NEW ZEALAND’S CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
BBA PUMPS STEP UP
in Transmission Gully INSIDE: A story of trust – between two industry veterans Puhoi to Warkworth project – work preparations begin Repairing the Midland Line – bad weather and wasps Old scrapers in action (again) – Auckland Airport 1964
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YOUR GOUGH CAT MACHINE SALES TEAM - BY REGION Northland Jimmy Brewin 021 860 074
East Cape, Hawkes Bay & Wairarapa Heath Stewart 029 247 3929
Auckland North Raymond Beetge 027 559 0820
Kapiti Coast & Wellington Carl Southee 021 981 850
Auckland South Bryce Mason 021 682 403
Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Scott Bonnington 029 200 8382
Waikato James West 029 299 8909
Canterbury Matt Holloway 029 208 0423
Rotorua & Bay of Plenty Shayne Kennedy 029 200 7270
Otago Brent Duncan 029 222 4682
Central North Island Paul Roche 021 954 376
Southland Pete Shaw 021 277 6597
Taranaki & Manawatu Michael Groube 0274 381 850
CONTENTS CONTRACTOR
30
INSIDE: Regulars
Highlights / Features
6 Editorial 8 Upfront 10 Contractors’ Diary 18 On the cover 50 Classic Machines 54 Motoring 56 Innovations 58 Civil Contractors NZ update 58 Advertisers index
Training 40 New procurement qualification 42 Girls with Hi-vis month 43 Apprenticeship skills shortage fix 43 Lack of onsite training
Comment 44 Peter Silcock CCNZ 45 Natalie Amos & Amelia Watson Kensington Swan 46 Tommy Parker NZTA 47 Jason Walker Hays Recruitment, NZ 51 Caroline Boot
Plan A / Clever Buying
14 SaferRoads 2017 conference Coverage of the fifth international SaferRoads Conference held in Auckland last month.
20 Profile: Business on a handshake
George Cunningham remembers Arnold Bayliss.
24 Puhoi earthworks start in three months Progress report on the first stage of the new Puhoi to Warkworth highway.
26 Container crane reshuffle
Ports of Auckland has repositioned two of its smaller cranes in readiness for bigger ships and automation.
28 Saving the Maketu Estuary
Work begins on a major Bay of Plenty wetlands project.
30 Wasps and other challenges
The Midland Line rail project to repair fire damaged bridges and the difficulties that were faced.
ON THE COVER Critical to the success of the $850 million, 27-kilometre, Transmission Gully motorway project, has been the ability to work around the ecologically-sensitive Horokiri and Te Puka streams. See page 18
34 History: Old scrapers in action
More on the making of Auckland International Airport.
36 Technical: Protecting our infrastructure
The latest on the impact of corrosion and how best to get this message across to asset owners.
38 Technical: Safely launching steel
across water
A custom-engineered steel bridge launching nose features a bespoke design controller for safely launching bridge sections over rivers.
24 JULY 2017 5
CONTRACTOR EDITORIAL
Less trusting times Back in the May issue we published a profile on the ‘king of airport building’, Arnold Bayliss who spent six decades doing wonderful work for Downer & Co. Arnold passed away on June 6, and his story in Contractor continues to attract a lot of interest and draw many memories from among our readers. After Arnold’s profile was published I received a call from George Cunningham, another gentleman veteran who recently retired from the extraction industry. George told me an anecdote about crossing paths with Arnold in the early 1970s in Auckland, and we have published his story in this issue. Its theme is ‘trust’. Trust in a day when a man’s word was his word, and his reputation and career depended on it. A day when one degree of separation meant trusting gut instinct and either walking away, or extending a hand and making a deal with a firm handshake, before the paperwork began. Those days are long gone in an industry of litigious procurement contracts and penalty clauses. The industry has changed. New Zealand has changed. To grow, many family-owned civil contracting companies sought foreign investment. The industry needed skills and resources we didn’t have at home and recruited immigrants. Over the past 15 years we have benefited from the skills and talents that have arrived from all over the world. But with those skills came other cultures, other views, other values, and other ways of doing things. Focusing on that changed world in this issue, Caroline Boot from Plan A provides three sobering lessons from the tendering court, after a supplier won a legal challenge to a local authority’s tendering processes. In his comment piece, CCNZ chief Peter Silcock says the industry urgently needs to drop its poor procurement practices that waste resources. “Having contractors bid for work they don’t have a chance of getting, having eight contractors bid on a design and construct contract, or having copious amendments to industry standard documents like NZS 3910 wastes everyone’s time and money,” he says. “Having clearer documents, choosing the right contract form for the job, using standard contracts with the minimum of amendments, reducing the duplication of information required to be submitted and using industry-standard health and safety systems could save millions of dollars for both clients and contractors.” Central and local government especially need to engage more with the contracting industry so they better understand the market you are working in and the best times to undertake the work required, he adds. The legal team at Kensington Swan cautions contractors, in these fast-paced days, to be careful to ensure their compliance with the requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). In their legal comment, they review two recent prosecutions that reinforce the court’s lack of tolerance for offences under the act. In its recruitment comment, Hays points to a lack of onsite training among today’s workforce in general. Despite 78 percent of surveyed employees saying training and development is the second most important factor for them at work, almost half (48 percent) of the country’s mid-level managers say the training and development they now receive has decreased compared to the early years of their career. Lastly, the Transport Agency is up to something and tells you in its usual convoluted way that it is “changing direction” to “deliver new strategic responses”. What this means to anyone building and maintaining the nation’s highways is anyone’s guess. I do wish they would call a spade a spade. Meantime, keep on shifting dirt for a better nation, keep those contracts tight, and if you have a good yarn from the past – let me know. Alan Titchall Editorial Manager 6 www.contractormag.co.nz
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 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. 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
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CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
CCNZ Southland Construction Awards The CCNZ Southland Construction Awards were held on Saturday June 10 at the ILT Ascot Park Hotel, the second year the CCNZ Southland branch has held the awards. This year there were 11 entries over four categories, a good increase on the five entries over three categories from the inaugural awards held last year, with SouthRoads (pictured) winning most of them. Category One: McKeown Group Projects $0 – $100,000. The winner was Te Anau Earthworks – Glow Worm Caves. Category Two: Humes Projects $100,000 – $300,000 was won by
SouthRoads – Waikiwi Tavern. Category Three: Hirepool Projects over $300,000 was won by SouthRoads – The Views Sub Division Queenstown. Category Four: Hirepool People’s Award was won by Shane Brown – SouthRoads. The CCNZ Southland Branch evening would not be the success that it was without sponsors: Hirepool, Humes, McKeown Group, UDC Finance, Mimico, eRoads, Z Energy, Steve Geary Engineering, Bullied Engineering, Commercial Vehicle Centre, Gough Cat, Groveneld, Jesco Hydraulics, Hynds, Southern Aggregates, Oil Intel and CablePrice.
Top apprentice Chris McLean from Just Build It in Dunedin was named the country’s top apprentice. He was one of 15 regional apprentices who gathered in Auckland for the NZCB Apprentice Challenge final back in May. Alongside finalists from across the country, the 27-year-old was judged on his dedication to his apprenticeship, examples of his work and a five-minute presentation to NZCB members at their annual conference. Second place was awarded to Luke Dickinson, 20, from Tauranga and third to Alexander Cholewa, 26, from Wellington. Chris went home with over $3000 worth of prizes including trade quality tools and an Outward Bound Scholarship.
8 www.contractormag.co.nz
Chris McLean from Just Build It in Dunedin was named the country’s top apprentice.
The NZCB Apprentice Challenge final took place at the 19th NZCB Annual Conference at the ANZ Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland, following a series of regional challenges where apprentices from 14 locations built a challenging outdoor table and bench seating.
More cohesive contracting standards please While Civil Contractors New Zealand welcomed the latest budget infrastructure spend, the association warns that local and central government need to step up their future ‘contract’ work. Representing over 600 businesses in civil engineering, construction and general contracting, the CCNZ says a “massive improvement” is needed to make the use of taxpayers’ money on projects more effective. The association’s chief Peter Silcock says: “Current practices mean we are often not able to use the industry resources in the most productive and efficient way. “Central and local government both need to engage more with contractors and to better schedule work within and across agencies to smooth the overall work load. “We see situations where local councils or government agencies tender for three very similar jobs in one region at once, which stretches capacity or results in few tenders, but then six months later there is no work in that region. Companies may have the capability to do the work but not the capability to bid for three jobs at the same time. “We are also still seeing a big rush of work at the end of the financial year, which is not the ideal time to do some work if you want quality results. As a country, we need to get smarter about how the infrastructure work is procured.” Peter advices local and central government to use the appropriate contracting models. “If you put out a design and build job all companies bidding for the work do a design, but only one of the designs is finally used. Sometimes design and build is appropriate – but it can be over used.” He also suggests using standard contracts with a minimum number of special conditions to avoid each contractor needing to get legal advice on each special condition, and standardised health and safety and contractor management systems. “Currently many contractors need to maintain a different system for each different government agency or council they do work for.” The industry also needs greater support from government to produce more people with skills for careers in trades and technical roles, he says. “We need up to 30,000 skilled workers by 2020 to enable the industry to fulfil these new infrastructure requirements. “There’s an opportunity to realign our education system to recognise that not everyone wants to or should go to university. Our industry offers fantastic career paths with really exciting jobs on big projects but these need to be promoted more by government.” One of the centre pieces of Finance Minister Steven Joyce’s Budget is the $11 billion investment in new infrastructure over the next four years including the Auckland city rail link, state highways, water storage and KiwiRail, with $4 billion earmarked for the next financial year. Joyce also says his government intends to leverage its infrastructure investment through the further use of public-private partnerships and joint ventures between central and local government and private investors. Also see Peter Silcock’s comment on page 44.
Wayne Scott
Coming home for MinEx job Kiwi born Wayne Scott, currently Inspector of Mines (Small Mines Strategy) for Queensland’s Department of Natural Resources and Mines, and past president of the Institute of Quarrying Australia, has got the job of CEO of MinEx. “Wayne’s depth of experience in quarrying, coupled with his background in delivering safer quarries and mines in Australia meant he was an outstanding choice to deliver as MinEx’s next CEO,” says MinEx chair Chris Baker. Wayne has worked for many years in Australia and attended QuarryNZ conferences as recently as last year, and also conducted some health and safety training for Institute of Quarrying NZ. He has served in his current job in Queensland for over eight years, on the IOQ Australia board for nine years and as its president in 2012/2013. Wayne takes up his new appointment this month and will work out of the Straterra office in Wellington, when he is not on the road.
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JULY 2017 9
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Dear Ed
Can you identify this tractor? Somewhere back in the 1980s Mike Milne through a friend of his mother was offered a small market garden tractor and not having room at home for it, this tractor ended up at Steamscene Mcleans Island in Christchurch. The tractor came from a market garden on the corner of the Marshlands Road and Lake Terrace Road area of Christchurch, but little is known of its history. When it was found it had been up on blocks since 1959 and it was suggested that it was built after the Second World War at a time when tractors were hard to obtain. The owner believed that it was one of four that were built in Christchurch, but this has never been substantiated. The tractor is built around a 1938 Ford 10 motor and gearbox with a worm drive differential and a Ford 10 rear axle. The radiator cowl is painted with the word ‘Fordtuna’, which was transferred from the original when repainted at the time of an overhaul. The radiator cowl is believed to be a cut down cowl from a Farmall tractor. It is a very well-designed unit and has been well constructed. The rear wheels can be removed and swapped from side to side using spacers so increasing or decreasing the furrow width. The front wheels can also be adjusted by a system of bolts in a sliding steel axle beam member. There is one furrow implement but part of the linkage is missing so this has never been fitted since restoration. The fact that a 1938 Ford 10 motor and gearbox was used, and it was built soon after the end of the war, is interesting as this was a period when it was difficult to obtain new motor vehicles but there would have been military surplus vehicles available and Ford 10 staff cars were used by the army. Any information from readers, however small, would be appreciated. Regards, Colin Barry colin.barry@clear.net.nz.
Auckland branch awards night The third Auckland CCNZ branch awards night proved another night to remember with the champagne and jokes flowing. Among the serious stuff the top category (F) Hynds Construction award was taken out by the Well Connected Alliance for the Waterview Connection, who flooded the stage (pictured). In other Hynds Construction awards: Category A was won by Grouting Services, for Emergency Slip Repair and Ground Stabilisation Works; Category B was won by Grouting Services for the NZ International Convention Centre Ground Anchors; Category C was won by ICB Retaining & Construction for the Kopupaka Reserve – Westgate Timber Crib Pong Structures; Category D was won by Ross Reid Contractors for the Highgate Business Park Stage 1; and Category E by Brian Perry Civil for the Franklin Road Water Supply and Wastewater Upgrade. Winner of the Hynds Women in Contracting award was Rose Addenbrooke, risk and quality manager at Brian Perry Civil. The winners of the AB Equipment People Awards were: Young Contractor of the Year, Tane Mason from Johnstone Construction; Outstanding Individual of the Year, Morris Dent from Ross Reid Contractors; and Young Engineer of the Year, Henry Wakefield from Brian Perry Civil.
CONTRACTORS’ DIARY 2017 Date
Event & Venue
Contact
19-21 Jul
AQA/IoQ Joint Annual Conference, Viaduct Events Centre Auckland
www.aqa.org.nz/annualconference
19-21 Jul
Crane Association Annual Conference, Rotorua
www.cranes.org.nz
22-24 Jul
IPWEA Annual Conference, Dunedin
www.secureregistrations.com/ipweanz2017
23-25 Jul
Local Government New Zealand Annual Conference, SkyCity,, Auckland
www.lgnz.co.nz
2-5 Aug
CCNZ Annual Conference and AGM, Dunedin Events Centre
www.ccnzconference.co.nz
16-19 Aug
NZ Heavy Haulage Association, Napier Conference Centre, Marine Parade
www.hha.org.nz
23-24 Aug
NZ Roadmarkers Conference Distinction Hotel, Hamilton
www.nzrf.co.nz
8-9 Sep
EVWorldNZ. Vodafone Events Centre, Auckland
www.conferenz.co.nz/events/evworld-nz
13-15 Sep
Low Volume Roads Workshop. Trinity Wharf, Tauranga
bit.ly/REAAA_LowVolumeRoads
27-28 Sep
Facilities Integrate 2017, ASB Showgrounds Auckland
www.facilitiesintegrate.nz/
6-8 Nov
NZ Transport Agency & NZIHT 18th Annual Conf. Trinity Wharf, Tauranga
bit.ly/NZIHT_NZTA_Conference2017
Please send any contributions for Contractors’ Diary to kevin@contrafed.co.nz, or phone 09 636 5710
10 www.contractormag.co.nz
UPFRONT CONTRACTOR
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STCF slams Standards NZ The government agency responsible for ensuring the integrity of products, infrastructure and services requires urgent reform, says the Specialist Trade Contractors Federation (STCF), which represents subcontractors. “Standards New Zealand is weak and lacks leadership. Standards NZ is also bowing to Australia over decisions on joint standards,” it says. The STCF says problems have become acute since Standards was incorporated into the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) last year. Association president Graham Burke says Standards NZ is suffering from a lack of leadership and transparency, weak structures and limited accountability. “There appears to be inadequate funding to match the demand of any industry in the construction sector. “Our members have for a long time played an active role in New Zealand Standards committees. The cost for them to be involved in these is significant but there is no or very little cost recovery. “We are genuinely concerned that the standards process is slanted to reflect the interests of those who can meet the funding requirements to meet the costs of Standards NZ. There is also poor communication between Standards NZ, MBIE and the industry stakeholders such as STCF. “Although we support joint standards with Australia, the reality is these standards are now dominated by Australia’s timetable, view and directions. In fact, some standards have even been dropped due to Standards NZ’s refusal to fund the costs despite the industry investing significant time and resources providing technical expertise.”
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JULY 2017 11
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Comparing salaries and working conditions According to the annual Hays Salary Guide, 66 percent of employers will give their staff a pay rise of up to three percent in their next review, with a further 22 percent set to award between three and six percent. However, the survey, which came out last month, also reveals that five percent of employers will not increase salaries at all. The Hays Salary Guide is based on a survey of more than 500 organisations in New Zealand, representing almost 187,000 employees, as well as placements made by the recruiter. It shows that employers have a positive outlook yet remain cautious when it comes to salaries. “Employers tell us they expect business activity to rise and plan to increase permanent and temporary headcount, yet they remain cautious on the salary front,” says Jason Walker, managing director of Hays in New Zealand. “At the same time, candidates are aware of the improved economy and the job opportunities out there and are actively seeking a new role. Add snowballing skill shortages and such sedate salary rises seem at odds with the trends.” Other findings from the Hays Salary Guide include: Business activity increased for 75 percent of employers in the past 12 months, while four in five (81 percent) expect business activity to increase in the year ahead. While 53 percent foresee a strengthening economy in the coming six to 12 months; some 48 percent expect to increase permanent staff levels, far exceeding the nine percent who say they’ll decrease. Also, 20 percent expect to increase their use of temporary and contract staff, with 21 percent now employing temporary and contract staff on a regular ongoing basis and another 46 percent employing them for special projects or workloads. Some 28 percent of employers say staff turnover increased in their organisation over the past year and 80 percent of employers, compared to 74 percent last year, are worried that skill shortages will impact the effective operation of their organisation or department. Only 63 percent of employers say they offer flexible salary packaging. Of these, the most common benefits offered to all employees are private health insurance (offered by 43 percent of employers), parking (39 percent), above mandatory superannuation (31 percent), bonuses (26 percent) and salary sacrifice (20 percent). Over 70 percent of employees have access to flexible work practices, 63 percent receive ongoing learning and development, 44 percent health and wellness programmes, 42 percent career progression opportunities, 35 percent over 20 days’ annual leave and 32 percent financial support for study. “With sedate salary growth ahead, many New Zealand skilled professionals are in for a shock,” says Jason. “For some it will be a good surprise though, since one quarter of employees surveyed don’t expect any salary increase in their next review – far above the five percent of employers who say they will not offer salary increases. “Of those who do anticipate an increase, their expectations are high, and 16 percent expect a six percent increase or more, meaning a significant portion will be disappointed. “This disappointment will no doubt be similar to that experienced by the 14 percent of people who asked for a pay rise last year but were declined. “But a further 18 percent asked for a pay rise and were successful, which perhaps explains why 54 percent say they intend to ask for a pay rise in their next review. A further 22 percent are as yet unsure. “As the old adage says, fortune favours the brave.”
12 www.contractormag.co.nz
UPFRONT CONTRACTOR
Central North Island NEOC
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KADE CROFT, GEOTECHNICS
The Waikato and Bay of Plenty CCNZ branches had their regional National Excavator Operator Competitions over two days last month at the Mystery Creek Fieldays. There were 24 competitors from Waikato and 10 from the Bay of Plenty. Shannan Bell (pictured) was competing for the fourth year as the only female and came 11th in the Waikato competition. She works for Fulton Hogan on the Huntly bypass. The Waikato winner was Mike Bowe, also from Fulton Hogan, with Josh McCarthy from Schick Civil coming second and Trout Harford from Hick Bros Civil coming third. The BOP winner was Craig Crowley from Crowley Excavators. Craig and his son feature in our story on ‘Saving the Maketu Estuary’ on page 28. His son Brandon Crowley (Crowley Excavators) was placed second. Last year it was the reverse, with Brandon beating his Dad at the BOP regionals to compete at this year’s National Competition. Third in the BOP regionals was John Rohloff from Fulton Hogan, who works on the Haurini Link.
JULY 2017 13
CONTRACTOR SaferRoads Conference
A meeting for making global roads safer The fifth international SaferRoads 2017 conference was held in Auckland last month. THE CONFERENCE IS HELD every three years, alternating between the
northern and southern hemispheres. Roading experts and industry practitioners from across the globe met at the event to discuss the latest research and innovations designed to make travel on roads safer around the world. It has been 12 years since Auckland hosted the first conference in 2005, known back then as the Surface Friction Conference. As Mark Owen, the chair of the conference committee, points out: “Our industry has come a long way over this time and the SaferRoads event has become a truly international event, after stemming from an idea between the NZTA (Transit NZ back then) and WDM in England. “The conference began with a focus on improving the skid resistance on roads and runways, and has since grown to be a forum to promote the diverse range of activities associated with road, cycleway and footpath surfaces, and the important role they play in improving safety. “In broadening the scope of this conference, our aim has been to attract a wide range of road owners, practitioners and those associated with maintaining, assessing and operating road networks.” The theme for the Auckland conference was ‘Safe & Sustainable Surfaces’. “While this historically focused on roads, it now includes cycleways and footpaths, as well as those involved in the continued over on page 16
In the driver’s seat is instructor Bruce Marshall.
Fulton Hogan bought a pair of state-of-the-art simulators capable of re-creating a range of conditions including night driving, sudden road obstructions and weather conditions including wind, rain, fog and snow. Bought from Australia and modified with driving software for Kiwi conditions, the simulators are transported around the country so the company’s 3800 Kiwi employees have their on-road skills judged. The
14 www.contractormag.co.nz
company has over 3000 vehicles on our roads, and the innovative driving technology provides drivers with greater experience and awareness in a wide range of weather conditions. The simulators, designed by Simworx, are equipped with a wraparound triple-monitor setup, realistic graphics and provide forcefeedback through the steering wheel. The software can alternate between a car and a truck, and an average session is 1.5 hours long.
SaferRoads Conference CONTRACTOR
The Big Yellow Truck SCRIM stands for Sideways (force) Coefficient Routine Investigation Machine and is a purpose-built truck that surveys the condition of the road surface of our highways. Each September one (worth $1 million) arrives by boat from England and drives the entire 11,000 kilometre highway network, as well as a number of regions’ local roads, before moving to other markets. The data it collects is critical for the NZTA to manage and maintain our highway network, in particular the seal. The main function of the machine is to measure the friction (or the skiddiness) of the road surface for vehicles braking and cornering. The truck, owned by WDM from the UK, is fitted out with a variety of state-of-the-art technology including multi-lasers, GPS, video and friction testing equipment. The one pictured at the conference is one of only two available in the world – and has been developed specifically for New Zealand to provide the quality of measurements required by NZTA at minimum cost. At the end of the summer it returns to the UK for a full calibration.
JULY 2017 15
CONTRACTOR SaferRoads Conference
development of vehicle and road interface,” says Mark. Delineation, vehicles, safe speeds and the role they play in delivering a safe system approach were also key themes at this year’s conference, he adds. “For example, from research into road surfaces we have been able to use materials that improve the skid resistance of the road surface in wet and rainy conditions. As a result, between 2005 and 2016 there was a 36 percent reduction in serious crashes, and a 24 percent reduction in minor crashes on highways when wet in New Zealand.” Through speakers from 12 countries conference sessions looked at motorcycle and cycle safety, shared zones, pedestrian areas, road safety, road surface measurement, monitoring and treatment, road markings, innovation and research advancements and knowledge transfer.
Glen Singleton, operations manager for Approach Signs, and Peter Carson, from 3M New Zealand.
Heinz Broomhall, business development manager for Kiwi company Argyle, which has the Bison (boots and rainwear) and TWZ brands.
Mike Lusby, senior instrumentation engineer at Opus, discussing the company’s survey bike with Oliver Whalley, from the World Bank, New Zealand. The tricked up bike surveys biking paths for roughness and ease among other cyclist-motorist interaction. The data is used to design cycling pathways that are user friendly for the average rider.
David Alexander from Road Science and one of its survey trucks. 16 www.contractormag.co.nz
From left: Alister Harbour, NZ Road Federation; Robert Swears, Opus (the conference sponsor); and Alan Stevens, CCNZ.
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CONTRACTOR ON THE COVER
BBA pumps step up in Transmission Gully Critical to the success of the $850 million, 27-kilometre, Transmission Gully motorway project, has been the ability to work around the ecologically-sensitive Horokiri and Te Puka streams. TO MEET CONSENTS and a ‘Greenroads’ Silver Certification (a
first for a New Zealand motorway) this complex ‘project within a project’ began with steps to protect the native wildlife. This included the temporary relocation of 4500 threatened fish species from the Te Puka stream. The next challenge, before any of the major construction work could begin, was to create water-free work areas where culverts could be installed and placed along the alignment of the existing streambed. Once complete, this will allow the water to flow underneath while the highway earthworks are constructed on top. In places, the finished highway will be 14 metres above the original streambed. Inter-generational, New Zealand company Prime Pump began discussions with the Transmission Gully team in September 2015 when the project was still in the investigative stages, says Prime Pump’s Civil and Mining sales engineer, Glenn Powell. “We worked closely with the project engineers, scoping the project, and looking at the best solutions for their needs and the unique demands of the site.” 18 www.contractormag.co.nz
The pumps ultimately selected were the multi-purpose BBA BA150, 6 inch Autoprime Dewatering and Sewer Bypass Pumps. Manufactured in the Netherlands they are among the highperformance pumps Prime Pump sources from around the globe. Glenn says this approach allows the company to draw on international expertise, without compromising its commitment to meeting local needs. “We select the best there is to do the best job,” he says. In New Zealand, the BA Series is used almost exclusively for civil construction and mining applications. Typically, this includes sewer bypass, creek diversions, wellpointing and major flood control works. Over 100 of these pumps are currently in use around the country. The first 11 pumps for Transmission Gully arrived in July 2016, followed by a further four. Each capable of pumping 475,000 litres an hour, the BA 150s will put in thousands of hours before their job is finished. Currently, work is progressing at the rate of approximately 40-50 metres a day. Around six kilometres of pipe will need to be
“It’s everything a project like this demands. They help keep things going smoothly, making jobs reliant on water-free work areas easier. completed, before the major earthworks can begin. Fully bunded, the pumps are ideal for work around the streams, with no possibility of fuel or oil entering the water flow. They’re also extremely robust. Compact, with solid, welldesigned canopies, the 1600 kilogram pumps can be easily moved by excavators using certified lifting hooks. As every location for a pump may last as little as two days, this design means they can be relocated as the construction schedule dictates. There was also a strong cost-saving aspect to the pump choice, as their efficiency reduces fuel consumption to a minimum, running on significantly less than comparable pumps. Glenn says their all-round performance is unbeatable. “It’s everything a project like this demands. They help keep things going smoothly, making jobs reliant on water-free work areas easier. “This is not the time you want to be worrying about something breaking down. Or not getting the job done.” The BA series pumps have also been selected for the $636 million Hamilton by-pass, currently under construction. Prime Pump also has a smaller 4 inch BA 100 pump in Transmission Gully that is operating on a water filling station trickle-feeding a large pond used for dust suppression and clay compaction.
In addition, Prime Pump built a custom pump specifically for Transmission Gully, which moves water 350 metres (with a 30 metre head) to a dust suppression water storage lake. The lake level is controlled by a remote telemetry system, so it’s constantly at a pre-selected level with the pump switching on and off according to the signals it receives. Because of its relatively remote location, it includes a specialist 1000 litre, fully-bunded diesel tank that keeps refuelling cycles to a minimum and allows the TG project team to focus on bringing the motorway to completion. For Prime Pump, Transmission Gully is its biggest project yet and Glenn Powell, a regular visitor to the site, says it’s satisfying contributing to one of the country’s largest construction projects. “It’s very fulfilling to see the work the pumps are doing. We’re pretty excited about it.”
•
JULY 2017 19
CONTRACTOR PROFILE
Business on a
HANDSHAKE Over four decades ago two industry veterans, one in extraction, the other in civil contracting, crossed paths and sealed a huge deal on a handshake and trust. By ALAN TITCHALL.
Arnold Bayliss (left) and George Cunningham. Earlier days at Puketutu Island Quarry, below.
20 www.contractormag.co.nz
A Roadmakers’ Euclid 16TDT being push loaded by an Allis-Chalmers HD-16 Auckland International Airport. (Photo courtesy of Richard Campbell)
George at Puketutu Island Quarry with the late Murray Cohen.
started work in the quarry industry at Horokiwi Quarry in Wellington in 1952 and has recently retired after over six decades in extraction. When he read the profile on civil contracting veteran Arnold Bayliss (aka Mr Airport) in the May issue he remembered a deal he did with him supplying metal for the Auckland Airport extension contract in 1973. That year Arnold moved to Auckland where Downers was building the Auckland International Airport runway extension. “At that time we had developed the Puketutu Island concrete aggregate production unit after taking over the quarry in 1967. “Our owners, Wilkins & Davies, had built GEORGE
CUNNINGHAM
aggregate for that job and I said, ‘that’s it’. “It was the same price we gave all the extension tenderers, such as Fletchers, Downers, and McConnell Dowell. “Right from day one from when we bought the quarry we decided to call it the Puketutu Island Quarry and not mention the name the Wilkins & Davies on any documentation. “We felt this would have given us a disadvantage because there were people that didn’t like Wilkins & Davies as competitors in the construction industry. “As a supplier we kept our individuality pretty much right through my time at Puketutu Island. “Our resource was a basalt – and a pretty
It is with sadness that we learnt that Arnold Bayliss, the subject of this story, passed away on June 6.
“...a car drove into the quarry and a chap got out and introduced himself as Arnold Bayliss and said he wanted to talk about the supply of aggregates for the airport extension.” the original airport in a joint venture with Taylor Woodrow back in the 1962-1965 era, and were determined to get the tender for the extension. They came to me and said: ‘What price can you supply us aggregate for concrete?’ for the tender. “We ran an independent operation and I decided not to give our owners any concession and I worked out a price for our
competent basalt. We got under way with concrete aggregates supplying ready-mix concrete in Avondale. And that’s where we cut our teeth on producing concrete aggregates and we had been doing that for a couple of years already. “Downers eventually won the contract. So we sat quietly until about three weeks later a car drove into the quarry and a chap got out JULY 2017 21
CONTRACTOR PROFILE
Left: Auckland International Airport official opening in 1966. (Photo courtesy of MOTAT Walsh Memorial Library)
and introduced himself as Arnold Bayliss and said he want to talk about the supply of aggregates for the airport extension. “At that time there were about four other quarries able to supply that product. There was Downers at Wiri under Harry Tapper who was a manager there and Winstones at Lunn Avenue. Stevensons also had a good operation at Mt Smart. “We had a mileage advantage on delivery, so I said, the price I gave you at the time of the tender holds. “He replied that they had decided to accept our price. “I was a bit surprised as they had a quarry just around the corner. Then we did have a distinct advantage over distance and cartage costs. In those days Downers’ supply route from its quarry was back out to the Great South Road and down through old Papatoetoe. “Stevenson’s Mt Smart supply would have had to come through Onehunga and over rickety old Mangere bridge which had weight restrictions on it. Winstone’s were a bit too far away in any case to swing through from Lunn Avenue to be competitive delivering at the airport. We were only about nine kilometres from the point of use. So it was economics that won the day. “Arnold had Downers’ concrete technical manager with him who was going to be in charge of mixing the concrete at the airport through an onsite plan. He had looked at our aggregate and was pretty happy with the product and asked us to be ready to supply in two months. Arnold and I shook hands and they left. “Two months goes and we get an order number in the mail for 22 www.contractormag.co.nz
supply products and we started the job. “Then Wilkins & Davies head office management came over and asked for the contract documents. “I said we don’t have any as I have shaken hands with Arnold about the supply and we’re ready to go. “They chastised me something terrible. They said what if they reneg on the deal? I said that cuts both ways. Downers has to rely upon us and we have to rely upon them. “Anyway, the contract went on and we did the job – probably 230,000 tonnes or yards, whatever the measurement was in those days. We didn’t have a weigh bridge so it was probably yards. “At the end of the job, Arnold drove in a week or so after they’d finished taking delivery of concrete aggregates, shook my hand and said: ‘Thanks very much for your cooperation of support and supply’. “Your May Contractor article also mentioned he worked on the upgrade of the New Plymouth airport. I recall us supplying basecourse from Taumarunui for this project. We produced it from Whanganui river gravels and freighted it to New Plymouth in railway wagons. “I think Arnold was also the client at that time, but I didn’t have any direct dealing with him. “So that was my enduring memory of Arnold Bayliss. “There was no retention money, no arguments over quality and I found that he was a very very nice guy to deal with. In fact, one of the best I’ve dealt with in a supply situation where everyone wants to haggle.”
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CONTRACTOR PROJECT
Puhoi earthworks start in three months Despite a wet couple of months there’s been good progress on the Puhoi to Warkworth Project, the first stage of the new Puhoi to Wellsford highway.
THE NEW 18.5 KILOMETRE State Highway 1 motorway between
Puhoi and Warkworth is underway with construction under a Private Partnership Project (PPP), the second such arrangment after the Transmission Gully motorway project in Wellington. The new $709.5 million motorway will extend the Northern Motorway (SH1) from the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels just south of Puhoi to a point north of Warkworth. Under the PPP contract, the Northern Express Group will finance, design, construct, manage and maintain the motorway for the 25 years that will follow the expected five year build (expected to open by 2022). Full ownership of the highway will remain with the public sector. The Northern Express Group equity partners in the consortium are: Accident Compensation Corporation; Public Infrastructure Partners II LP (managed by Morrison & Co PIP); Acciona Concesiones SL; and Fletcher Building. The group says that by the end of May over 60 percent of the logging works in the forestry area had been completed, as well as 70 percent of the vegetation clearing works, to make way for the project. “We have also undertaken significant fencing work to mark the designation boundary and ensure neighbouring properties can continue farming operations. “Despite a wet couple of months, the team has made good progress with the early works for the project and we’re on target for major earthworks to start in early October.” A number of Site Access Points (SAPs) have also been set up on local roads and State Highway 1. “These SAPs are already in use and more will open as work expands.” The Northern Zone superintendent is Jamie Colquhoun who joined the project after 35 years in the construction industry including the Northern Gateway Toll Road, East Taupo Arterial, Te Rapa Bypass, Tauranga Eastern Link and SH16 Causeway projects. He says the sheer scale of what’s ahead is massive. “We have to move 7,000,000 cubic metres of earthworks – that’s about 450,000 truck loads. We have to build over 100 erosion and sediment control ponds and 41 gully and culvert installations in terrain ranging from flat to very steep.”
Urban and Landscape Design Sector Plans (ULDSPs) Urban and Landscape Design Frameworks (ULDF), the guiding landscape and urban design principles for the project, were developed for the project’s three main sectors – Puhoi; Moir Hill and Hikauae Creek; and Warkworth. Work completed last month (June) includes laying the first major culvert north of Moir Hill Road and the final of the main project office on Wyllie Road. 24 www.contractormag.co.nz
JULY 2017 25
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
CONTAINER CRANE reshuffle A recent project at the Ports of Auckland has seen two of its smaller container cranes relocated from one end of the wharf to the other to ready the port for bigger ships and for automation. By MARY SEARLE BELL.
26 www.contractormag.co.nz
FERGUSSON CONTAINER TERMINAL has five cranes – two older and
smaller positioned at the end of the wharf, and three larger and newer closer in. They are kept busy loading and unloading ships as they call into the city. The three newer cranes can load and unload up to 19 container rows deep, while the two older cranes have a reach of just 16 container rows. As the port is soon expecting larger – wider – ships to start using the port, they wanted to reorder the cranes for maximum ease and efficiency when servicing them. The cranes move on rails along the wharf, and consequently they can only move between each other. Therefore, repositioning them is not a simple task. In late May, the two older and smaller cranes were lifted off their rails so the three newer and larger cranes could be positioned at the northern end of the terminal, where they will be able to load and unload bigger ships. Ports of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson says the port currently has a capacity of 1,000,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) but that is not enough for our population growth. “More people in Auckland means more imports and more shipping. This work is one part of our investment in the automation of our container terminal which will meet that growing demand. This phase of automation gives us enough capacity to handle the freight for an extra million people in Auckland – 30 to 40 years of capacity.” Automation will see the use of Autostrads in the terminal stacks. This allows containers to be stacked one tier higher, meaning more containers on the same footprint. This will increase the capacity of the terminal to around 1.7 million TEUs. Operations engineer John Miller says the repositioning of the container cranes will make it easier for the port to handle bigger ships. “We have a long wharf in Auckland, and as you get further in there’s another wharf alongside which presents a clash for bigger ships,” John explains.
“We want to keep the large vessels at the northern end of the wharf where there’s more room – they’re bigger and harder to position.” The relocation of the smaller cranes was done by the port’s engineering team, along with two specialists from crane manufacturer ZPMC, all without disrupting the port’s operation or without turning away a single customer. Although smaller, the two ZPMC cranes weigh in at 1100 tonnes each and have a span of 30 metres between their legs. The relocation saw the northern-most smaller crane lifted off its rails onto skids and pushed back into the container stack. The remaining four cranes were then driven past before the first crane was pushed back onto the rails and driven 600 metres to the southern end of the wharf. With a top speed of 45 metres a minute, this journey took around 13 minutes. With the first of the smaller cranes shifted, the process was repeated for the second smaller crane. The team did as much as they could during the day for safety reasons, and early evening work was assisted by lights. In all, the relocation took about a week, says John. Two days of prep work were followed by about two-and-a-half days of moving. Weather was also pertinent to the project because, while the cranes can withstand storms when on their rails, when they’re off they can only tolerate light winds of less than 25 knots. Tony acknowledged the highly skilled engineering team that carried out the project. “We run a very busy terminal, so getting this job done quickly and with minimum disruption to shipping was essential. “It’s a bit like doing knee surgery at half-time and then getting your player back on the field for the second half.” Watch a video of the crane move on our webpage: http://bit.ly/ContractorPOALcranes
“More people in Auckland means more imports and more shipping. This work is one part of our investment in the automation of our container terminal which will meet that growing demand,” says Ports of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson.
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www.waikatoaucklandcranes.co.nz JULY 2017 27
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
Above: Craig Crowley and son Brandon at the 2017 National Excavator Operator Competition in Feilding.
Saving the MAKETU ESTUARY ALAN TITCHALL catches up with Crowley Excavators to talk about their work on a major BOP
wetlands project. I MEET CRAIG and his son Brandon Crowley at the National Excavator Operator Competition back in March. Brandon was competing at the nationals after winning the Bay of Plenty regional competition, narrowly beating his father. With his father’s support, Brandon won the Contractor magazine One-day Cup at the nationals. At the time Crowley Excavators was about to start work on the Papahikahawai Island project commissioned by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The project will improve natural water flows through the Papahikahawai Creek into a sea estuary, and create new areas of wetland in the Lower Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve. This project is also a preparatory step toward part of a larger one involving the Kaituna River Re-diversion and Maketu Estuary Enhancement Project, which involves the re-diversion of 20 percent of the Kaituna River flow back into the estuary at Maketu. The total project is a priority for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and involves putting right some of the things that have led to the estuary becoming degraded since 1956, when the Kaituna River was diverted out to sea at Te Tumu. 28 www.contractormag.co.nz
This original work deprived the estuary of nearly three million cubic metres of fresh water per tidal cycle, and led to it half filling with sand. The original diversion also increased the salinity of estuarine water that, in turn, led to wetland disappearance. These things, combined with stopbanks and causeways encroaching into the estuary, have significantly decreased its ecological and cultural value. The wetlands were once valued for growing flax and collecting seafood. Local Maori landowners are involved in the restoration and have removed grazing stock from wetland islands to reduce erosion and nutrient run-off into the estuary. A causeway built in 1963 has also been replaced with a bridge so that the tide can work like it used to and flush 13 hectares of estuary. Bay of Plenty Regional Council is coordinating and funding the work and its Kaituna Catchments manager Pim de Monchy says construction work for the re-diversion is scheduled to start this spring. “In the meantime, as well as removing the causeway between the island and Maketu Spit, we’re replacing the stop banks along Papahikahawai’s southern shore with a more natural contour and replanting it over the next
couple of months. “That means the wetlands can establish more quickly once the re-diversion is in place. “The sand for re-contouring is coming from the nearby Lower Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve where it’s being removed from a pasture area to create yet more wetlands there. “So it’s a win for waterways and wildlife all round.” Baseline monitoring in the upper estuary reinforced the need to improve water quality and wildlife habitat there, he adds. “During recent fish surveys we found only eels and mosquito fish. Other fish species that we would expect to see weren’t there, probably because the water has very low oxygen levels. “It’s great to know there’s already good numbers of eels there and we expect them to thrive with improved flushing in the upper estuary. We also hope to see other species such as inanga, mullet, flounder and kahawai recolonise the area.”
Work so far Altogether, three preparatory projects have been underway since March ahead of the main re-diversion construction works scheduled to start in September. Crowley Excavators has been engaged to create new wetland within the Lower Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve, and in the process extract about 7000 cubic metres of sand for use on the estuarine margin.
The contractor’s work involved creating a haul road for tractor and trailer units across very deep and wet peat close to the Tauranga Eastern Link to access the new wetland area. Crowley then scraped off the topsoil from a one hectare grassed area and ‘bund’ it off from the surrounding wetland, before excavating around one metre depth of medium sand from the area and loading it before water fills in the excavated area. There were several challenges in the work, including gaining access across very weak and wet peaty ground, high ground water levels, the possibility of discovering archaeological or cultural finds of significance, and the push to get work done ahead of the duck shooting season, which started in May. With the duck shooting season just finished, Crowley has returned to the area to re-contour the extraction site with some of the remaining sand and topsoil to optimise its ecological, cultural and recreational value as wetland, and link it hydraulically to the rest of the reserve’s wetlands. The other two preparatory projects include the construction of a wooden bridge suitable for pedestrians and light utility vehicles, and the re-contouring and planting of coastal margins on Papahikahawai Island, which borders the Maketu Estuary, to form a more natural transition between the estuary and some wetland areas that are being retired from grazing by the landowners. We will update this project later in the year.
Above: Kaumatua, contractors and Regional Council staff gathered for a karakia before the projects starts. Opposite page: Digger starts work to extract sand and re-create wetlands at Lower Kaituna Wildlife Management Reserve.
JULY 2017 29
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
WASPS
and other
CHALLENGES The Midland Line dodged a bullet from New Zealand’s biggest-ever earthquake – the South Island Main Trunk didn’t – but copped a beating from other natural hazards. HUGH DE LACY with the story.
30 www.contractormag.co.nz
THERE WAS NO BIRDSONG in what was left of the beech forest after the fire that damaged five KiwiRail bridges on the Midland Line, but the wasps survived in their droves. Indeed, so bad was the plague of wasps during the reconstruction of the bridges between Cass and Springfield in February this year that insect traps had to be sited at either end of each bridge to provide some protection for the workers. Even so, none of them escaped without wasp stings during the six weeks it took to reopen the line across the centre of the South Island after a huge fire destroyed 300 hectares of the surrounding bush. No one knows what started the fire that broke out on February 3 and took three days to put out, but by the time exhausted fire crews had got it under control, it had damaged six of the Midland Line’s bridges.
The biggest problem both for the firefighters and the KiwiRail and contracting staff trying to effect repairs was the difficulty of access. At Springfield the railway line diverges from SH73, heading north and hugging the south bank of the Waimakariri River while the road goes west, and the two don’t meet up again until Cass, 60-odd road kilometres west. That meant firefighters and bridge repairers alike had to get across the Craigieburn State Forest Park and farmland to reach the centre of the blaze and the worst-damaged bridge, Number 25, known as Truscotts Bridge. “A track was there but all the corners had to be widened to get the machinery around,” KiwiRail South Island networks manager Jeanine Benson tells Contractor. “That would get us into Broken River, then to get to Truscotts we had to open up a four kilometre track, and that took seven days.”
The five-span Bridge 25 over Truscotts Stream was the worst damaged, but to get access to it for cranes on rolling stock, Bridge 26 over Rocky Stream had first to be temporarily repaired, having suffered major damage to sleepers, outriggers and footwalks. Truscotts Bridge was built in 1905 and rebuilt in 1963, but the fire left two of the piles on pier one, four on pier two and six on pier three so badly burned that the bridge was actually sagging. The fire had spared the intermediate bridges 21, 23 and 24, and Christchurch company Smith Crane and Construction was engaged to rail in three cranes – a 150, a 90 and a 16-tonner – for the reconstruction. Southern Lakes Scaffold, which has bases in Central Otago and Christchurch, was brought in to handle the scaffolding, while KiwiRail staff were assembled from Tauranga, Invercargill,
Christchurch and Greymouth. The KiwiRail team was led by Aucklander Richard Hattaway as project manager, with the help of Brodie Neville and Phil McVicar. Bridge 27 at Broken River suffered less damage from the fire fanned by fierce nor-west winds, but some sleepers and a windbreak had to be replaced. Bridge 22 was just a low bridge but required the replacement of 30 sleepers. The eastern-most Bridge 19 is a viaduct known as The Staircase, a formidable structure often photographed from the Waimakariri River by jetboat tourists, and major damage occurred there requiring the replacement of a fifth of the sleepers, as well as repairs to windbreaks, footwalks and inspection walkways. To create a site office from which the repairs could be directed, KiwiRail opened up a previously disused signalling shed at
Southern Lakes Scaffold, which has bases in Central Otago and Christchurch, was brought in to handle the scaffolding, while KiwiRail staff were assembled from Tauranga, Invercargill, Christchurch and Greymouth.
JULY 2017 31
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
Springfield, stocked it with desks and computers, and had the local Springfield Cafe supply lunches for staff whose numbers at times exceeded 60. The old depot also became a conference room for the daily safety briefings before everyone moved out to the work-sites. It further served as the place where staff compared waspstings. Despite the traps at either end of the bridges, everyone got stung at some stage, heightening their awareness of the damage German wasps are doing – by gobbling up the honey dew on the beech trees – to the bird population. “The critical path was to get to Bridge 25 and replace the 15 burned piles there, so we could move on to 26 and 27,” Jeanine Benson says. The cranes had to be loaded onto the rail wagons at Bridge 27 near Broken River, which is why Bridge 26 had to be temporarily repaired to give the cranes access to Bridge 25. Getting the cranes onto the rail wagons was a major task in itself, involving hoisting them up onto chocks high enough for the wagons to be rolled in underneath. But for three days staff had to sit twiddling their thumbs while they waited for the Fire Service to bring the blaze under control. Whatever caused the fire – and that’s still under investigation – it could scarcely have come at a more damaging time for KiwiRail. While miraculously the entire Midland Line emerged unscathed from the 7.8 magnitude Kaikoura earthquake in November which closed the Main Trunk between Kaikoura 32 www.contractormag.co.nz
and Picton (it remains closed but could be functional again by Christmas). The fire occurred when a huge slip near Otira on the western side of the Southern Alps had only just been cleared. The slip occurred in January and took a week to clear at a time when coal, milk and the TranzAlpine tourist traffic on the line was at its busiest. To try and salvage some of the damage from the lost tourist trade, KiwiRail meanwhile ran a shortened version of its highly popular tourist trip, going from Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass and back. The line had been open again for just 10 days before the fire closed it for a further six weeks, until March 20, lumping KiwiRail with a massive hit from the lost tourist trade alone, which is worth $15 million annually to the region. Milk and coal had, in the meantime, to be transported by road. Jeanine says the three-day wait to get started proved useful because “a lot of heavy thinking was required on how to tackle the situation”, and the decision to target Bridge 25 first proved the correct one. She declines to reveal how much the fire cost KiwiRail in repairs and lost business, but says the company was grateful to state-owned collier Solid Energy and the Hokitika-based dairy co-operative Westland Milk, which supply the bulk of the freight carried on the Midland Line, for their understanding and patience. Nobody, however, is thanking the wasps for their contribution.
Above: A crane loaded on to a rail wagon for transport to the site. The cranes had to be loaded onto the rail wagons at Bridge 27 near Broken River, which is why Bridge 26 had to be temporarily repaired to give the cranes access to Bridge 25. Far left: Bridge 25 section being prepared for transfer to the site (left).
JULY 2017 33
CONTRACTOR HISTORY
Old scrapers in action IN THE APRIL issue we featured the making of Auckland International Airport, which opened in January 1966. THE AIRPORT WAS FIRST mooted back in 1929 but
it was 1959 before a decision on the Mangere site was made and approved and the Ministry of Works started building the new airport. At the height of construction some 170 bulldozers, scrapers, dump trucks and draglines worked the site from dawn to dusk. Here are a few more photos we didn’t use in the main article published in the May issue. Photos are from the private collection of Richard Campbell. You can read the original article here: bit.ly/AuckAirport
Euclid TS-24, possibly one of Seton Contracting’s, making a cut for fill material
Euclid TS-24 of Evans Road Construction (Hastings) loaded and at speed on the haul road.
34 www.contractormag.co.nz
Terex C-6 dozer and TS-14 scraper of Evans Road Construction (Hastings) gathering fill for the main runway.
NZ Roadmakers’ Euclid 16TDT, the second of the type imported, out on what is to become the main runway.
JULY 2017 35
CONTRACTOR TECHNICAL
Protecting our infrastructure Asset managers and corrosion experts across the country gathered in Auckland recently to share experiences and the latest information on how corrosion impacts assets. THE ONE-DAY ‘CORROSION’ seminar was presented by ACANZ, the
Australasian Corrosion Association’s New Zealand branch, and sponsored by Carboline NZ. A discussion on how to best get this message across to asset owners included the case made by Dr Jonathan Morris of Opus International Consultants, who pointed out that engineers need to use plain English to explain the costs and benefits of having an effective protection plan for assets. One example could be of a galvanized boat trailer to demonstrate the benefits of maintenance washing – citing the increased life of the trailer when it’s regularly and thoroughly washed. Once risks are identified, asset owners need to manage these in a timely way. Liam Coleman of the Auckland Motorway Alliance shared his experiences of managing older bridges in the UK and Ireland and rail links across the world, and how careful monitoring of the asset can manage risk until funds are available to fully repair or replace it. Many participants agreed that a design life of, say, 50 years (as is the case with residential builds including apartments) or 100 years (for major infrastructure) is often expected to perform considerably beyond that. Many road and rail bridges built in the late 19th century are still operational and expected to carry increasingly large loads. One such structure in Auckland is the old Mangere Bridge spanning the upper Manukau Harbour. At the moment, it is used for pedestrian traffic only and serves as a recreational asset 36 www.contractormag.co.nz
linking the Mangere and Onehunga communities. However, the structure is significantly corroded and will continue to deteriorate. A replacement pedestrian bridge is in the consenting process, but could still be up to three years away. The existing bridge therefore needs to safely remain open until that time if possible. The most deteriorated spans have been fenced off, and physical bracing has been installed to manage the risk and increase safety factors. Real time monitoring in the form of 100 sensors is in place, alerting engineers immediately if stresses exceed the agreed stringent levels. With the decrease in “hazardous” anti-fouling coatings, microbial-induced corrosion (MIC) is increasing in ports throughout the world. It’s now also being seen in fresh water, such as in the corroding sheet pile diversion wall in Lake Rotoiti. This wall must divert the inflow from Lake Rotorua into the Kaituna River until 2057, so options delivered to the client included structural strengthening, use of an impermeable polymeric screen, or complete removal and replacement of the wall with vinyl sheet piles. ACANZ president Raed El Sarraf from Opus was able to discuss the various advantages and disadvantages of each system with the client, who could then make an informed decision on the risks of each balanced against its relevant cost and maintenance requirements. Les Boulton, a leading materials and corrosion consultant, believes that the leaky buildings issue will continue for at
least another 20 years, as a result of the design fashion begun approximately 20 years ago of building “Mediterranean-look” housing where claddings were fixed directly to timber framing using metal fixings. No air gaps or damp proof courses meant water was able to reach insulation and interior wall linings, allowing dangerous mould to grow and rot to develop. While such designs met the NZ Building Code and gained certificates of code compliance, the serious corrosion issues they engendered have meant repairing the resultant damage can cost up to twice the original purchase price. Dr Patricia Shaw subsequently spoke of BRANZ’s work in updating the New Zealand Corrosivity Map, which rates exposure risk to structures based on long-term field testing of a range of materials. Early indications suggest that more sites and finer measurements delivered by the current research are changing the risk profile for many geographic areas. BRANZ has also found that many materials display “unusual” corrosion behaviour within geothermal environments. The correct protection methods for the country’s structures are therefore very important. The best protective coating is often more expensive to apply but will also extend the ‘time to first maintenance’ period, and appropriate maintenance after that will ensure the asset’s integrity. Matthew Vercoe of Metal Spray Suppliers explained how a good specification can help contractors apply the coating correctly, as well as help owners to understand the benefits of spending a little more initially. Regular inspection and testing of the protection ensures the underlying material is able to maintain its integrity at least until the end of its design life. Phill Dravitski is qualified to inspect the state of protective coatings in New Zealand and he does a lot of work with Transpower NZ, climbing the transmission towers to physically check their surface coatings. He points out that protective treatments change depending on the site, the previous coating used, how long ago it was applied, and the skill of the
The best protective coating is often more expensive to apply but will also extend the ‘time to first maintenance’ period, and appropriate maintenance after that will ensure the asset’s integrity. coating applicator. It’s important that an independent third party physically inspects all of a tower by climbing and examining it for signs of corrosion as drones will miss too much, in his opinion. And despite a check plan, he finds that personal perception of compliance when re-applying a protective coating isn’t necessarily the same as true compliance. Representing seminar sponsor Carboline, Neil Adamson discussed the effects of concrete degradation and subsequent rebar corrosion, especially as demonstrated in wastewater treatment plants and chemical bunds. Sub-surface defects in concrete finishes can affect the performance of protective coatings, he explained, and with the increase in unvented hydrogen sulphide, MIC levels are also increasing in enclosed systems such as wastewater pipes and tanks. Thirty parts per million (ppm) of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) will cause severe concrete corrosion, and anecdotally this has increased to over 100ppm in some systems internationally. Asset managers cannot vent H 2S from treatment plants today because nearby residents don’t want the smell, consequently trapping more sulphides than ever and placing more demand upon protective coatings. • The ACA is a not-for-profit, membership association which disseminates information on corrosion and its prevention or control by providing training, seminars, conferences, publications and other activities. It welcomes new members and guests keen to learn more about this critical aspect of asset management. For more information see www.corrosion.com.au. JULY 2017 37
CONTRACTOR TECHNICAL
Cantilevered launch structure, above, with control functions, below, governing launching and positioning operations.
The NZ Transport Agency says work on the West Coast’s new Taramakau Bridge project, on State Highway 6 between Greymouth and Kumara Junction, is progressing well.
Safely launching steel across water Downer’s custom-engineered steel bridge launching nose features a bespoke design controller (yellow components in picture), was developed in partnership with Jonel Hydraulics to maximise safety when launching bridge sections over the Ongarue River as part of a major KiwiRail infrastructure project.
THE NEW ONGARUE BRIDGE launch nose controller, was a
feature of a seven-bridge project involving a host of other Enerpac bolting, pumping, heavy lifting and positioning and fine control technologies available throughout Australasia and globally. The KiwiRail project by Downer, completed this year, will permanently improve the country’s main trunk rail network and allow more freight to be carried over strongly refurbished structures to busy destinations including ports and intermodal facilities. “Safety was a keynote of the entire project, extending over nearly five years,” says Jonel business development manager Shane Quigley. “The longitudinally launched Ongarue bridge sections posed unique challenges in this regard, compared with the rest of the bridge launches, which were lateral launches involving shorter distances.” Downer and Jonel worked through a range of pivot positions 38 www.contractormag.co.nz
and leverage points to ensure precision guidance and placement of bridge sections, employing the cantilevered nose incorporated in a bolted steel frame driven by Enerpac Hydraulics. The entire launch, tension, position and lowering systems developed by the partnership were made up of: • Two pairs of RCH-306 30-ton single-acting cylinders locked together base-to-base projecting force outwards within the hinged frame to provide lowering and positioning force. • Two RC-2514 single-acting cylinders locked in the hinge frame to provide lifting and positioning force. • S pecialised hollow single-acting cylinder to tension MacAlloy bars – used to support the cantilever support section of the main bridge structure. • Two pairs of specialised double-acting hollow cylinders used to lower and position each section. • A n Enerpac ZE3410SE hydraulic electric pump, specified to provide best performance for mid-range cylinders and
tools, was used in combination to provide lift and lowering of the launch nose. The ZE pump’s high-strength, moulded electrical box protects electronics, power supplies and LCD readout and stands up to harsh industrial environments such as this. • A n Enerpac PUJ-1201E hydraulic electric pump with twospeed pump operation reduces cycle times and improves productivity and was used in combination with Enerpac lowprofile lock ring cylinders to take up load on cantilevered sections. The low-profile cylinders – part of a range designed to fit compactly into confined spaces – were selected to ensure optimum mechanical load holding safety. Low-pressure double-acting cylinders were used to launch bridge sections longitudinally from the launching bed, with rollers being used in five positions over the launch series. Bridge sections involved in the entire seven-bridge project were assembled using Enerpac professional bolting technology, which demonstrated outstanding safety over more than 250,000 torque cycles requiring high precision and repeatability. An energy-saving new generation Enerpac ZU torque wrench pump, specified for high-cycle maintenance tasks, was used to actuate the S1500 and S3000 wrenches used for the tasks involved. “Operators found our Enerpac auto cycle feature torque pumps indispensable, speeding up the whole job with high flow output and by allowing operators to focus on the final bolt head position,” said Shane. The other bridges in the project besides the Ongarue bridge (at Whiritoa, Taringamotu, Opotiki, Mangakahikatea,
Low-pressure double-acting cylinders were used to launch bridge sections longitudinally from the launching bed, with rollers being used in five positions over the launch series. and Waihuka) – used low-pressure double-acting cylinders to launch sections by sliding them sideways from beams to falsework. Enerpac RC-506 standard cylinders were used in this operation to aid removal of sliding beams and to adjust bridge longitudinal positioning during the sliding and final placement. The safe and reliable workhorse single-acting RC cylinders were also used to lower the bridge onto bearing pads. “Reliability of the equipment was outstanding too. Enerpac all-steel torque wrenches are known for durability and the Enerpac name is a byword for safety and reliability. All the equipment we supplied for the project worked seamlessly, without interruption. We ensured spare components were available if needed, but everything functioned correctly without breakdown. “The investment in planning preparation and precision execution was essential because this is a key public infrastructure building project, with benefits that will extend decades into the future. “Not only were we concerned to ensure that worksite safety was observed in bolting operations on the day, but equally that the finished bolted product was the best of its type, engineered for outstanding future reliability.” • Supplied by Enerpac.
Drinking Water Workshop 19 September 2017 Main Conference & Expo 20–22 September 2017 This year Water New Zealand, in collaboration with the International Water Association, will bring together international experts to talk about key lessons from the recent Havelock North water contamination event. We’ll be hearing about overseas experiences, as well as the history and current state of water safety and sanitation planning here in New Zealand and the new challenges facing drinking water suppliers. This is a special one day workshop ahead of what’s become a must-attend conference event for anyone who’s in the water sector.
REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN WWW.WATERNZCONFERENCE.ORG.NZ JULY 2017 39
CONTRACTOR TRAINING
New procurement qualification a hit with trainees The first two graduates of the new NZQA Procurement Qualification, and their assessor talk to Contractor about their experiences working through the latest tender evaluator qualification.
FOR MARION HENTON of Bay of Plenty Regional Council and
Damien Wood of Whanganui District Council, June marked the end of what they both say was an empowering journey. Course assessor Caroline Boot says the new qualification has taken the NZTA qualification required for qualified evaluators in the roading sector and opened it out to all of infrastructure (and arguably, any tenders in the public sector). “Which makes it incredibly useful across the board,” she says. The assessment process is also more structured and accessible for most candidates, she adds. “It’s based on a combination of observation, discussions, and written evidence of competence in the main tasks that are routine for most procurement professionals. “We have also beefed up the section on procurement planning, as well as understanding and applying government Rules of Sourcing. That’s made the qualification perfectly tailored for government procurement people.” On the assessment work Caroline says she gets every candidate to go to the initial two-day course, which sets them up with core understanding of the majority of the theory and gives her an opportunity to see them in action doing some of the assessment tasks. “Following the course, there are four assignments (plus an additional assignment which is only needed if the first four are not done to Best Practice standards). It’s great that some of the work can be done based on real-life scenarios, if candidates have trouble finding their own suitable workplace example at the right time for assessment. “The assignments cover preparing procurement plans, developing RFT documents, processing and evaluating tenders, and applying ethical standards and government Rules of Sourcing to their activities in their workplaces. “We give the candidates templates to complete the assignments, so the assessment requirements are covered provided they answer all the questions in depth. The authenticity of each candidate’s work is demonstrated in a professional discussion, which provides a nice opportunity to discuss their procurement challenges, share war stories and give feedback.” Caroline says most candidates take around one or two days to complete each assignment, and (depending on their employer) they can expect to spend some time outside work completing those assignments. “It’s possible to complete the qualification in just a couple of months, but most people will take between six to 12 months to complete. That’s a heap better than the old version, which took years for most people.”
The graduates Marion, who works full time, says her new qualification amounts 40 www.contractormag.co.nz
“The initial two-day Clever Buying workshop was condensed and full-on, however, completing the assignments post-workshop was more relaxed.” – Marion Henton
to some of the most useful professional development she has undertaken. “The initial two-day Clever Buying workshop was condensed and full-on, however, completing the assignments postworkshop was more relaxed. “The training was practical and relevant to my role as I regularly run tender processes. I was prepared to do some of the work outside business hours, but it was helpful that I could use my own tenders for my post-workshop qualification assignments.” She adds that the course material systematically stepped her through the stages of procurement from the initial planning, development of tender documentation, to the evaluation processes. “From my perspective, working through the course guidelines/ material I ended up with improved RFT/RFP documents and more streamlined evaluation processes. One aspect of the training I found particularly helpful was having Caroline available to mentor and advise when issues arose.” Damien also works full time for a council and says, “The assessments gave me the opportunity to actively participate in the review of our council’s procurement documentation. All the activities within the assessment were of significant practical benefit – they challenged and extended my traditional way of thinking about procurement. I enjoyed the challenge this presented and implementing the learnings into our organisation.” Asked if the qualification helped with her council’s procurement processes, Marion says the new procurement procedures qualification means tender documentation can be tailored more succinctly, which will make evaluation quicker and easier. “RFT/RFPs will be appropriately matched to the level of complexity, dollar value, risks/opportunities,” she says. “Well-crafted RFTs save everyone time and money and most councils are risk-averse. The training covers ethical and legal scenarios and how to reduce the risk of legal challenges.” When asked the same question, Damien say the tasks he went
through to become qualified, included introducing items and processes of real benefit to both his council and its suppliers. “One of the most beneficial aspects of my learnings has been around consideration of the information request as part of the RFX documents. “In the past, we have often been guilty of asking for unnecessary information that adds no value to the evaluation process. Thanks to the qualification, I am now in a position to challenge this thinking and influence change.” The council recognises the importance of keeping the process as user-friendly and efficient to attract the best suppliers to respond to tenders. “There’s still more work to do, but we have come a long way, and had positive feedback from contractors.” Marion also says her council suppliers, especialy contractors, have also benefited. “The feedback we have had is that our RFT documents are clearer, less hassle to complete and more relevant than the old ones. “Tenderers were able to tell at a glance whether (or not) they have the capability/capacity to supply the goods or services, so that saved time and costs for them too.” Both graduates say the course helped them understand and apply government requirements in procurement. Says Marion: “I wasn’t familiar with the government Rules of Sourcing until I completed the procurement qualification. The resource was there but I wasn’t referring to it. The last assignment (which was introduced for the new qualification, but was not in the old one) really pushed me to think about how our council’s processes should reinforce ethical practice and give effect to the government Rules of Sourcing. “I’d recommend this course/qualification to anyone working in procurement. There’s not many qualifications where you get to directly apply the exercises/assignments to your day-job. This is practical, applicable learning-on-the-job.” Damien says his study forced him to look into the procurement rules in greater depth and has certainly sparked an interest in both local and central government procurement processes. “As a result of looking deeper I have become frustrated with some of the mixed messages presented by central government agencies. “Tender evaluation and transparent scoring of tenders is generally not well done within the industry. “Documenting the process and clearly defining what constitutes a fail are areas where urgent work is required. “Unlike other procurement training courses this one provides
“Unlike other procurement training courses this one provides you with a real qualification that is of benefit to you, your employer, the suppliers and the community.” – Damien Wood
you with a real qualification that is of benefit to you, your employer, the suppliers and the community.” More than 40 candidates are now working through the New Zealand Certificate of Infrastructure Procurement Procedures, and are involved in a wide variety of procurement areas, including water and wastewater, parks facilities, construction projects, facilities maintenance and many other sectors, as well as those from the transport and roading industries. While most candidates are employed within NZTA and Local Authorities, there is rapidly growing interest from other government agencies, including ministries, departments, and district health boards. At least 20 more people are expected to graduate with this new version of the NZQA procurement qualification by the end of this year, say Caroline Boot. “The skills that are trained and assessed through this qualification will have a significant effect on the efficiency of government procurement,” she says. “The qualification will help procurement staff to plan their tenders thoroughly; develop RFT documents that are straightforward to respond to and have clear scoring criteria; follow fair and cost-efficient evaluation processes, and incorporate robust ethical standards and relevant government Rules of Sourcing into their procurement processes. “Best of all, this qualification will help clients and suppliers to engage more efficiently and deliver better value for public money.” • For more information about getting qualified as an NZQA Tender Evaluator, contact caroline.boot@cleverbuying.com or 021 722 005.
Resolving Disputes & Achieving
QUALITY OUTCOMES
When you need specialists in dispute resolution
Kelly Parker BA, LLB - Partner : 09 367 7023 Lisa Douglas LLB - Consultant : 09 303 0100 Level 13, PwC Tower, 188 Quay Street, Auckland heaneypartners.com
JULY 2017 41
CONTRACTOR TRAINING
Women giving it a go and learning about the role of a line mechanic at Mainpower Kaiapoi, Rangiora during last year’s Girls with Hi-Vis month.
Girls with Hi-Vis month Infrastructure industry launches campaign to attract more women to the workforce WOMEN AROUND THE country donned hi-vis attire last month
for a ‘hands on’ taste of working in the infrastructure industry. The annual ‘Girls with Hi-Vis’ initiative led by Connexis sees staff already working in the infrastructure industry inviting sisters, daughters, friends, cousins and wives to work for a day for a ‘hands on experience’ on the job to showcase the many career options. Connexis has partnered with civil, energy, three waters and telecommunications companies throughout the country for a series of open days. The first was held at Vector in Taranaki, which participated for the first time. Connexis interim-chief executive David Worsnop says: “Girls with Hi-Vis is one of Connexis’ key strategies to encourage women to consider a career in the infrastructure industry. While jobs in the electricity supply, telecommunications, civil construction and water industries traditionally employ men, there is also a great opportunity for women to have a rewarding career as well. “While women make up 50 percent of the country’s population, less than four percent of women are trade and technical trainees with Connexis. We’ve identified women as a key potential source to help staff the workforce and industry are working alongside, actively supporting to promote and increase numbers.” David adds that the government’s recent announcement of an $11 billion investment into infrastructure highlights the need for recruiting more quality workers, especially as it’s already short of skilled staff with a prediction of 25,000 more workers required to meet industry demand over the next three years. Connexis sees women as key to filling these roles. “A ‘hands on’ taste of the job is a perfect way to show women exactly what a usual day’s work entails and hopefully it will inspire them to start a new career,” he says. Industry partners for Girls with Hi-Vis 2017 are Visionstream, 42 www.contractormag.co.nz
Auckland; WaterCare, Auckland; Dempsey Wood, Auckland; Counties Power, Manukau; Horizon Energy Group, Whakatane; Mainpower, Rangiora; Meridian, Wellington, Twizel and Manapouri; Genesis Energy, Turangi; and Vector, Taranaki. “It’s great to see all these companies working together to ensure that this campaign is a success. They’re all very keen to recruit quality staff and view women as key to helping fill these roles moving forward and see Girls with Hi-Vis key to helping achieving this,” David says.
Apprenticeship skills shortage fix TWO CAREER PATHWAY programmes in the Waikato District are helping to address the skills shortage in the infrastructure industry following the recent graduation of 21 trainees and apprentices. The Downer Basic Civils Programme, between Downer and Waikato-Tainui, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, has resulted in seven previously unemployed members of the community gaining a qualification and employment. Downer and WDC are partners of the Waikato District Alliance (WDA), a joint venture formed to manage and maintain the roading assets of the district. The Basic Civils Programme aims to attract capable people into the industry and give them career pathways along with industry qualifications. Back in March, Downer also launched an apprentice programme for the Waikato region, linked to NZQA Level 4 qualifications, with 14 apprentices. “In the past, the industry has not had a clearly defined trade like other mainstream trades such as builders, plumbers and electricians,” says WDA manager Doug Carrasco. “Having a qualification attached to what used to be a ‘road worker’, has definitely attracted a high calibre of people, who ordinarily would have not considered applying for entry level jobs in the industry,” says Doug. Through the Downer Basic Civils Programme the trainees have
Downer Basic Civils Programme graduates, from left: Quinn Wilson, Kumeroa White, James Carter celebrate with Waikato District councillor Janet Gibb, WDA manager Doug Carrasco and Waikato District mayor Allan Sanson.
achieved 50 percent of the credits towards their Infrastructure Works Level 2 qualification. They have six months to achieve the rest and after that they can progress to Level 3 or 4 through the apprenticeship programme. “By providing these learning opportunities that are linked with career pathways we are in a position to attract candidates who are keen to succeed,” says Doug. “The calibre of candidates through this intake has been very high. The candidates went through multiple selection processes to get to the point of starting the academic part of the programme.” “Even if these trainees and apprentices do not stay with the Waikato District Alliance for a long period, the industry as a whole will see the benefits in the years to come,” says Doug. The intention is for WDA to run the Downer Basic Civils Programme annually.
Lack of onsite training Almost half (48 percent) of New Zealand’s mid-level managers say the training and development they now receive has decreased compared to the early years of their career. By Hays Recruitment. ACCORDING TO A SURVEY by recruiting experts Hays of 1516
New Zealand and Australian employees and employers, only 18 percent said training and development had increased by the time they reached mid-management level. The final 34 percent said it remained the same. Yet employees say training and development is the second most important factor for them at work (selected by 78 percent), behind only work-life balance (85 percent) and ahead of a manager who cares about their staff (76 percent). Meanwhile on-the-job learning is considered the most important method of upskilling for 85 percent, followed by formal training or courses paid by their employer (41 percent). “It doesn’t matter what size organisation you work for or what industry it operates in, middle managers are the people who will one day shape and drive it, through good and bad times,” says Jason Walker, managing director of Hays in New Zealand. “But with flatter structures and fewer resources, middle managers are increasingly being asked to do more with less. From this perspective, why wouldn’t you offer them ongoing learning and development to help them succeed today and prepare them for their future career step up? “Ideally employers should develop their middle managers’
technical skills, cultivate their knowledge and understanding of the organisation’s goals, foster a belief in what the organisation is trying to achieve and help advance their leadership skills.” This could include: • Opportunities to lead other teams or departments outside your functional skill base for a set period of time; • Joining team or group projects across the organisation; • Being given senior-level projects to manage; • Participating in offsite meetings where you work on the business rather than in the business; • Formal training for a set number of days every year. “By being included in more senior level business discussions and receiving the opportunity to contribute ideas, middle managers can experience rapid on-the-job growth,” says Jason. “Mentoring is also important, as is the continuing development of emotional intelligence and soft skills.” Finally, Jason notes that development won’t happen without intention. “Map your career path and know where you want to be in the next two, five and 10 years. Know what skills you need to reach these goals so that you keep your career development on track.” JULY 2017 43
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Poor procurement holding us back PETER SILCOCK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND
ONE OF THE CENTREPIECES of Finance Minister Steven Joyce’s
Budget was the $11 billion per year investment in new infrastructure over the next four years. Naturally the civil construction industry and Civil Contractors New Zealand has welcomed the government’s additional infrastructure spending commitments. This work added to the local government three waters work and the continued commercial and residential building demand means we are now undertaking the country’s largest ever infrastructure construction programme. It is very good news that the additional investments are being made because New Zealand has a lot of catching up to do after a few decades of under investment in infrastructure. We can now see at least 5 years of solid work ahead of us which means that contractors can confidently invest in plant, equipment and developing their people. Our major challenges we face are developing the industry’s capability and capacity and using the resources we have in an effective and efficient way.
Developing our capability and capacity can only be achieved if contractors invest in people, plant and innovation. The confidence to make that investment is not just related to one job it is about having consistency of work without the peaks and troughs of the past. Developing capability and capacity Developing our capability and capacity can only be achieved if contractors invest in people, plant and innovation. The confidence to make that investment is not just related to one job it is about having consistency of work without the peaks and troughs of the past. Clients need to lead this process by making training, people development and innovation a core part of the non-price attributes in all procurement. As long term asset owners, central and local government have a vested interest in ensuring that there are people to maintain and build their assets in the future.
We need more people. CCNZ has launched the industry’s civil trades programme which for the first time creates a strong career path for the people working on civil sites. Central Government can also help us to recruit more Kiwis by encouraging people to take up trades and technical jobs. Our industry offers fantastic career paths with exciting work on high profile projects. We all need to promote that more. The demand for more people is already exceeding supply. So, the industry also needs to continue to have access to people from off-shore with the right skills, expertise and attitude. This is a critical area of debate as we lead into the election later this year and it can’t be decoupled with the governments bold plans for investment in infrastructure.
Efficient and effective use of resources The second major challenge is around how we can more effectively and efficiently use the resources we have. We need to urgently eliminate poor procurement practices that waste the resources of clients and contractors. Having contractors bid for work they don’t have a chance of getting, having eight contractors bid on a design and construct contract or having copious amendments to industry standard documents like NZS 3910 wastes everyone’s time and money. Having clearer documents, choosing the right contract form for the job, using standard contracts with the minimum of amendments, reducing the duplication of information required to be submitted and using industry standard health and safety systems could save millions of dollars for both clients and contractors. This is all about using the resources we have in a smarter and more efficient way. We need to eliminate project delays and allow contractors more flexibility around start and completion dates so we can optimise the use of resources. Clients need to understand the benefits of doing work at the most appropriate time of year when it minimises rework and maximises quality rather than being driven by arbitrary dates and the financial year end. Central and local government especially need to engage more with the contracting industry so they better understand the market we are working in and the best times to undertake the work they require. With record level of work on the smart use of resources is more important than ever before.
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44 www.contractormag.co.nz
COMMENT CONTRACTOR
The contractor’s RMA toolbox NATALIE AMOS AND AMELIA WATSON, ENVIRONMENT AND PLANNING TEAM, KENSINGTON SWAN
AS THE NEW ZEALAND construction industry continues to boom,
the demand for construction services is also continuing to grow. Various factors, such as the implementation of the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP), the Christchurch rebuild, earthquake strengthening work and strong residential demand are just some of the reasons why industry demand remains high. The AUP alone has the potential to enable an additional 422,000 dwellings in the next 30 years within the Auckland region. In response to this resurgence, the government has developed a forward thinking infrastructure plan which allocates $54.9 billion to infrastructure over the next 10 years 1. In this fast-paced development climate, contractors should be careful to continue to ensure their compliance with the requirements of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). In this article, we review two recent prosecutions which reinforce the court’s lack of tolerance for offences under the RMA. Offences under the RMA are strict liability offences, and it is unnecessary to show that the offence was intended to be committed. Reliance on another party’s word that they have complied with the requirements of the RMA is not enough to prevent prosecution. Under the RMA, a contractor can be found guilty of committing an offence not only if they contravene the RMA, but also if any employee, subcontractor or agent does. As a result, RMA offences can include multiple layers of prosecutions against developers, contractors, subcontractors, engineers and consultants. Company directors can also be prosecuted. A prosecution can result in a significant fine (up to $600,000 per offence), a criminal record and the possibility of imprisonment. As noted by the Environment Court, the ability to impose such a significant fine demonstrates the seriousness of environmental offences 2. Despite the fact that most penalties fall well short of the maximum penalty, the court still must consider the $600,000 starting point for offending 3. Two recent cases emphasise the importance of not placing commercial interests ahead of environmental compliance and the need to appropriately supervise subcontractors. Canterbury Regional Council v Sicon Ferguson Ltd & Tresta Holdings4 Sicon Ferguson was engaged as a contractor for a subdivision and had been on site for three months when a rain event caused a sediment discharge into a nearby stream. Council investigated and issued a warning requiring the immediate improvement of the sediment control pond. Sicon failed to repair the pond until prompted again to do so by a visiting council officer. The subsequent repairs to the pond used poor materials, resulting in the pond failing during a significant rain event, discharging sediment. The court was critical of Sicon’s poor judgment in using substandard materials to undertake the work. This decision significantly elevated the risk of a serious incident and materially contributed to the nature and scale of offending. The direct
correlation between Sicon’s actions and the discharge meant it had to bear greater responsibility for the damages than the developer. Reductions were made for a guilty plea, remorse and accountability post-incident and subsequent mitigation measures to arrive at a penalty of $30,000. The court acknowledged Sicon’s commercial pressures, but stated that companies in similar positions need to strongly resist the temptation to put environmental protection second to commercial interests 5. R v Forest Owner Marketing Services Ltd 6 Forest Owner Marketing Services was contracted to carry out forest harvesting work. A number of subcontractors were engaged, but the defendant remained responsible for the overall project. Despite the fact that the work had been undertaken by a subcontractor, the defendant was found to have acted recklessly when supervising the subcontractors and enforcing the necessary consent conditions and requirements. The court considered that the appropriate starting point was a fine of $50,000, but after making reductions for remorse, a guilty plea and previous good character, the defendant’s fine was $33,250. Your toolbox for managing RMA risk should include: - C heck whether resource consent is required. Ensure consent has been obtained before the activity commences. - U nderstand the conditions that must be complied with and make a plan detailing how compliance will occur. - K eep a set of the resource conditions, corresponding plans, documents and management plans on site at all times. - D on’t make assumptions based on statements made by others on things that have apparently been completed – check for yourself! - U ndertake an assessment of the land prior to construction beginning. Note the proximity of water bodies (lakes, streams, rivers), services (sewage, water, electricity, communications), and any protected environments (vegetation, archaeological buildings, historic sites). -E nsure management plans are closely followed. - F ollow the advice of consultants and experts, even if it results in additional costs or delays. - E nsure there is a good paper trail that documents your environmental compliance. - R emain on top of any issues by using regular checks and monitoring. - A bove all else, stay focused on environmental protection. Do not compromise the environment and your reputation by prioritising commercial pressures above RMA compliance. 1. PWC, Valuing the role of construction in the New Zealand economy: A report to the Construction Strategy Group in association with the Construction Industry Council BRANZ, 30 September 2016 at v. 2. Greater Wellington Regional Council v Mills Albert [2017] NZDC 1888 at [2]. 3. Waikato Regional Council v Hold the Gold Ltd, 19/12/2014 CRN-14019501673. 4. C anterbury Regional Council v Sicon Ferguson Ltd & Tresta Holdings 27/06/2014 CRI-2013-009-10493.
JULY 2017 45
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Great journeys to keep us moving TOMMY PARKER, GROUP MANAGER, HIGHWAYS AND NETWORK OPERATION, NZTA
THE WORLD IS CHANGING faster than ever before and at the NZ
Transport Agency, we’re changing with it. Technology is making rapid changes to the way people connect and the transport choices they have and customers and businesses want faster, easier and more personalised transport services. Our key strategic responses are to create a single land transport system that integrates technology with physical infrastructure, to simplify our customers lives to make it easier for them to do what they need to do and to unlock social and economic opportunities through targeted partnerships. For us, a great journey will be easy, safe and connected. We will be working with our partners to provide one integrated land transport system to keep New Zealand moving. The aim is to get the very best out of the system for customers and citizens. We need to shift from thinking about transport networks in their own right, disconnected from the services they enable, to an integrated transport system where the entire purpose is to serve the needs of customers and communities. In the past, we’ve been very good at understanding, building and delivering physical infrastructure networks. Now we’ve got to focus on creating a transport system where technology and infrastructure are completely connected and everything’s easy. This is a system that supports easy information and transport connections If we are really thinking about an integrated system, we will be thinking about connections and integration between physical and digital networks, vehicles, information and people – and the interactions between them. A system that can understand what people are doing, and respond to their needs fast, and providing a travel experience that flows seamlessly.
Changing direction at the Transport Agency We’re setting ourselves up to be able to deliver our new strategic responses. We have confirmed a new operating model to allow us to work effectively together to deliver our strategy One of our planned improvements is to deliver our services in a way that better meets the needs of stakeholders, partners, communities and customers. This will enable us to make a significant improvement in how we think, plan, design, and deliver transport solutions. I’m proud to have been appointed as general manager of our System Design and Delivery (SD&D) team. This group is charged with providing, improving and maintaining the land transport system to effectively enable transport services. We are focused on a consistent national approach across the transport system as a whole – not just highways – with local teams developing ‘whole of system’ thinking, delivering system solutions, and managing the system. The functions within the team are quite different to what we’ve had before. Our Operational Policy, Planning and Performance team, led by Kevin Reid, is about setting our operational direction, driving innovation, setting technical standards, providing 46 www.contractormag.co.nz
governance and measuring performance. Our System Design team is being led by Brett Gliddon – this team will lead our ‘whole of system’ thinking. This team will play a major part in working with our stakeholders and partners on designing our system – public transport, highways, active modes (such as walking and cycling) and local roads. The Programme Management Office is charged with leading consistency of project delivery across New Zealand – be it projects around New Zealand, or projects within the Transport Agency itself. It’s a team of project management resource which will benchmark nationally. Tony Fisher is leading this team. Our Procurement team is led by Cate Quinn with a focus on building on our current procurement practice. This includes playing a role in the ‘all of government’ space. The team will also continue to innovate in alternative procurement models to drive efficiency and better value for money.
We need to shift from thinking about transport networks in their own right, disconnected from the services they enable, to an integrated transport system where the entire purpose is to serve the needs of customers and communities. Our Delivery team is all about portfolio management – providing more agile resourcing and working more closely with our partners, suppliers and stakeholders. Our System Management team is in place to drive national consistency, comprising local teams to manage the transport system. This team will hold key relationships with councils – managing the system, approving investment, and providing value assurance for maintenance and asset management. This is a very different approach to previously. We’re taking a ‘whole of system’ view, a national approach and an even stronger focus on the customer and community outcomes. While we’re changing – we’re staying very focused on delivery. We don’t anticipate these changes having an impact on our ability to work effectively with you and deliver. In fact, our transformation is about setting ourselves up to be able to work more effectively with our stakeholders and partners. However, over the next while, you may see changes in relationships at some levels as roles shift and refocus. This won’t happen without us having spoken to you first to let you know who you’ll be working with. We will keep you updated with the changes we are making at the Transport Agency. Your ongoing support is essential to deliver on our commitment of great journeys to keep New Zealand moving.
COMMENT CONTRACTOR
Skills in demand but salary increases are sedate JASON WALKER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HAYS NEW ZEALAND CIVIL CONSTRUCTION SKILLS may be in high demand, but don’t
expect generous salary increases as a result. Skilled professionals will receive salary increases of sub-three percent this salary review season. There’s no doubt that civil construction remains an active jobs market, with an improving economy, net migration growth and government infrastructure spending combining to drive up confidence. In findings released in our 2017 Hays Salary Guide, business activity increased over the past 12 months for 75 percent of surveyed employers, while four in five (81 percent) expect business activity to increase in the year ahead. Underpinning this are increased commercial construction and transport projects in Auckland, an active residential sector and anchor projects gaining momentum in Christchurch, earthquake repairs and new highways in Wellington, and infrastructure recovery work in Kaikoura and North Canterbury. The overall greater investment in services as a result of a growing population and net migration is also adding to activity. It should come as no surprise then that hiring intentions are positive; 48 percent of surveyed employers expect to increase permanent staff levels, far exceeding the nine percent who say they’ll decrease. Meanwhile 20 percent expect to increase their use of temporary and contract staff, also exceeding the eight percent who anticipate decreasing in this area. Employers are even creating positions for quality candidates who become available since the forward workload looks promising and they do not want to miss out on strong talent. This trend is particularly noticeable for engineers with New Zealand experience. However, skill shortages are already having an impact on employers’ ability to fill staffing needs. Some 80 percent of surveyed employers, compared to 74 percent last year, said they are worried that skill shortages will impact the effective operation of their organisation in a significant (37 percent) or minor (43 percent) way. In particular demand are quantity surveyors, estimators, land surveyors and geotechnical engineers at the senior CPEng level. So too are candidates with large-scale project and seismic strengthening experience. Civil engineers at all levels with strong technical 3D skills are also in demand. Many consultancies are either top heavy and require staff at this level to complete the modelling and design work, or do not have enough chartered engineers to manage projects, teams and sign off work. Civil engineers are also sought for infrastructure work on water services and road projects. We’re also seeing a supply shortage of civil tradespeople, especially ticketed machine operators (digger/roller/grader) for new subdivision projects and major motorway and road upgrades. Plant and machine operators with a class 2 licence or above are sought too, as are certified and CCC approved drain layers
There’s no doubt that civil construction remains an active jobs market, with an improving economy, net migration growth and government infrastructure spending combining to drive up confidence.
and senior concrete cutters. Finally, the UFB rollout to new subdivisions has increased demand for senior cable joiners. A cautious approach to salaries seems at odd with these trends, and continues employers’ inclination over recent years of smaller salary increases. In fact, most of New Zealand’s civil construction professionals are in for a sedate pay rise of sub-three percent: 66 percent of employers will give their staff a pay rise of up to three percent in their next review while five percent will not increase salaries at all. The exception is in engineering, for structural engineers in particular. For example, our 2017 Hays Salary Guide shows that typical salaries for structural engineers are $65,000$120,000 in Auckland and $60,000-$140,000 in Wellington and Christchurch. Is it any wonder then that staff turnover is starting to become a key focus point as workers actively seek better opportunities? Already 28 percent of employers say staff turnover increased in their organisation over the past year. Of course, main contractors and subcontractors have had to reduce margins to win projects. However civil construction professionals are aware of the improved economy, job opportunities and skill shortages out there and are therefore more willing to ask for a pay rise. Our Salary Guide found that over half (54 percent) intend to ask for a pay rise in their next review. A further 22 percent are as yet unsure. As the old adage says, fortune favours the brave. In such an environment, staff engagement should be a priority and one simple strategy is to recognise staff for a job well done. Forms of recognition vary depending on what works best for each individual organisation and its employees, but the one thing all successful recognition programmes have in common is that they are sincere. It costs nothing to let staff know that their hard work and successes are valued and the two words ‘thank you’ can have a huge impact. • For further information on current recruitment trends, or to discuss your next move or new hire, visit www.hays.net.nz or call your local Hays office. JULY 2017 47
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Lessons from the tendering court CAROLINE BOOT, PLAN A AND CLEVER BUYING
A SUPPLIER HAS WON a legal challenge to a council’s tendering
processes, which is a sobering lesson for local authorities to get their processes and their paperwork right. What happened? A Northland-based civil construction company, the Rintoul Group, was excluded from four cycleway tenders on the basis that it had put false statements in its tender documents. The statements in the Relevant Experience section related to a past contract, which the documents stated was completed in January 2016 for a sum less than the tendered price. When the evaluation of the tenders was almost complete, Rintoul’s tender was emerging as the preferred option, with a combined potential saving over four contracts of $630,000, which outweighed the low scores of their attributes on all four tenders. However, Far North District Council staff members discovered that Practical Completion had not been signed off on a contract nominated within the Relevant Experience section; and there were significant amounts still being claimed for ongoing work, several months after completion had been claimed. The evaluation team had reservations about environmental and traffic management, which added to council’s worries that anti-competitive pricing may have been applied. These potential problems had not been directly addressed in the selection criteria within the RFT document. A meeting was arranged with the contractor in May last year to discuss these concerns, together with fears that Rintoul may not have the resources to complete all four cycleway sections within the required timeframe. At that stage, it was not conclusive that the tenderer would win the contract, while these concerns were still under consideration. However, these issues were over-shadowed by the discovery that information within the tender documents appeared false. Some discussion and checking of internal council records was carried out, then in early July, the tenderer was formally informed that its tender had been excluded. To complicate matters further the council project manager resigned over this period. Months later in the High Court, it emerged that the manager had waived several of the requirements for Practical Completion; had given verbal indications that Practical Completion had been achieved; and had agreed on further variations (and the basis for pricing those) direct with the contractor. However, neither the contractor nor council’s project manager had documented those agreed variations to the contract specifications in the contract file. The High Court judgment was ultimately in the contractor’s favour based on the evidence that these items had, in fact, been agreed between council’s (then) project manager and Rintoul. Therefore, the information provided in the tender response was not false, and the tenderer should not therefore be excluded on that basis.
What can we all learn from this? There are three headline messages that we can learn from the 48 www.contractormag.co.nz
unfortunate experiences of both parties in this case. Grounds for Exclusion: Councils, be very clear what the grounds for exclusion are, and make sure these align with factors that you consider may be game-breakers to the success of the contract. In this case, there were concerns following past experiences of unauthorised variations that escalated costs, however an exclusion criterion relating to this was not clearly articulated in the RFT’s Track Record section. Moreover, there were differences of opinion on what constituted a variation. For example, if a variation is a cost more than (say) 10 percent above the tendered sum, then this should be defined clearly. These factual definitions not only make the cut-offs very clear to tenderers, but they also relieve your tender evaluation team of the onerous and potentially risky task of debating what is acceptable and what’s not, after the evidence is put in front of them. Putting fact-based scoring and nonconformance criteria in the RFT will shorten and simplify the tendering process for both sides, and both sides are more likely to get what they want. Contractors, if there is not a clear definition of what constitutes a ‘fail’ for any attribute (for example, if a so-called ‘pass’ mark of 35 percent is not accompanied by a fact-based description), you should ask for transparency. There is no point investing the time and effort into preparing a tender response if you are going to fail at the first hurdle. You need to know how high the hurdle is before you commit to the race. Councils, if you’re contemplating elimination of a tender, communicate! If exclusion from a contract is under consideration, it’s prudent to meet with the tenderer to discuss the grounds for exclusion. In this case, clarification from the contractor that there had been verbal agreements made with council’s project manager may have saved a great deal of cost for both sides. In another recent conundrum (involving another council), a tender was excluded for not including a Contract Quality Plan. The lowest price tenderer had to be excluded because the RFT made that requirement tightly defined and clearly stated. In that case, had the RFT wording allowed equivalent documents, a face-to-face informal meeting would have clarified that the ‘Inspection and Test Plan (ITP)’ that had been submitted was the same thing. Provided that the ITP covered the required detail, that meeting may have saved the day for the tenderer. It also might have saved the council a considerable sum that it forfeited for not accepting the lowest tender. Contractors, you need an eagle eye to spot anything that could cause your tender to be rejected. If you’re asked for a Contract Quality Plan, make sure that’s what you give them. If you’re asked if there were time extensions or variations, don’t
get caught up in differences between the verbal and the written records. Even if (as in this case) you win in the end, it’s better not to have those battles. Confirm everything that’s agreed in writing. And make sure your tender says the same story. It’ll save everyone (except the lawyers!) a truckload of money and angst. Get your paperwork in order. Councils and contractors, remember that any communication involving variations from the contract specifications ‘must’ be provided in writing. Under NZS 3910, if the engineer gives a verbal instruction but does not back that up with a written order, then the contractor is responsible for putting that instruction, and their intentions to follow it, in writing. Had both parties properly documented their agreed changes, this case would never have been initiated. Contractors, you also need an experienced eagle eye to review your tender to make sure that there can be no grounds for exclusion. It would be a crying shame if your tender was excluded on a technicality, especially when your attributes scored highest and your price was right. It would also be a tragedy if a simple factual error or inconsistency got you kicked out of contention.
A final word Nobody benefits, and nobody really wants to find themselves defending or attacking their clients or their suppliers in court. Yet, it’s a disturbing fact of life that more and more challenges to tendering processes are being launched and are winning – both here and overseas. Some of these result in substantial payments having to be made by agencies to challengers of their
tender processes. More than ever before, buyers need to get their paperwork right. Not cluttered with 67 pages of extra legal conditions that contractors spend a fortune on getting legally checked. Not recycled RFTs that ask the same questions for large and small projects of very different types, no matter what the risks or the drivers for value are. The right paperwork means RFTs that are based on simple, clearly stated criteria that are obviously designed to choose the best supplier for the job. Clear, fact-based scoring systems that give confidence in the integrity of the process and encourage appropriately positioned suppliers to engage. Up-front, wellthought-through definitions of what will make a tender nonconforming, so both tenderers and evaluators have a firm basis on which to decide whether they should engage. Equally, tenderers must make sure their written response is clear, accurate, and aligned to their client’s needs. If there are variations on your past contracts, make sure they’re fully agreed and (importantly) comprehensively documented. A reputation for poor quality or obstruction, coupled with burgeoning costs, may count against you in future. If you’re planning to work together in future, the first step is to build clear understanding and cooperative relationships in your tender processes. That way, we’ll all win. • Clever Buying provides procurement training, advocacy, expert support and NZQA qualification assessment to tender evaluators from councils and government organisations throughout the country. For more information or to comment on this article, please contact Caroline Boot on 021 722 005 or caroline.boot@cleverbuying.com.
NEW ZEALAND APPRENTICESHIPS: DEVELOP THE SKILLED PEOPLE YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS FLEXIBLE WORK-BASED PROGRAMMES LEADING TO CIVIL TRADES CERTIFICATION IN: • • • • •
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NOW OPEN FOR ENROLMENT 0800 486 626 askus@connexis.org.nz www.connexis.org.nz JULY 2017 49
CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES
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Caterpillar towed scraper
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ASSIC
C H I N E S
For over 30 years, Caterpillars towed scrapers were a mainstay of most contractors’ earthmoving fleets. As a oneman tool, they could cut spread and compact without the need for extra equipment. By RICHARD CAMPBELL. During 1944, Caterpillar faced a big challenge. Following a major disagreement with LeTourneau regarding the construction and marketing of his new Tournapull motor scraper, Caterpillar dissolved the supply agreement they had with RG LeTourneau for the manufacture of dozer blades, PCU’s, rippers and towed scrapers. This, of course, left a major hole in the supply chain as more than 60 percent of Caterpillar track type tractors of the period were supplied with LeTourneau attachments. Caterpillar also had a supply agreement with LaPlant-Choate, a pioneer company in the development of hydraulically controlled attachments, but the LeTourneau attachments were preferred because of their simplicity, reliability, and LeTourneau’s larger manufacturing facilities, which were just across the
Illinois River in Peoria. So it was off to the drawing board for Caterpillar engineers. It has to be said that Caterpillar did a remarkably good job of designing and putting their first scraper, the No.70, into production so quickly. It was a very modern and clean design, with no overhead structures to limit loading by shovels if necessary, and with very well thought out cable runs. The rear stub axle could be adjusted for odd or different sizes or brands of tyre and the cutting edge had a bell shape that loaded aggressively, especially in clay. This particular feature was copied from LaPlant-Choate who used a similar cutting edge. The No.70, intended for use behind D7-sized tractors, held 8.7 cubic yards struck and 11 cubic yards heaped and was released for sale in 1946 followed
closely by the similar looking, but larger, No.80 scraper for D8 sized machines, which held 13.5 cubic yards struck and 18 cubic yards heaped. These scrapers were very well received by contractors and sold very well. During 1947, the next scraper off the production line was the No.60. Intended for D6-sized machines, the No.60 was a carbon copy of the previous two scrapers only smaller, and held six cubic yards struck and eight cubic yards heaped. Caterpillar’s scraper sales went through the roof. Spurred on by their success, Caterpillar then turned its design team loose on a scraper for their D4 tractor, the end result being the No.40 which first appeared in 1949. Now the No.40 was quite a departure from the previous three scrapers as it
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1. (Opposite page). Constructing a railway siding for the Santa Fe Railway near Gurnsey, California is a Cat D7 with No.70 scraper. Another of the early Caterpillar scrapers spotting features is evident here – the fully enclosed apron sheave tower. Post-1951 this was changed to an open type. Of particular note in this photo is the oncoming Santa Fe EMD E1 locomotive, a classic if there ever was. (PHOTO: AUTHORS COLLECTION)
2. Down the hill at Moa point, Wellington, comes a Caterpillar D8-14A with No.80 scraper in tow. Yes, it really was that steep, but provided you kept the cutting edge well buried you were OK. Construction of Rongotai Airport, 1955, (PHOTO: RON NASH)
3. Photos of the Caterpillar No.90 scraper are few and far between. This was a very big scraper in its day and is seen here behind a Cat D8. Note the odd tyres on the rear, the outside supported rear axle, lack of the ‘fence’ type spillguard on the ejector and the very small push block which was hard on dozer blades. 4
(PHOTO: AUTHORS COLLECTION)
4. Great study of a Caterpillar D6-9U with early No.60 towed scraper. The entire rig is very new as can be seen, it is hardly dirty. The dozer has a LeTourneau blade frame and Model N PCU. Things of interest are the unidirectional Goodyear diamond tread tyres, lack of the ‘fence’ type spillguard on the ejector (this was added when the entire line was redesigned) and the cantilever back axle without outside supports. (PHOTO: AUTHORS COLLECTION)
JULY 2017 51
CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES
1. F actory photo of a Caterpillar No.40 towed scraper. The No.40 held 3.6 cubic yards struck and 4.5 cubic yards heaped. It received very few modifications during its rather short 10-year production life and it was the only Caterpillar towed scraper of the period to employ hydraulic control.
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2. Caterpillar No.435 towed scraper. The 435 replaced the No.70 and was one of the first of the “low-bowl” design scrapers. It was very popular and remains so today, albeit converted from cable to hydraulic control. Ironically, you will pay more now for one of these veterans in converted form than you would have paid for it new back in the mid 1950s!
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3. Largest of all of the Caterpillar towed scrapers was the No.491. This particular example is a No.491B dating from around 1961. The 491 replaced the No.90 in Cat’s towed scraper range and it held a whopping 35 cubic yards heaped. It could be used behind either the D8 or D9 track type tractors. (PHOTO: AUTHORS COLLECTION)
4. Replacing the No.80 in 1955 was the ‘low-bowl’ No.463. This was the most popular of all Caterpillars towed scrapers and was manufactured in several versions over its production life. A variant solely produced in the UK, the 463G, had a modified wider push block for easier push loading by dozer operators. This particular example is a No.463F from 1963. (PHOTO: AUTHORS COLLECTION)
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featured hydraulic control, which was more suited to the D4, and it had a conventional flat bowl floor and cutting edge. Demand for the No.40 from export customers was so great that Caterpillar set up licence manufacture of the model in several countries. The No.40 was built in France by CorpetLouvet, in South Africa by Wright, in Australia by Steelweld, and in the UK by Birtley. Despite the large number of sales of these first Caterpillar scrapers, there were also a few problems. The bell-shaped cutting edge of the No.60, No.70 and No.80 could not be used for finishing work and a special edge had to be fitted to carry out this task – a time wasting exercise if ever there was. Also, very few people took advantage of the adjustable stub axle feature and overloading also made them break.
It was back to the drawing board for some much needed revisions. First to receive the new modifications was the No.80 which was re-released in 1950 with a flat bowl floor, 3-piece adjustable drop center cutting edge and outside supported rear axles. Capacity of the No.80 was raised to 11.5 cubic yards struck and 15.5 cubic yards heaped. This was followed in 1951 by the revised No.60 and No.70 scrapers who also received larger capacities. An all new scraper was also added to the range for those contractors with a need for real bulk earthmoving, the No.90. This was a really big towed scraper holding 21 cubic yards struck and 27 cubic yards heaped and, unlike the other models in the towed scraper range, was intended from the outset to be push loaded for maximum effectiveness.
Left: For the model collector. In the centre of this 1:25 scale collection are two of the authors First Gear Cat No.491 scrapers. They represent the first production 491’s introduced in 1956 and are exceptionally highly detailed. Worth acquiring if you have the display space. For the interested, from left to right: 2 x Caterpillar DW20E’s, Cat D9E-34A and No.491, Cat D8H-36A and No.491, Cat D8F-14A and No.80 (converted to hydraulic control, and almost out of shot an RD8-5E with LeTourneau LP Carryall. (PHOTO: AUTHORS COLLECTION)
During the mid-1950s, Caterpillar engineers had been carefully studying ideal bowl profiles and configurations for easier, faster loading and had spent considerable time and money on the project, even investing on an in-house soil bin to test prototype models. This resulted in the new ‘Low-Bowl’ range which began to appear in 1955. In order to differentiate between the new low-bowl models and the previous range, a whole new number series was issued to identify them. Thus, the No.70 became the No.435, the No.80 became the No.463 and the No.90 became the No.491. The No.40 was not modified (it didn’t need to be) and the No.60 for whatever reason kept its designation. As was to be expected, the newly designed bowls held more earth so capacities of all the new ‘400 series’ were greater than their predecessors. Various small improvements were made over the years to the 400 series scrapers with new sub-types coming out every couple of years. Towed scrapers began to fall out of favour in the late 1960s. The first to go out of production was the No.40, which was discontinued in 1959. That was followed in 1971 by the No.463 and No.491. The 1972 year saw the disappearance of the No.60 and the last to be dropped was the No.435 in 1973. Fortunately, this is not the end of the Caterpillar towed scraper story. After a period of time, it was gradually realized that the towed scraper was still an extremely viable form of moving earth cheaply. Due to their well thought out and rugged design, surviving examples of old
Caterpillar towed scrapers are sought for conversion to hydraulic operation as they are so adaptable. This will likely see examples serve well into the late 21st century.
What’s the difference? It is easy to tell the difference between an early build and later build Caterpillar towed scraper without having to have a look at the cutting edge (which has probably been modified by this stage anyhow). Older units have a large enclosed apron sheave tower and no outside supports on the rear axle. All of these early scrapers were manufactured in the USA. Production of the post-1950 examples of the No.60, No.70 and No.80 was undertaken by Birtley in the UK and examples exported worldwide. Caterpillar USA absorbed Birtley around 1957 and from then on the UK manufactured examples wore Caterpillar badging. UK built examples of the No.435 and No.463 have completely different rear push blocks to their American cousins for easier push loading.
The New Zealand connection Apart from the No.90 and No.491, every one of the towed Caterpillar scraper range has been imported into New Zealand in quantity. This also includes examples that were manufactured outside of the USA, especially those from Birtley in the UK. There were also a few Wright No.40’s and Steelweld No.40’s imported into this country. Many of these old scrapers are still
earning their keep, almost 70 years later since they left the factory.
For the model collector Well you are in luck here as several Caterpillar towed scraper models have been issued over the years. Some are a bit scarce but most are available if you keep an eye on Ebay. The No.40 – Manufactured to 1:16 scale by Gilson-Reicke, a beautiful model to an odd scale and ridiculously expensive. Buy only if you must. No.60 – Your author is unaware of any scale models representing the No.60. No.70 – There are two models available, both to 1:25 scale. One represents the early unsupported axle No.70 and was offered by Cruver in the 1950s. It is plastic, accurate and fairly basic, but had really good tyres. If you can find one and spend some time detailing it you will be rewarded with a very nice model. The other is a very expensive diecast, and not an entirely accurate version of the later No.70 with outside supported rear axles and was manufactured by Reuhl. Everything works on this model, but dumb prices keep it out of most collections. No.80 – A 1:50 scale model of the later No.80 (with outside supported axles) is manufactured by EMD models. Expect to pay US$295 for one of these. No.90/No.491 – two choices here, a 1:50 scale No.90 from EMD at around US$320 and the magnificent 1:25 scale model of a No.491 from First Gear. The latter is a museum piece offering, fully operational and very accurate indeed. It will set you back around US$500 and is worth every cent. JULY 2017 53
CONTRACTOR MOTORING
Isuzu D-Max
no longer the left-field choice Well almost anyway. This is bare-basics load-hauling at its most budget-conscious, as reflected in the specification list, which is still pretty thorough. By CAMERON OFFICER. I USED TO BEGIN every discussion of Isuzu’s D-Max ute lineup with an almost-apologetic “Oh well, if you don’t want a Toyota or a Ford, then maybe you should look at this instead” disclaimer. I’m feeling that those times are behind us now though, with the recently updated D-Max range proving this ute is no longer simply something hard-wearing for the non-conformist. As the light commercial market approaches the annual discount offer bun fight that is Fieldays, I can’t help but wonder whether nameplates such as Isuzu are poised to step out of the shadow of the big ute brands at the top of the tree. Everyone who wants a Ranger appears to have got one, the Hilux is still on a re-build mission as the new-look version beds-in with buyers, the Mitsubishi Triton feels older with every passing month and precisely no one continues to consider Mazda’s BT-50 (see sidebar). Isuzu on the other hand, has the weaponry with which to gain even further ground. Not that the brand has been hiding its light; D-Max utes have become visibly more abundant lately, scoring plenty of private purchase wins while many of the other brands – Toyota especially – continue to focus on fleet sales. The D-Max remains a good, honest truck, but with plenty of new bits and pieces to up the quality, efficiency and practicality. The upgraded 430Nm turbo diesel under the bonnet is now 54 www.contractormag.co.nz
quieter than ever and gives the D-Max a 3500 kilogram braked tow rating. While perhaps not as smooth as the Ford Ranger/ Mazda BT-50 powerplants, the 3.0-litre four-pot Isuzu is using remains a grunty thing with a turbo that is on-song from 2000 revs per minute. While we’re under the skin, the upgraded D-Max also features improved levels of active and passive safety, bringing it into line with its rivals: Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control, Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution to prevent lockup, a reversing camera, six airbags (in double cab models) and an engine immobiliser are all accounted for. For wellside tray models like our D-Max LS tester, tiedown hooks and a double-walled tub are standard. Loadspace dimensions are pretty standard for a ute of this size too; 1485mm of load length matched with 1530mm total width, or 1105mm between the wheel arches. While we’re at the back of the truck, the D-Max features a redesigned tailgate these days with a distinctive lip along the top (although it’s not as pronounced as the Nissan Navara’s similar back-end silhouette, which is bordering on being spoiler-like). At the front the D-Max boasts a new nose, with a redesigned grille and reshaped headlights with integrated Daytime Running Lights. The cabin is perfectly spacious and comfy, with all the Bluetooth-connectable abilities modern ute owners expect. Touchscreen infotainment and a good stereo (that even features
Isuzu D-Max LS Double Cab Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel Power: 130kW Torque: 430Nm 0-100km/h: N/A Max speed: N/A Payload: 980kg Tow rating: 3500kg (braked) Fuel economy: 7.9-litres/100km C02 emissions: N/A Price: $58,990
roof-mounted ‘Sky Sound’ speakers) are included, as is satellite navigation in the LS grade D-Max. In four-wheel drive versions, Isuzu’s Terrain Command select system is a simple dial-twist away too. Everything is close-at-hand, making for a comfortable on-road experience. In the back of double cab models, the rear doors have been made to open wider. In addition to a 60/40 splitfolding rear bench, the lower squabs of the back-seat fold upwards too, which gives the back area of the D-Max LS double cab more flexibility when carrying stuff you don’t want to simply plonk in the tray. You’re not starved for nooks and crannies to stow phones, wallets and work tools either; Isuzu says there are 10 different positions for all your workday detritus inside the D-Max cab, as well as 12V and USB charge points. Oh, and that rear bench also features tool storage space underneath it too. And to build on the idea that you’re nothing without variety in the light commercial sector, the D-Max continues to be available in a few flavours. In addition to the LS double cab I tested, space cab and single cab versions – in LS, LS-T and LX grades – are available, with the option of either six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearboxes. The notion of a two-wheel drive ute still might sound like an oxymoron to some, but they remain a popular part of the market, especially for urban cowboys who might only take their truck off-road as far as that mountain bike track car park, so both two- and four-wheel drive D-Maxs’ are on offer. Isuzu has produced a comprehensive truck in the D-Max. Of course, it has been a consistently solid ute for several years now. But it’s good to see buyers in the light commercial segment are clicking to this fact in everbigger numbers.
Next Mazda BT-50 to be rebadged Isuzu D-Max IN AN INTERVIEW with an Australian media outlet last month, Yoichi Masuda, president of Isuzu Motors International Operations, confirmed that “Isuzu will do everything” to do with developing the next-generation Mazda BT-50 utility. Masuda stated the joint-venture between the two Japanese manufacturers would be a supply-only agreement, unlike the relationship Mazda has traditionally held with Ford, which involved co-development utilising those two carmakers’ design and engineering resources. “We will provide our own design pick-up to Mazda,” he told media. “That is really as simple as the relationship is [with them].” According to Australian outlet Go Auto, Mazda’s head of R&D, Kiyoshi Fujiwara, stated at last year’s Los Angeles motor show, that the volume of BT-50 utes being sold wasn’t large enough to justify the manufacturer continuing with a stand-alone ute development programme without a joint venture partnership. The next-generation Mazda BT-50, which will be an Isuzu D-Max underneath, is due to appear within the next couple of years.
JULY 2017 55
CONTRACTOR INNOVATIONS
HI to rebrand as Kato
Ditch Witch’s new compact vibratory plow Ditch Witch has released the new compact VP30 vibratory plow for efficiently installing a variety of residential utility products in tight spaces and with minimal surface disruption. From fiber to small irrigation pipe, the unit is said to be the ideal, cost-effective solution for product installation beneath residential properties. The VP30 is powered by a 31-hp (23-kw) Briggs and Stratton engine for optimal performance, making the compact machine the most powerful in its size class. The vibratory plow also features a variable flow control—a first to the underground construction industry. This helps utilize power more effectively for outstanding productivity, allowing operators to precisely control the flow to the shaker box or empowering them to adjust ground drive speed to meet a variety of ground conditions. The VP30 has a maximum 12-in (304.8-mm) plow depth and a 4.1-psi (0.28-bar) ground pressure for minimal lawn disruptions and reduced restoration work. “The increasing demand for residential fiber installation puts pressure on operators to find an effective and efficient machine that keeps costs to a minimum,” says Chris Thompson, Ditch Witch product manager, compact equipment.
Youngman Richardson & Co, the New Zealand distributor for IHI construction equipment, has confirmed that Kato Works has acquired the business interests of IHI Construction Machinery and will in future come under the Kato name worldwide. “The start of a planned phase in of the Kato re-brand in New Zealand will commence immediately and is expected to be fully completed by the middle of 2018,” says Youngman Richardson & Co general manager, Ed Richardson. The IHI brand is highly regarded and sales of IHI products in this country have exceeded all expectations in recent years, he adds. “We expect a seamless transition from IHI to Kato and can assure all our customers that the quality of the product on offer will remain the same. “Furthermore, Youngman Richardson & Co will continue to provide an unprecedented level of after sales support which IHI owners have come to expect from our company. “During the transition period we will be in contact with all our IHI customers to make sure they are fully conversant with the change to Kato.” IHI Construction Machinery was set up in 1952 and over the years the company has manufactured and sold quality mini excavators, cranes, crawler carriers and other construction equipment both in Japan and overseas. Established in 1895 Kato Works is a leading construction machinery company. It is currently in the process of deploying measures to reach the global market, develop highly competitive products and expand its line up.
Work injury management Regular comment contributor Life Care Consultants launched its latest sister company called Life Care Injury Management. Managing director Janet Brothers says Life Care Injury Management has been set up to work with the ACC and workplace regulation reforms over the past 18 months, after seeing a strong market need for better control over he progress of a worker’s recovery. “We are able to ensure we give you an early and robust diagnosis, along with appropriate treatment leading to a faster and more durable return to work,” says Janet. “This reduces downtime, promotes recovery, decreases the burden of ACC, limits unnecessary doctors’ visits and ultimately save you money.” The driving force behind Life Care Injury Management is David
56 www.contractormag.co.nz
McRae who has been in workplace health, safety, injury prevention and injury management practices for a number of years. Janet says the company has also invested in the latest technology and software to allow businesses to remotely track their employees’ injury progress and offer evidence based best practice reporting and advice to ensure a safe and timely return to work. The systems involves: Pre-employment and ACC history checks to aid and ensure informed recruitment processes; access to nationwide database and prompt triage assessments within 48 hours of an injury occurring; and timely reporting of all triage assessments and treatment plan (within 48 hours of triage assessment taking place). More information: 0800 493 559 or via info@lifecare.co.nz.
INNOVATIONS CONTRACTOR
Fuel-electric articulating boom lift Launched in April 2016 the fuel-electric Genie Z-60/37 FE articulating boom lift, suitable for indoor and outdoor use, combines advanced diesel power and fourwheel-drive performance with the energy efficiency and quieter operation of compact, low-weight electric-powered booms. It can travel 25 percent faster than other typical diesel-powered units. “The Genie Z-60/37 FE boom lift is a revolutionary approach to the midsize Z-boom family and it adapts to our customers’ increasing needs for high performance, high efficiency and low emissions,” says sales director for New Zealand distributor, Youngman Richardson & Co, Phil Fairfield. When operating in full-electric mode, the boom lift offers a full day of emission-free performance on a single charge, and in hybrid mode it runs for more than a week on a single tank of diesel. In hybrid mode, an environmentally friendly 24-horsepower diesel powered generator constantly monitors the charge of the 48V DC battery pack, keeping it topped up and then automatically shutting off to minimise fuel consumption. In extreme battery usage conditions or after heavy full-electric operation, the hybrid power system can provide a bulk charge in around four hours. When an operator is climbing hills, or taking on rugged terrain, the hybrid system can provide power directly to the AC motors, combining the power of the diesel-driven generator and the 48V DC battery pack. For more information: Contact Youngman Richardson & Co, 09 443 2436 or for South Island enquiries, 03 341 6923.
Distributor for Shell Lubricants Tyreline Distributors (Tyreline) is partnering with multinational oil company Shell after being named the new New Zealand distributor for its Shell Lubricants. The distribution agreement, which came into effect in April, is a major deal for the family-run business which started its life in a Te Awamutu hay barn. Tyreline Distributors was founded by Grant and Barbara Rushbrooke in 1987 as an agricultural tyre distributor. Today, Tyreline is a full-service tyre importer and wholesaler headquartered in Hamilton, with warehouses in Hamilton, Auckland and Christchurch. Since signing the partnership with Shell, Tyreline has grown its Shell sales force in the field to ensure that customers are serviced throughout the country. Shell Lubricants is present in more than 100 countries around the world and has been the number one lubricants brand globally for the past 10 years. Its portfolio of products is used by customers in consumer motoring, heavy-duty transport, mining, power generation, general engineering and marine. Grant Rushbrooke says: “As a company they understand that long-term success depends on their ability to anticipate the types of energy and fuels people will need in the future while remaining commercially competitive and environmentally relevant.”
Lithium jump starters The cold winter weather is here and that’s when batteries take a hammering, so it’s important to have the right jump starter for the job. A good option is the latest Intelli-start model from Projecta, which has just been introduced to New Zealand. Projecta has ‘amped’ up with the release of an all-new, heavy-duty 1500A, 12V jump starter, featuring even greater starting power and cuttingedge technology. The 1500A jump starter is ideally suited to frequent trade use in busy workshop environments, where it can provide the user with the benefits of unlimited jump starts through revolutionary ‘Rapid Recharge Technology’ (RRT). It’s also ideal for vehicles with diesel engines. “Jump starts are the only option if cold weather has drained the battery of an automatic and you need a lot of cranking power for the bigger batteries fitted to SUVs, utes and trucks,” says Tim Paterson from NARVA New Zealand, which distributes Projecta products here. “The new heavy-duty version of the Projecta Intelli-start jump starters are an ideal back-stop in those situations. And being compact in size, they are very manageable to use.” The new 1500A, 12V unit is equipped with a special Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery allowing full day operation without requiring a re-charge, while offering faster re-charging, high power output and up to eight times the life of an equivalent lead-acid jump starter. The combination of LiFePO4 battery and RRT allows this jump starter to accept charge directly from a vehicle alternator (provided the alternator is fully functioning), with the RRT automatically engaging when sufficient current is present, so it can be recharged on the move. Projecta’s new Intelli-start 1500A jump starter is available from leading automotive outlets throughout New Zealand. JULY 2017 57
CONTRACTOR CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND
CCNZ update Welcome to New CCNZ Contractor Member Galbraith Earthmovers, Hawkes Bay Branch
Ongoing support from Major Associates We would like to acknowledge and express our sincere appreciation for the ongoing support of the following Major Associates who have renewed their CCNZ Major Associate membership status for the 2017/18 year: • Connexis • Teletrac Navman • Firth Certified Concrete • Oil Intel • ERoad • Youngman Richardson
Z’s Core Associate Partnership with CCNZ We would like to acknowledge the ongoing partnership we have with Z, which has just renewed its CCNZ Core Associate membership for the 2017/18 year. Z is focused on developing people, which we appreciate with their sponsorship of the CCNZ/Z People Awards, their fantastic support and commitment to the national and regional excavator operator competitions and their sponsorship of the CCNZ Conference. If you haven’t got your Z fuel card yet, don’t forget Z’s latest competitive rates for CCNZ members: 10 cents per litre off the advertised pump price at Z Service Stations. 20 cents per litre off the national list price at Z Truck Stops. There are no fill limits or restrictions.
Conference focuses on Developing Industry Capability and Capacity CCNZ’s conference this year in Dunedin will be focused on the challenge of developing our capability and capacity to meet the record levels of infrastructure investment planned for the next 5 years. CEO Peter Silcock says the industry is facing a huge challenge to attract people and upskill them to meet the market demands. The conference will be a great opportunity to share ideas and learn what the industry and individual companies can do to meet this challenge. Confernce runs form the evening of 2 August until 4 August. To register visit www.ccnzconference.co.nz
Civil leads ConstructSafe Testing With the NZTA deadline of 1 July 2017 for everyone working for them
on their network to have Tier 1 ConstructSafe the number of people taking the competency test has sky-rocketed. As of mid June over 18,000 people have been tested. Over 15,000 of those tested have identified themselves as being involved in road, civil construction and utilities work. The pass rate is sitting at about 75% of those taking the test.
The Budget 2017 CCNZ put out a media release which welcomed the spend on infrastructure but said that with the increase in work both central and local government needed to get smarter about how the infrastructure work is procured. See Peter Silcock’s column in this issue of Contractor. The Government’s total investment in new infrastructure over the next four years is $32.5 billion. This includes $9.2 billion in new State Highways and $2.7 billion in housing, including the Auckland Housing Programme. The Budget 2017 includes $4 billion on infrastructure: • $812m rebuild of State Highway One north and south of Kaikoura • $448m for rail infrastructure and rolling stock for KiwiRail’s rail network around NZ • $436m for the first stage of Auckland’s City Rail link • $98m for upgrades to Wellington’s commuter rail network • $392m additional investment in schools and various expansions/ upgrades • $150m in additional capital for hospitals • $576m for the Defence Force’s new capability and modernisation of defence bases • $763m for new prison capacity • $100m to expand the Government’s programme to release Crown land for housing development around the country • $63m for investing in new water storage infrastructure in regional New Zealand • $61m for tourism infrastructure.
CCNZ advocating on Voidable Transactions Law The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hon Jacqui Dean, has announced six weeks of consultation on a range of corporate law issues including: voidable transactions; aspects of the preferential claims regime; and, various other corporate insolvency law issues. The proposed law changes are very important to contractors as they deal with the ability of liquidators to claw back payments already made to contractors. CCNZ will be making a submission on the Consultation Document and strongly representing contractors interests.
A DV E RTI S ERS IND EX Allied Petroleum
35
Heaney & Partners
Auckland Cranes
27
Hirepool 17
Super Tyre Warehouse
11
44, IBC
Hynds 33
Synergy Positioning
8
Connexis 49
Industrial Seat Belts
15
Water New Zealand
39
Ditch Witch
7
Oil Intel
23
Youngman Richardson
Gough Cat
4
Prime Pump
CCNZ
58 www.contractormag.co.nz
41
OFC, 2, 3, 18, 19
Robur Attachments
OBC
9
BRINGS YOU
RIPPER SERIES Vibro technology attachments
75% of sites using a Maxbrio Vibrating Ripper achieve 2-5 times higher productivity. • • • • •
The Vibrating ripper is 50% quieter than standard rock-breakers or hammers In most applications, the vibrating ripper will more than double productivity compared to a rock-breaker/hammer Because of the rotary motion operating costs and R&M are reduced. Under water applications. The Maxibrio ripper is able to work fully submerged. Protection of carrier excavator. The unique shock absorber systems eliminate shock being transferred to the carrier machine • Constant run. Eliminate damage from blank firing, with the rotary motion the Maxibrio Vibro ripper can run continually. • Save on blasting and explosive costs. The Maxbrio ripper can easily rip material up to a hardness of 70 mpa • High frequency vibration of 2500vpm for maximum performance
Enquire today to discover how the Maxbrio Vibrating ripper can transform your operation.
Book a demonstration or hire a unit to experience for yourself. Exclusive Maxbrio Agent for New Zealand and the Pacific
SIMPLY TOUGHER robur.co.nz
0800 407 500