOC 2016 competition. He has worked for Gair Contracting since 1993, having started as an excavator operator. He has been a project manager for the company for the past 10 years and these days manages workers in forestry, roading and civil earthworks. He’s married with six kids from ages 19 down to six years old. His hobbies are rugby, jet skiing and riding motorbikes. He dedicated his win to his old boss Joe Gair, who passed away back in February, and who encouraged him to get involved in the competition.

JAMES LUX

Bay of Plenty, Fulton Hogan Another competition veteran, James has attended the NEOC finals at Feilding three times now and won the 2015 event. This year he was defending champion. James who grew up in the industry and his parents contracting business in Northern Coromandel. His work experience has taken him to Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton – where he works on major roading and infrastructure projects.

He says his formal training has been KBE –¬ ‘knowledge by experience’.

1plsact e

Paul is no stranger to the national finals and started working life on a dairy farm before progressing to earthmoving and tractor work. He has owned his own digger and truck for a few years. Before winning the Manawatu regional competition he had just returned from Aussie where he was driving cattle trucks.

place

TROY CALTEAUX,

Otago, Andrew Haulage 2011 A newbie to the NEOC, Troy has worked at Andrew Haulage 2011 for six years now and is in charge of forestry roading for Rayonier in the Otago region. He also worked for a year at Blackhead Quarries and spent six years with Forestry Roading Services. On the training side Troy has a National Certificate in Infrastructure Works (Hydraulic Excavator) and a National Certificate in Civil Infrastructure.

His favourite projects include the SH8 Rays Junction Safety Improvements and bench and batter hillside work for road realignment and the challenges that come with working on slopes.

DEFENDING CHAMPION

WINNER One-DayJob

2nd place

NATHAN GIBBONS,

Auckland, Stevenson Resources

ANDREW (Rosco) MORRIS, Northland, Clements Contractors

Andrew has been driving trucks and diggers for some three decades and he holds a Civil Plant Operation certificate. His humour during the two-day, often stressful, NEOC event was appreciated by both the contestants and the judges.

HUMES

Good Bastard Award 20 www.contractormag.co.nz

3rd

Nathan has been with Stevenson Drury Quarry for four and a half years where he is a supervisor.

Before Stevensons he worked in Nelson for Higgins running the company’s crushing plant for six years. He has a B Grade Quarry Manager’s Certificate, Operations Level 3 National Certificate, and is studying for an A Grade Quarry Manager’s Certificate. He grew up in a family involved with civil contractors, doing roading, gravel crushing and log transport.

4th place

DANIEL VAN DER HULST,

Waikato, Schick Construction & Cartage Daniel has worked at Schick Construction for over five years, progressing from being an excavator operator to foreman and is now involved with contract management.

His favourite project was the Bryce St River Walkway for Hamilton City Council, which involved large retaining walls and was very full-on operating above the Waikato River.

Have a goill to reach the nationals? See CCNZ for more sk region Have you got the mpetition in your ving a go at the co ha at n tio informa

THOMAS FISHER,

JACOB REYNOLDS

Canterbury, CB Civil & Drainage

Southland, BCL

Thomas has worked around the contracting industry for 15 years, working on, and around, mobile plant. His background includes earthworks, site-works, drainage, land clearing and road transport.

Daniel holds a National Certificate in Civil Plan Operation Level 3.

Paul first starting working in his grandfather’s company, Provincial Contracting, during the school holidays at the age of 13, and progressed to fulltime work at 17.

He then worked for his father for a couple of years before moving on to work for Downers EDI. He now works at BCL along with his dad.

BRANDON CROWLEY, Bay of Plenty, Crowley Excavators

JAMIE EINAM,

Brandon started out behind the back seat of his dad’s 100 ex Hitachi as soon as he could walk, and learned to drive an excavator at age seven. He’s worked in many different areas of the industry from farm work to large scale civil such as the Cambridge Expressway.

His favourite work, he says, is wetland development for private clients because of the relaxed work environment.

Jamie won the last regional contest, which was just a week before the national final. A qualified builder, he has worked for Dirtpro for the past two years and, before that, was earthmoving with Hollands for two years.

He is currently working on the MP2PP project near Wellington and operates a Hitachi 20 tonne excavator, the same model used at the national competition. l

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MAY 2016 21

CONTRACTOR NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION 2016

NEOC Awards night

1

2

3

1. The finalists 2. After competing at 12 finals Steve Galbraith from Gair Contracting in Hawkes Bay won the 2016 NEOC trophy.

3. A three-time finals veteran and winner of the 2015 NEOC trophy, James Lux from Fulton Hogan in the Bay of Plenty, came second place overall and also won the One-Day-Job, sponsored

by Contractor magazine.

4. Andrew (Rosco) Morris from Clements Contractor in Northland with his Good Bastard Award winnings (sponsored

by Humes).

5. Fine food, beverages, table settings (by Tricia Logan at CCNZ), and celebrations made for a great night.

6. Alistair and Barbara.

7. Noeline Ranson and Graeme Blackley.

8. Malcolm and Sue Abernethy.

9. Peter Silcock and Tricia Logan CCNZ. 10. Steve and Kelly-Ann Galbraith.

4

5

6

7

Time to relax...

22 www.contractormag.co.nz

8

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CONTRACTOR PROJECT

RoNS – a lesson in remedial Our second feature on the Roads of National Significance looks at the completed Tauranga Eastern Link and the protracted settlement over local network rehabilitation, which is a lesson for future RoNS.

By ALAN TITCHALL, and based on a presentation at the 2016 Road Infrastructure Management Forum.

THE TAURANGA EASTERN LINK (TEL) opened to traffic in August 2015 as only the second RoNS project to be completed, following Auckland’s Victoria Park Tunnel in 2011.

Hailed as a success in terms of engineering, and completed ahead of schedule, none of the stakeholders involved foresaw the fight coming at the project’s end over putting the local network back in shape. While the principle of compensating local authorities for the use of their networks during project construction is not new, the scale of the RoNS project placed a high and disputed cost on this aspect of the build.

The $455 million TEL project delivered 21 kilometres of fourlane, median-divided highway between Tauranga and Paengaroa and took four and a half years to build.

The project involved 550,000 square metres of new road, three million cubic metres of earthworks, new intersections, and seven new bridges. The build involved 1.5 million working hours and numerous vehicle and machine movements.

It is acknowledged as one of the most geo-technically challenging major roading projects built in this country, due to soft ground conditions.

The TEL project team was made up of the Fulton Hogan HEB Construction Alliance (FHHCA), the Transport Agency, and Beca.

Hard work and dedication saw construction completed five months ahead of schedule.

24 www.contractormag.co.nz

However, the clean-up after project turned into a protracted fight over the scale and cost of returning the local roading network, used as haulage and access points, back to its original condition, as agreed in the project consents. The parties concerned – the Transport Agency, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council (the local authority) and the contractors – could not agree over assessing the project impact (or consumption, as it is called).

The Western Bay of Plenty District Council, concerned from the start of the project over the impacts of project works on its local roading network, had sought consent conditions that compensated its ratepayers – in funds or physical works – for ‘consumption’. It is worth noting this large state project had been planned for some time, but work wasn’t expected for around 20 years. By this time, some ‘smart’ technology would be around to accurately determine the likes of consumption on existing networks. When the Tauranga link was brought forward as one of the seven RoNS, no so such technology was available.

By early 2015 the council and the NZTA started negotiating over the standard and condition the construction haul roads are in when handed back to council. The consent required local roads to have experienced “no loss of life”. As it told it rates payers in March 2015; “this is a complex discussion”. In fact the discussion went nowhere.

work

PART TWO OF A THREE-PART SERIES

Finding mediation TEL contract parties agreed to employing a three-person team of experts to assess the impacts of construction traffic on local roads associated with the making of the TEL and find a fair and agreed mitigation cost. This team was made up of Alister McCaw, a senior asset manager with Beca specialising in road corridor maintenance, Dr Greg Arnold from Road Science, and Wayne Mackenzie from WestRoads.

Alister and Wayne made a joint presentation at the 2016 RIMS roading forum back in March this year called ‘Tauranga Eastern Link – Assessment of Local Roads Affected by Construction Traffic’.

“The problem was that at the end of construction with the focus on the build, there was no agreement as to what the impact on the local network was, only that there had been some impact,” says Alister.

“Worse – parties were many millions of dollars apart in cost impact – the contractor didn’t think there had been much impact and the local authority claimed a great deal of impact.

And there were parties sitting in between. Each party seemed to be taking advice from their own consultants, who were wedded to a particular approach as to how you measure ‘consumption’ in a network.”

Using for a guide the original consent conditions, a combination of pre- and post-pavement condition data, Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) generated deflection data, and the forward works programme – they quickly discovered the limitations of so many methods and opinions within the industry as to how to assess pavement consumption, he says.

“There were a number of approaches we reviewed – all with their merits and weaknesses – but no one robust system that appeared fair to everybody.

“At the end of the day we needed to find a fair approach that all parties would sign up to.

“We took each approach and applied it – even the technical approaches – and weighed them, and this was quite a process,” says Alister.

On a basic level by looking at the performance and condition of the local network in 2011, when work started, and again in 2015 – any movement in that condition could be argued as ‘consumption’. More complicated was determining any change in the aggregate under the pavement that had to be compensated for.

“We are not smart enough these days to measure that, although some will argue we are,” Alister says.

Then there were the definitions in forwards works programme assessment of work traffic impact. The consent said all traffic, MAY 2016 25

CONTRACTOR PROJECT

“The contract should also be specific about monitoring activities during the construction work to assess what’s going on, and ensure the contractors stick to the current condition of the road and keep it at the same level of service.” while the conditions said ‘construction traffic’.

The important thing in the forward works programme, comments Alister, is to agree to the ‘pre- and post-contract environment’ context.

If the consent simply says the network cannot be worse than what it was, you end up with years of debate and parties being aggrieved that they have been hard done by, he warns.

“Until we get a definitive way of measuring and being able to talk about the actual consumption in the network during a project construction we can be simple and remove uncertainty for the sake of the agency, the roading authority and the contractor.”

Agreement reached Wayne Mackenzie from WestRoads says the parties did reach agreement on the methodology and the amount of compensation for the TEL project, but the contractor felt it paid twice as much as it thought the mitigation was worth, while the council felt it was only getting half of the funds it needed to bring its road network back into it pre-project condition.

“From the council’s perspective three of the four local roads affected were old and in poor condition at the start of the project.

We have a situation now where two of these roads have to be reconstructed and the cost is roughly twice the compensation amount.”

However, agreement is agreement and a lesson for all future 26 www.contractormag.co.nz

RoNS projects.

Wayne iterates Alister’s view that there is no smart technology for deciding network ‘consumption’ during a project build.

“The technology available for analysing deflections is useful for pavement designers, but certainly lacks the accuracy necessary for contractually binding arrangements,” he says. “It cannot accurately determine the work or the necessary cost of pavement consumption.”

Recommending not relying on a ‘high-tech black-box analysis approach’, the team suggests a more black and white approach that is sealed into the contract at the beginning. For instance: “On completion of construction activities the following road sections shall receive the following treatments, and the following monitoring activities are to be undertaken during construction on the road conditions.”

“Get the contractor to nominate the haul roads they are going to use and what treatment they will receive at the end of the project,” says Wayne.

“The contract should also be specific about monitoring activities during the construction work to assess what’s going on, and ensure the contractors stick to the current condition of the road and keep it at the same level of service.

“All in all, we suggest a simple approach. Not a high-tech approach.”

• Next issue (June 2016): Part three.

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CONTRACTOR PROJECT

Concrete road – internationally proven Rob Gaimster of the CCANZ and NZRMCA puts forward a case for concrete roading as the country spends billions of dollars over the next decade on state highways and Roads of National Significance.

WHILE CONCRETE ROAD PAVEMENTS are in widespread use throughout the world, New Zealand pavements are still largely constructed using asphalt (and chip seal) – despite growing evidence that concrete is cheaper, lasts longer, and offers various environmental benefits.

CCANZ has contributed to the debate by commissioning economic consultants Infometrics to investigate the high-level case for building concrete pavements. It was found that in a baseline scenario comparing the economics of asphalt and concrete pavements, concrete came in around 25 percent less expensive.

Overseas examples If our approach to pavement construction is to evolve and take advantage of the benefits afforded by concrete, a look at a recently completed pavement trial in the American state of Ohio as well as a large project in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley is worthwhile.

These undertakings have been used by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) in the United States and Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia (CCAA) respectively to argue the case for concrete pavements.

US example In 2004 the Ohio Department of Transportation began a longlife pavement test on US-30, a four lane divided highway in the State’s north-east. The objective was to compare concrete to a ‘perpetual’ asphalt pavement solution.

The trial made use of west bound lanes constructed with asphalt, and east bound lanes constructed with concrete. The scope and length of the trial were the same for both west and east bound lanes, as was the same contractor.

Since 2004 the west bound asphalt lanes have required numerous repairs, as well a complete re-surfacing that cost US$1.8 million. The east bound concrete lanes have not required any repairs, and have none scheduled.

From an up-front cost perspective, in 2004 concrete was 8% more expensive than asphalt, however, if the costs of repairs are accounted for over the past 12 years then concrete has proven to

be a cheaper option.

Over that 12 year period the volatility of oil, and in turn asphalt, has been significant. At the time of the trials completion the construction costs for both options were virtually identical.

Australian example Concrete pavement was chosen for a major portion of the Hunter Expressway, a forty kilometre, four lane, dual carriageway that provides a direct and efficient route for freight movements for the busy Port of Newcastle. Handling 75 percent of the State’s total international trade, the level of heavy traffic demands a pavement offering superior strength and durability.

A range of foundation support conditions required a variety of pavement solutions and consequently two forms of concrete pavement were used in different job sections – Plain and Continuously Reinforced concrete pavement.

The first form was a Plain concrete pavement consisting of a 280mm thick 35 MPa base constructed over a 150mm thick 5 MPa subbase. The second form was a Continuously Reinforced concrete pavement consisting of a 250mm thick 35 MPa base constructed again over a 150mm thick 5 MPa subbase. In both cases the base was debonded from the subbase with a 7mm spray seal over a wax curing compound.

The Plain concrete pavement contains no steel reinforcement and utilises a system of transverse and longitudinal jointing to manage cracking behaviour, while the Continuously Reinforced concrete pavement has continuous longitudinal reinforcing steel.

An interesting initiative that was undertaken on some of the concrete pavements was a Diamond Grinding surface treatment, a process that cuts narrow longitudinal grooves into the surface after the concrete has hardened to deliver a surface texture that produces a smoother vehicle ride with increased traction and lower perceptible traffic noise.

As demonstrated by the Ohio trial, the decision to go with concrete pavement options along the Hunter Expressway is anticipated to yield significant cost savings over the pavement’s extended life resulting from less maintenance and associated traffic disruption.

New Zealand applications The Roads of National Significance programme represents one of the country’s biggest ever infrastructure investments, designed to enable economic growth and future prosperity.

Such a massive undertaking, coupled with interest in Public Private Partnerships that encourage involvement from wellresourced contractors, offers an ideal opportunity to explore the potential of concrete pavements.

This opportunity can take many forms, either long stretches of pavement or niche applications such as motorway on/off ramps, intersections and roundabouts. Alternatively, a trial similar to that conducted on US-30 in Ohio could be undertaken at a suitable location.

Regardless of the route taken, now is a watershed in terms of road construction in this country, one which deserves to be explored thoroughly for long-term gain.

28 www.contractormag.co.nz

“We converted to Leica Machine Control as the system is user friendly and the benefits improve our competitiveness and accuracy. The Leica iCON has delivered on the stated time and cost saving so much so we are now increasing our fleet of Leica machine control. Our new Leica iCON GPS rover has empowered us to do our own site surveying.�

Paul Horrell General Manager Civil Construction Limited

CONTRACTOR PROFILE

30 www.contractormag.co.nz

Scrapers reign supreme Motorised scrapers are enjoying a huge resurgence, and the smartest earthmovers are cashing in on the productivity, and profitability, they offer.

For some, such as Drapers Earthmoving, the sun never set on the scraper’s ‘heyday’. Owner Vic Draper and son Scott talk to CHRIS WEBB about their loyalty to these evergreen workhorses of the muck-shift.

IN THEIR HEYDAY, as everyone in the earthmoving business knows, when push came to shove, you needed a motor scraper.

And in the most arduous of conditions, tandem push-pull scrapers delivered the lowest cost per cubic metre when moving materials in suitable ground conditions, particularly in relatively shorthaul cut-to-fill operations.

Vic and his son Scott are third and fourth generation Drapers making their mark in the greater Wellington construction scene. They follow in the footsteps of Vic’s grandfather, also called Vic, and father Tom, who helped reshape the region’s roads network, and “dug the hole,” as Vic modestly puts it, in the early 1970s for the Beehive, New Zealand Parliament’s Executive Wing.

It’s some reputation to live up to, but one which sits comfortably with this family business that continues to thrive in Lower Hutt and its surrounds.

Two concurrent major contracts, one at Wellington’s Aotea Block, the other at Churton Park, are paving the way for much needed housing in the burgeoning city.

The first is a 250,000 cubic metres muckshift forming part of the 246-hectare Aotea Block subdivision. It is of significant strategic importance to Porirua City because of its large size, and its location adjacent to the city centre, the motorway and the railway. It is the largest area for urban growth within the city’s boundaries. It is also very visible and, according to Porirua City Council, the type and quality of development on the Block will set the tone for the development of the city over the next 15 to 20 years. The second, at Churton Park, a fast-growing Wellington suburb, is set to grow from a current population of just over 6500 to be home to 12,000 residents in the next 20 years. Drapers’ current contract involves some 100,000 cubic metres muckshift.

Vic’s grandfather left Ireland at the age of 21, in 1920, seeking better opportunities in emerging Australasia, as many did after the Great War. “He MAY 2016 31

CONTRACTOR PROFILE

spent some time in Australia,” says Vic. Initially with a farming background, Vic’s grandfather chose to settle in the Wairarapa region where, around 1930 he was to develop his business, V A Draper & Co., as a trucking and roading contractor, moving on to general earthmoving and housing subdivisions work.

This work continued in the late 1950s, when Vic’s father Tom took to the reins. “We were then doing a lot of roading work, and running scrapers even then, but smaller stuff, generally,” explains Vic. “We also had Blaw Knox pavers and a hot mix plant at the time. In the 1970s we bought some [Terex] TS14s and from that time moved on to generally bigger plant, including compactors and dozers. We were also into heavy haulage at that time, with a small fleet of artic’ trucks. We did a lot of work on land reclamation on the waterfront”.

“The late 1970s saw a change of government and a change in the economy. There was a real downturn in the business,” says Vic. “The result was that the original family business was woundup and closed down”. Undeterred by this hiatus, 32 www.contractormag.co.nz

Vic bought back many of the machines and started again, from scratch.

Contracting is, he admits, in his blood.

Grandfather Vic was a founding member of the NZ Contractors’ Federation and, holding the title for eight years, its second and longest serving president to this day. The position of president was later to be enjoyed by his father, Tom, and the family business was also to provide yet another president, Wally Pearce, in due course.

Vic is a life member of the Wellington Wairarapa branch of Civil Contractors New Zealand.

All four of Vic’s sons have worked for the family business during the course of its recent development. Now Scott is assistant manager.

Tom retired to pursue his passion for vine growing in Martinborough.

Able to undertake all manner of earthmoving and roading works, including such activities as roading work and overburden stripping for quarries, Drapers has found what Vic calls a “niche market” in subdivisional earthworks for housing developments, which is a buoyant

VAUGHAN’S BRIDGE Site Project Name Project Owner Engineers Main Contractor

Long Bay, Auckland Vaughan’s Bridge Todd Property Novare Design HEB Structures

With the restricted nature of building suspended abutments, the Complete Reinforcing placing and technical teams collaborated to develop a methodology to prefabricate in only one section at our Auckland factory.

The prefabricated cages were 17m long 1.7m wide and 2m high.

The considerable amount of detail and planning that made up the prefabrication methodology for this structure was the result of our drafting, detailing and placing staff working closely with site management.

Under normal circumstances, it would have taken six men and a full-time crane two weeks to install both abutments. Complete Reinforcing’s prefabrication method achieved the same outcome with only four men and four hours of crane time.

Talk to us or send your tender documents to quotes@completereo.co.nz Auckland 09 271 7419 Christchurch 03 982 5053

Cromwell 03 445 4639 Nelson 021 588 944

For more information visit

completereinforcing.co.nz 4530

CONTRACTOR PROFILE

sector, currently. His company generally bids for contracts in the $1-5 million range.

Ever since leaving school and spending three years as a diesel mechanic for a Caterpillar dealer, Vic has retained his preference for Cat equipment. [Caterpillar] have good back-up systems in place for the owner-operator,” he tells Contractor. “We did have some problems with the Terex scrapers,” but he is not specific on what they were.

Any doubt about Caterpillar loyalty is soon dismissed by a long plant inventory. On Vic’s current job at Aotea alone, there are two 637E Series II motor scrapers, a D8H and D7F, an 825B compactor, 320A and 320C excavators, a D25B articulated dump truck, and 950 loader. Scott’s site nearby boasts two 627A motor scrapers, D8R, D8N blades, 320D excavator, 814 compactor and two D350D ADTs. The company also has a 16H grader in the fleet.

The motor scrapers come into their own in their present environment, says Vic. And while for a time at least their popularity may have diminished as many contractors opted for a 360 excavator and dump truck combination for 34 www.contractormag.co.nz

regular earthworks, he says there is no contest between the two.

“In terms of productivity, the scrapers will run rings around the dump trucks. We’ve had instances where it’s taken two days to excavate (and remove spoil) a hole using the 360 and dump trucks. Then it’s half a day to backfill using the scrapers”.

The only downside, says Vic, arises from finding good people to operate them. “Anyone can drive an ADT. But it takes real skill to drive a scraper, and good people are hard to find. It can take a couple of years to train up a good scraper driver to master it.”

“In the end, it’s worth it. The benefits of using scrapers are generally understated. In Wellington, where sites can be very steep, they work well.

New Zealand followed the British trend in the 1990s, and you saw fewer. People were using more ADTs and so the number of scrapers being built was in the decline”. Now, says Vic, the trend is in reverse.

Scott is not just a convert, but fervent advocate of scrapers. “I get to operate all the plant we have; the scrapers are ideal for the location”.

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CONTRACTOR TRAINING

Civil Trades: meet more graduates This month we meet Richard Leach of Higgins Contractors and Ross McLaren of Andrew Haulage – the seventh and eighth Kiwis to become Civil Trades certified.

Richard Leach, Higgins Contractors Richard is a much respected member of the Higgins team and has worked for the company for 23 years. He started out in Wellington as a labourer and has progressed to his current role as operations supervisor.

Richard is responsible for liaising with project managers and assigning resources to meet client needs, recruitment, training and health and safety. He is also involved in programming the work for the Wellington region. Richard’s team coordinates the daily logistics of the 75 staff working at the branch.

For Richard, the best part of his role is completing a contract under time and budget.

He also enjoys watching a job progress from start to completion, and gets real satisfaction from getting the day-to-day logistics running like clockwork. Richard is also a people person and he thrives on working as part of a team. He gets a real buzz from training new employees and watching them grow into leaders.

A true passion for the industry and giving 100 percent in whatever he does have helped Richard get where he is today. He has done various courses over the years, but says that nothing compares to practical experience.

Richard is a strong advocate for Civil Trades because he believes there is a huge demand for a qualification based on practical experience instead of book-based knowledge.

Higgins will be rolling out Civil Trades across the wider organisation in the coming months.

Higgins Group support manager (and Civil Trades board member) John Bryant explains: “Detailed information has been sent to Higgins’ regional operations. Over the next few months each of these teams will actively promote the details of the qualification process to staff in conjunction with Connexis. This will enable them to identify the most suitable qualification pathway for each person.”

36 www.contractormag.co.nz

Ross McLaren, Andrew Haulage Ross McLaren is an operator and foreman at Andrew Haulage – a South Otago based contracting business servicing Otago and Southland. He is responsible for running projects ranging from earthworks and excavation to general and forestry roading, trenching, drainage and culverts, to land excavation.

On a day-to-day basis, Ross’ role involves overseeing operations on site and is very people-focused. He works closely with the project managers and clients, and manages relationships with the general public. He is also responsible for training new staff on plant and machinery.

Ross has been with Andrew Haulage for 15 years. As a teen finishing school he started out as a fitter/welder for a Balclutha based company before applying for two positions with another company – a fitter/welder and a labourer. Ross took on both roles where he excelled and this led to him training as a machine operator. During his time at Andrew Haulage Ross has gradually expanded his skills. He started out on trenching jobs, before branching out and gaining experience in a huge variety of civil projects.

A lifetime of listening and learning and over 40,000 hours machine operating has taken Ross to where he is today. He feels that you never stop learning if that’s what you want to do. Ross enjoys the Civil Infrastructure industry and he feels it’s a great place to work. The thing he enjoys most about the industry is the people, whether workmates, clients or customers. He sees a lot of new faces and meets a lot of new people. Ross also thrives on being outdoors, working with machinery and facing new challenges. Every job is different and requires a different approach.

Despite years of experience, this is the first trade qualification Ross has achieved. He sees it as a way to better himself, and to gain recognition of his skills and knowledge. Becoming a Certified Civil Tradesperson has given him a real sense of achievement.

Colin Calteaux, managing director of Andrew Haulage, believes that Civil Trades will be of great benefit to the industry. He says, “Providing a recognised trade will give people something to work towards and will encourage them to enter and stay in the industry. We were very supportive of Ross going through the programme as it gave him recognition of the high standards he works to. It has also given the more junior members of our staff something to aspire to.”

Talking with Ross McArthur Ross McArthur was instrumental in the development of Civil Trades and has recently been appointed by the Civil Trades board as its first evaluator and moderator. ABI KIBBLE from Connexis caught up with Ross to find out more about the Civil Trades evaluation process.

Ross, congratulations on your new role – it’s a significant milestone for Civil Trades. What will it involve?

Initially I will be conducting assessments and evaluations for the Civil Trades regime.

I’ll also be leading the development and implementation of the Civil Trades assessment and evaluation process. A key element of my role will be to identify and recruit additional evaluators followed by moderation of their evaluations to ensure a consistent approach.

How does a Civil Trades evaluator differ from an assessor?

An assessor assesses the candidate for their NZQA Level 4 trade qualification.

The assessment focuses on a candidate’s technical skills determining whether or not they meet the qualification graduate profile outcome.

Once the candidate has achieved their Level 4 qualification and can demonstrate 8000 hours of industry experience, with a minimum of 2000 hours at Level 4, they can apply to become Civil Trades certified.

That’s where the Civil Trades evaluator comes in. Their role is to determine whether the candidate meets the Civil Trades graduate profile criteria to become a Certified Civil Tradesperson.

What happens during a Civil Trades evaluation?

The evaluation is done through a ‘certifying discussion’ between the evaluator and the candidate, where they discuss the candidate’s skills and experience.

The majority of Civil Trades candidates being assessed in the near future will be coming through the Recognition of Current Competence (RCC pathway). All of our Civil

Trades evaluators are already registered RCC assessors.

This means that RCC candidates may be able to get their qualification assessment and Civil Trades evaluation done simultaneously by one assessor / evaluator as a significant amount of the experience and evidence documentation will overlap.

I understand you’ve just recruited a new team of evaluators. Can you tell me a bit about them?

Once the candidate has achieved their Level 4 qualification and can demonstrate 8000 hours of industry experience, with a minimum of 2000 hours at Level 4, they can apply to become Civil Trades certified.

We have identified eight people from around the country who we believe will make very good evaluators because of their experience and industry understanding.

During our first evaluators workshop we noted that around the table the group had clocked up over 240 years between them!

Evaluators need to be able to readily identify someone who fits the Civil Trades graduate profile. They aren’t just looking at technical skills, but also the leadership and behavioural qualities that industry would expect from a Certified Civil Tradesperson.

What should someone do if they are interested in becoming a Civil Trades evaluator?

In the first instance they should contact Mahia Bennett, the Civil Trades registrar.

We have sufficient assessors and evaluators for the immediate future, but we’ll definitely need more going forward.

It’s a really exciting time for the industry and I’m not sure we quite comprehend how significant Civil Trades is going to be.

I believe that the uptake will exceed all expectations and it is certainly the most significant step in recognition of our trade leaders in the past three decades.

MAY 2016 37

CONTRACTOR BAUMA EXPO

Bauma 2016

another successful show With 3423 exhibitors from 58 countries showcasing their wares to 580,000 visitors from 200 countries (an increase of nine percent), it’s no wonder that interest remains high in international trade fairs. Here’s a selection of ALAN TITCHALL’S impressions from bauma 2016 in Munich, Germany.

Just some of the 580,000 visitors.

Komatsu’s PC7000 in action.

If your feet get tired there’s always the site train.

Families were encouraged to get up close.

If you like big machines, the latest in machine technology, sausages, potatoes, bread and beer, then bauma in Munich is for you.

38 www.contractormag.co.nz

TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTOR

Robot assists Christchurch rebuild CONTRACTORS REPAIRING EARTHQUAKE-HIT Christchurch are

using a hydro-demolition robot in a project to rebuild part of the city’s wastewater system. The Aqua Cutter from Aquajet Systems is playing a key role in a new wastewater system being installed by SCIRT (the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team), as part of an $85 million investment in design and construction of new and rebuilt infrastructure in the city’s district of Aranui.

Completion of repairs to the Southern Relief form one of SCIRT’s biggest projects this year. The work entails a wastewater trunk main running through densely populated parts of Christchurch. The challenge is working in confined spaces and SCIRT is using the robot for part of the repair work for efficiency and safety reasons.

The hydro-demolition robot ‘Geo’ (pictured) is providing faster and safer results for SCIRT’s McConnell Dowell team working on the Southern Relief project in Linwood. “The thought of repairing underground pipe cracks with a handheld lance, in a confined space, is enough to make any health and safety officer concerned and a crew member’s blood pressure rise,” says McConnell Dowell’s project engineer Stuart Anderson.

This is the challenge that McConnell Dowell and subcontractor Concrete Treatments NZ (CTNZ) faced when repairing the Southern Relief, a wastewater trunk main that was significantly damaged in the earthquakes. The trunk main is a 1.2 metre x 1.4 metre box culvert that takes wastewater from more than 200,000

households around Christchurch and moves it to the Bromley wastewater treatment plant.

“Using the water pressure at the flow rate required to carry out the repairs combined with the length of lance would pose a serious risk to the operator’s safety,” says Stuart.

“The solution was CTNZ’s purchase of the automated robotic hydro-excavation tool. ‘Geo’ has the ability to use the tool remotely, replacing handheld lancing. The robot’s compact nature allows it to enter and repair the box culvert safely and efficiently.

“Geo’s hydraulic and articulated arm can reach as far as three metres into horizontal, vertical and overhead areas and its use has enabled a safer working environment for the crew. It means that crew members aren’t placed in an unsafe position to deal with flying concrete debris in a restricted space.”

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MAY 2016 39

CONTRACTOR TECHNOLOGY

Big dam project benefits from ICT Kajima Corporation, one of the most prestigious contractors in Japan, and engineering company Tomijima Construction, are working together on the Oitagawa rock dam on the southern island of Kyushu.

OITAGAWA DAM IS A ROCK DAM located in Kyushu, the third largest island in Japan. The island is mountainous and home to Japan’s most active volcano, Mount Aso. The construction is an important infrastructure project for the island and the new dam will hold a total of 24,000,000 cubic metres of water.

Looking to improve excavation productivity and to keep the crew out of harm’s way, the company turned to Trimble for help through Nikon-Trimble Joint Venture (NTJV). According to the contractors, earthworks management productivity increased by a massive 150 percent using the Trimble GCS900 Grade Control System with specialist attachment support, Site Positioning Systems Essentials Kit and Total Stations.

Started in 2013, the first phase of the dam build included breaking rock, removing rock and prepping the site area. In total, the team has moved 1.39 million cubic metres of earth, before the next phase involved building up the rock dam wall.

Once constructed, the dam wall itself will be 100 metres high by 500 metres wide and will include 3.7 million cubic metres of rock and material.

Because of the slope and vertical elevations required for meeting the dam design, Kajima and Tomijima used Intelligent Construction Technology (ICT). With support from NTJV, Tomijima equipped five excavators and five dozers with the Trimble GCS900 Grade Control System. They also used four Site Positioning Systems Essentials Kits and deployed Trimble SPS620 total stations to conduct high accuracy structural works and checks. The Trimble Essentials Kits include the Trimble 40 www.contractormag.co.nz

Site Mobile controller, Trimble SCS900 Site Controller Software and Trimble SPS985L GNSS Smart Antenna. The Tomijima team selected the mobile controllers and connected communication system to send information from the field to the office – including design updates, GNSS corrections, telematics, and production information.

“With the SPS Essentials Kit the team can perform site survey and positioning tasks at the dam site without relying on fulltime surveyors,” says Kajima.

“Instead, field crews can collect positioning data like checking grades and elevations and calculate volumes of rock we removed compared to the material we have brought in.”

Operators used the hydraulic excavators with 3D GCS900 machine control systems to excavate for the dam according to the design. Traditionally, building a rock dam of this size would require the initial survey plus ongoing subsequent grade checking as dirt was being moved. That would involve checking and re-setting stakes close to where the excavator and rock crusher are working. Instead, with the Site Positioning Systems Essentials Kits and machine control, crews were kept out of harm’s way and there was 90 percent less staking required compared to traditional methods.

With Trimble grade control, after an initial grade check, machine-mounted sensors calculate necessary bucket position to achieve the desired design. They also measure how much material must be moved. For about nine months, the GCS900 system was also used to guide the team’s rock breaker

attachment for the excavator. Traditionally, this step is needed to prepare the dam’s foundation, breaking down the earth until the ground is solid enough to add fill for the dam material.

Following the design profile on the in-cab control box, the rock breaker removed rock and overburden across the dam site by breaking rock into two to three centimetre pieces. With the GCS900 systems, the team achieved a 150 percent increase in productivity in managing and completing earthworks, moving 1.39 million cubic metres of earth.

“We tried different systems for the project and the Trimble GCS900 sensors were the only ones that survived the high vibrations caused by the rock breaker attachment,” says the Tomijima project manager.

“The reliability and consistency of the system is amazing.”

The team used the breaker and twin-header attachments with Trimble guidance to cut excess material. This was critical to saving time and money, not only because of the extra work in over excavating but because the additional material that would have to be used for backfill.

Tomijima also adopted VisionLink site productivity technology from Trimble for a holistic view of the project site and to track site productivity and materials movement. The system monitors and records 3D earthmoving operations across the project. Managers can also create real-time 3D surface models, elevation and cut and fill maps. With machine control and VisionLink, instead of taking an average of 2.5 hours to prepare and manage data, it now takes engineers on average of 30 minutes each day, or 80 percent time savings in managing the earth-moving process.

By September 2015 the team had finished breaking down and moving rock totaling 1.39 million cubic metres of material. The next phase involves fill material to build the rock dam walls, which provided even more opportunity to put to use VisionLink to track loads of material and associated productivity and efficiency.

“With our success VisionLink and GCS900 are no longer specialty technology, they are standard technology required for this type of job,” says Kajima.

Operators used the hydraulic excavators with 3D GCS900 machine control systems to excavate for the dam according to the design.

MAY 2016 41

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Because we care about our people PETER SILCOCK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND

SIMPLY PUT, TOO MANY people are killed or seriously injured working in the construction industry.

We need to face that reality … not because of the new law but because we care about our people and businesses.

CCNZ has taken a lead role in the Construction Safety Council (CSC), a construction industry wide organisation committed to improving our health and safety performance.

On 4 April the CSC launched ConstructSafe a dynamic, new framework that assesses the competency of people going on to construction sites. Just as driving requires a person to pass a test to prove their competency as a driver, we feel that construction sites should use a similar scheme.

ConstructSafe provides our industry with a comprehensive, fast and efficient framework to prove health and safety competence. It allows us to reduce the potential for untrained or inexperienced workers creating hazardous situations for themselves and others.

The scheme will enable the industry to focus more on competency rather than attendance at training programmes as an entry level criterion. How people get their knowledge – through formal training, mentoring, industry experience or watching a video – is irrelevant, we simply need to know that people have the relevant knowledge and competency.

The launch of ConstructSafe is a major step forward. Tier 1 is an online competency test aimed at all people who are required to work on a construction site. When a person has successfully passed the online test they will be issued with a ConstructSafe card. The card can be checked using any smartphone or using the ‘check a card’ service on the CSC website at www.constructionsafetycouncil.co.nz.

The test has been extensively trialled across a range of people and businesses and is specifically designed to cater for people with a low level of literacy by using graphics and audio prompts. Client groups and construction company owners and managers have also reviewed the scheme and all say that ConstructSafe will give them the confidence that health and safety competency is at an acceptable standard across their sites.

For the first time in New Zealand the construction industry has come together to say “this is the competency we expect”.

That is very powerful. It clearly outlines to training providers the knowledge expectations of the industry so they can now tailor the content of their courses to meet that expectation.

Not everyone will pass the assessment, but ConstructSafe will provide feedback on areas of weakness so that the individuals,

For the first time in New Zealand the construction industry has come together to say ‘this is the competency we expect’.

employers or trainers can focus on critical gaps in knowledge.

With the scheme only just launched there will be a transition period while ConstructSafe ‘Test Centres’ get established, people get assessed and if needs be have additional training to fill those knowledge gaps.

What we are looking for now is the strong support from contractors. The best way for you to support this initiative is to: 1. Make sure that relevant people in your company understand the ConstructSafe system. For further information go to www. constructionsafetycouncil.co.nz.

2. If you are a head contractor, signal to your subbies that you plan to move to requiring ConstructSafe as a minimum standard for your sites.

3.

Consider if your company should become an accredited ConstructSafe test centre.

4. Arrange for your people to go through the ConstructSafe tier 1 assessment.

5. Support those who don’t reach the require competency level with mentoring and training.

Additional tiers of the ConstructSafe Framework will follow later this year: • Tier 1 – entry level for everyone working on a construction site (launched 4 April).

• Tier 2 – specialist trades & occupations (developed and added to over time).

• Tier 3 – Leading Hands & Foreman (targeted launch later in 2016).

• Tier 4 – Managers & Site Supervisors (targeted launch later in 2016).

This is a significant step for the construction industry in creating safer workplaces, and we all have a role to play in setting the standard for safety in our industry and I encourage you all to get involved.

As McConnell Dowell managing director Roger McRae, who spoke at the ConstructSafe launch, said: “I challenge you all to get on board with ConstructSafe; to see it as the opportunity it is, to do what’s right – for our people and for our businesses.”

Postal Address: PO Box 12013, Thorndon, Wellington 6144 Physical Address: Margan House, 21 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington 6011 Phone 0800 692 376

42 www.contractormag.co.nz

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CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Liquidation no bar to recovery ARIE MOORE AND KATE HENDERSON, KENSINGTON SWAN

WHEN A DEVELOPER GOES into liquidation, the chances of a contractor recovering payment under a construction contract reduces substantially. If the developer disputes the amount owed to the contractor, the likelihood of getting paid reduces further. In particular, when a company is placed in liquidation permission of the court is required before a party can pursue legal remedies to prove money is owed.

In a recent High Court case, the court provided clarity on a number of common arguments on construction projects when it granted permission to a construction company to pursue adjudication proceedings against a developer in liquidation.

The facts DHC Assets is a construction company, which carried out significant works for Vaco Investments (Lincoln Road) (a development shell company). DHC alleged that Vaco failed to make final payment under its contract for the works. The payment schedules issued by the engineer to the contract initially stated that nothing was owing to DHC. This was subsequently changed to assert that DHC owed Vaco money.

DHC advised Vaco it would pursue adjudication to recover the disputed payment. However, that caused Vaco’s sole shareholder to promptly place the company into voluntary liquidation, leaving DHC caught between a rock and a hard place. The liquidator appointed by that shareholder then rejected DHC’s proof of debt.

If Vaco had not been placed into liquidation, DHC could have commenced adjudication proceedings under the Construction Contracts Act, or sued on its contract. However, because Vaco was in liquidation, DHC could not prove it was owed money without the leave of the court. Until that happened, DHC was unable to bring proceedings against the shareholder to recover any funds removed from Vaco.

DHC asked the court for permission to bring an adjudication claim against Vaco, or to remove the liquidator. The liquidator objected to the application.

The findings The liquidator first argued that leave was pointless, as Vaco had no money to fund proceedings or to pay any debts. The court said that as DHC would fund proceedings to recover money from either the company or the shareholder, cost was not a barrier and as Vaco had no other creditors, any cost to the proceedings would not prejudice anybody else.

Second, the liquidator argued that it was too late for DHC to challenge the payment schedule. This was because the contract, NZS3910:2003, contained comprehensive dispute resolution provisions, including an engineer’s review, and the engineer’s payment schedule was not challenged by DHC under those provisions.

The court found DHC had an arguable case that it could challenge 44 www.contractormag.co.nz

the payment schedule, as section 12 of the Construction Contracts Act prohibits any contracting out of that Act. Therefore, more restrictive timeframes – for example, those in clause 13 setting out the steps for an engineer’s review – could not be ‘superimposed’ on DHC’s rights.

This is one of the most common arguments that we see from developers and engineers as to why it is not possible for the contractor to bring a claim. As demonstrated by this case, it is simply not possible to contract out of the right to adjudicate disputes under the Construction Contracts Act. The liquidator finally argued that the delay in DHC seeking leave meant that leave should be denied. On the facts of this case, the court did not consider that any delay prejudiced Vaco.

The court did not think it was necessary to remove the liquidator in this case, but did express surprise that she had opposed leave being granted, in light of her admission that the complex claims were something best decided by a court, and not for her to determine herself.

The takeaway on adjudication in liquidation The case provides clarity around contractors’ rights where a developer is placed in liquidation.

If the liquidator does not recognise a contractor’s debt as part of the liquidation, there is the option to seek leave to the court to pursue the debt, such as adjudication. The court has a favourable view of this, stating that adjudication is a ‘cost and time efficient process’ for this purpose.

Importantly, a failure to pursue the dispute resolution procedure set out in NZS3910, or whatever contract, is not a bar to pursuing adjudication, due to the prohibition on contracting out of the Construction Contracts Act. That does not mean that parties can leave it until the last minute to try and seek leave to adjudicate. Delay will still be a factor in granting consent, and will point away from granting consent if the delay causes prejudice to any party.

Most importantly, in these situations any issues must be addressed quickly, to mitigate exposure to unrecoverable costs.

Particularly as any ability to initiate or continue adjudication proceedings following the liquidation of a developer, is unlikely to have any effect on whether there is actually money available to pay the contractor. Project funds should be assessed before work is undertaken – be comfortable the developer is in a position to pay, and continue looking closely at the project, especially as it nears completion.

The Constriction tram regularly provides comment on topical construction issues, visit www.nzconstructionblog.com to keep up to date.

• Kensington Swan regularly provides comment on topical construction issues, visit www.nzconstructionblog.com to keep up to date.

COMMENT CONTRACTOR

In praise of industry members JONATHAN BHANA-THOMSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HEAVY HAULAGE ASSOCIATION

I AM IN CONSTANT awe of those industry members who dedicate

It all adds up to a strong and proactive industry

their time and effort towards benefiting not only their own business, but the wider industry sector of which they are a part (and often in direct competition with those they help).

When this is done is through the forum of an Association this gives the opportunity for these voices to be combined in a way that will be taken seriously by the various regulatory bodies that we deal with.

I particularly want to pay homage to those industry members who contribute significantly to their industry by being willing to be elected to committees, boards or project teams. On top of paid roles within their company, they are willing to contribute their time to looking after the bigger picture.

However the key is that they are willing to look at the value of the bigger picture of what benefits the whole industry rather than the narrower interests of just their own company.

Many associations in the industries that we commonly deal with have paid staff to carry out the detailed work as well as maintain structures for volunteer efforts to be achieved within.

However I have always maintained that the experts are those who are actually out their doing it – on the road in the case of my members. I continually refer to members if I get a question that deserves a real-world answer rather than the answer that I know from reading the legislation or other information.

You get a wonderful range of input as well – all of which is valued and important. Some people are great on detail; others tend to have a helicopter view and a more strategic look at things. Once members get to see the benefit of contributing to the greater good, they leave their natural competitive business sense at the door to pull together for the greater good of the group.

Associations are in the business of representing their members, and the key is to draw out the relevant information, bounce it off those representatives who are on boards, and produce documents that put forward a good case, or represent best practice information that captures excellence while at the same time practicality. Without the input from industry members, and oversight of project teams or representatives, these outputs will simply not be relevant or realistic.

The strength of an organisation is the sum of the various parts that it has – but particularly the efforts, information and passion that the members put into the organisation. With the Heavy Haulage Association there are various sector groups that make up the whole Association. What we have found is that when there are specific issues or projects to consider, sector groups come together to fight these, and as a result the group gets stronger.

This has been the basis for a strong group to be formed that has then gone on to work on various other projects that have been of significant benefit. We have achieved some great results, which would not have happened if industry members had not been willing to put their own time into these efforts.

Over the years we have tried to get coherence in these groups

group which is equipped to represent the sector and put forward the interests of the industry for the benefit of all. by have specific meetings at our annual conference, and also sending out specific sector group newsletters, while each group has a specific convenor of each group – most of whom are elected at the AGM and contribute at a board level.

In some ways this is a thankless task, with expectations of a good job done following that done by those great people who have fulfilled these roles previously. I want to pay tribute to these individuals who have contributed in the past as well as those currently, and those still to come. A basic tenet of an association, is that it goes on (hopefully for a good long period) and doesn’t tie itself to any particular people or members – but exists for the greater good of the current and future members. Of course this could not have been achieved without the voluntary efforts of all those people who have served on executives and boards – and I have a list of those extra special people on the wall in the Association who have made outstanding contributions – and this is recognised by Life membership or other awards.

My challenge to all those other members of the Association is that not everyone wants to, or can make it onto boards of associations, but we do need new people coming through in time to assist. Even if these roles are not for all members, we do need members to play their part by responding to queries for information, providing information to board members about particular topics, attending meetings and AGMs, or even just picking up the phone to give a quick bit of advice or their opinion.

It all adds up to a strong and proactive industry group which is equipped to represent the sector and put forward the interests of the industry for the benefit of all.

MAY 2016 45

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Next year’s programme and beyond TOMMY PARKER, NZTA GROUP MANAGER, HIGHWAYS & NETWORKS OPERATIONS

AFTER ROBUST DISCUSSIONS in recent weeks, we now have a

pretty clear view of what our programme of works is going to look like for the 2016/17 financial year.

We are spending around $2.2 billion on our state highway network next year. Being the second year of the 2015-2018 National Land Transport Programme, it is pretty much business as usual, with some new capital improvements.

Our first priority is remedial maintenance – it’s important that we keep our existing asset in good shape.

To ensure we are well placed to deliver our maintenance and renewals programme at optimal times during next year’s summer season, we’re asking each of our NOC suppliers to sign up to delivering their part of our maintenance and renewals programme.

We’re asking for this commitment by the end of June, so we can all have an excellent summer season on the roads.

For the coming year, our capital improvement programme is worth $1.64 billion. A large proportion of our programme ($1.33 billion) is already committed to a range of projects through the Roads of National Significance programme, and the Auckland and Accelerated Regional State Highways programmes.

A recently made commitment to this is the Waikato $53 million SH2 Pokeno and Mangatarata project, which was approved by the NZ Transport Agency board a month or so ago. This is a range of safety improvements to reduce the number of serious and fatal crashes caused by head-on and run-off-road impact, and safety improvements to intersections.

We will be investigating the $55 million Whirokino trestle and Manawatu River bridge replacement on State Highway 1 between Levin and Foxton. This project will save a 19 kilometre detour for HMPVs. The $20 million Taramakau road-rail bridge replacement on State Highway 6 in the West Coast will result in a new bridge with separation of road from rail.

Both projects will make life much easier for freight efficiency and HPMVs, and are the result of the Accelerated Regional State Highways programme.

We are also beginning work on Phase 1 of the East-West Connection that links Onehunga and Penrose in Auckland. This project will provide a better link between State Highway 1 and State Highway 20. This is a large construction project that, once completed, will make big gains in travel times and journey reliability.

The final link in the chain for the Waikato Expressway, the Longswamp section, will also get underway. This $112 million project completes the expressway, and links the already completed Mercer section (just south of the Hampton Downs interchange) with the Rangiriri section to the south.

Next year’s capital improvements programme will also see the next stage of the Wellington North Corridor, Peka Peka to Otaki on State Highway 1, get underway. This will provide a bypass of Otaki, and some four-laning to increase the efficiency of freight 46 www.contractormag.co.nz

and people movements between Wellington and the rest of the North Island.

In the South Island, the $20 million safety retrofitting of the Lyttelton Tunnel will improve resilience and safety on this key freight route, and we will also start Stage 2 of the Christchurch Southern Corridor – this is a $183 million project that will include better linkages between Halswell and Rolleston and which is part of the Christchurch Motorways Roads of National Significance project.

So that’s what we have coming up for the 2016/17 year.

What’s beyond this? Well, we’re working on it. We have a long view, but we need to be satisfied we have the right solutions to the customer journeys challenge.

We’re using the way in which customers use our roads as part of how we identify what needs to be done on New Zealand’s state highways. The customer levels of service through the One Network Road Classification, certainly, but also key routes – why customers use them, for what purpose and how.

We are looking ahead and are starting to plan for 2018-2021 NLTP. We are taking an in-depth look at the next tranche of major corridor improvements. We have nine programme business cases underway, all of which are working on developing a programme of work to address the needs of each corridor.

Included in this work is Auckland-Whangarei, SH1 Piarere to Taupo, SH1 Taupo to Waiouru, SH29 Piarere to Tauriko, SH2 Ngauranga to Te Marua, SH2 Rimuata Hill (Te Marua to Masterton), Wellington’s port access, SH73/76 West Melton to Lyttelton Tunnel in Christchurch, and SH1 Christchurch to Dunedin. The outcomes of these will guide part of our highway activity for some years to come.

With so much work to get to market we are looking again at the use of the Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) model.

The contract was procured using the Early Contractors Involvement model. We have previously used this contract model in the past. It’s probably fair to say that while some of these projects worked well for us, some didn’t. We have learnt from this, and we continue to see expected benefits in having a contractor involved earlier in a project’s lifecycle.

Early involvement by contractors can work toward ensuring consent conditions maximise the efficiency of delivery. It also means the wider team works together through the design process to understand all implications and elements of construction. Think about it as the architect and builder all working together on the design and build of your new home.

Keep your eyes open for the opportunity to be involved in such a contract - both the coming Opawa bridge replacement and the Northland Bridges procurement processes utilise forms of ECI we believe will be of benefit to the efficient delivery of these projects.

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CONTRACTOR MOTORING

THE FIREPOWER OF A SPORTS CAR Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is the true definition of ‘bang for buck’, says CAMERON OFFICER.

48 www.contractormag.co.nz

A SPACIOUS SUV with the firepower of a sports car is not a new trick by any stretch. But it’s still a damned diverting one; when done right it adds up to all the practical comforts of a true load-lugger, combined with physicsdefying performance you wouldn’t feel undermined with while fighting it out alongside sports sedans at a track day.

Generally speaking the Europeans have this rarified band of weaponry to themselves; the Range Rover Sport, BMW X5 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S all provide exceptional performance, coupled with the ability to pick up that antique sideboard you couldn’t resist on that weekend jaunt through the Wairarapa.

Having passengered in a Porsche Cayenne Turbo while an expert driver trainer wheelman slid it through slaloms and around hairpin turns on a race track, I can also vouch for that vehicle’s impressive abilities, regardless of its apparent girth.

The common denominator with all of these impressive machines though is their cost of entry. By and large you’re looking at retail stickers that start with a two – or a one followed by a six or seven – and don’t end until several zeros have been added for good measure.

This is where the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT plays its strong suit.

Actually, the moment you turn the key is when it plays its strong suit; an incredible bellow from its massive 6.4-litre HEMI V8 announcing fire and brimstone is yours with the merest dab of the accelerator. This three-tonne SUV will accelerate with all the raucous fury you’d hope for; zero to 100km/h is dispensed with in just 4.9 seconds. Also, when you get to a corner the Grand Cherokee’s low and wide footprint helps keep it flat, with minimal amounts of body-roll.

Also helping you get through the twisty bits without any wobble is the Grand Cherokee’s Selec-Track adaptive damping system, which allows the driver to cycle through various modes designed to suit the driving environment; track, sport, snow and tow modes are complemented with an auto mode which does the thinking for you. Naturally this high performance Jeep still features all the 4x4 ability you’d expect from the brand, thanks to its proven Quadra-Trac Active four-wheel drive system.

But back to the Grand Cherokee SRT’s price. It retails for $124,990 plus ORCs, which is impressive value for a vehicle like this.

And it doesn’t suffer unduly from a lack of top-end specification either. It features pretty much every surprise-anddelight accoutrement you’d hope to find in an X5 M or top-shelf Mercedes-Benz GLE. Highlights include eight-way powered driver and front passenger seats (with heating in both front and second rows), SRT 20-inch alloy wheels, SRT performance brakes augmented with six (front) and four (rear) piston Brembo calipers, SRT performance-tuned steering and a full suite of Uconnect entertainment system delights (Bluetooth phone and MP3 audio connectivity, onboard hard drive music storage and digital radio all accessed through an 8.4-inch central touchscreen).

Supportive leather-and-suede seats with side bolsters provide plenty of support in the spacious interior and naturally the high-performance SRT edition gets lots of contrasting stitching and logos throughout to remind you you’ve purchased from the top shelf.

It’s a brutal machine, but not inelegant. It looks great and sounds great too, but you can burble along relatively subtly when you want to.

With just the right mix of horsepower and specification, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT really does punch well above its weight.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Engine: 6.4-litre HEMI V8

Supersized Hyundai van on the horizon BIG EUROPEAN BRANDS such as Mercedes-Benz,

Volkswagen and Fiat have had the maxi-van playing space all to themselves over the past few years.

But Hyundai is eyeing up the large load carrying landscape with a right-hand drive version of its XLsized H350.

Hyundai Motors New Zealand has confirmed the van will be available in New Zealand next year. The H350 debuted in 2014, but until now has only been available as a left-hooker for the US and European markets.

As the model name alludes to, the H350 fits into the 3.5-ton GVW van category and is the Korean carmaker’s rival to the likes of the Volkswagen Crafter, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Fiat Ducato and Ford Transit Cargo.

While local specification details haven’t been announced yet, in the Northern Hemisphere the H350 can be optioned with either two or three front seats. There is also a passenger bus version available, which seats 14 or 15.

The big Hyundai’s cargo area measures in at 3780mm long, 1795mm wide and 1955mm tall. A standard dividing wall separates driver and front seat passenger from the rear, while the cargo area itself features 14 tie-down points to secure bulky items.

In overseas markets the H350 is powered by a 2.5-litre four cylinder turbo diesel engine, available in either 110kW/373Nm or 125kW/422Nm states of tune.

Currently the H350 only comes mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, although Hyundai’s Australian distributor – which has also confirmed the van as being available from next year – has already stated there will need to be an automatic transmission option available in order to maximise the model’s impact on the Antipodean market.

Transmission: 8-speed automatic Power: 344kW Torque: 624Nm 0-100km/h: 4.9 seconds Max speed: 255km/h Tow rating: 2949kg (braked) Fuel economy: 14L/100km CO2 emissions: 327g/km Price: $124,990

MAY 2016 49

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CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES

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Last of the D318-engined D6s, a D6B 44A series, shows off its capabilities at a Historical Construction Equipment Rally in the USA. There were a lot of D6Bs imported into New Zealand and you can still see the occasional one working.

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SSIC

C H I N E S

PHOTO: INTERNET

The early Caterpillar D6s long-term survivors For over 80 years, the Caterpillar D6 has been the backbone of the medium size Cat track type tractor range.

Here is an overview of how things got started.

BY RICHARD CAMPBELL.

50 www.contractormag.co.nz

THE CATERPILLAR D6 can trace its origins right back to the Diesel 35 of 1933 when it was one of a trio of Caterpillar diesel tractors introduced during that year (the other machines were the Diesel 50 and the Diesel 70).

Although it was in production for only one year, it sowed the seeds for what was to come.

The following year with a slight horsepower tweak, the machine was re-introduced as the Diesel 40, and in 1935, in order to comply with Caterpillar’s new machine identification system, it became the RD6.

With a track gauge of 60 inches and a 5-roller track frame, the RD6 was powered by a 3-cylinder Caterpillar D6600 diesel which put

out 52 flywheel horsepower.

In production for six years as the 2H series, the RD6 lost the “RD” from its name about 1938.

A favourite on the jobsite, farm or forest, many thousands of this type were manufactured.

An improved D6 was introduced in 1941 just in time for World War 2 and for the first time the machine was also available in a wider 74 inch track gauge due to customer requests.

Both the 60 inch gauge D6 (4R series) and 74 inch gauge D6 (5R series) were powered by the new Caterpillar D468 6-cylinder diesel engine which produced 72 flywheel horsepower.

These were very popular tractors and sold extremely well.

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1. The start of it all, a 1933 Caterpillar Diesel Thirty Five belonging to Ed Akins of California. As this machine was in production for only just over a year, preserved examples of this model are very rare indeed.

PHOTO: VIA MALCOLM MORRISON

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2. A 1935 Caterpillar RD6 with a LeTourneau G-6 Carryall in tow, building a county road in rural Illinois, USA. This was a popular combination in its day, especially favoured by councils and small gravel pits. The G-6 Carryall held six cubic yards.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

In this configuration, the D6 was manufactured up until 1947.

Caterpillar did some serious redesigning during the war and the result of this was probably the most successful of all the D6 models – the 8U and 9U series machines.

The 8U was a 60 inch gauge machine and the 9U was a 74 inch gauge machine, both having six track rollers, an increase of one over the former machine’s five.

Another new Caterpillar engine was chosen for the type, this time the 80 horsepower Caterpillar D318 (which was actually just the 4.25 inch bore D468 bored out to 4.5 inches with the addition of a new fuel pump).

Both of these machines were incredibly popular with the 8U selling over 11,000 examples and production of the 9U variant well over a staggering 28,000 machines.

Along the way various improvements made their way onto the production line including the Caterpillar oil clutch, a forward/reverse

lever to cut down on gear shifting and an increase in the fuel pump rack setting to boost engine output to 93 flywheel horsepower.

The pair remained in production until 1959 when they were replaced by the D6B model.

Caterpillar D6Bs were also produced in the two 60 inch and 74 inch track gauges but for the first time, were also available manufactured outside of Peoria, USA. All D6Bs were powered by the same D318 engine used in the earlier 8U and 9U series machines with a similar horsepower rating.

Most of the differences were cosmetic, making the tractors easier to mass produce and maintain in the field plus the operator’s area was considerably refined making the machines more user friendly.

As mentioned, manufacture of the D6B was undertaken outside of the USA with machines being produced in Japan (under a licence agreement with Mitsubishi) and also in Australia at Caterpillar’s plant in Melbourne.

3. In the middle of winter, a Caterpillar RD6 clears a road after a heavy dumping of snow in Montana.

The RD6 is fitted with a LeTourneau XD-6 bulldozer and rear cable control. This particular arrangement is quite rare and was usually seen on the larger RD8.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

MAY 2016 51

CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES

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1. P ost-WW2 photo shows a D6-9U series machine equipped with Cat No 25 rear cable control and a 6S bulldozer engaged in some land clearing pushing out stumps.

The machine has full length bottom roller guards. Note that the operator has modified the blade control lever to sit lower so his arm isn’t up quite so high! Photo taken at Nile Valley, Washington, USA. PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

2. his rare beast is a Caterpillar No 6 hydraulic shovel.

Designed by Trackson, the No 6 used the chassis and engine of a D6-9U series tractor with Trackson’s own integral loader frame so it was a track loader from the get-go. This restored example was photographed in Sweden but there is also a preserved example in the South Island.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

3. Abandoned in a field in the USA, a Cat D6-8U equipped with hydraulic nose cone and 6S bulldozer awaits its fate. It would not take much effort to get this old girl active again provided the engine wasn’t seized. Sad to see good equipment like this just left to rot.

PHOTO: INTERNET

52 www.contractormag.co.nz

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The different variants stacked up as follows: USA built D6Bs were the 37A series (60”) and 44A series (74”).

Australian D6Bs were the 56A series (60”) and 57A series (74”).

Caterpillar Mitsubishi D6Bs included the 37H series (74”) and 38H series, an 81 inch gauge low ground pressure model specifically designed for the Asian market and poor underfoot conditions.

All of the above machines featured the Cat oil clutch and a direct drive transmission.

US production of the D6B ceased in 1963 when it was replaced by the new turbocharged D6C model but the D6B remained in production in Japan up until 1967.

There was also a specialised pipe laying version of the D6 which rates a mention.

This first appeared as an attachment manufactured by Trackson for D6-9Us in the early 1950s and with the advent of the D6B (and Caterpillar’s acquisition of Trackson) became a standard production machine known as the 561B. Trackson also had a hand in the manufacture of another D6-9U derivative, a machine called the No 6 shovel, introduced in 1953.

This used the chassis and engine of a D6 with a completely purpose-built loader frame,

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hydraulics and a bucket and was not an “addon” as had been the case with earlier Cat Traxcavators.

The No 6 shovel eventually became the 977 Traxcavator in 1955.

Attachments for the D6 Prior to 1946, Caterpillar did not manufacture its own attachments for use with the D6 outside of cabs, guards and other small bits and pieces.

The job of building blades, PCUs, winches and other ancillary equipment was left up to outside suppliers.

Most prominent among those was LeTourneau which built a whole industry around tractor attachments.

Other major suppliers producing work tools for the D6 included LaPlant-Choate, Buckeye, Isaacson, GarWood, Carco, Hyster and Fleco just to name a few.

Just about any brand of 8-10 yard scraper could be hitched behind a D6 be it hydraulic or cable controlled.

From 1946 onwards Caterpillar offered its own work tools including the 6S and 6A bulldozer blades in cable or hydraulic configuration, No 24 and No 25 PCUs (cable controls) and the No 46 hydraulic control.

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There is a great deal more to tell of the D6 story which we will examine in an upcoming issue of Contractor.

The New Zealand connection From the very first Diesel 35s the type has been a popular seller for NZ Caterpillar dealer Goughs and importation of the machine (in its various models) would be in the thousands with the D69U model being particularly well represented.

The Caterpillar D6 has figured very prominently in the history of New Zealand road building, forestry and farming as it was an ideal size – not too small and not too large.

There were very few jobs a Kiwi could not do with a D6 and even fewer contractors who did not own or have a D6 of some type on their job in the 1950s.

Even the 561B pipe layer and No 6 shovel have made an appearance!

A number of older D6s have been saved and are being restored or are in preservation.

Sadly no.

While there are models in several scales of later Cat D6s (D6C upwards) the earlier variants have been completely overlooked.

There is one model of a Caterpillar D6-8U out there produced by American toymaker Dopeke in the early 1950s to about 1:16 scale.

While basically accurate, it was originally intended for the young contractor’s sandpit.

They are now ‘collectable’ and as such, fetch ridiculous prices at auction.

A very limited production 1:50 scale D6B was offered by Black Rat of the UK but only 50 were made and they are very expensive if you can locate one.

4. Two D6-9Us team up to really move some dirt near Sheridan, Wyoming for the Burlington Railroad. Lead tractor is towing an early 1D series Caterpillar No 60 cable scraper while the rear unit is fitted with a 6S bulldozer. Both machines have the No 25 cable control.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

5. Factory image of a Cat D68U series (60” gauge) track type tractor gives a good overview of how well the machine was designed. Notice the wide, thickly padded seat, tapered hood and the 6-roller track frame. Caterpillar sold well over 11,000 of this particular series.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

For the model collector With a reputation as big as the Caterpillar D6 has you would think that there would be models available.

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MAY 2016 53

CONTRACTOR INNOVATIONS

Dash cam security A new dash-mounted camera not only records what’s happening on the road ahead, but is said to prevent accidents and speeding tickets.

The Thinkware Dash Cam’s special technology incorporates a front collision warning system that alerts the driver when approaching too closely to a vehicle ahead. It also has a lane departure warning system to warn of straying from a marked lane on highways or motorways.

“The warning technology on the Thinkware Dash Cam is currently only available on some brand new cars and this is the first time, to our knowledge, that drivers have been able to obtain a product that fits any vehicle,” says Tim Paterson, sales manager for Thinkware importer and distributor Griffiths Equipment.

“It’s only just landed in New Zealand, but the reaction we are getting from the marketplace is extremely positive – there just isn’t anything else like it.”

Dash cams are not new, but the Thinkware models take the technology and usability to a whole new level, according to Paterson.

“Drivers who spend a lot of time on the road are using dashmounted cameras as a record should they require it for insurance purposes and to catch incidents and near misses that occur all too frequently. With the Thinkware Dash Cam they can also get the added benefit of Front Collision Warning and Lane Departure systems to help avoid a crash situation. That’s a very positive safety move.

“There’s also a safety camera alert that tells you if you are approaching a fixed speed camera or red light camera at junctions.”

The technology employed in the Thinkware Dash Cam reads the images to discern the distance between the owner’s vehicle and those on the road ahead. When it picks up significant changes it sounds an alert to the driver. Likewise, the sensors also pick up the white lines marking out lanes and will alert the driver if the vehicle strays outside them.

Its manufacturer describes it as a “premium” dash cam because of the high quality built into the unit. For instance, it comes with an anti-vibration mounting that cancels out vibration and ensures blurfree images, whilst also incorporating technology that eliminates windscreen glare.

In the event of a power loss, the camera’s fail-safe recording uses a

super capacitor to ensure that any recordings in progress are stored securely, to keep data safe.

The unit also has a built in GPS system that enables the camera to embed speed, time and location data to the recorded videos to provide the driver with crucial information following an incident or crash, displayed in Google maps.

For those who want even more technology, the F750 model has wi-fi, which enables the information to be relayed wirelessly to most modern phones. An app allows the owner to set the camera up via a smart device and adjust sensitivity of the safety warnings to suit the owner. This also results in a compact unit as it does not require a screen.

To monitor what’s going on behind their vehicle an optional rear camera is also available, also featuring 1080P full HD and a very compact size.

In recognition of its brilliant design and ease of use, the Thinkware Dash Cam is the first of its type to achieve the design award grand slam, winning the 2013 IDEA, iF Design Award and the Red Dot Design Award in 2014.

And to top that off, it was also honoured in the 2015 CES Innovations Award in Las Vegas for its outstanding design and cutting-edge engineering in the category for in-vehicle accessories..”

ACC and H&S help The ACC is increasing the Work Levy component this year for high risk industries by an average of 28 percent. This is mainly to offset the removal of the Residual Levy that finishes from April 1, says Martin Wouters from the Manage Company, which created the first online subscription based toolkit here for managing workplace injuries.

Martin says his company can reduce ACC levies and the company’s no cost review created an average saving for 2015 of 41 percent, he says. “We tell you what ACC doesn’t.”

Brokering on a success fee-based service, Manage Company takes the same information ACC uses to set your levies.

“Well over 80 percent of the time we will get a lower value.”

Services also include making businesses compliant under the new 54 www.contractormag.co.nz

Health & Safety at Work Act. “We are specialists in moving your company into the ACC accreditation programmes namely the Workplace Safety Discounts (WSD) and the Workplace Safety Management Practices (WSMP).

Check out our ‘cheat sheet’ that gives you the practical tips to meet your obligations.”

Manage Company also provides comprehensive employee inductions, Ministry of Justice and police checks, and licence management all through one easy to use portal. “We are an accredited reseller of the Workpro products, which are currently used by hundreds of organisations across New Zealand and Australia.”

More information from Martin Wouters, 0800 747 569, or claims@managecompany.co.nz.

INNOVATIONS CONTRACTOR

Smart trench protection

“We wanted to seriously innovate on this aspect. It is important for vendors hiring Foxbox products to make it easy for their customers to use the product safely,” says Real Steel managing director Luke Mathieson.

“Our foxbox.tools service achieves this remarkably efficiently.”

Among the many smart design features is a simple locking system allowing Foxboxes to stack on top of each other, Hardox armoured drag struts and cutting edges, and flush mounted pins to resist damage.

The current Foxbox lineup includes 7.2 x 2.3 metre and 4.0 x 2.3 metre trench shields and a 4.0 x 1.4 metre extension, with more being developed to meet specific requirements.

For more info visit www.foxboxprotection.com

All your bases covered so you’ll never run out.

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Learn more at alliedpetroleum.co.nz

HCA.CO.NZ ALD0402

Wellington-based Real Steel, supplier of advanced high strength Swedish Steel, has launched an innovative new line of trench shields under a new brand ‘Foxbox – Smart Trench Protection’.

Foxbox trench shields are made from Hardox wear plate and Strenx performance steel, which are up to five times stronger and three times tougher than standard steels and are lighter than aluminium trench shields and less than half the weight of other steel options.

Being incredibly lightweight lets operators deploy a Foxbox in confined work sites with much smaller machinery, says the company. Real Steel production and design engineer Carl Leenders, the mastermind behind the Foxbox product designs, explains: “Foxbox is a high-end trench shield that is built to last a very long time. It enables operators to be more efficient on site with their own machinery, and do so in a much safer manner.”

Safety is a key component of the Foxbox product line.

Documentation for each individual trench shield is available online for the life of the product. Engineers’ certification, owner’s manual and safe usage guidelines can be readily accessed by any operator on site. They simply need to visit www.foxbox.tools and input the serial number of their product.

For fuel and lubricants call 0800 383 566

MAY 2016 55

CONTRACTOR CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND

CCNZ Updates New members welcomed Acon Industries 2015, Bay of Plenty Branch Artisan Paving NZ, Canterbury/Westland Branch

ConstructSafe Launch On 4 April the Construction Safety Council (CSC) launched ConstructSafe, an important new initiative for the construction industry. CCNZ is a member of the CSC and has and will continue to take a lead role in CSC’s activities which are focused on improving health and safety performance across the construction industry.

CCNZ has sent information to all members about ConstructSafe and further information can be found at www. constructionsafetycouncil.co.nz.

ConstructSafe will enable the industry to focus more on competency rather than attendance at training programmes as an entry level criterion. It will also identify gaps in knowledge where further training is required and clearly outline to training providers the knowledge expectations of the industry.

This is a significant step for the construction industry in creating safer workplaces, and we all have a role to play in setting the standard for safety in our industry. McConnell Dowell managing director, Roger McRae, who spoke at the ConstructSafe Launch, said: “I challenge you all to get on board with ConstructSafe; to see it as the opportunity it is, to do what’s right – for our people and for our businesses.”

CCNZ National Excavator Operator Competition CCNZ congratulates all the competitors in this year’s competition. It was great to see so many new comers giving some of our returning competitors a good run for their money!

• Winner and 2016 National Excavator Operator – Steve Galbraith, Gair Contracting, Hawkes Bay Branch • Second place (the Defending Champion from 2015): James Lux, Fulton Hogan, Waikato Branch • Third place: Paul Keenan, JR Collins Contracting, Manawatu Branch • Contractor Magazine One Day Job winner: James Lux • Humes Good Bastard Award winner: Steve Galbraith • Another Good Bastard who got a special mention: Rosco Morris, Clements Contractors, Northland Branch.

CCNZ Submission: H&S at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2016 Consultation Civil Contractors New Zealand has provided feedback to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on the Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2016 Consultation.

While most of the proposed changes relate to the transfer of the

existing legislation, rules and regulations into the Health and Safety at Work Act, there were a number of new suggestions predominantly around approved handlers and personnel training requirements which CCNZ commented on.

In addition, clarification was sought on a number of items relating to the transport of bitumen in both distributor vehicles and tank wagons. For further information, feel free to email CCNZ Technical Manager alan@civilcontractors.co.nz.

Act gives contractors access to dispute resolution processes Contractors have been asking us about the Construction Contracts Act. It’s not simply compliance for compliance sake – by meeting the requirements of the Act in relation to payment claims, contractors then have full access to the dispute resolution processes contained within the Act. CCNZ have produced a simple guide that explains what needs to be included on a Payment Claim and a spreadsheet tool to help contractors prepare Payment Claims. Both these documents are available on our website www.civilcontractors.co.nz or by phoning us on 088 692 376.

RMA Amendment submission Civil Contractors New Zealand has worked with other industry bodies under the umbrella of the Engineering Leadership Forum (ELF) to submit on the Resources Legislation Amendment Bill.

The group made various recommendations for change to provide more clarity and consistency but generally supported the Bill.

The group raised issues recommending: that liquefaction be specifically included in the definition of natural disasters; further clarity be provided on what is a “significant” risk from a natural hazard; definitions are consistently applied; and, requiring a consent authority to weigh up the costs and benefits of declining a subdivision as part of the decision making process.

Ministry of Education and contractors’ health & safety CCNZ CEO Peter Silcock recently attended a workshop with the Ministry and Education Infrastructure Services and other design and construction industry bodies regarding the new Health & Safety at Work Act. As a result of this meeting it was agreed that CCNZ and MOE should discuss further the issues around contractor engagement, prequalification and procurement documentation.

MOE is a significant client group for our members and we will be focusing our discussion on how we can streamline and improve procurement practices. MOE briefed on the work of the Construction Safety Council and was very interested in the ConstructSafe competency framework and assessment tool.

ADVERTISERS I N D EX AdvanceQuip IBC Allied Petroleum 55 Boss Attachments 3 CablePrice OBC CCNZ 42 Complete Reinforcing 33 Concrete Treatments 11

56 www.contractormag.co.nz

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0800 555 456 I sales@cableprice.co.nz I www.cableprice.co.nz