NEW ZEALAND’S CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2014 $8.95
K-SERIES WHEEL LOADERS
unsurpassed performance from the US INSIDE: HYNDS a pipe dream that came true Heavy Haulage conference highlights On yer bike – councils go mad with cycleways Benmore – a milestone in our concrete history NOVEMBER 2014 1
PRODUCTIVITY | UPTIME | LOW DAILY OPERATING COST
THE FULL K-SERIES LINEUP Conquer your workload with the K-series from John Deere - the most advanced wheel loader on the market. The K-series features advantages such as solid state electronics, highly efficient Quad-CoolTM cooling, and advanced diagnostic monitors. You’ll also benefit from traditional John Deere durability features such as heavy-duty wet sleeve engines, self adjusting wet-disc brakes, four-plate loader frames, and articulation joints with double tapered roller bearings. Plus boom and mainframes so tough you won’t believe the warranty. It all ads up to an increase in your productivity and uptime - and a lowering of your daily operating costs. Nothing runs like a Deere To find out how we can configure a John Deere wheel loader to fit your requirements, contact your CablePrice sales representative or visit www.cableprice.co.nz.
081014_JD_K-Series_DPS
QUARRY
INDUSTRIAL
NOTHING RUNS LIKE A DEERE
524K I 544K I 624K I 644K I 724K I 744K I 824K I 844K
LOGGING
CONSTRUCTION
0800 555 456 I www.cableprice.co.nz I sales@cableprice.co.nz
CONTRACTOR CONTENTS
28
INSIDE: Regulars
Highlights / Features
4 Editorial 6 Upfront 18 On the Cover 64 Classic Machines 68 Motoring 70 Innovations 71 Contractors’ Diary 72 Advertisers Index
24 Heavy Haulage Association Conference
Profiles
42
20 Hynds Group The pipe dream that came true
Comment 60 Jeremy Sole Civil Contractors New Zealand 61 Jonathan Bhana-Thomson
Highlights from the 2014 conference held in Rotorua.
28 Core benefits – Ashley River Bridge A new Canterbury bridge features what are thought to be the longest hollow-core beams in the country.
36 On yer bike A recently opened cycle link in Auckland city is innovative, smart and already a hit with the local biking community.
Historic – Benmore Power Station
ON THE COVER
An electrifying leap of faith.
48 Watch it around those lines Auckland’s new electric rail infrastructure brings a more efficient service to commuters.
The John Deere 744K Wheel Loader is a serious contender in the construction and quarry markets. See page 18
52 Concrete Association Awards Presented recently at the association’s conference held at the Wairakei Resort.
NZ Heavy Haulage
58 Janet Brothers Life Care Consultants
56 Health & Safety Towards a drug-free workplace.
58 Andrea Dickens Fairway Resolution
Training / employment 32 Learning the basics Contractor magazine revisits a polytechnic dedicated to training those looking for work in civil construction.
58 A woman’s aptitude for altitude At 21 years of age, Johanna Hoffmann is thought to be the youngest female portainer crane operator in the world.
2 NOVEMBER 2014
20
36
42
CONTRACTOR EDITORIAL
Cementing Relationships The Contractor magazine team has been making a concerted effort lately to unchain ourselves from our desks and get out to meet more people. And it’s heartening to realise the level of support we have from our regular readers and advertisers. You may have noticed that the past few issues have been larger than what has been standard over the past couple of years: and that’s a direct result of increased advertising support. As the economy does well, businesses benefit, and successful businesses support their sector media – which allows us to bring a greater variety of content to your door each month. So a welcome, and thank you, to our new advertising partners; and a heartfelt thank you to our many long-standing advertisers, without whom we’d not survive. It tells us that, while you probably don’t agree with everything (anything?) we say, there must be a general confidence that the right message is reaching the right people. And lately we’ve been experimenting with expanding the delivery channels. As many of you will be aware, Contrafed’s online presence has been what could only politely be called “missing”. Our website has been woefully out of date, and social media connections nonexistent. However in a quiet way we’ve been changing some of that; new websites are being designed, we’ve dipped our collective toes into the pool of social media (and it’s turned out to not be quicksand as at first feared), and we’ve plans afoot to broaden further the avenues through which we can communicate with our diverse readership. For example did you realise that you can now read the full magazine online – including on mobile (iOS only at this stage) – via the Issuu.com website? More and more people are finding us this way. And via Twitter. We probably won’t break any records – our fledgling Twitter account looks positively anorexic compared to Katy Perry’s 58.6 million followers. But for a novice Twitter user, it’s a revelation how networks of networks can exponentially carry a message – albeit of only 140 characters. It’s a start: and please feel free to check out our occasional posts. So face to face at conferences events and site visits, via the very pages of this magazine or through our expanding online experiments which will come together over the next few months, we look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and sharing your stories. And the cementing part of the headline above? Sorry – that’s just a bad pun. But you can see the winners of the Ready Mixed Concrete Association awards on page 52, and on page 42 we take a look back at the innovation that was the pre-stressed concrete penstocks used to build the Lake Benmore power station between 1958 and 1965. Kiwi ingenuity or a “radical, blind leap of faith”? Kevin Lawrence, Editor
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 GENERAL MANAGER & EDITOR Kevin Lawrence DDI: 09 636 5710 Mobile: 021 512 800 Email: kevin@contrafed.co.nz EDITORIAL MANAGER Alan Titchall DDI: 09 636 5712 Mobile: 027 405 0338 Email: alan@contrafed.co.nz REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Richard Campbell, Tom Clarke, Hugh de Lacy, Peter Gill, Gavin Riley, Lawrence Schaffler, Richard Silcock, Jeremy Sole. ADVERTISING / SALES Charles Fairbairn DDI: 09 636 5724 Mobile: 021 411890 Email: charles@contrafed.co.nz ADMIN / SUBSCRIPTIONS DDI: 09 636 5715 Email: admin@contrafed.co.nz PRODUCTION Design: TMA Design, 09 636 5713 Printing: Client Focused Solutions Ltd 027 255 1818
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/contrafedpublishing @NZContractormag
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
4 NOVEMBER 2014
ISSN 0110-1382
CLAMP BUCKET NEW & IMPROVED!
Suitable for machines 1-40 tonnes Larger Hydraulic Cylinder - for increased clamping force Induction Hardened Cylinder Shaft - reduces wear and impact damage Induction Hardened Pins - for increased durability
BIG TOUGH
Hardox Wear Strips - for superior longevity
24 MONTH WARRANTY
Greasable pins - for ease of maintenance
BIG,TOUGH 24 MONTH WARRANTY
a S r e m o st u C % 0 10 24 BIG
etails
site for d
our web
MONTH
OUG OUR FULL RANGE OF ROBUR ATTACHMENTS G TVIEW ITO OR FOR MORE INFO VISIT www.aceequipment.co.nz
H
B
ondit *Some c
ly, see ions app
TOUGH
a u G n o i t i s fa c t
* d ra n t e e
24Order MONTH today WA
Y T N R RA 0800 407
500
sales@aceequipment.co.nz
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
You little GEMs The Transport Agency’s GEM Awards are a way of recognising contractors and service providers who go the extra mile for customers. Tommy Parker, NZTA group manager, says; “Through these awards we acknowledge this commitment to our priorities and the quality of industry standards. We want our customers to see and experience our combined professionalism, passion and integrity.” The final award winners this year are: • Supreme Award: Darren Varcoe Fulton Hogan • Customer Care Culture: Fulton Hogan • Customer Champion: Team award – Opus International & Sicon Ferguson • Teaming Up: HEB/Opus JV • Keeping Customers Moving: Fulton Hogan • Connecting with the Community: Memorial Park Alliance • Health and Safety: Causeway Alliance
Above: Darren Varcoe from Fulton Hogan, is presented the Supreme Award by Jenny Chetwynd and Tommy Parker. Top: GEM finalists
The judges say the Supreme award winner, Fulton Hogan manager Darren Varcoe, was a true customer champion who took control and showed exceptional leadership and composure at the scene of a fatal accident. He tended to the injured, managed the traffic and the incident response.
Downer secures Tararua contract / Higgins picks up Infracon Downer NZ signed a $16 million alliance contract with the Tararua District Council in September that will see it and the Council working together to deliver maintenance of the roading network and stormwater system in the district. Under the arrangement, Downer will manage the maintenance of road assets within the 4360 square kilometre area administered by the Council, which extends from Eketahuna in the south to Dannevirke in the north, and from the Tararua and Ruahine Ranges to the east coast. This encompasses 1175km of sealed road, 782km of unsealed road, 398 bridges, 9106 road signs, 112km of footpaths, 130 large culverts and 20km of reticulation pipes. The contract started October 1 and previously this work was carried out by Infracon whose shareholders, the Tararua and Central Hawke’s Bay District Councils, placed the company into liquidation back in August with all 98 staff made redundant, and owing $3.6 million to unsecured creditors. Tararua District Council CEO, Blair King, says that as part of the new five-year contract with Downers staff who had been made 6 NOVEMBER 2014
redundant, as a result of the collapse of Infracon, along with other local people, be given the opportunity to apply for work with Downers. However, in a surprise announcement last month by Infracon’s liquidators PWC, Higgins Aggregates entered into a conditional purchase agreement to acquire the collapsed contracting company. Higgins is expected the purchase will be completed by the end of this month (November) and will include all of Infracons assets, but not the transfer of employee entitlements, many of whom are entitled to claim under the terms of their contracts for unpaid wages, holiday pay and redundancy, some of which are understood to be in excess of $20,000. At the time of going to print, Central Amalgamation Workers’ Union representative Mark Anderson said Higgins had indicated that it was is keen to talk with past employees of Infracon to discuss opportunities with the company. Higgins Aggregates, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Higgins Group, was unavailable for comment on their plans for the acquisition. Reporting by Richard Silcock.
UPFRONT CONTRACTOR
Remembrance tunnel opens The Memorial Park Alliance of government, construction and design companies (Transport Agency, Downer NZ, HEB Construction, Tonkin & Taylor and URS) opened Wellington’s Arras Tunnel one month ahead of schedule on September 29. The public was invited to a preview before it was opened and thousands turned up to walk the stretch connecting the Basin Reserve to Taranaki Street. The tunnel is named after a French town where 500 Kiwis dug extensive tunnels during WW1. They were the first Kiwi soldiers at the Western Front, the last to leave the Western Front, and sustained the first Kiwi death in that theatre of war.
KIWI OWNED, MADE & SPECIFIED
MANUFACTURING & SUPPLYING NEW ZEALAND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OVER 40 YEARS
0800 WE PIPE (93 7473)
www.hynds.co.nz
NATIONWIDE NETWORK
SCAN QR CODE FOR LOCATIONS »
NOVEMBER 2014 7
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
One big concrete party The largest concrete pour at Lyttelton Port since the early 1990s was completed last month at Cashin Quay 2 wharf. The pour involved 375 cubic metres of concrete by 75 trucks to form the first 11 metres of the new wharf deck at the Container Terminal. The concrete area is one metre thick and 34 metres wide and took 28 days to fully cure.
Direct fuel invoicing into Xero Z Energy has teamed up with Xero to give its card customers the ability to have a copy of their invoice data fed automatically into the Xero accounting programme, saving thousands of small businesses time manually entering transactions. Xero’s NZ managing director Victoria Crone says, through its open API, the company was creating new opportunities and saving Kiwi small businesses their most valuable asset – time. “There is great potential for businesses, like Z, to interact with our more than 100,000 New Zealand customers.”
8 NOVEMBER 2014
Cashin Quay 2 wharf will be delivered in stages with the aim of completing the first 57-metre section by mid next month, to increase the berthing facilities. When finished in the last quarter of 2015 it will be 230 metres long, will have involved 255 piles driven to a depth of 60 metres into the harbour bed, and taken one and half days to drive each pile to that depth.
Industry salaries lag behind The 2014 Hays Construction/NZIOB Salary Guide reveals that 80 percent of employers say construction business activity has increased over the past year, yet salaries remain steady for most roles. The guide lists typical salaries for construction professionals in 12 locations across the country and compares salaries by project size, construction type and annual turnover. The guide also found that almost 90 percent of construction employers expect the general economic outlook to strengthen over the coming six to 12 months; workers typically work 40 to 49-hour weeks; over 80 percent of management staff are men; 85 percent of organisations use contract staff for labour positions (and most say their use of contract staff will increase over the next 12 months); and almost 40 percent of staff remain with an organisation for three to five years, while 31 percent stay for five to 10 years. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of the employers surveyed report difficulty recruiting quantity surveyors, making them the most difficult professionals to recruit. This is closely followed by estimators (76 percent), project managers (75 percent), senior managers (72 percent), forepersons (64 percent) and site managers (58 percent). At the other end of the scale, architects are the easiest to recruit, followed by cadets/entry-level workers, leading hands and engineers. More information: hays.net.nz.
VACUUM EXCAVATORS POWERFUL, VERSATILE AND PURPOSE BUILT Designed to take care of all types of spills and unwanted fluids Ditch Witch vacuum excavation systems are the most productive and versatile on the market. Available in a variety of sizes and configurations, Ditch Witch Vac’s offer exceptional quality, suction power and water pressure to help you tackle virtually every possible clean-up or soft excavation task. Potholing, valve box cleanup, trench excavation, service location, posthole digging and a wide range of projects for civil crews, rental yards and drillers, to general contractor’s. With individual components, assembly onto a truck of your choice is very easy.
WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER.
Contact Ditch Witch New Zealand now on 0800 DWNZLTD l www.ditchwitchnz.com
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
NZTA news and concerns The Transport Agency is appealing the EPA decision to reject the proposed Basin flyover project in Wellington. The agency says its actions will test the decision and legislation and provide clarity on what it means for future projects as much as it is to get the flyover built. They have 40 points to contest in three areas, including the fact the EPA decision was made on the basis of the area’s heritage classification – which is unclear. The agency is also challenging the assertion that it favoured a particular option above all others in producing more detailed work on the flyover option than others. Meantime, now the elections are behind us, a final decision on the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS 2015), which sets out the priorities, objectives and funding levels for land transport, and sets up funding ranges for land transport activity (around $2.1 billion), is expected. The NZTA hasn’t finalised the procurement model yet for the Puhoi to Wellsford road project, but it’s likely to be a PPP. Maintenance budgets are flat lined, but this is nothing new. The agency has signaled that it has concerns over the quality of pavements and whether it is getting the quality it expects in some areas. The agency is expected to make an announcement over an additional Auckland Harbour crossing and says its Network Outcomes Contracts (NOC) programme is on track, and monitoring is starting to show useful trends. One of these is competition, it says, with three bids being submitted in some areas which have previously seen one or two. The agency says its NOC Industry Advisory Group (IAG) is, “working well and discussion is productive, frank, robust and the group has a lot of good will between members”. Meantime, the West Coast has been reintegrated into one contract rather than two and other NOC models may be modified for ‘interesting areas’ such as Gisborne (Te Rawhiti Roads), Northland and East Waikato. The agency also says it is concerned over all the NOC contracts maturing at the same time, so has truncated three contracts: Coastal Otago, Nelson, and Gisborne. It is also keeping a close eye on consistency of pricing and transparency. New clauses in NZTA tender docs focus on collusion and feature a declaration of no collusion. The agency’s probity auditors now have collusion in their brief.
Big toys for little kids HEB Construction and NZ Transport Agency staff pitched in with road awareness lessons during a visit to Nga Whare Maha Te Kōhanga Reo (a community-based Maori education early childhood school for children under six) in Rosedale, Auckland.
THE CIVIL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAS A NEW LOOK
+ www.civilcontractors.co.nz 10 NOVEMBER 2014
= Phone 0800 692 376
NZTA decision on 48 tonne area-wide permits Harry Wilson, the Transport Agency’s Freight Portfolio director has clarified the agency’s position on ‘48 tonne area-wide permits’ after a number of operators raised the possibility of a 48-tonne version of 50MAX using the large number of eight axle combinations already in the national fleet. He says the agency will be making area-wide 48T permits available and, instead, freight operators can continue to apply for 48-tonne HPMV route-specific permits where the infrastructure is suitable to allow access to heavier vehicles. “We have received great feedback from the freight industry about the work we are doing to remove the road blocks to allow greater use of high productivity motor vehicles (HPMVs),” says Wilson. “Most of the main barriers to HPMVs are being addressed, both in terms of infrastructure access and regulatory barriers. “One request that has been raised with us is the possibility of a 48-tonne version of 50MAX using the large number of eight axle combinations already in the national fleet. “Like 50MAX, the Transport Agency has been asked that these 8-axled combinations have near network-wide access at 48 tonnes. While this sounds great for productivity and road safety, it is a poor value for money proposition due to the infrastructure impacts. “In permitting HPMVs the Transport Agency and local councils are required to consider the durability of roads and bridges on which the vehicle may operate. This is to ensure that the economic value of freight productivity gains is not offset, or even overshadowed, by
additional infrastructure costs. In this case a 48-tonne eight axle combination will have a much greater pavement impact than a 50MAX. “This is down to simple maths; with the pavement impacts from 48 tonnes spread across eight axles, against 50 tonnes being spread across nine. “Due to the disproportionately greater pavement impact from heavier axles, 48 tonnes on eight axles is a non-starter for much of the network as it would create significant road maintenance costs that are likely to outweigh the economic benefits. “An increase in weight per axle of around eight percent for example, would result in around a 36 percent increase in pavement wear. “This impact would be greater on local roads. 50MAX, on the other hand, does not increase pavement wear due to having an additional ninth axle. “Because of this the Transport Agency is not considering 48-tonne area-wide permits for heavy vehicle combinations with eight axles. “Instead freight operators are reminded that they can apply for 48-tonne HPMV route-specific permits where the infrastructure is suitable to allow access to heavier vehicles. “HPMVs with eight axles will also be able to travel at higher mass on the High Productivity Freight Network – which is being delivered through the current National Land Transport Programme. “This network will provide near continuous HPMV access across 4500 of the country’s busiest freight routes on roads suitable for these heavier trucks up to 58 tonnes.”
HYDRO-Excavators Professionally designed and built for New Zealand conditions
• PROUDLY DESIGNED AND BUILT IN NEW ZEALAND • MODELS RANGING FROM 2000 LITRES – 11,000 LITRES • AIRFLOW FROM 1200 CFM TO 3000 CFM • INLET SUCTION HOSE FROM 4” – 6” • THE MOST EFFICIENT AIRFLOW ON THE MARKET WITH SMART-DIGS WORLD-LEADING FILTRATION SYSTEM • ABLE TO WET AND DRY SUCK PRODUCT • BUILT-IN DEWATERING SYSTEM • ABLE TO BUILD TO CLIENTS SPECIFICATIONS
WE WILL ALSO EXPORT TO ORDER
WHEN PRECISION IS PARAMOUNT SMART-DIG PROVIDES THE SOLUTION. E: rob@smart-dig.com T: NZ 0800 493 7639 INTERNATIONAL +64 27 275 4306
www.smart-dig.com
AU CKL A N D • W E L L IN G TO N • IN VE R C AR GI L L
NOVEMBER 2014 11
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
On September 29, Alice, the tunnel boring machine digging the first of twin road tunnels beneath Auckland city, broke into daylight after 10 months underground. The new 2.4 kilometre long Waterview tunnels, connecting the Northwestern and Southwestern motorways, each carrying three lanes of traffic, will be the longest road tunnels in the country. So far Alice has excavated 400,000 cubic metres of spoil, and 12,070 concrete tunnel lining segments have been placed in her wake. It took longer than expected to get the borer functioning at her best. “The tunnelling guys always knew it would be tricky to get right – the way the spoil moves through the machine requires quite a bit of optimisation,” Well Connected Alliance project manager, John Burden, told Contractor. “But once the right technical parameters were reached, Alice performed better than anticipated.” Once optimised, Alice was excavating more than 100 metres a week. When she broached the tunnel face last month she was just 13mm from where she should have been. The NZ Transport Agency’s highways manager for Auckland and Northland, Brett Gliddon, says the southbound tunnel’s completion is a significant milestone in the project. The next five months will be taken up with turning Alice around so she can dig the northbound tunnel. “While it is not unusual to turn a tunnel borer, what is extraordinary about this turn is the sheer size of the machine and constricted space in which the manoeuvre will take place,” says Brett. The break through, turnaround and restart of the tunnel borer are particularly challenging. Alice measures 90 metres in length and weighs in at 3100 tonnes. A large, steel restraining frame was installed to prevent the face of the tunnel from collapsing during the breakthrough. This has been 12 NOVEMBER 2014
IMAGES GREG KEMPTHORNE.
Alice is halfway there
removed and a concrete receiving cradle installed under the borer. Alice is now being disconnected into four parts – the cutting head and three trailing gantries – and each piece will be pushed from the completed tunnel onto a steel cradle, dragged sideways and turned 180 degrees using large pulling jacks and lots of grease – 200 litres of lanolin provided by Kiwi sheep, to be exact. The space the team has to turn the borer is just 42 metres square, with a pinch point between building columns of just 24 metres. In November, Alice will be set up into launch position at the headwall of the second tunnel and the first of her gantries reconnected along with a smaller and lighter temporary second gantry, as there will not be enough room for the other gantries. Once she has bored 300 metres of the second tunnel the temporary gantry will be removed and the second and third gantries will be reattached. A fourth gantry, which operates independently of Alice to install a culvert on the floor of the tunnel that will carry services needed for its operation, will also need to be turned before it can resume work. The main drive south to build the second tunnel will begin in March next year. Reporting by MARY SEARLE BELL
CO247.COM
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Improving Warkworth snarl-up Holiday makers heading north this year will be pleased to learn that contractors are already working on the first stage of improving the SH1/Hill Street intersection in Warkworth, north of Auckland. Wellsford-based firm, Wharehine Contractors has been widening both the northbound and southbound approaches to the intersection with work expected to be completed before Christmas. Work on a wider shared path for walkers and cyclists will start in the New Year. All work will be completed before next Easter. The $1 million project was 70 percent funded by the Agency and 30 percent by Auckland Transport.
A good spend for AKL Transport
Little toys for big boys With 1600 individual Lego pieces and the largest individual element ever created for the brand, the remote-control Volvo L350F wheel loader can lift more than 1kg in its bucket and drive over challenging terrain– just like the real thing. You can also remove the oil filters, the radiator-door swings out, pistons move and the engine is painted green.
Auckland Transport had its biggest year yet for delivering projects and, according to its 2013-14 financial year ending in June, spent $408 million on roading. Highlights included the Panmure Station and interchange opened as part of AMETI; the start of the Dominion Road upgrade; plans for Otahuhu transit station construction; and the $30 million Tiverton - Wolverton roading upgrade in New Lynn/Blockhouse Bay which was completed ahead of schedule. The challenge for the current year is a significant proposed reduction in capital expenditure, signalled by Auckland Council.
New waterfront space for Christchurch THE HYDRAULIC HOSE SPECIALISTS REDUCE DOWNTIME, INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
·
Highlighting RYCO 24 7 Gisborne....
AP Hydraulics Ltd 10 Innes Street Gisborne (06) 868 7701
Offers a complete range of mechanical and hydraulic services: 7 Day On-Site Services·Heavy Vehicle Workshop Facilities· ·24 Hour, Fault Finding·Hydraulic Overhauls· ·Diagnostic Testing and Services Contracts· · ·Importer and wholesaler of a wide range of hydraulic products·
CALL, CONNECT & GO 14 NOVEMBER 2014
0800 111 247
WWW.RYCO247.COM
Grassed areas with trees linking the river with public spaces, shops, restaurants and offices, tiered seating, broad steps, ramps and decks leading to the water’s edge will make up The Terraces, a key attraction of the Te Papa/Avon River Precinct. Downer and Fletcher Construction have begun the first phase of work on Oxford Terrace between Cashel and Hereford streets. This phase is due to be completed by May next year, with some of the work expected to be finished in time for the Cricket World Cup in February.
Amputation preventable Greg O’Neill would still have his lower leg if proper staff instruction and training had been carried out by ABB Maintenance Services, claims WorkSafe chief inspector, Keith Stewart. O’Neill was trapped when an unsecured part of a paper machine, a Roll Doctor, fell on him during routine maintenance at the Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill in Tokoroa, trapping him by his leg, which was later amputated below the knee. No signs, tags or any other notifications were present to alert O’Neill to the fact the part was unbolted and that he needed to take care. ABB was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court under the Health and Safety in Employment Act and fined $31,000 and made to pay $50,000 in reparation to O’Neill.
UPFRONT CONTRACTOR
Bridge woes continue Auckland Transport has been accused of trying to rail-road a decision through its board at the expense of the views of local residents over Newmarket’s controversial ‘bridge to nowhere’. A local resident said it was clear that there is a big split between the Board of AT who recognise the strong opposition to AT’s plan to build an $8m taxpayer funded-bridge, and AT’s management who are desperately trying to find ways to dismiss a $5.7m underpass option preferred by local residents. The bridge is to connect Laxon Tce and Cowie St after the ‘dangerous’ Sarawia St level crossing is closed, but Auckland Council’s infrastructure has asked AT to consider an underpass instead, which is recommended as a safe, stable and non-disruptive option. Residents also claim AT management is ignoring direction from an Auckland Council Infrastructure Committee Resolution and has called on AT’s Board to pull management into line and tell them such a bridge has no future.
Holcim regional merger nears Holcim appointed Glenda Harvey as its new country manager. She was formerly the executive general manager Safety and Human Resources for Holcim Australia, but previously worked for Holcim NZ and so is returning home. Back in June, Holcim announced it would combine its Kiwi and Aussie operations to form a joint entity from January. Holcim Australia and New Zealand chief executive, Mark Campbell, says Harvey played a significant role in leading the integration and organisational change following the formation of Holcim Australia, after its acquisition from CEMEX in 2009. Campbell says the appointment also demonstrates Holcim’s commitment to its values and the strategic direction for this market, where the company is investing $100 million to build two cement import terminals in Auckland and Timaru.
Making accident reporting easier A University of Canterbury company has released a web application that allows workers in the construction industry to report health and safety incidents to the office from a worksite in real time. SiteSorted has been set up by engineering students Matt Cobham and Ashok Fernandez, and can be accessed from almost any device that can browse the internet, including mobile phones. SiteStored ran a trial with Worthing Contracting, who had been searching for a software
solution for some time, to fine tune the system. “During the trial site workers spent no more than a minute filling out the smart form, and all events reported were actioned within the hour and closed within a day,” says Cobham. The average time for completing a paper-based health and a safety form on site was around 10-20 minutes, and another one to three days to complete an investigation and close the event out, he adds.
Your Infrastructure ITO Thinking of training your crew? Contact your Infrastructure ITO. Covering the wider infrastructure sector – including civil construction, utilities, water, surfacing, roadmarking, electricity supply and telecommunications – we’re now bigger and better than ever. Qualify for success – talk to us today!
0800 486 626 info@connexis.org.nz www.connexis.org.nz
NOVEMBER 2014 15
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
SH1 fully open to 50MAX The Whirokino Trestle bridge on State Highway 1 in Horowhenua is now open to 50MAX. Transport Agency freight director, Harry Wilson, says the restriction on the bridge south of Foxton was lifted after an extensive engineering assessment. He says the 1100 metre reinforced concrete bridge which runs across the Manawatu flood plain was the last 50MAX restricted bridge along SH1, meaning the whole length of the country from North Cape to the Bluff is now 50MAX compatible. Having the Whirokino Trestle bridge freed up for 50MAX traffic is going to be a significant time saver for 50MAX operators and provide major efficiency gains as it will remove the need to divert these trucks via Shannon/Palmerston North. Mr Wilson says the lifting of the restriction applies only to 50MAX; other High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMVs) will need to continue to use the route specified on their permits. Meanwhile, the number of 50MAX permits continues to rise. As at October 1, a total of 1843 permits were issued – less than a year after the permits were introduced. More heavy haulage news on page 24.
Skill shortage for major projects
What a climb We just love crane photo opps and this Potain tower crane from Manitowoc is in action on an ambitious commercial development in the heart of Lyon, in south west France. The 200-metre Tour Incity will be the tallest building in the city and the third tallest in France. The Potain cranes are working 14 hours a day for 30 months to build one floor per week at the congested job site. The demanding schedule is the result of the building’s inner-city location. Flanked by a busy road, a school and a shopping mall, work must adhere to a strict schedule to limit disruption to the local area. A 16-tonne capacity Potain MD 550 and 12-tonne capacity MDT 222 tower cranes are being used on the job. They will work at a final height of 280 metres. The question you should be asking yourself – does the operator finish the early morning climb to the cab in time to have their lunch? 16 NOVEMBER 2014
Jobs growth in the industry is gathering pace as several large infrastructure developments have started or are about to get underway, says recruiting experts Hays Construction. Project engineers, civil managers and quantity surveyors/ estimators are among the roles topping the list of skills in demand in the Hays Quarterly Report for October to December 2014. “New jobs are being created due to the increase in workload throughout the civil sector in both Auckland and Christchurch,” says Jason Walker, managing director of Hays in New Zealand. “There is also a great deal of anticipation around the Wellington ‘Transmission Gully’ project. “Auckland’s increase in large civil roading projects has led to strong demand for tertiary qualified Project Engineers and Civil Managers with roading and drainage experience. “In addition, residential demand for project managers is expected to rival that of Quantity Surveyors as Auckland’s housing market continues to grow. “Civil companies are now struggling to source qualified Project Managers with experience in roading and subdivisions,” says Jason. According to the recruiter, demand for skilled construction professionals is also growing in Christchurch. “ There is currently a significant shortage of candidates with New Zealand experience available in Christchurch. Intermediate candidates with four to eight years’ experience are the most challenging to find and are needed for commercial, residential and civil projects,” says Jason. “We are also experiencing a great deal of optimism surrounding pending major commercial developments in Auckland and Christchurch.” Other areas of demand in construction include earthworks supervisors, civil quantity surveyors, foremen/women and site engineers.
3.027%
FLEXIBLE FINANCE
ON SELECTED COMPACT MACHINES
Northland & Auckland North Chris Wilson 021 682 403
*Conditions Apply. Offer on selected Mini Excavators, Skid Steer Loaders, Multi-Terrain Loaders & Compact Track Loaders. The finance rate of 3.027% applies only for the first 18 months, thereafter standard Gough Finance rates apply. Minimum deposit of 10% deposit. Offer is valid until 30 November 2014. Subject to Stock Availability. East Cape, Hawkes Bay & Wairarapa Paul Roche 029 271 7895
Auckland South Poovan Naidoo 021 860 443
Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Chris Jones 029 200 8382
Waikato & Coromandel James West 029 299 8909
Christchurch City Nick Worthington 021 979 826
Rotorua & Bay of Plenty Shayne Kennedy 029 200 7270
Canterbury James Lundy 029 208 0423
Central North Island Shayne Kennedy 029 200 7270
Otago & Southland Brent Duncan 029 222 4682
BUILT FOR IT.
™
YOUR GOUGH CAT TERRITORY SALES MANAGERS
Taranaki, Manawatu & Wellington Carl Southee 021 981 850 Branches From Whangarei To Invercargill | 0800 93 39 39 | www.GoughCat.co.nz
CONTRACTOR ON THE COVER
K-Series wheel loaders unsurpassed performance from the US
John Deere 744K Wheel Loader is a serious contender in the construction and quarry markets and CablePrice explains why.
18 NOVEMBER 2014
IT’S RUGGED, comfortable and offers serious productivity and reliability right up there with other top brands. So it is little wonder that the John Deere 744K Wheel Loader is fast becoming recognised as a serious contender in the construction and quarry markets, says Riki Corley, CablePrice’s John Deere product manager. “People usually associate the John Deere brand with either tractors or forestry machines. However overseas it has always been a different story, with John Deere loader popularity ranking very highly in both Europe and the USA.” John Deere wheel loaders might not be as well known here yet, but performance-wise its range of models including the 744K, are right up there, he adds. “Fuel efficiency, performance and reliability are the big three. These machines have
Contractors, confirms this, stating the machine is; “a very smooth and powerful loader, with great traction control” while, “it handled its bucket capacity easily.” CablePrice released the K-Series wheel loaders around three years ago after numerous improvements were made by John Deere following recommendations from a Customer Advocate Group aimed at increasing productivity and uptime while lowering daily operating costs. These included an enlarged cab, redesigned cooling system, enhanced hydraulics, refined ergonomics and more optional extras. Operator comfort is paramount in the latest K-Series design, with extra legroom in the quieter, more spacious cab; expansive tinted front glass and low-profile console providing a clear view of the work area. An enhanced multifunction monitor displays operating and diagnostic information gathered by the JDLinkTM Ultimate fleet management system that comes standard on all K-Series loaders from CablePrice. “This system gives owners 24-hour online access to the machine, including via tablet and smartphones allowing them to track things like location, fuel consumption and production. It is especially handy for making comparisons between a bigger fleet of three or four loaders,” says Riki Corley. With its clients’ permission, CablePrice can also use the JDLink infrastructure for additional remote fault diagnosis, assisting the CablePrice service technician to bring parts first time without the need of a diagnostic trip. Riki says: “In addition to the list of standard features including ride control, boom height kick-out, return-to-dig and return-to-carry,
“In addition to the list of standard features including ride control, boom height kick-out, return-to-dig and return-to-carry, we’ve also added a few extra premium features to the demonstration unit such as auto diff lock, optional joystick steering, full front and rear mudguards, auto-grease system, rear camera with rear object detection, and tyre pressure monitoring.” unsurpassed power-train and hydraulic performance, and impressive torque reserves which help to maintain good boom and bucket speed in and out of the pile. They handle heaped loads with ease, even wet or hard-packed material. We think they’re a great option for quarrying and construction applications.” The 744K was recently put through its paces at a number of quarries throughout the country where feedback was exceptional with, “no one disappointed and everyone impressed with the performance of the machine”, says CablePrice national sales manager equipment, Alex Kelly “They all commented on the good pushing power and stability, its great user-friendly technology, operator comforts and usability.” Alex says the 744K has also been trialled in a variety of other applications such as yards, building a new road of national significance, and even constructing a new golf course. “All of the operators gave us almost identical feedback, mentioning its impressive breakout force; how well set up and comfortable the cab was, and how great the ride control was. “In fact it wasn’t easy getting the operators out of the machine when the trial period was over.” One impressed operator, Vaughan Goodman from Goodman
we’ve also added a few extra premium features to the demonstration unit such as auto diff lock, optional joystick steering, full front and rear mudguards, auto-grease system, rear camera with rear object detection, and tyre pressure monitoring.” CablePrice has also fitted this machine with a high-end version of Loadrite pay scales which has an attached printer and download capability, providing instant results on its daily performance. Operator safety has been enhanced with the addition of a full high performance LED light package which is so effective at lighting up a work site at night, it is almost like working in daylight, says Riki. “This system also has a courtesy light feature, which stays on for up to a minute when the machine is turned off. This gives operators time to get safely from the loader to their car if they finish work in the dark.” Riki says CablePrice is getting some good traction in the quarrying and construction sectors with the John Deere wheel loaders as more customers are prepared to give them a crack. “We now have a number of K-series wheel loaders working in a number of different industries around the country, from general construction to quarrying and forestry. “The feedback is very positive, with those who have taken them on, extremely happy.” l NOVEMBER 2014 19
CONTRACTOR PROFILE
The PIPE DREAM
that came true The story of the Hynds group of companies is the tale of a local boy who made good in his own neighbourhood. Today, after a delicate transition, the next generation is driving this family business forward. BY GAVIN RILEY. FORTY-ONE YEARS AGO John Hynds, now 66, left his job as a sales rep with concrete-pipe manufacturer Hume Industries to start a contracting company. His reason for the radical switch was simple – ambition. As a sales rep he was continually supplying to people who were successful and he wanted to be one of them. He saw contractors as committed people who took on a contract to do a job and got it done. So he specialised in installing crib walls, pipes and manholes, using Hume concrete products. When Hume became involved in a major contract and could not supply him with crib blocks, the gogetting John promptly knocked the back out of the garage at his Papakura home and turned the building into a precasting operation to make the near 20,000 blocks he needed for a construction project. He never looked back. In 1980 he expanded by buying Stevenson’s spunmanhole plant in Whangaparaoa, set it up in a factory he had built in East Tamaki, and began hand-feeding 1050mmdiameter manholes two days a week. When he couldn’t afford to buy a semi20 NOVEMBER 2014
automatic batching plant from the United States for $250,000, he commissioned a Wellington engineer to design what he required, bought obsolete machinery from meat and fertiliser works, obtained vibrators and block-reinforcing steel from scrap, and did the entire job for $100,000. When Contractor visited John at his bustling East Tamaki premises in early 1988, he was employing 45 staff and making spun pipe in 600mm and 1800mm diameters. He had also just bought equipment which enabled his company to double its production capacity. His manufacturing and distribution of concrete products became so successful that he eventually disposed of the contracting side of the business to his construction manager, the late Grant Turner, and ended his work in the Contractors’ Federation (now Civil Contractors NZ) where he had been chairman of the Auckland branch, then head of the organisation’s civil and general section. John’s elder son Adrian joined Hynds Pipe Systems as a sales person in early 1990, armed with a civil engineering
degree. For the young man it was a dream come true. “I always wanted to work in the business,” he recalls. “Where I played as a little boy was among the products stored at the back of the house. There was a little mechanised skip that used to deliver the concrete mix. In the weekend I’d drive around in that with my mates.” Adult reality, however, did not initially match childhood dream. Adrian joined the company when there was a downturn in the construction industry due to the late 1980s’ sharemarket crash and local government reform. At the end of 1990 he left for England only to find the start of a recession there and no demand for engineers. He managed to find work with a water authority in Bath then with the UK Government’s Department of Trade and Industry before returning home and rejoining Hynds in late 1992. Over the next five or so years Adrian worked in the factory, became involved in design, testing and quality systems, moved on to running the night shift, and managed the company’s precast
1
2
3
1. Lucit precast retaining wall on the SH20 Manukau Extension, East Pond stage one. 2. Hynds is providing 35km of pipeline for an Ashburton irrigation scheme. 3. Multiple concrete box culverts were required at the Stockton mine. 4. Adrian Hynds (right), helped by younger brother Aaron, is making sure the business retains its family culture. 4
business. Then, as part of Hynds’ growth south, he lived in Hamilton for a year and developed the business in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, down to Taupo. He returned to Auckland to take up a marketing and product development role and became involved in company acquisitions, the opening of more branches, and the development of the lower North Island market as Hynds’ business flourished. In the early 2000s, by which time Hynds had moved into the South Island, his role was in sales and marketing and he became a director. It was a busy time. The company purchased Gillies Foundry in Oamaru, which greatly benefited its water main product range, and Adrian later travelled to Australia to set up a Hynds business there. One of the early challenges he faced was driving the implementation of Hynds’ ERP computerised business-transaction system. “This has really allowed the business to grow, and allowed me to understand a whole lot of things I didn’t know much about in terms of business
process,” he says. To be involved with the design of the system, configuring it, testing it, training people in its use and implementing it was an invaluable experience, he says. But not without its terrors. “When we went to go live it was a big deal because it had to work. We had to get it right and there were a few sleepless nights towards the end. It went really well – but we put a lot of effort into it.” In 2008 Adrian took over as Hynds’ managing director and his father became a very active chairman. It wasn’t an easy transition, according to John, winner of the 1999 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and other business accolades (see sidebar). In a candid interview posted online at the time he confessed that as a leader who had always kept a tight control of his enterprise, he found it difficult to hand over and let go. “As a control freak, the ability to delegate was something I certainly wasn’t born with,” he says and adding that he had to develop empathy, adjust what he said to people, and adopt a “wise mentor” role. The transition took time, patience
and a certain swallowing of pride. Adrian says of the hand-over: “It wasn’t an overnight affair. Certainly there was a commitment to make it work.” When he was a little boy he would look at his Dad and be proud of him and say, “One day I want to be like him”. “So I’ve always wanted to be the manager. We complement each other very well, actually. I’m not like John. He’s your entrepreneurial, customer-relationship type of person. I focus more on joining the dots. “While John was running the business I was more doing the detail behind him. So the challenge originally in terms of succession, for me, was asking myself how would John do it? It moved through that phase to, I can do it myself but he’s still around, if I need him. “Then it got to a stage where he wanted me to take over and I wanted to as well. We’ve had to work out what John’s role was to be – which right now is the most successful it’s been. But it’s taken time. “Hynds is John’s hobby. He doesn’t do anything else. He loves the industry. But he’s matured in how he can now NOVEMBER 2014 21
CONTRACTOR PROFILE
HELPING PEOPLE THE HYNDS WAY John Hynds is a long-time friend of Auckland contractors – a
former chairman and a life member of the Auckland branch of Civil Contractors NZ, founder of a company that is a major supplier to the construction industry, and sponsor of the branch’s annual Hynds Environmental Excellence awards. These days John occupies an office from which he administers what has become his consuming activity in his “senior citizen” years – philanthropy. In 2010 he and his wife Leonie set up the Hynds Education Fund, which grants tertiary and trade scholarships to pupils at Manurewa High School, where both were once students. The scholarships include work placement with the Hynds group and an integrated mentoring programme to ensure the students have every chance of success. John and Leonie also sponsor the Arts Regional Trust’s Hynds Creative Entrepreneur award, which carries a $10,000 cash grant, and they support early-childhood and parent-education programmes in the Manurewa community. In the 2012 New Year honours list John was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his services to business and philanthropy. The citation referred to his work with the Hynds Education Fund and said that through the Hynds group he also supported the Manurewa Rugby Club, the Auckland Arts Foundation, the Spirit of Adventure
contribute to the organisation, and continues to contribute to New Zealand in other ways as well. Hynds has been his focus, but he’s given me space to do it my way.” The succession challenge accomplished, Adrian Hynds at 47 heads a group, which has just opened its 32nd branch (in Greymouth) and employs more than 600 people in eight operating divisions. The group is the dominant player in its market and consists of four key components. • Hynds Pipe Systems has 10 manufacturing plants throughout the country and a nationwide network of branches supplying New Zealand’s largest range of concrete pipes and precast products for civil, rural and infrastructure applications. • Hynds Environmental Systems designs and develops customised solutions for commercial and domestic sewagetreatment systems, drinking-water treatment, oil-water separators, stormwater-treatment systems, combined-overflow systems, flood protection, and spill-management products. • Waters & Farr manufactures and supplies high-quality solid-wall polyethylene pipe up to 1200mm diameter for water 22 NOVEMBER 2014
Leonie and John Hynds are devoting their energy to philanthropic work.
Trust, and other organisations. The citation described him as a strong advocate for retaining manufacturing capability in New Zealand. It noted also that, recognising a lack of practical technical skills training for civil engineers in New Zealand in the 1990s, he had established a significant annual prize within the Ingenium Association. John’s ONZM honour followed several accolades during his working life. His company won the Manukau City Business and Industry Pride award for most improved large business in 1995, the Westpac Manukau Business of the Year title in 1999, the Manukau Excellence in Manufacturing award in 1999, and he himself was the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999.
reticulation and drainage, non-pressure cable and communication ducting, lowpressure rural pipe, and the Bosspipe range of corrugated polypropylene pipe for low-pressure civil and rural applications. • Hygrade Products is the country’s leading importer and distributor of water main, drainage, street ware and specialist hardware products for civil and municipal applications. Despite its size, Hynds is still a family business. It has three independent directors including the chairman, John is founding director, and his wife Leonie and younger son Aaron are directors – as of course is Adrian, who says he works at retaining the Hynds group’s family culture. “We have foundation values which were originally seen as family values, but are now our organisation values,” he says. “In terms of making connections, with 45 sites and more than 600 staff, it’s really hard to remember everyone’s names. But throughout the year I ensure that I can shake everyone’s hand at least once and thank our people for the contribution they make. “One of our strategic themes is to empower our people to do their job well, do the best they can, and really enjoy
being at Hynds. We put a lot of effort into making sure our people are given the tools and given the direction, getting the information that if they’re doing a good job they get the recognition for it. “And it is a challenge. But this business doesn’t work without people.” And it doesn’t work without a committed belief in the future. While Adrian says the upheaval of Auckland’s supercity local-government restructuring and the Christchurch earthquakes have meant a tough business environment since 2008, he believes the downward spiral has ended, the outlook for the medium term is promising, and there’s some confidence in the civil construction sector. “We’ve invested in new equipment, and built a new factory in the South Island, in Rangiora, to make plastic pipe. We’ve also upgraded machinery in our Auckland concrete plant. We’ll continue to invest in the business.” A competitor in half-marathons in his spare time, Adrian Hynds is already on the business start line for 2015. “I think it’s going to be a busy year for us. We’re revved up, we’ve got the factories on full steam ahead, we’ve built up our inventory – and we’ll continue to supply the market with what it needs, when it needs it.”
Topcon Machine Control from Synergy Positioning Systems. Transform your dozer.
Okay, so Maserati doesn’t make a dozer. But that’s no reason yours can’t act like one. Only Topcon can transform your dozer into a high-speed, smooth grading machine. 3D-MC2 can more than double your productivity and in many cases eliminates the need for any additional equipment. What to do with the extra profit? Maserati anyone?
Auckland 0800 867 266, 021 877 037 3/52 Arrenway Drive Albany, Auckland info@synergypositioning.co.nz
Hamilton 0800 867 266, 027 886 5819 info@synergypositioning.co.nz
Wellington 0800 867 266, 027 720 0023 info@synergypositioning.co.nz
Christchurch 0800 867 266, 021 877 546 Unit 6, Jade Court 211 Ferry Road, Christchurch info@synergypositioning.co.nz
Free call 0800 867 266 info@synergypositioning.co.nz www.synergypositioning.co.nz
CONTRACTOR HEAVY HAULAGE CONFERENCE
Highlights from the 2014 Heavy Haulage Association conference
Left to right: Brent Durham (Durham’s Transport) and Paul Britton (chairman, Heavy Haulage Association.
Award to straight shooter This year’s Chairman’s Award goes to “a straight-shooting, no-nonsense bloke who just gets on with the job”, said Heavy Haulage Association chairman Paul Britton while announcing the win at the 2014 MAN and Western Star Trucks Awards in Rotorua. Brent Durham of Christchurch-based Durham’s Transport got the award for his efforts on behalf of the association and especially for its Canterbury members. The award recognises an individual’s contribution to the association over the past 12 months and may include their work in previous years. Durham is an association pilot member and had been an area rep from 2008 until just recently.
Britton recalls several occasions when Durham has rung the association’s chief executive Jonathan Bhana-Thomson to report a problem. “And then he’d say he had already contacted a couple of other local affected members, come up with a solution and contacted the authorities to get the problem fixed.” Durham served on the association’s executive committee from 1987 to 1990. “I had the pleasure of sitting on our board with Brent from 2006 to 2008,” says Britton. “He’s the son of life member Norm, who was on the executive from 1977 to 1985, and was part of the only father/son combination to have served on the Heavy Haulage Association’s executive board.”
Left to right: Grieg Running from Grieg Running’s House Relocators & award sponsor Colin (Scania) James from Central Equipment Movers.
Oh dear This year’s Trucked It Up Award goes to Grieg Running from Auckland-based Grieg Running’s House Relocators. Grieg’s mystery disappearance at NZHHA chairman Paul Britton’s wedding was solved when he was found locked in the loo. Grieg’s entry beat out three South Island contestants including a company whose 4.25 metre curtainsider suffered the consequences of trying to get under a four metre bridge.
Feedback on VDAM Heavy Haulage Association chief executive Jonathan BhanaThomson (left) is calling on members of the wider heavy haulage industry to feed back their ideas to the association on possible changes to the rules governing the size and mass of heavy vehicles. The Ministry of Transport and the NZ Transport Agency are reviewing current vehicle dimension and mass (VDAM) rules. “This is our first opportunity in 12 or so years to get these issues reviewed,” says Bhana-Thomson. “If we don’t take up this opportunity now it could be another 12 years before we get the chance to have another go at it.” The VDAM reform team will release a discussion paper for consideration by industry stakeholders early next year. The project team plans to present options by the middle of 2015. 24 NOVEMBER 2014
Ongoing concerns from CVIU Inspector Gwynne Pennell reiterates the need for heavy haulage companies to support their people if they are involved in, or witness, a road accident. Pennell, who is manager of the Police’s Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit, says such accidents can come as a massive shock, not just at the time of the incident but on an ongoing basis. “In Police we have post-traumatic stress counselling for these types of incidents because of the flashbacks and issues that can arise,” she says. “And if you are managing people who have been put in such a situation they will have personal circumstances and background that make some
of these incidents very damaging for them.” Pennell adds that “by and large” the Heavy Haulage Association’s members are doing a tremendous job on the roads. “Police are not having a lot of problems with members of the association. Our main concerns are with backyard operators.” She also urges delegates to remember to focus on having their headlights on, using flags, watching the loading across their axles, abiding by the conditions of their permits and ensuring they do not breach Inspector Gwynne Pennell travel times.
Trevor McCallum (Prestige Commercial Vehicles) & David Scobie (Scobies Transport Wyndham)
Helping You Build NZ
NOVEMBER 2014 25
CONTRACTOR HEAVY HAULAGE CONFERENCE
Alex McLellan (McLellan Freight) & Scott Lewis (Spark Business)
Tony Gibson (Waikato Crane Services), Dennis McKinley (TNL Freighting) & Mark McNeilly (Fulton Hogan Heavy Haulage)
Richard Gordon (Gough Group), Wayne Taia (Gough Cat) & Rick Ranger (RB & CC Ranger Transport)
Miranda Wood (NZTA)
Noel Baker (Hastings House Removals) & Peter Jacob (PN Jacob Ltd)
Conrad Shanly & Lucy Rowe (both Rothbury Wilkinson)
Paul Britton (Britton Housemovers & chairman, NZHHA)
Wayne Taia (Gough Cat)
Jo Maloney (Smith & Davies) & Tina Ware (JP Ware Transport) Warwick Johnson (Johnson’s House Removal)
Warwick Bell picks up Gus Bream memorial Tranzcarr Heavy Haulage general manager Warwick Bell was presented with the 2014 Gus Bream Memorial Award for the significant time and effort he has put – and continues to put – into the Heavy Haulage Association. Bell has served continuously for 17 years on the board of the association: five of those as chairman from 2002 to 2007. For the past six years he has been the association’s representative on the Transport Agency’s axle weights and loadings advisory group. The Gus Bream Memorial Award recognises people who have made an outstanding contribution to industry efforts over a period of time. Born in Gisborne, the fifth of seven children, Bell attended Gisborne Boys High School, never sat his UE exam and 26 NOVEMBER 2014
went surfing on exam day. When he left school he was employed by the Justice Department and was a court registrar when his brother appeared on a minor drink charge. After deciding public service was not for him he got a job at Mogul Group, later worked for Owens Heavy Haulage – his first introduction into heavy haulage – and went on to co-found Tranzcarr Heavy Haulage with Dave Carr in 1999. The award takes its name from Eugene Augustus (Gus) Bream who was on the executive of the first North Island Heavy Haulage Association and then the NZHHA from 1963 to 1984. He also served as the association’s executive officer, secretary and liaison officer and was made the association’s first life member in 1978.
Left to right: Warwick Bell (Tranzcarr Heavy Haulage) & Paul Britton (chairman, Heavy Haulage Association).
WIN THIS TRUCK.
GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN THIS NEW FORD RANGER WHEN YOU BUY ANY CAT® COMPACT MACHINE.* FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO WINTHISTRUCK.CO.NZ.
BUILT FOR IT.
™
*Terms & Conditions Apply
YOUR GOUGH CAT TERRITORY SALES MANAGERS Northland & Auckland North Chris Wilson 021 682 403
East Cape, Hawkes Bay & Wairarapa Paul Roche 029 271 7895
Auckland South Poovan Naidoo 021 860 443
Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Chris Jones 029 200 8382
Waikato & Coromandel James West 029 299 8909
Christchurch City Nick Worthington 021 979 826
Rotorua & Bay of Plenty Shayne Kennedy 029 200 7270
Canterbury James Lundy 029 208 0423
Central North Island Shayne Kennedy 029 200 7270
Otago & Southland Brent Duncan 029 222 4682
Taranaki, Manawatu & Wellington Carl Southee 021 981 850 Branches From Whangarei To Invercargill | 0800 93 39 39 | www.GoughCat.co.nz
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
CORE BENEFITS ASHLEY RIVER BRIDGE
A new North Canterbury bridge features what are thought to be the longest hollow-core beams ever used in this country. HUGH DE LACY takes a look.
28 NOVEMBER 2014
WHEN LAST YEAR’S June 18 floodwaters swept away one of the concrete piers of the Ashley River Bridge on the northern outskirts of Rangiora, cancelling 10,000 traffic movements a day across it, the Waimakariri District Council had to work fast to organise a replacement. Within a fortnight local firm Daniel Smith Industries had installed a temporary steel pier, and the old bridge was re-opened to all traffic. Though traffic growth was not a major driver of the project, populations on both sides of the river are booming as a result of the north-west flight of Christchurch residents after the 20102011 earthquakes, adding urgency to the need for a new bridge. And by April next year it should be a reality. The old Ashley bridge remains in service while the new one is being built along its upstream side by Rotorua-based Concrete Structures as the lead contractor, and with Wanaka-based Thomson Earthmoving in charge of the approach roading, and of shifting the flow of the river as needed across its braided bed.
At 300 metres long, this will be the third bridge over the Ashley River at that point: the first, a wooden one for single-lane dray traffic, was built in 1897, and the present one in 1912. With a carriageway of just 5.8 metres, the second bridge is scarily narrow for two-way traffic and has no provision for pedestrians or cyclists. The new bridge, already half built, will cater to both, with 1.8 metre cycleways on either shoulder of the two 3.5 metre carriageways, and a 1.5 metre footpath outside the cycleway on the downstream or eastern side. Scouring under the existing bridge was first detected in 2010, requiring the immediate replacement of one pier, and thereafter it had to be closed every time the river flow rose above 150 cumecs at the Ashley Gorge – reduced to 100 cumecs after the other pier was washed away in the June 2013 incident. It takes about an hour and a half for the river flow at the gorge to reach the bridge site. Before the existing bridge can be reopened
to traffic, the river flow has to drop far enough to allow the measuring of the depth of the scouring around the piles, as well as an inspection of the bridge itself, and surveys of both its and the riverbed’s levels. If the scour depth is too great, the holes have to be filled in to stabilise the piles, and all of this can keep the bridge closed for days, much to the frustration of commuters who have hiked the population of Rangiora by 25 percent to well over 15,000 since the Canterbury quakes. Closures force traffic to take a long eastward detour out to SH1 which crosses the same river with a similarly narrow but unthreatened concrete bridge near Waikuku. The existing 102-year-old bridge at Rangiora comprises 24 continuous 12.5 metre spans, and features gently curved tee-beams and piers each with three hexagonal openings. It was built at a cost of $26,000. The initial design of the new bridge was prepared for the Waimakariri District Council by Opus International, envisaging the use of
Super T beams across nine piers 28 metres apart between the two abutments, with each pier having two piles driven to a depth of about 16 metres. The failing piles on the existing bridge are only about three metres deep, of which only about two metres is below the existing level of the riverbed - which is why, after a century of use, scouring is occurring underneath. Concrete Structures tendered for the job on the basis of the Opus design, but also submitted an alternative using hollow-core pre-stressed concrete beams rather than Super T beams. Slightly cheaper than the conforming design, the variation designed by Holmes Consulting for Concrete Structures won the day, and the resultant 110, 40-tonne 28 metre beams, 1.2 metres in diameter and cast at Concrete Structures’ Rolleston factory in Christchurch, are thought to be the longest ever used in bridge construction in the country. “We’re not aware of a longer hollow-core beam being used in New Zealand, and no one we’ve
Above left: Hollow core beams are craned into place on the third iteration of the 300 metre bridge to cross the Ashley River, on the northern outskirts of Rangiora. Construction is expected to be finished by April 2015.
NOVEMBER 2014 29
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
Between them, Concrete Structures and Thomson Earthmoving have some pretty impressive machinery on the site to impress the thousands of commuters eyeballing it daily from the old bridge.
30 NOVEMBER 2014
spoken to has ever come up with one,” Concrete Structures project manager Dean Quickenden tells Contractor. Opus remains involved in the project as the council’s project manager, and overseer of the construction of the $10.6 million job. Work on the new bridge began in mid-January this year, and quickly ran into trouble when the river decided it wasn’t going to co-operate. Floods in March, April and June this year meant that the project had burned up all three of the scheduled flood event allowances in the contract within the first six months. Since then the Ashley has relented, indeed behaving itself so well that by the beginning of October the project had passed the halfway stage. Between them, Concrete Structures and Thomson Earthmoving have some pretty impressive machinery on the site to impress the thousands of commuters eyeballing it daily from the old bridge. Thomson has assembled no fewer than three big white Terex motorscrapers, not just for the road works on the bridge approaches, but also to shift the river flow away from working areas, a process which is quicker than using excavators and dump trucks. The actual earthmoving volumes involved are
not great – about 15,000 cubic metres, mostly building up the new carriageway approaches, plus a bit of cut-to-fill and stockpiling. Concrete Structures has two of its own 85 tonne crawler cranes lifting the hollow-core beams into position, and they’ll also be called into service when it comes to demolishing the existing bridge after the new one is opened. Demolition is not exactly a core activity for Concrete Structures, but the cranes will make it easy to cut the existing bridge up and recycle the concrete, a job that will probably take around three weeks. The Rolleston pre-cast concrete factory is just one that Concrete Structures operates around the country – the others, besides the Rotorua headquarters, being in Auckland and Hastings. Though a North Island outfit, Concrete Structures is well established in the South, with previous Canterbury jobs including the underpinning of the piers on the old two-lane road bridge, over the Waimakariri River near Kaiapoi, that were damaged in the earthquakes. Project manager Quickenden is delighted with progress since the flooding abated in early winter, and provided the river continues to co-operate, Rangiora’s frustrated commuters will have nothing to complain about from next April onwards.
We’re a
big part of your business
Do you want to increase productivity and profits? Excavator users in the field say that fuel economy is the best way to increase profits. The Kobelco range includes excavators featuring advanced power plants that reduce fuel consumption, new hydraulic circuitry to minimise pressure loss, and highly efficient electronically controlled common-rail fuel injection engines. Kobelco excavators provide greater performance and improved cost efficiency when compared to competitors’ machines. Talk to the team at MIMICO. We are the New Zealand distributors for KOBELCO excavators, parts and service. www.mimico.co.nz Freephone 0800 806 464 | E-mail enquiries@mimico.co.nz | 17 Waihou Street, Matamata Our brands
CONTRACTOR TRAINING
Learning the basics ALAN TITCHALL revisits a polytechnic dedicated to training basic skills for those looking for work in the civil
construction and surface extraction industries, and explains, again, why it is deserving of your support.
Left-right: Fred Tangi, Daniel Carter Judith Walker and Cory Sims on smoko fry-up.
AT THE TIME of writing Tai Poutini Polytechnic operates its Auckland school campus on a large piece of land on the southern edge of Holcim’s Bombay Quarry south of Auckland. The polytech has campuses in Auckland, Invercargill, Greymouth and in the Waikato. The South Island schools deliver programmes with a mining strand as well as civil construction. However, the Auckland school enjoys full student quotas for its courses and lead tutor, Tony Bellis, remains as dedicated to the Auckland school, its courses and succession of students as a teacher and mentor can get. Since my visit to the school in December 2013, Tony’s enthusiasm has not faltered and he’s quick to tell me that the polytechnic teaches disciplines and skills (such as ‘wheel, tracks and rollers’) that would normally take a green labourer two to three years to learn out in the industry. Since our last visit, the course has been shortened from 30 weeks to 26 weeks (theory and practical) and there are now three intakes a year. The focus is still on ‘process’, Tony stresses. “If you understand the process of a job; you understand how to do it correctly,” Tony iterates. “There’s also a strong theory and health and safety element,” he adds. “The total course provides the students with a good head start into an industry where time doesn’t allow such basic skills training. “We estimate the course is worth two years of basic training on a worksite. Students get a good understanding of health and safety in preparation for huge changes coming into force next year for both workers and machinery – walk rails, ‘drop’ valves on hydraulics and ground level refueling, for instance.” Students come from a variety of backgrounds and include some who are unemployed and those already employed but looking for a career change or experience in civil construction. “A few years ago we had a student, Louise, who held down a fulltime job with South Auckland Mail starting in the evenings at 7.30pm to the early hours of the morning. She still managed to pass the course and had already sorted a job with Fulton Hogan before she left. She’s a STMS there now,” says Tony. “These are the stories that make all of this count.” 32 NOVEMBER 2014
Tony selects a few students on the current course to talk to and their stories are mixed and varied but all include praise for the course and its tutors.
Learning the practical side The Auckland course has attracted qualified civil engineers in the past and doing the current course is Fred Tangi, while holding down a full time job as an engineer. He’s keen to get a fuller understanding of the process behind contracting, says Tony Bellis. “Fred is only doing four hours in the morning, but he’s doing OK. He takes his assessment work home and he’s never been late getting them in.” Fred did his engineering diploma at Unitech but says he always wanted to operate diggers and machinery. “Now I have completed my engineering studies I thought I would add the practical side of things and become an engineer that knows both theory, the process and the practical side of things,” he says. “It also gives me a better perspective and understanding of how my role plays its part in the bigger industry picture. “Eventually I want to own my own contracting business and oversee my own projects from design to build.” Fred adds that the course has been of tremendous value to him. “We are taught by people like Tony with many, many years of industry experience and this is something you can’t find in a book.”
Correcting old habits Daniel Carter has previous industry experience with a roading and construction company in the Waikato and was raised around big machinery, as his father and grandfather were logging contractors. He also picked up his ‘wheel, tracks and rollers’ licences with a trucking company in Hamilton, and has a class four truck licence. “The Tai Poutini programme is to upskill my machines’ skills. I picked up a lot of bad habits from being taught by different people at different jobs over the years,” he says. Like many of the students he is already looking for work with a major contractor before the course finishes, and hopes to pick up work near his home town in the Waikato.
YOU CAN HELP
A chance to work outside Judith Walker left her office job as a team leader to study the basic course with a mind to getting employment outside, working machines. “I have always been fascinated with machinery. Around 10 years ago I was a forklift driver and loved it. “Then I spent 15 years in an office and it got to a point where you are on auto-pilot doing the job,” she says. “The course so far has been awesome and I have learnt so much over the past eight weeks. The tutors go beyond just teaching the course and provide you with a lot of their working experiences which is so valuable.” If you are after workers who have learnt basic skills and have a ‘working’ attitude and an appreciation of health and safety on site, contact the school on 0800 800 411.
Tai Poutini Polytechnic has Digger Schools in the North Island, operating three, 26-week programmes per year and the two schools in the South Island also deliver the Civil Quarrying and Mining Programme at 30 weeks per year. Each programme takes a maximum number of 20 students. And it’s the only school like it in the country. Each programme is made up of 13 weeks of tutored theory and practical, and 13 weeks of work-based training in companies around the country, which is also an opportunity for students to sell themselves to a potential employer. They learn and develop a wide range of basic skills, including surveying, compaction, trenching, safe operations, excavators, loaders, onsite driving of trucks, rollers, and plan reading. Studies include reading Contractor and Q&M magazines to get an idea of what work is going on out there, and the different areas of the industry they can go to after training. Discussions are held around interviews and historical pieces in these magazines. Around 120 students complete studies at the polytechnic every year with a teacher/student ratio of 1:10, and around 80 percent find jobs. The polytechnic also offers an additional Quarry and Mining course at its South Island schools in Invercargill and Greymouth. Students do a lot of good work with the Contractors Federation and its National Excavator competitions, helping with the setup for branch events and the national competition held in Feilding each year. The polytechnic is asking for more industry support in getting unskilled, but willing, workers prepared to work in an industry that desperately needs new recruits. If you need entry workers with proven basic skills, or know of people who want to join the industry but haven’t got the basic skills, then contact the school.
One year on... PENNY’S STORY CONTINUED Contractor catches up with Penny Tuhoro, a graduate of the Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Auckland, who is now working as a level one Site Traffic Management Supervisor with Dempsey Wood. A YEAR AGO we met Penny Tuhoro when she was a student at the Auckland campus of the Tai Poutini Polytechnic, where she was enrolled in the basic skills course. Recently, we caught up with her on a inner city roading project site, within a road cone-throw of Contractor magazine’s office in Mt Eden, Auckland. As the Site Traffic Management Supervisor (STMS), Penny was controlling traffic and running a civil site where workmen were replacing curbing and installing traffic management speed humps. The project was part of the larger Auckland City Dominion Road upgrade. A STMS qualification is the highest qualification for Level NOVEMBER 2014 33
CONTRACTOR TRAINING
1 Temporary Traffic Management and carries the ultimate responsibility for overall temporary traffic management at roadwork sites. I was mindful of the fact that Penny was top of her class amongst the students that finished the Polytechnic course last year, and she achieved a 100 percent attendance rate, despite having two children to care for. Her old tutor, Tony Bellis, still remembers her with admiration. “Penny excelled as a student so I am very pleased she is going places. The STMS is a very important role and women seem to have a patience that makes them very good at it. They also just try that little bit harder, take everything in their stride, and are very good with gear and machinery. “The industry needs more of them.” Last year, we were very impressed with Penny’s story. As a single parent with a special needs daughter to look after, she could have spent the rest of her life living on welfare benefits. That was not the life she wanted for herself and family. Penny had her eyes on the Australian mine opportunities at the time, but had been told by a relative working at Mt Isa to learn some basic machinery operating skills before jumping the ‘ditch’. The basic skills in contracting course proved tough going, Penny admits. With an 18 year old daughter and a seven year old son, she was reliant on her Mum to see her children off to school in the mornings before travelling from West Auckland to the campus site next to Holcim’s quarry at the bottom of the Bombay Hills. Despite being top of her class on graduating from the school, jobs did not land at her feet. “I actually found it hard to get a job because I still did not have work site experience. They wanted two years plus experience, even though I had machinery skills from the school. Being female might have also been held against me?” We asked Tony Bellis about this and he explained that contract work is seasonal. The most difficult time to find work is during the winter, as Penny was trying to do. “Most graduates won’t get jobs until the season starts in September or October.” Penny ended up temp labouring. The majority of this casual work was truck deliveries as Penny had gain her Class 2 heavy licence even before doing the polytech course. Penny temp’d for six months before she was offered fulltime employment. “I have been with Dempsey for a year now. I enjoy the job, but it is physically very hard. The signage, sandbags and cone stacks can be heavy and, when you have a big site to lay out, it’s quite demanding. “Then you need ‘maturity’ to handle aspects of traffic mangement where the situation can change very quickly, and you have to find quick solutions for problems that come up. There’s no time to plan. And every site is different.” What sort of situations? “The public are unpredictable. You are forever watching and scanning the situation because it is unbelievable the number of people who disregard signage and their own safety. We can’t force them to do anything, so we have to explain the risks they are letting themselves into as politely as we can. If anyone gets hurt – it’s me that is responsible.” Site traffic safety is audited by Auckland Transport, says Penny. “And we get demerit points taken off our STM ticket for 34 NOVEMBER 2014
any issues between the public and contractors on site.” Does it make a difference being a female STMS? “Yes we females tend to handle things a bit differently and with more subtly than the guys.” Despite the cones, the signs, the barriers, and the hi-vis gear, Penny says she has experienced “many near-misses” with drivers. “Speed is the problem. We put out temporary speed signs, but it makes no difference to some drivers.” Road working sites are not routinely checked by the Police, unless there is an accident. In Auckland the city’s transport division is repsonsible for policing road works. At the time of Contractor’s visit, the weather was absolutely foul yet in a few months into the summer Auckland will be sweltering. It must be tough? “On Dempsey’s civil sites we are allowed to wear short sleeve shirts and shorts. During the summer we sub contract to Visionstream on the ‘ultra-fast-broadband’ project. Their’s are full [clothing] coverage sites. So summer time gets very hot.” Penny says work hours are flexible on the job and she gets paid by the hour. “During the winter months the weather dictates the working day and during summer it is six days a week. Mum still helps out with the youngest child who is dropped off with Nana to be taken to school.” What’s your advice for people thinking of doing the basic skills course at Tai Poutini Polytechnic? “Do it – there are a lot of skills they will pick up that I now see useful on a working site.” The last time we talked you were eyeing up employment opportunities in Australia? “I am thinking about going later next winter, when my student loan is paid off, and pick up a job in site traffic management in Melbourne. I get regular emails about jobs over there from job sites that fit my profile and traffic controllers are on A$25 an hours plus penal rates, and I am more experienced than a TC. “I also have a brother in Melbourne who is building a house in Ballarat and I can rent his house in Melbourne. “I already know the money is good over there. I have done struggling in New Zealand and working 60 hours a week. I don’t want to go, and if the same opportunities for bettering yourself were aviable in New Zealand, I would stay. “But it is hard being a single mother and without the help of my Mother I just couldn’t afford the care my children need.”
“ Our Leica Machine Control systems
have reduced our project times by at least 1.5 months. The finishing quality is second-to-none and we plan on sticking with Global Survey machine control without question.
“
Conal Dempsey Managing Director Dempsey Wood Civil Ltd
t
Contact us now for advice on a machine control solution to suit your needs: 0800 4 LEICA WWW.GLOBALSURVEY.CO.NZ
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
On yer bike A recently opened cycle link in Auckland city is innovative, smart and already a hit with the local biking community. BY MARY BELL.
CONTRACTORS DON’T REALLY have a reputation as road cyclists but if you have ever ventured forth on your bike in Auckland you’ll know exactly how much of a health hazard that particular sport can be. Fortunately, for those that do, both central and local government have been pouring a fair bit of money into growing the city’s cycleways, improving the safety, speed and comfort of travelling across the city by bike. Three interconnected projects are the Transport Agency’s Grafton Gully cycleway, Auckland Transport’s Beach Road cycleway and Auckland Council’s shared pedestrian/ cycle pathway on Upper Queen Street. The projects recently reached a significant milestone with the opening of a 2.7 kilometre-long link in early September, which gives people better access between the Northwestern cycleway and the city’s CBD, universities and waterfront. The Northwestern cycleway is one of the most popular in Auckland, with over 700 people using it each day. About nine kilometres long, and roughly following the Northwestern motorway, the route runs from Te Atatu to the western edge of the CBD. The Grafton Gully extension adds another 1.9 kilometres to this cycle path and connects to the 1.5 kilometre-long Beach Road cycleway, which incorporates a 630-metre long, three-metre-wide, two-way separated cycleway.
36 NOVEMBER 2014
NOVEMBER 2014 37
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
Construction on the dedicated two-way separated cycleway along Beach Road will keep bikes away from other traffic on this busy, downtown road.
Thanks to cycle-activated lights, bikes can now exit the Northwestern cycleway and cross the city from the top of Upper Queen Street to reach the new Grafton cycleway beside the motorway. They can then ride all the way through Grafton Gully and either exit at Wellesley Street for the university and downtown or carry on via the Beach Road cycleway until they reach the cycle lane on the waterfront. The two-way, separated cycleway on Beach Road means that, rather than having a cycle lane on both sides of the road, bikes can travel in either direction on the route. The cyclists are kept physically separated from traffic by the use of 800mm-wide raised kerbs. “I am a regular cyclist down Beach Road so can confirm how much of a difference this has made,” says Luke Christensen on www.transportblog.co.nz. “Previously cycling down Beach Road was a mad, adrenaline filled rush competing with fast cars, trucks and avoiding car doors. Now it is how cycling should be.” At Te Taou Crescent the cycleway crosses from the south to the north side of Beach Road with newly installed, cyclist-activated traffic lights allowing bikes to cross the intersection diagonally. Other features of the path include cycle-friendly storm water grates, and painted and stencilled markings to promote safety and awareness. 38 NOVEMBER 2014
For bikers on the country’s first two-way cycleway, the usual road rules apply – users are to keep left and to pass on the right. Motorists are unable to drive, park or stop in the cycleway and face fines if they do. Auckland Transport community transport manager, Matthew Rednall, says the particular challenge of this project was its location as a busy arterial in downtown Auckland. Beach Road accommodates traffic, pedestrians and people on bikes moving to and from the city, the Port and the waterfront. “A meticulous construction timetable incorporated scheduled works to be carried out by Vector in the area, roading upgrades and landscaping,” Matthew told Contractor. “The original construction deadline was brought forward to coincide with the opening of the Upper Queen Street and Grafton Gully cycleways to provide a seamless route from the Northwestern cycleway to the Auckland waterfront.” Matthew says the contractors from Downers worked double shifts to complete all Beach Road Stage One works within a twomonth window. Downer also did some work on the Transport Agency’s portion of the link but the majority of this project was undertaken by Hawkins Construction, along with a number of subbies. The project was broken into five stages to allow it to be
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
Above left: As part of the project and adding pressure to the timetable, Vector took the opportunity to upgrade underground services in the area before the cycleway was completed. Right: The cycleway gets its final screed.
completed in time – it allowed some stages to be built while others were still being designed and consented. Stage 1 saw construction of the cycleway from Alten Road to Grafton Road. The particular challenge here was to design an acceptable design grade as the two roads have a level difference of 17.4 metres over less than 300 metres. Stage 2 was from Alten Road to near Beach Road via Churchill Street. This is the tie-in work with Auckland Transport’s Beach Road cycleway. Stage 3 was built alongside the live motorway (SH1 and SH16) from Wellesley Street East to Upper Queen Street. Extensive tree and vegetation clearance happened during night-time lane closures on the motorway. Crib walls were used extensively for permanent retaining structures along the majority of the 1.3 kilometre cycleway and several hundred metres of timber retaining walls were used at the northern end of the route. A range of bespoke and standard fencing was installed along the cycleway. Stage 4, was from Grafton Road to Wellesley Street East including an underpass under Wellesley Street, which has five lanes of traffic at this point. A fundamental design requirement was to keep Wellesley Street East open to traffic throughout construction of the underpass – it needed to be simple and quick to build to minimise the time that traffic would be disrupted. So a single span bridge with piled, and spill-through abutments were
The Grafton cycleway under construction alongside SH1 South. 40 NOVEMBER 2014
chosen. Once the deck was in place and the underpass open to traffic, the cycle track could be excavated beneath the deck. The design of the underpass incorporated as many precast components as possible to speed up construction. Four 40 tonne, fully precast, capping beam sections were installed. Hollow-core precast beams with a topping slab were used to form the bridge span, and precast walls with pre-connected steel columns were plunged into bored piles for the wing walls enabling quick installation during lane closures. Stage 5, the Upper Queen Street connection, connects the Grafton Gully cycleway to the existing Ian McKinnon Road cycleway. The Upper Queen Street bridge had issues in terms of the additional loading being placed on it, and it was a challenge to be able to design the cycle path to meet the objectives of the council. The project also incorporated fencing, barriers and bollards, storm water and subsoil drainage, landscaping, stencil and sandblasting artwork, lighting, traffic signals and line marking. It seems all the hard work has been worth it. On www. tansportblog.co.nz Matt Lowrie writes, “From a quality perspective these two projects do feel like a step or two above anything else we have which is great to see. I think [the Grafton Cycleway] and Beach Road are going to represent an important turning point in the development of cycling in Auckland and people are going to demand this level of comfort in future cycling projects.”
CONTRACTOR HISTORIC
An electrifying leap of faith
42 NOVEMBER 2014
At its completion in 1965, Lake Benmore was immediately hailed as a landmark piece of civil engineering and construction – for its height, capacity and contribution to the country’s electricity needs. These overshadowed a far more innovative feature – the concrete penstocks fitted to its power station. LAWRENCE SCHÄFFLER reports.
OWNED BY MERIDIAN ENERGY, Lake Benmore’s power station produces some 540MW and is our second biggest hydro-electric plant after Manapouri. When the project began in 1958 it was the biggest construction job ever attempted in the country and, filled to its 12.5 million cubic metre capacity, it became the Southern Hemisphere’s largest earth-fill dam. It remains our largest earth dam and, at 118 metres to its crest, our highest. The electricity generated by the power station’s six 90MW turbines plays a major role in delivering power to the North Island via the high voltage direct current link. Less well-known is that the new power station also notched up an international milestone: its penstocks were the first in the world to be built in prestressed concrete rather than the more traditional steel solution. This step was particularly noteworthy considering that prestressed concrete was a relatively unknown technology at the time – internationally – and in this country certainly, a fledging, untried concept.
Not for nothing was the Ministry of Works’ (MOW) design team’s courage in committing to the concrete penstocks often described as a “radical, blind leap of faith”.
Steel penstocks Prior to Benmore, all of the previously built hydro power stations on the Waikato and Clutha rivers used conventional short, steel penstocks passing through a concrete dam into the power house below. The penstocks (prefabricated steel rings about 5.5 metres in diameter) were assembled on site, and lowered into positon from a “flying fox” cableway. But Benmore presented unusual factors and, coupled with New Zealand’s delicate economy in the early 60s, these demanded a different solution. For a start, the power station’s design required much longer penstocks (six of them, 5.3 metres in diameter and 130 metres in length) laid along a rock spur on a 35o slope. The static head would be double that of the existing hydro stations. While awkward topography eliminated the
The penstocks at Benmore Power Station were the first in the world to be built in prestressed concrete rather than the more traditional steel solution. Prestressed concrete was a relatively unknown technology at the time – internationally – and in this country certainly, a fledging, untried concept.
NOVEMBER 2014 43
CONTRACTOR HISTORIC
Above: Early Benmore. The six penstocks were created from 318 precast units, each 2.4 metres long, 5.3 metres in diameter and weighing 57 tonnes. Their wall thickness would be 450mm. A special mortar for the joints between the units was developed. Oppostie page: Benmore in 2006.
possibility of erecting an aerial cableway over the penstock area, accessing large amounts of high-tensile steel would also be difficult. It would have to be imported and, with the government nursing a volatile foreign exchange equation, the cost would leave a substantial dent in the Overseas Fund. Furthermore, the cost of welding large quantities of mild plate (up to 65mm thick) or 35mm high-tensile plate would be significant, and it came with an additional risk: the possibility of the project being delayed through industrial action by the then-active Boilermakers Union. Collectively, these considerations prompted the MOW to explore a novel alternative – build the penstocks in prestressed concrete.
The design Having decided on the concrete approach, the Ministry decided (in August 1959) to invite a French prestressing expert – Yves Guyon of the highly-regarded STUP – to New Zealand to help with the design. STUP – the Société Technique pour l’Utilisation de la Précontrainte (technical corporation for the utilisation of prestressed concrete) – was established in Paris at the end of WWII to promote prestressed concrete 44 NOVEMBER 2014
and other inventions of the renowned French engineer, Eugene Freyssinet. The design provided for a normal operating pressure of 900kPa and a maximum working pressure (water-hammer) of 1200kPa. The six penstocks would be created from 318 precast units, each 2.4 metres long, 5.3 metres in diameter and weighing 57 tonnes. Their wall thickness would be 450mm. A special mortar for the joints between the units was developed. Given the project’s uncharted nature, the design team prudently decided to first carry out extensive tests on a section of full-size units. This saw two precast units joined with the new mortar and tested under pressure over a two-month period. Under pressures varying from 2000kPa to normal the tests continued for several weeks – with no signs of failure. Green for go.
Casting the units Because of the awkward terrain, the construction crews opted to mix the aggregate on site rather than bring it in by truck from further afield. With typical Kiwi resourcefulness they acquired a third-hand concrete batching plant sourced from the US Navy. It had been used for the rebuilding of Pearl Harbor following the 1941 “day of infamy” Japanese bombing attack.
With typical Kiwi resourcefulness they acquired a third-hand concrete batching plant sourced from the US Navy. It had been used for the rebuilding of Pearl Harbor following the 1941 “day of infamy� Japanese bombing attack.
Partnership with people who care We are dedicated to help you succeed! With BBA pumps we can offer you the lowest cost of ownership through high efficiencies, minimal maintenance and unparalleled reliability!
www.primepump.co.nz
Call Now 0800 482 747 +64 3 768 9140 info@primepump.co.nz
Solid Pumping Performance NOVEMBER 2014 45
CONTRACTOR HISTORIC
Benmore being constructed in the 1950s. Because of the awkward terrain, the construction crews opted to mix the aggregate on site rather than bring it in by truck from further afield.
46 NOVEMBER 2014
A 37.8 metre-high concrete spillway, 119 metres long, was constructed to hold the penstocks which were cast in place – in itself a fairly unusual technique for the time. Water flows over the spillway at some 50km/h and reaches 120km/h by the time it arrives at the deflector plates at the bottom. At the foot of a rock spur stood the 152 metrelong turbine building. It was equipped with six Canadian-manufactured 90MW generators – and on January 14, 1965 they rumbled into action for
the first time. The vision and courage of the MOW design team in opting for the concrete penstocks was recognised by the international engineering community. The project featured in the American Concrete Institute publication – Concrete: A Pictorial Celebration – published in 2004 to commemorate the Institute’s Centennial. It remains one of only two New Zealand entries ever featured in this august publication.
SEPTEMB
NEW Z
R G INDUST NTRACTIN CIVIL CO EALAND’S
IN Y MAGAZ
$8.95 ER 2014
E
NEW ZEALAND’S CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE NEW ZE ALAND ’
re with
easu Waste into tr
ad CAT wheel lo
ers
OCTOBER 2014 $8.95 S CIVIL CONTR
ACTING
INDUST
RY MAG AZ
INE NOVEM
BER 20 14 $8. 95
MINING RYING & AND QUAR NEW ZEAL 2014 | June - July ING - No 3 | & MIN RYING QUAR LAND EA Z 5 .9 NEW | $8 2014
$8.95
Volume 11
Volum
e 11 -
| April
No 2
- May
K- S E R I E S W SCALE RULE H E E L Ease-of-use, world class technology and huge L O nsurpass cisio–ntheuWirtgen reservesdofepower W210 ed performA D E RS ance fro ening
torua rage from Ro project nference cove ter tion born – co ovative Canterbury wa cia so as w ne inn A out to open t pasture – an Making swee allenging first phase is ab nsland ch from Quee AMETI – the wrong – lesso esns ci n go e INSIDE: ci INSID hit When PPPs s effi
INSIDE:
cre em E: rAiDegPTohrtetwr Gsrooupwbrisng Athroading “first” promisesHY toND boost roles in Gisborne e ll h S a pisubbies’ e t B pe w g dreaof th e y n N m moving houses Warwick Johnson reflects on his years b i He d av e y Ha60 ulage co that came true CZAR Mak 31 suppli value ck, yo you tru Lokotra from hard know the lutions offer n. With – erators Top op r contracting so iable operatio feed material backed Ou e of track is and rel plants. t any typ d every Loko lid. products ou d ab t en An jus s. rock so quality to crush molition debri pport. Simply om ed r su d de the fre ycling an and distributo rec to rock -how ’s know ico.co.nz by Metso w.mim uction
Page A4
Crushers
ment June
Advertise
ont.indd
W -MupAD t of an Ot TO NO HAiliNngDthe developmen HERE trouble of Pr Y –panyW’s climb out of G R E EN d com SOLIDthe state-owne ag
Catching
0 806 464
land 080
-July.indd
pm 2:10 p.m. 14 :03 2:55 13/0 115/20 12/07/20
ww dconstr 806 464, iningan e 0800 o.com/m MIMICO. Phon w.mets ntact Metso ww ormation co re inf For mo 1 .indd
m the US
3:12 pm
Cover_Upfr
22/05/14
tributor
Our dis New Zea
21/08/14
Y nfer work On yer bike and hard encebrings highligrewards TURSEAFET fetyMWN Civil – 10 years of enthusiasm – coun htfirsts s THEE FU ls go of world history a ci number Benm NtheE197Wck0sground in mine sa Concrete bridges span our ore – awith BACKVSITO milestone mad with cycleway ba AN OjecTst echexHteoes R c’sG Tpro Y TE nsive RocteN R VE in s T Y our concre RUN I ST K U ns hi D L O ai IN A pl e te C T Forster ex FILING AN sIatNwoErk andophom history n eratio ker st Tony PRO o schi ? with Ru EsseINll VicW es The lat A3
dvik Q
A San
e ning lid valu tso’s mobile crushitying, higanhd cascrpaeecity, Rock so of Me u have e mobil
e Full 1azin ng Mag Mini.indd andug11 rryingM_A QuaNZQ NZ lue_ 22aidVa MT3kSol Roc
ulated t Bell artic 1
en a big
be Price has
m Cable
ck fro dump tru
Cover_Upfront.indd 1
Cover_U
6:37 am
OCTOBER 2014 1
pfront.in
dd 1
22/09/14 4:13 pm
NOVEMBER
2
ction June
Coverse
Upda
ting
2014 1
22/10/14
6:23 pm
2014
Purchase an annual subscription to CONTRACTOR for only $79 (incl GST and post within NZ) and you’ll get CONTRACTOR every month (except January) and Q&M every other month.
Fill in your details below and either post or fax this form to: Contrafed Publishing Co Ltd, PO Box 112 357, Penrose, Auckland 1642 Fax 09 636 5716, or scan it to admin@contrafed.co.nz or simply call us: 09 636 5715 Name .............................................................................................. Company name............................................................................... Address..........................................................................................................................................Postcode........................................... Phone ............................................................................................. Email.............................................................................................. I would like
l
subscription(s)
CONTRACTOR NOVEMBER 2014
Amount paid......................................... (An annual subscription is $79 including postage)
l MasterCard l Visa l I wish to pay by cheque l Direct credit into 02-1269-0018670-00
Card no:
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
Name on card....................................................................................
_ _ _ _
Expiry
_ _ / _ _ www.contrafed.co.nz
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
WATCH IT
AROUND THOSE NEW LINES Auckland’s new electric rail infrastructure brings a more efficient service to commuters, but the new 24kV AC overhead power lines are also safety risks to contractors working near the rail corridor. LAWRENCE SCHAFFLER reports.
AUCKLAND’S RAIL NETWORK ELECTRIFICATION SECTIONS ENERGISED
Contractors working on new signalling plant.
48 NOVEMBER 2014
SOME SEVEN YEARS AFTER it began, the $600 million Auckland Electrification Project (AEP) was completed in September this year. Designed to improve the lives of rail commuters around Auckland (particularly with a faster, more frequent service), the electrified network now extends from Papakura in the south to Swanson in the west, and includes the Onehunga Branch Line and Manukau Rail Link. Building it involved a significant upgrade to the rail corridor itself – the installation of 3500 foundations and masts carrying 560 kilometres of overhead lines across 175 kilometres of railway track. It also required the rebuilding of several road bridges across the tracks to allow room for the new power lines underneath. Other infrastructure upgrades included new signalling and improvements to network technology. Urban design was also factored into the project – sleek conductor beams in Britomart (rather than overhead wires) minimise clutter inside this character building, and overbridges are fitted with unobtrusive safety barriers. Both mitigate the impact of new infrastructure. Specifically formed for the project, the Hilor consortium carried out the construction. It was led by Hawkins and the Australian company Laing O’Rourke, with Fulton Hogan, Seimens and others involved at a sub-contractor level. A fundamental
feature of the project was that the vast majority of work had to be tackled without disruption to the rail network. This meant night shifts and weekend work predominantly. The first of the trains (purchased from Spain) began running in April this year on the Onehunga Line – the entire complement of 57 trains is expected to be operational by July next year. Replacing Auckland’s diesel commuter rail fleet, each train comprises three cars carrying up to 232 seated passengers. Maximum operating speed is 110km/hr, though the average operating speed will be less. Energy efficiency benefits derive from each train being quipped with regenerative braking. This sees energy produced by the train being fed back into the 25kV supply – a recovery of up to 20 percent of the energy used.
Safety issues Electric trains are also much quieter than their diesel-powered predecessors – an important consideration, says KiwiRail, for people using level crossings or those living and working near the rail network. Contracting crews, in particular, need be stay alert when working near the rail corridor. The introduction of overhead power lines has resulted in height restrictions for some road users at level crossings (there are 31
NOVEMBER 2014 49
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
level crossings within the newly-electrified Auckland area). At most level crossings the height restriction is five metres, but 11 have a reduced height restriction of 4.25 metres. New roadside signs warn drivers about the power lines and display the height restriction at such level crossings. Note that the electricity flowing through the overhead wires (24kV AC) can “arc” or “jump” to anything that gets too close to it. This can be exacerbated by stray steam or water (often prevalent when waterblasting).
Pre-planning Anyone planning to undertake building, construction or maintenance activity alongside the rail corridor (within 10 metres of the railway tracks and their overhead wires) should contact KiwiRail. They may require a special permit. Call 0800 801 070 or email kiwirail@kiwirail.co.nz to find out how the work can be done safely. Road users wanting to cross a level crossing with loads higher than the sign-posted clearances will need to obtain written permission from KiwiRail. This can be obtained by contacting KiwiRail Operations Support desk on 04 474 2323 or email crossingpermits@kiwirail.co.nz KiwiRail will carry out regular inspections of the rail corridor to ensure no vegetation is growing too close to the wires. People living next to the newly-electrified rail corridor are advised to maintain a minimum distance of four metres from the wires at all times. They should be mindful of the proximity to wires when moving tall objects such as ladders and poles near their boundary. The company has also taken significant steps to improve the safety surrounding the new trains themselves – newlyinstalled technology provides greater levels of automation and communications across the network. An automated signalling system, for example, allows bidirectional operation and Automatic Route Setting, which enables Train Control to optimise train movements around the network and minimise delays to services. In addition, an automatic override train protection system activates if drivers are travelling too fast towards red lights or exceed the speed limits incorporated into the network. Further safety measures include a SCADA control system and an upgrade to KiwiRail’s Traction Control Centre in Wellington.
50 NOVEMBER 2014
Innovations from rail electrification Never before has there been such a green-field opportunity for contractors as when the Government decided to electrify Auckland’s rail transport. The old system was so antiquated that electrification of Auckland’s rail network involved starting again and involved a new automated signalling system, among other serious upgrades. The job went to Siemens. The Auckland Electrification Project (AEP) started in 2009 (funded by the NZ government and managed by KiwiRail) and was commissioned in June 2012. Some of the trains, made in Spain, are still coming. While some innovations came from more advanced rail systems as in Australia, some ‘solutions’ were unique. One of these was a very clever signal masthead design that has been adopted around the world in sites that need traffic controls and lighting. The problem was – servicing and maintenance at height is now controlled by a host of new regulations regarding working at heights, safety rails and qualifications, which pushed the cost of servicing the new signalling system ‘Siemens put its worldwide engineering resources to the challenge and came up with an answer – a ‘folding’ mast signal post design that can be lowered to waist height, so doing away with the traditional fixed post and ladder arrangement. By being able to service the top of the signal on the ground, the design removed the complications to meet current and future ‘working at heights’ legislation, and the need for costly overhead electrification faraday protection cages for each signal structure.
VOLVO HOSE SERVICE GENUINE VOLVO HOSES – THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOUR MACHINE. At our brand new In house Volvo Hose Service Centre, we are now assembling Genuine Volvo hoses. Every hose is fully tested in house and comes with a Volvo parts warranty. Trust your Volvo dealer to deliver the right choice of hose, giving you the quality, reliability and warranty your machine and business demands.
www.transdiesel.com / 0800 848 267
Volvo Construction Equipment
CONTRACTOR NZRMCA AWARDS
Concrete Association Awards
IMAGES: REFINING NZ
The 2014 NZ Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NZRMCA) Awards were presented recently at the association’s conference held at Wairakei Resort.
THIS YEAR’S EVENT held particular significance as the wider concrete industry had come together to celebrate 50 years of activity across various associations. The evening’s formalities included the Plant Audit Scheme Supreme Award, an Outstanding Achievement Award, as well as the Technical Excellence and Extra Distance Awards. As has become customary, the judges had to select from a range of exceptional projects and initiatives that embodied the knowledge and resolve of those who work in the ready mixed concrete industry.
Outstanding Achievement Award WINNER: Allied Concrete, Atlas Concrete and Firth Industries – Marsden Point Oil Refinery CCR Platformer Pour. Every so often a project is undertaken that is worthy of special recognition. The Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (or CCR) platformer pour at Marsden Point Oil Refinery, with its incredible technical and logistical challenges, is one such project. Over a 16-hour period, a convoy of 60 concrete trucks delivered 550 separate loads (2746 cubic metres of concrete) to form the base for Refining NZ’s $365 million CCR platformer. The pour – believed to be one of the largest single-day offsite batched concrete pours in the country – started at 3:30am on a Saturday morning and continued through until 9:00pm at night. Concrete truck deliveries were required from five batch plants owned by Allied Concrete (pour project manager), Atlas Concrete and Firth Industries across Whangarei and Ruakaka. 52 NOVEMBER 2014
At any one time there were 15-20 trucks on the refinery site, with a truck delivery to the concrete pour about every 90 seconds. United Civil Construction oversaw the undertaking with assistance from the three NZRMCA members, along with Golden Bay Cement, Winstones, Marsden Industrial Solutions (formerly MPCL), Stan Semenoff Sand Supplies, Opus Laboratories and Sika (concrete admixtures). Special assistance was provided by the NZ Police and the NZTA. Judges’ Comment: The judges felt that the successful delivery of this project without quality, mechanical or health and safety incident was a tribute to the professionalism of all those involved, as well as a demonstration to the wider construction industry that ready mixed concrete companies can work co-operatively to overcome technical and logistical challenges on behalf of the client.
Plant Audit Scheme Supreme Award WINNER: Allied Concrete - Rotorua Plant Quality control was the primary reason for the establishment of NZRMCA and the development of the Plant Audit Scheme many decades ago. The independent scheme remains the cornerstone of the association. The judging criteria for this award acknowledge consistently high performance over an extended period of time. In producing large quantities of concrete to a reliably high quality across a number of years, Allied Concrete’s Rotorua
plant has demonstrated continuing excellence in performing to NZS3104 Specification for Concrete Production. Judges’ Comment: The judges highlighted the fact that this plant had received Excellence Awards in each of the last five years, which is indicative of the attention to detail shown by the concrete production management team. The plant is an example to all other ready mixed concrete producers across New Zealand.
Technical Excellence Award WINNER: Firth Industries Ribraft® TC3 Foundation Solution In April 2012 MBIE produced guidelines outlining the parameters and design cases that need to be allowed for when dealing with Technical Category 3 land in Christchurch. TC3 is the land identified as being susceptible to liquefaction in an earthquake, but still able to be built upon. The solution developed by Firth Industries to satisfy MBIE requirements evolved from the existing range of Ribraft solutions. The system is called Ribraft® TC3, which incorporates RaftJacks™ throughout the slab. Following a settlement inducing earthquake, RaftJacks are activated using a hand-held tool, raising the top foundation slab and entire house to the level position. Due to the strength and stiffness of the Ribraft system, development to make it easy to be re-levelled was a quick process. This involved real-world trials of the crucial RaftJacks™, the construction of a near fullscale house floor/foundation slab, and the completion of a design manual. The fast tracked development programme by Firth Industries’ for the Ribraft® TC3 solution has ensured concrete remains an effective solution for residential floors in Christchurch. Judges’ Comment: The judges wanted to acknowledge Firth Industries’ ability to react swiftly in engineering an innovative solution that met an immediate problem. From a wider perspective Ribraft® TC3 demonstrates that the concrete industry has the technical and design capability to quickly adapt its products and ensure home builders, even on TC3 land, continue to enjoy the benefits of New Zealand’s most popular residential foundation material. NOVEMBER 2014 53
CONTRACTOR NZRMCA AWARDS
Technical Excellence Award Highly commended
Holcim Concrete – Architectural Façade at 27 Nugent Street, Auckland Under the oversight of Dominion Constructors, the unappealing street frontage of this Auckland site is in the process of being rejuvenated through a series of polygon shaped openings in the façade, achieved through the use of the Voronoi Tessallation formwork system. Due to the unique architectural design, it was necessary to have a concrete mix that could flow inside closed formwork, as well as have the ability to cover the congested reinforcing. As standard concrete was not a feasible solution, Holcim Concrete developed an innovative mix to meet the unique requirements. The specially designed concrete was placed in the formwork using two pumps, with the flow of the concrete controlled by valves at the base of the pour. These enabled the concrete to be pushed from the bottom up, to ultimately achieve the look desired by the architect (Jasmax, Auckland) and client (Aspect Furniture). Judges’ Comment: The judges noted that the technical challenges overcome by Holcim Concrete were complex in designing a mix that would flow easily into the confined spaces of the elaborate formwork, without segregating, and without requiring vibration. A willingness to “step-up” and help realise the innovative design concept of the architect and client is a testament to Holcim Concrete’s confidence and expertise in pushing the boundaries of mix design.
Extra Distance Award WINNER: Allied Concrete – EPD for Ready Mixed Concrete Using Holcim Manufactured Cement Placing a premium on its sustainability programme, Allied Concrete applied for an Environmental Product Declaration (or EPD) in 2014 based on analysis of its 2013 production.
54 NOVEMBER 2014
Using the latest Life Cycle Assessment tools courtesy of Holcim’s (NZ) membership of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, a huge data collection process was undertaken across energy and material inputs for a range of concrete strengths. The system boundary declared in the EPD covers raw material supply, transport and manufacturing up to the batching plant gate. The declared unit is one cubic metre of pump and standard grade concrete from 17.5 to 50 MPa produced in accordance to NZS 3104. The data collection process took 10 months to complete, with BRANZ managing document preparation, and Studio Fieschi & Soci of Italy as EPD verifier. The completion of possibly the first EPD in Australasia for ready mixed concrete has enabled Allied Concrete to benchmark its environmental performance and examine potential efficiencies. Judges’ Comment: The judges were impressed by the courage shown by Allied Concrete in obtaining an EPD and in so doing leading the way forward on behalf of the concrete industry. Not only was the time and resource expended significant, but the foresight in openly acknowledging the environmental impact of their product to accurately assess efficiencies is very responsible.
CAT HAMMERS ®
NO DEPOSIT & NO INTEREST for 36 Months. From $9.50 per day!* Available on Cat Hammers for a 1.5t - 25t machine.
Talk to your local Territory Sales Manager today for more information. *Terms & Conditions Apply YOUR GOUGH CAT TERRITORY SALES MANAGERS Northland & Auckland North Chris Wilson 021 682 403
East Cape, Hawkes Bay & Wairarapa Paul Roche 029 271 7895
Auckland South Poovan Naidoo 021 860 443
Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Chris Jones 029 200 8382
Waikato & Coromandel James West 029 299 8909
Christchurch City Nick Worthington 021 979 826
Rotorua & Bay of Plenty Shayne Kennedy 029 200 7270
Canterbury James Lundy 029 208 0423
Central North Island Shayne Kennedy 029 200 7270
Otago & Southland Brent Duncan 029 222 4682
Taranaki, Manawatu & Wellington Carl Southee 021 981 850 Branches From Whangarei To Invercargill | 0800 93 39 39 | www.GoughCat.co.nz
BUILT FOR IT.
™
CONTRACTOR HEALTH & SAFETY
TOWARDS A
DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE Dr Wayne Severn of Scenttech drug detector services discusses ways of turning your business into a drug-free workplace.
56 NOVEMBER 2014
ALL WORKPLACES MUST comply with the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. This requires employers to take all practicable steps to identify and manage hazards in their workplaces. Under this act, a hazard is defined as: (1) An activity, arrangement, circumstance, event, occurrence, phenomenon, process, situation, or substance (whether arising or caused within or outside a place of work) that is an actual or potential cause or source of harm; and (2) a situation where a person’s behaviour may be an actual or potential cause or source of harm to the person or another person; and without limitation, a situation described in subparagraph (1) resulting from physical or mental fatigue, drugs, alcohol, traumatic shock, or another temporary condition that affects a person’s behaviour. This means that drug and alcohol use, even if consumed outside work hours, becomes an occupational health and safety issue if a worker’s ability to exercise judgement, coordination, or alertness in the workplace is impaired and leads to an increased risk of injury or incidents involving themselves or others. All too often it is the small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that fail to adhere to health and safety legislation. By not implementing a drug-free workplace policy, these businesses become the “employer-of-choice” for drug users wishing to evade detection. International studies indicate that, among the full-time workforce, SMEs employ over six times as many illicit drug users as large businesses. The reasons for this are many and varied but inevitably centre on the misconceptions that drug testing is “too expensive” or “not necessary because I know all of my workers”. However, many drug users are adept at hiding their drug habits and they easily sail through interviews and background checks. For the SME, the drug testing return on investment is even more meaningful. Proportionally, the cost of just one drug or alcohol related incident can have a greater impact on a small business than on a large business. In some instances a single event will devastate a small business both financially and by loss of reputation. Establishing a drug-free workplace is neither costly nor time consuming, if done correctly. An effective drug-free programme is workplace specific and will vary according to the requirements of a particular business. However, they will all include at least two of the following basic components: DETECTION – the location of illicit drugs in the workplace or the determination of recent drug use. These procedures are most
...drug and alcohol use, even if consumed outside work hours, becomes an occupational health and safety issue if a worker’s ability to exercise judgement, coordination, or alertness in the workplace is impaired and leads to an increased risk of injury or incidents... commonly performed by drug detection dogs. A well-trained and validated detection dog can effectively screen all your staff for recent drug use and drug possession. Furthermore, these searches are non-intrusive, non-confrontational and require no participation on behalf of the employee (no loss of employee time). This method lends itself to businesses with large areas to search, particularly factories, warehouses and building sites. TESTING – this involves the detection of drug use by employees or job candidates. There are a variety of methods available for drug testing in the workplace, each having different drug detection times. In general, the detection time is longest in hair analysis (90 days or longer), followed by urine (1.5 hours to seven days or longer) and saliva (0.25 to 24 hours). Urine and oral fluid testing are required to be performed under Standards AS/NZS 4308:2008 and AS4760:2006, respectively. Urine is the most commonly used sample to determine drug use. It detects the use of a drug within the period of the past few weeks; however, a positive test does not necessarily mean that the individual was impaired at the time of testing. This has raised privacy issues as the employer does not have the right to investigate non-work related activities. New generation saliva (oral fluid) testing devices have recently become available in New Zealand. Saliva testing is a good way of detecting recent drug use and it is more likely to reflect current impairment than other workplace testing methods. Saliva collection can also be performed under direct observation, thus reducing the risk of sample adulteration and substitution. For these reasons, this procedure is gaining popularity with employers as well as with the Employment
Court, the Police, and with the unions. DETERRENT – a programme of scheduled drug detection or testing visits to your workplace will provide a strong deterrent to the use of drugs and it will discourage drug users viewing your business as a safe haven. The visit by a drug detection dog(s) is a cost-effective way of reinforcing the drug-free message in your workplace. EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION – providing educational information to your staff allows them to make an ‘informed decision’ on the consequences of drug use. A rehabilitation programme may include both education and counselling. These are particularly effective ways of increasing the likelihood that an employee will comply with the company’s alcohol and drug policy. If small and medium sized businesses do not want drug users to view their business as a safe haven, there are affordable detection and testing services that can be adapted to any business setting and budget. Scenttech works with small, medium, and large businesses, providing high quality drug and alcohol testing programmes using canine detection, urine testing and “state of the art” saliva (oral fluid) technologies. There is simply no reason to put your company’s hard-earned reputation at risk of damage from employees using drugs and alcohol in your workplace. • For more information contact Wayne Severn, operations manager Scenttech at wayne@Scenttech.co.nz, 021 808 962, or visit www.scenttech.co.nz.
NOVEMBER 2014 57
CONTRACTOR EMPLOYMENT
A woman’s aptitude for altitude At 21 years of age Johanna Hofmann is thought to be the youngest female portainer crane operator in the world and is one of a growing number of women taking on new roles at Ports of Auckland (POAL) as part of a recent push to tap into previously hidden talent.
CURIOUS ABOUT WHY it had so few women in its operational area, POAL − an Auckland City council controlled organisation – had aptitude-tested all its staff for crane driving. Many were surprised when it found its female staff were far more suited to the job than most males. Hoffmann tells us that she likes to push herself at work to learn new skills. “There’s always something you can do better and I like being better than my old self.” The sunrises and and sunsets from the top of the crane ain’t bad either. “And it’s a beautiful view even when it’s raining.” Hoffmann’s role is part of the reason why POAL was recently named as an Empowerment Award finalist at the ANZ Diversity Awards 2014, which is presented by the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust to recognise best workplace diversity initiatives. POAL started rethinking how it rewards and advances its people back in 2011 when a new chief executive and executive team were tasked with turning the organisation’s future around. At the heart of that change was leadership and renewed strategic direction; including recognising that diversity within the workforce is essential for growth and sustainability. Port and marine operations have always been male dominated, not just here but around the globe. POAL believes injecting more female perspectives into its workplace will significantly impact culture to gain competitive advantage. Traditionally, the very physical requirements of port work were male-dominated domains. Women tended to be in administrative and support roles rather than in operational or senior positions. When they did reach senior positions they were limited to corporate areas such as finance and communications. Before 2011 POAL had never employed a female executive. These days the need for physical strength at ports is reducing as technology advances. With this in mind, POAL identified a new set of core competencies for each job. 58 NOVEMBER 2014
[
“There’s always something you can do bettter and I like being better than my old self“
]
Statistical, logistical and problem-solving skills, with innovative and customer-focused thinking are now the key skills required. By previously overlooking women in the recruitment process, POAL realised it was reducing its potential choice of skilled workers by 50 percent. POAL addressed this skills gap by upgrading its recruitment, selection and progression processes, developing a new skills matrix and changing its career progression model to remove barriers to female roles such as straddle and crane driver. The organisation also looked at leadership, appointing people to management roles based on competency. Moving away from the traditional “tap on the shoulder” promotional systems, staff members were invited to apply for the newly-defined roles. As a result, POAL appointed three women into key management positions. POAL then set up a number of initiatives to support and nurture its new staff, inlcuding support groups for new female stevedores, co-working arrangements to provide mutual support in the initial stages of employment, and membership opportunities and links to external support groups. The company also addressed areas of unconscious bias and introduced flexible work contracts. Women are now represented at every level of the organisation, accounting for almost a quarter of management positions and half of identified high-potential staff. Twenty of them now work in POAL’s stevedoring area. While this is still a low percentage of the total stevedoring workforce, they have already made their presence felt and productivity has reportedly risen almost 50 percent over the past three years.
VERMEER EQUIPPED TO DO MORE
• Underground Drills • Brush Chippers
• Stump Grinders
• Skid Steer Loaders
• Vacuum Excavation • Trenchers
CONTACT:
EQUIPPED TO
DO MORE.
North Island: Graham Penniket 0272 878 869 South Island: Chris Smith 021 367 889
0800 30 30 90
www.abequipment.co.nz • Branches Nationwide
11561
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Seventy years in the making JEREMY SOLE, CEO, CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND
BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS you may have already seen the new branding for Civil Contractors New Zealand starting to emerge. This will be a gradual roll out to avoid having to spend large sums of member funds to promote the brand – but rest assured, the key stakeholders CCNZ wants to engage with and influence are a high priority for our targeted communications and will have a good understanding that Roading New Zealand and the Contractors Federation are now one body. The core operational organisation that underpins CCNZ has now been in existence for 70 years and through that time has been through several significant re-inventions and name changes, as you would expect. The current re-integration of the two industry bodies is just one more of those evolutionary steps and I’m sure there will be more over the decades as the organisation continues to adapt to better serve its members and function in its changing environment. This has always been a broad church organisation and it is fascinating to see the interactions between different interest groups and to negotiate through these in a way that best approximates everyone’s interests and the interests of the industry as a whole and those of our stakeholders. This will be an ongoing challenge as it is in any national membership organisation and is what makes these organisations so dynamic and challenging to run. So at the end of the 70th year members can continue to be proud about what the CCNZ constituent organisations have achieved. The list is extensive and many commentators will see the intense, high profile and ultimately successful Construct by Contract Campaign to be the finest hour. Others might point to the organisation’s initiative that culminated in the passing into law of the Construction Contracts Act as a high point in the 60 NOVEMBER 2014
history and the trophy board. There are many more but it can be difficult to draw a straight line through cause and effect with the organisation’s initiatives and the changes they stimulate, or sometimes even to join dots to show a relationship. However, another notable achievement has been in NZCF and RNZ together successfully lobbying the Minister of Transport to establish the Road Maintenance Task Force. This initiative resulted in a chain of events that has fundamentally transformed the state highways maintenance regime. Subsequently, the Task Force recommendations were to play a significant part in the thinking of the Minister of Local Government’s Local Government Infrastructure Expert Advisory Group, the recommendations of which are being implemented across the entire local government spectrum. Notably the reports from both of these groups have triggered the development of centres of excellence in asset management at Local Government NZ, the NZTA, and the local government engineering community, focused on procurement across roading and water assets all over the country. All of this work takes commitment and resources from a significant number of individuals and business owners who do this with either the backing of their coowners or directors or employers; and the cost of this to those individuals and their businesses can be incalculable. These are the people who ensure the industry functions in a fair and equitable manner and who ensure that contracting firms don’t get caught in the clutches of ‘drift net’ or ill-conceived legislation or regulations or flawed procurement practices and regimes. While this takes a lot of focus away from their day-today business operations, it also serves as a stimulus towards setting up their businesses and roles in a way that enables delegation and development of
their own people. This then releases them to have time and energy to understand the industry from a higher level – which in turn allows them to see, understand, and grasp emerging opportunities for the benefit of their own businesses. Thus engagement in any industry organisation has potential to create a virtuous cycle of increasing capability. It’s not everyone who has the willingness or indeed ability or time to develop this side of their business and it can be very frustrating when non-active members resign because they don’t see the value in membership. We’ve been aware of this dynamic for some time and we do recognise that some members just want to pay their fees and expect the work to be done for them, but again it is difficult to draw that cause/ effect line running from their membership through to the intangible benefits the organisation creates for them. Especially in the many instances when our early influence prevents inappropriate government or client interventions before they see the light of day. In respect of this, I recall a story in an introduction to Sun Tsu’s Art of War when an emperor was trying to find the greatest physician in the land. He was introduced to all the famous and high profile physicians and ended up securing the services of one who was only known in his own small village where the locals were free from illness. It transpired this physician could perceive and understand the factors that led to illness and was able to treat them before they manifested themselves. Over the period of the recent internal review and concurrent merger negotiations, we have developed a strong understanding of what is required to demonstrate value, reduce membership churn and increase participation; and the National Office team is looking forward to putting a solid structure around this and rolling it out once all the dust settles.
COMMENT CONTRACTOR
VDAM review’s potential for change JONATHAN BHANA-THOMSON, CEO, NZ HEAVY HAULAGE ASSOCIATION
IN THE TRANSPORT SECTOR we know the rules that determine what size trucks can carry what weight and size of load, and where and how they can travel as the VDAM Rule. It’s a critical piece of regulation, and sets the rules that could see the productivity of the transport sector be lifted by the review and reform of it. The reality is that not only does the Vehicle Dimension and Mass (VDAM) Rule affect the road transport sector, but for any vehicle over 3.5 tonne travelling on our roads, this Rule sets the requirements for what vehicles can be used for providing a service as part of many other industry sectors, including public transport, cranes and the agricultural sector. The Ministry of Transport and the Transport Agency have established a joint working group that gained approval from the then Associate Minister of Transport to proceed with a review of the VDAM Rule, which had been added to with HPMV Permits (High Productivity) since it first came into force 12 years ago, but has not had any substantial review in the years since.
Drivers for reform This association in particular has a number of enhancements that we would like to see to the Rule, partially driven by technology, but also by enforcement interpretations that we have been seeking in some cases for many years. The other identified drivers of change include: • a projected increase in freight and passenger transport demand; • innovation in vehicle technology, design and use; • changes in the management of roads; • Government commitment to more efficient regulation.
Aims of the reform The aims are to get better utilisation of the roading network. To achieve this aim, there is a need to balance commercial
road transport productivity with enhancing road safety and improving compliance – all while balancing the use and wear on the road, and infrastructure (including bridges) with all users of the road, and having the rules that are easy to comprehend and comply with.
Timeline The aim is to have a discussion document out to the public by the end of February 2015 with submissions analysed and compiled for the Government to consider and hopefully approve options for change by mid-August next year. The Heavy Haulage Association has been represented at meetings held so far to scope the project and identify early issues that need to be solved, and the early engagement in this project has been refreshing. While in previous projects there has been consultation, to be involved in the project at this stage, along with other stakeholders, has been pleasing to see.
Potential issues The normal maximum loading for a heavy vehicle has been 44 tonnes for many years, with other variations for different types of combinations. In the past couple of years the ability to issue High Productivity Vehicle Permits has been added, which has the potential to increase the productivity of a range of vehicles in the heavy fleet. This reform project has the ability to revisit some of these long established weight and dimensions for heavy vehicles, and all owners/users of these vehicles should engage with this project when it goes to public consultation early next year. Topics that are being explored include: • the overall legislative framework of the Land Transport Act as the VDAM Rule; • should the width of 2.5 metres for a standard vehicle be reviewed? • a review of the ways of specifying the axle weights and combination gross
weights so that there is standardisation and ease of comprehension; • improvements to the Permit processing structure; • flexibility of the permits currently issued; • a review of how NZTA exemptions are assessed and issued; • ways of improving compliance, both from operators as well as an enforcement regime that encourages observance of the rules; • better use of data within the transport system to enable better planning and provision; • accurate methods of weighing vehicles for compliance; • the utilisation of weigh-in-motion sites; • ensuring that penalties are a suitable deterrent to enhance compliance. In addition, the Heavy Haulage Association has a set of industry-specific issues that have been accumulated over the years that we want to see addressed. These include: • the introduction of electronic permitting and notification for overdimension loads; • clarification about the responsibility for compliance with permits; • options introduced for alternative signage systems; • re-evaluation of the definition of indivisible for overweight and overdimension loads; • enhancement of the training and licensing of load pilots; • the use of best practice guides to enhance operator compliance. This Association sees that there are likely to be other opportunities to get industry benefits, which we will be working with the reform team to identify and gain. We encourage members of industry associations to work with their industry groups to push for any changes to enhance the productivity and safety of their sectors.
NIOVEMBER 2014 61
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Spring brings allergies JANET BROTHERS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LIFE CARE CONSULTANTS
WITH SPRING IN THE AIR, so too are pollens, bees, wasps and other nasties for allergy sufferers, and the workplace is not immune. An allergy is an abnormal reaction of the body’s immune system to something which is not normally toxic. The most common allergens are nuts, pollen, shellfish, pet hair and eggs to name a few. Reactions to nut allergies are typically the most severe, resulting in the highest rates of anaphylactic shock compared to other types of allergies. The risk of these increases due to seemingly nut-free foods and beauty products – moisturiser (which often uses peanut oil) and chilli and stews (which can have peanut butter as a thickener). Even though more kids are affected by egg allergies, they are still a concern for 20 percent who take the reaction with them into adulthood. Eggs are often hidden in the sneakiest of places as well – including in immunisations, medications, anaesthetics, and baked goods. Shellfish allergies also typically develop later in life, unlike many others that are more prevalent in the young. Eczema, irritated nose – resulting in sneezing and runny nose and asthma cases have been increasing in New Zealand over the past decade. Many people lose a significant amount of time at work and productivity due to the chronic symptoms associated with their allergies. While these chronic allergies are not lifethreatening, they can significantly impact on quality of life. Some allergies such as food, insect stings and bites and medications can cause more serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. Anaphylactic reactions are not uncommon and may be increasing in prevalence. Teenagers and young adults are at increased risk of anaphylaxis due to some risk-taking behaviours, including not carrying their Epipen/Anapen at all times or not disclosing their allergy to employers or peers for fear of being seen as ‘different’ or interfering with their job opportunities. Approximately 90 percent of children and 80 percent of adults with asthma have the tendency to develop allergies. When they do, their allergic reactions tend to be more severe than an allergic person who does not have asthma.
Many people lose a significant amount of time at work and productivity due to the chronic symptoms associated with their allergies 62 NOVEMBER 2014
Mild to moderate allergic reaction signs and symptoms include: • swelling of lips, face, eyes; • hives or welts; • tingling mouth; • abdominal pain and/or vomiting. A person may have one, some, or all of these symptoms during an allergic reaction. Severe allergic reaction signs and symptoms such as anaphylaxis include: • difficult/noisy breathing; • swelling of tongue; • swelling/tightness in throat; • difficulty talking and/or hoarse voice; • wheeze or persistent cough; • loss of consciousness and/or collapse; • pale and floppy (young children). Any one or more of these symptoms is a sign of anaphylaxis. Some people will present with severe symptoms and experience anaphylaxis without first developing mild or moderate symptoms , e.g. there may be no noticeable hives, welts or swelling.
Frequently asked questions What is the treatment for a suspected severe allergic reaction? Administer their Epipen or Anapan as soon as possible. Ring 111 and lay the person flat if possible. I’m not sure if it is anaphylaxis. Should I use an adrenaline autoinjector? If in doubt, it is better to use their Epipen or Anapen, than not use it, even if the reaction is not anaphylaxis. Under-treatment of anaphylaxis is more harmful (and potentially life-threatening) than over-treatment of a mild or moderate allergic reaction. After using the adrenaline Epipen or Anapen should the individual be sitting, standing or lying down? It is important to lay an individual with anaphylaxis flat to improve blood flow to the heart. An upright position (standing) can lead to insufficient blood returning to the heart, a subsequent drop in blood pressure and increased risk of death. If breathing is difficult, allow the individual to sit, but not stand. If vomiting, lay the individual on their side in the recovery position. If I am not sure if an individual is experiencing asthma or anaphylaxis, when should an Epipen or Anapen be used? In an individual with asthma, who is also at risk of anaphylaxis, the adrenaline autoinjector should be used first, followed by asthma reliever medication, calling an ambulance and continuing asthma first aid treatment. • For more information contact Janet at Life Care 0800 493 559, or janet@lifecare.co.nz
Losses with workplace conflict ANDREA DICKENS, GENERAL MANAGER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, FAIRWAY RESOLUTION.
BUSINESSES ARE SUFFERING from a loss in productivity due to poorly managed conflict according to a recent study by conflict management specialists FairWay Resolution. The “Conflict in New Zealand Workplaces Study”, which surveyed 740 employees from a range of industries, found that a quarter of workers had at least one disagreement or argument at their workplace within the past 12 months, which they felt compromised their ability to do their job. Conflict has significant impacts on individuals and organisations. Most workplace conflicts lasted several days or more than a month and were over differences of opinion about how to perform a task, or personality clashes. Eighty three percent of workers in conflict initially react in anger or frustration, but then choose to avoid the conflict. Wayne Marriott, a dispute resolution specialist at FairWay, knows from experience that this uncooperative and unassertive approach has wider implications. “People will disengage from workplace conflict by avoiding the issue or other person involved. While on the surface this diffuses the conflict, people generally lose motivation and organisations suffer a loss in productivity as a result,” Marriott says. Almost half of the study’s respondents dealing with conflict reported losing work focus or becoming distracted from work, losing motivation and confidence as well as missing deadlines. Fourteen percent of those in conflict took time off work. There is also growing evidence to suggest that customer conflict has a greater impact than most people realise. Although conflict with co-workers was most likely, workers also reported having conflicts with customers (30 percent) more than conflicts with suppliers (12 percent). So while the wide understanding in the business world is that ‘customers are king’, the reality is quite different as a third of workers are having open disagreements with their customers.
Conflict not managed effectively The study found that most employees who asked for support from their manager were disappointed as they felt their manager either ignored the problem, or told them to ‘get over it’. Greg Pollock, chief executive at FairWay Resolution, believes New Zealand organisations are not managing conflict effectively. “Employees tend to bypass HR and go direct to their manager, or sometimes even to higher-level management, for help. But this clearly doesn’t work because managers don’t have the skills they need to manage conflict,” Pollock says.
Workplaces can manage conflict better Dispute resolution specialist Wayne Marriott says that while it’s unhelpful to look at conflict being about sides, or winners and losers, that is what people in the workplace seem to do.
“Distancing, blaming, justifying seem to be a default setting for dealing with conflict, but as we see every day this just doesn’t work. “Instead, smart leaders and organisations focus on finding ways to resolve conflict through reconciling people’s interests. Organisations can use conflict to contribute positively to their workplace culture, if they deal with controversial issues in a way that enables positive change and growth,” says Marriott. In fact, according to FairWay’s Greg Pollock, conflict is not all bad. “It is possible to grow, as an individual and as an organisation. But it’s really up to the organisation to invest in developing people’s conflict management skills, so they know how to manage and resolve a disagreement at a basic level, because unresolved conflict impacts on the organisation’s bottom line,” Pollock says. “People may eventually forget the details of the conflict they were involved in, like how it came about, but they won’t forget how it was dealt with. Our study shows that avoiding conflict harms people and productivity. It’s time for more organisations to become ‘conflict competent’.” Pollock adds that the best approach is to focus on the problem, not the person, and to encourage a contest of ideas, debate and teamwork to resolve issues. More information: www.fairwayresolution.com.
Background Fairway Resolution (FairWay) is an independent Crown-owned company that provides specialist conflict management and dispute resolution services between organisations and the people with whom they come into contact. The company began as a division of the Accident Compensation Corporation, carrying out reviews of claims against the Corporation by accident compensation claimants. Incorporated in 1999 as a stand-alone entity under the ownership of ACC, it became an independent Crown-owned Company in 2011. While ACC matters are still a substantial part of FairWay’s business, the company has increasingly diversified its client base. It now provides comprehensive conflict management and dispute resolution services across both the public and private sectors, handling issues and disputes of all kinds and at all levels of complexity; including medical, insurance, financial services, telecommunications, family and real estate. The company employs 100 staff and contracts with over 150 specialist reviewers and mediators throughout the country. FairWay has offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin so that it can offer clients a nationwide service. FairWay handles over 10,000 disputes each year – its dispute resolution experience underpins the agency’s conflict management expertise in all parts of the conflict management cycle – prevention, management, resolution and analysis of conflict. NIOVEMBER 2014 63
GOTTE
S
C
O
OR
N
F
CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES
M P N I E A
Forgotten companies: HOUGH Among the many people who invented iconic, useful and lasting pieces of earthmoving equipment was Frank G. Hough (pronounced “huff”), RICHARD CAMPBELL explains. FRANK HOUGH ADDED a trademark to the world’s vocabulary – PayLoader – which became synonymous with all wheel loaders, regardless of manufacturing origin. If somebody needed a “payloader”, you knew exactly what was required. Hough was an engineer who had many good ideas and was a pioneer in the field of wheel loaders and wheel dozers. He was employed in the mid 1920s as a design engineer of lifting attachments for a Chicago, Illinois company called Blair Manufacturing, whose products were known as ‘North Hydraulic Diggers’. Blair built crude forklifts and loading devices which were attached to the front of wheel tractors of the day, notably Fordson, Case and McCormick. These were moderately successful and demonstrated to the young Hough the 64 NOVEMBER 2014
potential market for a dedicated wheel loader. Hough bought Blair Manufacturing outright during the height of the great depression in 1931, a risky move at the time but one that was to eventually reap big dividends. In 1933, Hough changed the name of the company to Frank G. Hough Co., and set about designing a new range of equipment that could be fitted to wheel tractors such as buckets, bulldozer blades, sweepers, snow plows and other similar ancillary equipment. At this stage in the company’s development, they were still designing equipment to suit other manufacturers’ tractors but Hough had also formed a loose affiliation with McCormickDeering (later to become InternationalHarvester).
Hough’s first loader attachments utilised a form of forklift mast to which the bucket was attached and then dumped by tripping a latch with a handpulled cable. Where Hough’s design differed from others of the period was that the mast was hydraulically raised and lowered, whereas his competitors used some form of cable winch to raise and lower the bucket. A major move was made in 1939 to new premises in Libertyville, Illinois. For the first time Hough had everything required under one roof – design, supply and manufacturing. Not long after this shift, Hough’s first totally integrated wheel loader was released, the Model HS. This was a small utility-sized wheel loader with a gasoline engine and a
bucket capacity of around half a cubic yard. Part of its innovative design featured the engine and transmission located in the rear of the machine forming a natural counterweight. Hough added another, larger machine in 1941, the Model HL with a capacity of one cubic yard. It was around this time that the name “PayLoader” was applied to the range. WWII put the brakes on further machine development with production given over to the manufacturing of military supplies. One of the items built at the time for the military was a tow tractor to move air force planes around the tarmac. Following WWII, airfield tow tractors were to become another staple product for Hough and given the name “PayMover”.
Post WWII With the cessation of hostilities things really took off for Hough. There was a whole world to rebuild out there and Hough was the largest player in what was quite a niche market. The loader arm mechanism was completely redesigned and refined and many new models were introduced during this period, including for the first time, diesel powered PayLoaders. Hough, through its association with International-Harvester, began utilising International Diesel engines in its wheel loaders.
This in turn, led to reciprocal business for Hough which was given the contract to manufacture and fit loader attachments for some of International-Harvester’s TD-6, TD-9 and TD-14 track-type tractors. As can be seen, it was a very symbiotic relationship. During 1947 three new PayLoaders were introduced – the Model HA (which was a redesigned HS), HL and HM. The Model HM was very special for the company and marked a milestone in the evolution of the wheel loader, being the first 4-wheel-drive loader to be offered by any manufacturer. It was also highly influential and formed the basis of wheel loader design by many other companies for the next decade. By 1949 the Model HE and HF had also appeared and manufacturing facilities had to be expanded to cope with the increasing demand for wheel loaders. Torque converter drive transmissions were now also offered as standard equipment on the PayLoader range.
The 1950s Hough’s (and the industry’s) largest wheel loader up to that point was introduced in 1952, the four cubic yard Model HW, and this marked another milestone for the company as it was the first wheel loader to be offered with planetary final drives.
Above (far left): This 1922 photo shows a Hough designed Blair Manufacturing front-end loader fitted to a Fordson wheel tractor. The short vertical mast held a single acting hydraulic cylinder which raised the bucket by cable. Although slow and crude, it was quite effective and certainly better than a pick and shovel. Extra cleats have been added to the drive wheels for traction. (Photo: Author’s collection) Above (middle): Smallest of all the PayLoaders was the model HA. Ironically, it remained in production in variously modified form the longest of all, from 1947 through to 1982. This is a 19512 model about to undergo restoration. The “half-hoop” houses the bucket tilt cylinder. (Photo: Internet) Above (right): Three different models of Hough PayLoader are shown in this mid-1950s photo. Top left: model HU, top right: model HH and at the bottom, a model HO. Hough’s original colours were pale cream-yellow with deep red trim. Very smart! (Photo: Author’s collection)
NOVEMBER 2014 65
CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES
1. 1966 photo of a Hough H100 loading a 35-ton International PayHauler 65. The H100 was still a rear wheel steer machine at this stage in its evolution and didn’t get the articulated treatment until 1968. The boarding steps were a Hough trademark spotting feature. (Photo: Author’s collection)
1
2
3
The year 1952 was also the year that Hough was sold to International-Harvester and became a wholly-owned division of that conglomerate. Frank Hough was kept on as chief designer and the PayLoader name was retained. The machines were now sold as Hough PayLoader, a division of International-Harvester Corp. With the additional financial resources that IH could provide there was a corresponding surge in wheel loader development. During 1955 the models HAH, HH and HO were introduced. These were all wheel drive, rear wheel steer machines. Hough was aware of emerging competitors, in particular Scoopmobile, which was offering an articulated steer machine. The wheel loader market had, by this time, expanded enormously and Hough no longer had a captive audience, competition now coming from Case, Lorain, Pettibone, Tracto-Motive, Yale, Michigan, Euclid and Caterpillar.
The first dozer
2. Still putting in an occasional day’s work down on the farm is this Hough model HE dating from about 1949. It is a rear wheel drive, front wheel steer machine but places the operator up front so he can see what’s going on. Hough redesigned the lift arms not long after the HE was released. (Photo: Internet) 3. Looking very stylish is this Kimco-Hough 530. Kimco was a joint venture between Komatsu and Hough which saw certain of the smaller PayLoaders manufactured in Japan (usually with Komatsu engines replacing the original IH engines). The joint venture was terminated in 1981 but there were a considerable number of PayLoaders produced during that time, mostly for the Asian market. (Photo: Author’s collection)
66 NOVEMBER 2014
In order to remain competitive, a new range of wheel loaders was designed and progressively introduced, but Hough persisted with rear wheel steer machines into the mid-1960s. By this point, Hough had begun to use a new designation system (having run out of letters!) and began to identify its machines by an alpha-numeric code. This was used as a new machine was introduced or upgraded so the model HA became the H-25, the HH became the H-30 and so on. Hough also introduced its first dedicated wheel bulldozer, aptly named a “PayDozer”. Hough entered into a deal with Komatsu in 1965 which saw some of the smaller PayLoaders manufactured in Japan under the brand name Kimco-Hough. This agreement was terminated in 1981.
The legacy continues It would be nice if this story had a happy ending, but not so. By 1982 International-Harvester was in dire financial straits and sold the entire Hough PayLoader line (which was still making a profit) to Dresser Industries. Dresser continued manufacturing the line under its own name, but dropped the PayLoader and Hough references and so the name disappeared. Dresser didn’t hang on to the line very long however, eventually selling it to Komatsu in 1988. Hough’s legacy was a very rich one – the company built some of the smallest (H-25) to two of the largest wheel loaders ever to roam the planet, the H-400C and 580. So, although the name has gone, the spirit still lives on within the Komatsu range of wheel loaders.
The Kiwi connection
4
5
There is a substantial New Zealand connection to this story as the Ministry of Works, Borough Councils, County Councils and Local Councils all bought Hough PayLoaders, as well as private contractors in all shapes and sizes. They were the mainstay of many public works jobs and saw service from North Cape to Bluff in all manner of jobs. They were also some of the first wheel type loaders to be used on logging skid sites for loading out and stacking. Frankly put, there weren’t many jobs that a PayLoader couldn’t do.
For the model collector Alas, other than more recent International-Harvester loaders, there is little available to commemorate the innovation and ingenuity that was Frank G. Hough. In the 1950s, an American toy manufacturer called Nylint made a 1:16 scale pressed steel model of a Hough PayLoader. This was more of a generic machine rather than anything specific, and intended for the sandpit but it wasn’t too bad a model. The irony of this is that these days, most of those Nylint models that survived are now on display in collectors’ display cabinets.
4. One of the last Hough machines to roll off the production lines at Libertyville, Illinois before Dresser took over the range, was the model 570 PayLoader. This was a big machine with a 440 hp Cummins engine and a 12 cubic yard bucket. It was totally state-of-the-art for 1982. (Photo: Author’s collection). 5. A tired and crusty old Hough model HU fitted with forks and still earning its keep for its umpteenth owner, in this case the Quinebaug Valley Engineers. Date of this photo is 2007 which makes this old girl at least 52 years old! (Photo: HCEA)
Unrivalled Quality. Meet the stunning range of compaction equipment from Weber MT, now here in New Zealand.
Call or email us today for more information or a free demonstration in your area - 0800 503 555 | omcpowerequipment.co.nz
NOVEMBER 2014 67
CONTRACTOR MOTORING BY PETER GILL
QUICK CHARGE SERVICE ON WHEELS Every now and again a large company will come up with an extraordinarily useful idea to spend its multi-million dollar promotional budget on. Enter Duracell. For the past two years whenever there has been a major emergency in the USA involving lengthy power outages, a large GM truck from Duracell has turned up in the town concerned. Duracell has been smart enough to realise that in this day and age, people are reliant on their mobile phones and tablet computers to stay in touch, especially in an emergency. People can take their rechargeable devices to the truck and get a quick charge up, and if needed, they can go online. It’s amazing what things remain important even in a power outage, going by the device one woman reportedly brought to the truck. But then again, in a power outage, there’s not a lot to do.
68 NOVEMBER 2014
REPAIRS FROM A CAN The major recalls that bedevil today’s car makers are not a new phenomenon. When the Mini was first launched in 1959 it quickly became a major embarrassment to its manufacturer. As soon as it rained, every Mini stopped. Problem was that during its development, the car had not been tested in wet weather. Because the engine was mounted transversely, the distributor was mounted directly behind the grille. As soon as rainwater swept through the grille, it shorted out the distributor. A fix was offered which involved mounting a metal plate between the grille and the distributor. This wasn’t entirely effective, and Minis, although extremely popular cars, had wet ignition problems until well into the 1970s. Breakdown services such as the AA said the best tool was CRC spray, which had the effect of drying the wiring and the distributor. Everything else can be bought in a can. Why not a Mini repair job?
MUSTANG’S FOR RIGHTIES
The last new Ford Mustang I drove in this country had been converted from left hand drive to right by a specialist firm in Australia before being put in the show room for sale. Reason? Mustangs have never been built in right hand drive. Conversions of that kind are not ideal. New dashboard parts have to be fabricated by small operators that don’t have the laser precise machinery of component makers for the likes of Ford. The steering column has to be ripped out. So do the pedals. It’s tantamount to wrecking a brand new car. That’s going to stop. With the latest model change, Ford will do two things. They will return to the unmistakeable look of the first Mustang. And there will be factory designed and built right hand drive versions. That’s good because presumably the wipers won’t leave a great unswept area in front of the driver.
SEX EDUCATION AND THE STRAIGHT SIX I have a friend who worked for General Motors, the owners of the Vauxhall/ Bedford brands. He worked for the New Zealand operation and it was his fervent opinion that more self-education on sex took place in the iconic Bedford K, M and O models, the ones with that iconic nose, than any other vehicle at the time. Reason? The K,M and O model of truck was used as the platform for more school buses than any other vehicle sold here in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. And some survived into the 1980s.
But where’s the plug again? At the recent Paris Motor Show, Renault showed a plug-in hybrid car that it says it hopes to be building in commercial quantities by 2020. Apparently, it uses as little as one litre per 100km. These plug-in cars that are beginning to obsess the industry are all very fine if you have somewhere to plug them in when you’re away from base. You can count the number of re-charging stations currently installed in this country on the fingers of four hands, if you include the thumbs.
A NEW WINNING COMBINATION. Youngman Richardson and Co are now proud to exclusively distribute Selwood Pumps - established in 1946 and a market leader in vacuum assisted super silent mobile pumps. The perfect fit with Youngman Richardson & Co - a world-leading supplier of quality industrial equipment with a back-up service that’s the ‘best in the business’. Two of the best, just got better. AUCKLAND HEAD OFFICE Phone: (+64) 09 443 2436 Email: sales@yrco.co.nz
SOUTH ISLAND OFFICE Phone: (+64) 03 341 6923 Email:saleschch@yrco.co.nz
Not sure if we can thank these grand old machines for such an important part of the nation’s education in my experience, but, as British as Bedford was, most of them were powered by a Chevrolet designed engine – a six cylinder in-line petrol unit that gained a massive reputation for reliability.
YRCO.CO.NZ
SELWO PUMPS P OD AR SERVICE TS, PRODUC & T RANGE AVAILAB LE
SELWOOD www.selwoodpumps.com
NOVEMBER 2014 69
CONTRACTOR INNOVATIONS
Intelligent fleet management Last month Navman Wireless launched a new business-intelligence-as-a-service tool called Adaptive Intelligence, aimed at helping organisations measure and manage fleet expenditure and leverage their own data for KPI based decision making and insights into future trends. Adaptive Intelligence features a builtin reporting suite with over 30 different reporting options and with multiple dashboard views that provide easy visibility of fuel usage, driver activity or hours of service. Navman says it integrates within other systems and software, allowing businesses to capture data and process the information into the platform. “Adaptive Intelligence has been designed specifically with enterprise fleet management and operations in mind, and every implementation is customised with a customer’s specific KPIs, data integration requirements and unique needs,” says Matt Minor, director Business Intelligence at Navman Wireless. “It enables enterprises to further drill-down on data and draw informative insights by adapting to an organisation’s customisable needs and software solutions already in place. “Many organisations are looking for better tools to measure fleet expenditure and efficiency, especially when it comes to fuel consumption and idling.” Adaptive Intelligence also enables managers to set pre-supplied and customisable business rules based on inputs from their customers, he adds. “For most enterprise organisations, their fleet is the third biggest cost to the business – behind wages and rent,” says Minor.
Sumitomo excavators tick the boxes Chris Kendrick from Bay Civil has been passionate about his Sumitomo fleet since buying the first Dash 5 model to arrive in the country. Lately he’s ordered a Sumitomo SH235X-6DB, – the first of the new Dash 6 models to be released here. “We do a lot of drain laying and dewatering jobs, so it is very important to have reliable machinery because a lot of the work is below sea level,” he says about his Golden Sands subdivision at Papamoa. The company has been exclusively involved in this subdivision for the past 15 years. Papamoa is one of the fastest growing communities in the country and according to Chris the area is so big that it is likely to keep his earthmoving and civil engineering business busy for many years to come. AB Equipment is the New Zealand distributor for Sumitomo construction products.
Asbestos analysis lab CRL Energy is offering IANZ-accredited rapid service to analyse building materials for asbestos. Following the Christchurch and Canterbury earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, testing for asbestos became a bottleneck for the rebuild and repair process. To meet demand, CRL Energy says it set up a Christchurch facility to speedily and reliably test building material for asbestos. The laboratory facility, it adds, incorporates the latest polarised light microscopy (PLM) equipment for asbestos detection, which is also IANZ accredited to Australian Standard AS4964. Christchurch Lab Manager Mike Young says; “The most frequently encountered form of asbestos is chrysotile, or white asbestos, which comprises in excess of 90 percent of the asbestos that was used in the building industry. “Asbestos use reduced over time and was effectively ceased by the 1990s, so the likelihood of finding asbestos containing materials in newer buildings is low.” Young says just a few grams of material is enough for CRL Energy to conduct a robust investigation, but wet the material first to avoid generating dust, and use a craft knife or scraper, not a power tool, to obtain a sample. Place the sample in a sealed container such as a clean jar or Ziploc bag and clearly identify the source of the sample on the container (address, room and position). You can download and complete the sample form from the CRL Energy website. This form can be emailed to CRL Energy provided the sample(s) and form are clearly linked.
NOW EMPLOYING! • EXPERIENCED SALES REP • Silverdale. Send CV to greg@taylorbuilt.co.nz
Safety fence • Steel y posts • Fencing products • Fabric screening Ground staples • Industrial sewing service • Filtercloth • Silt fence Flexible flumes • Geotextiles • d-watering filters • Cess pit filter bags Biodegradeable ground cover • Floating silt log 0800 RJREID (757343) www.taylorbuilt.co.nz sales@taylorbuilt.co.nz 45 Forge Road, Silverdale, AUCKLAND
70 NOVEMBER 2014
Vibratory plate compactors and rammers CablePrice has just released a new Hitachi compaction equipment range, which includes the ZV-PF series vibratory plate compactors and the ZV-R series Hitachi rammers. The Hitachi compaction equipment has been designed to suit a number of industry applications, and are said to be the perfect match for councils, hire and rental companies, landscapers, as well as paving, trenching and civil contractors. The new compaction range of Hitachi vibratory plate compactors (ZV40PF/ ZV60PF/ZV80P) and Hitachi rammers (ZV65R/ZV75R) deliver power and performance in a compact package, says the supplier. “The Hitachi ZV-PF series vibratory plate compactors utilise safety cushions, reinforced bottom plate and triple vibration-resistant design to deliver high compaction, durability and easy operation.” The Hitachi ZV-R series rammers provide operators with powerful compaction force. “A combination of double reinforced base plates and a safety cushion mitigates damage to the machine, particularly in distribution hazards such as drops. Operators will also benefit from improved stability, as well as efficient manoeuvrability in confined
spaces due to the compact machine design. Propelling power of the ramming shoes is increased for better controllability on uneven ground.” • More information: CablePrice 0800 555 456, or visit www.cableprice.co.nz.
CONTRACTORS’ DIARY Date Event
Venue
Contact
25-28 Nov 14 bauma China
International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China
www.bauma-china.com
15-18 Dec 14
bC India
India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi
www.bcindia.com
Date
NEOC Regionals Venue
Contact
2 Nov 14
Hawkes Bay
HB Regional Sports Park
Bayley Gair
7-9 Nov 14
Auckland
Big Boys Toys ASB Showgrounds Regan Burke
Phone
027-2445092
bailey@gair.co.nz
027-4417128
regan@icb.co.nz
13-14 Nov 14
Canterbury
Canterbury A&P Show
Jamie Swarbrick
021-501446
jamie.swarbrick@tayco.co.nz
24 Jan 15
Otago
Taieri A&P Show
Carl Hollands
027-4363820
carl.gill@xtra.co.nz
22 Feb 15
Manawatu/Wanganui
Esplanade Day
TBC
12-14 Mar 15
National Finals
Central District Field Days
Malcolm Abernethy 027-2492513
malcolm@civilcontractors.co.nz
Please send any contributions for Contractor Diary to kevin@contrafed.co.nz, or phone 09 636 5710
You don’t become one of the world’s top selling Forklifts without good reason. The 1F Series has built a reputation of toughness and reliability... at a cost every business can afford. Call us on 0508 769 375. You can’t afford not to.
ACC314CON
by NOVEMBER 2014 71
CONTRACTOR CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND
Invitation to help the Construction Safety Council IT’S A SAD FACT that our collective construction sector, including commercial, residential, civil and specialist trades has one of the highest injury, illness and fatality rates in the country. While the number of work-related injuries and fatalities in the large commercial and civil construction sectors, have stabilised, and are even declining, gradually, injury and fatality rates in some parts of the construction sector have increased. Around half the workers in the construction industry are selfemployed or work in firms with less than five employees. Participation in H&S training programmes by these workers is low, and incidence of workplace injuries is high. However, for the sake of a solution, the problem is industry-wide and any solution will need the collective input and co-operation of all sectors and all companies, regardless of their size. As an industry initiative to address the situation, the Construction Safety Council (CSC) was formed – made up of the full-time chief executives and senior industry managers representing the Registered Master Builders Association, the Certified Builders Association, Specialist Trade Contractors Federation, and Civil Contractors NZ. This pan-industry collaboration provides broad and deep connections with businesses operating across the entire construction sector. It also represents a level of strategic engagement with Government agencies that is simply not possible in other sectors, such as manufacturing, which don’t have equivalent pan-industry bodies. The CSC quickly recognised that across the construction sector H&S competence is variable, as is the quality of training programmes. Nor is there a national standard that is effective in consistently measuring competence. The CSC is currently proposing an H&S competency framework to provide a single national system to assess H&S competence of all construction workers, regardless of what part of the construction industry they are involved in, and what their specific role is within the industry. Training providers can deliver training in whatever way they see fit, but the effectiveness of that training is intended to be measured by assessment of competence through the CSC competence framework. CSC believes that the current use of training programmes without effective assessment of competency is flawed. The CSC H&S competency framework will provide a single national system to assess H&S competence of all construction workers, regardless of what part of the construction industry they are involved in, and what their specific role is within the industry. The council’s draft competencies framework has a four-tiered structure representing work on construction sites, plus levels of management and governance. Assessment of competency of individuals is proposed to be
undertaken through the use of a multi-choice question database, which would require an independent assessor to verify the identity of the person being assessed. Assessment service providers would pay a small royalty for the use of the CSC assessment system, which would, along with modest assessment fees for individuals, provide sufficient funding to ensure the CSC competency framework is self-sustaining. For tier one, this database has been developed and is currently being field tested. Using smart technology, questions are randomly changed for an individual who is being retested to ensure they cannot rote learn answers. The draft framework has been specifically designed to ensure that it is also suitable for workers with low literacy and numeracy skills. On successfully demonstrating competence, an individual’s details would be captured in a database. It is envisaged that a ‘smartcard’ would be issued which would hold information about that individual’s H&S competence. Ideally this smartcard would also contain other details such as licence status for those in licensed trades. There would be significant benefits if a construction worker only had to carry a single card. It is envisaged that H&S competency assessment for each individual would be repeated periodically. The frequency would logically be aligned with licence renewal for licensed trades. Making H&S competency assessment a requirement for licensing (and renewal) would drive universal uptake in licensed trades and therefore greatly enhance the impact of the assessment framework in reducing construction industry injuries, illness and deaths. Assessment frequency for non-licensed trades would be defined in consultation with stakeholders. CSC also believes that the continued delivery of existing H&S training and education activity, which is offered by a wide range of providers, is critical. The new H&S competency assessment system will complement that existing activity. Meanwhile the council has invited interested parties to submit suggestions about providing an organisation structure and sustainable commercial model best suited to delivering the outcomes the CSC wants to achieve. Submitters are also asked to indicate how they could assist CSC in the setup of their proposed structure and what, if any, role they would propose to have in the ongoing operation. The council does not expect submitters to undertake exhaustive research and analysis at this stage and asks that submissions be between 10-15 pages long. Prima Solutions, a Wellington based consultancy company, is assisting CSC with this project. Any questions regarding this request for submissions should be emailed to Grant Thomas at Prima Solutions in the first instance (grant.thomas@primasolutions.co.nz). Email submission to: safety@cscnz.co.nz by November 20. CCNZ
A DV E RT I S E RS IN D E X AB Equipment
59
ACE Equipment
5
Forklift Solutions GE Capital
Advancequip 41
Gough Group
All Terrain Chipping
Global Survey
CablePrice Civil Contractors NZ
50 OBC, IFC, 1 10
71 IBC 17, 27, 55 35
Rocktec 57 Ryco Hydraulics SmartDig Ltd Synergy Positioning
14 11 23
Hirepool 25
Taylor Built
70
Hynds Pipe Systems
Total Oil
39
7
Connexis 15
Mimico 31
Transdiesel 51
Contractor subscription form
47
OMC Power Equipment
Youngman Richardson
69
Chevron New Zealand
13
Porter Group
3
Transport Specifications
49
9
Prime Pump
45
DitchWitch NZ
72 NOVEMBER 2014
67
1
FINANCE FROM A LOW
CONFIDENCE BUILT-IN, DOWNTIME TOSSED OUT
.7%* nance@cableprice.co.nz
0800 346 275
Match your nance rate with the model you’re buying!
300914_Hitachi_Mini_Finance
With rates starting from a low 1.7%* the time has never been better to add one of our selected Hitachi excavators or wheel loaders to your fleet. For more information, including specifications and options visit www.cableprice.co.nz or contact your local CablePrice equipment sales specialist on 0800 555 456. Offer available on selected new Hitachi excavators (up to 7.5 tonnes) and Hitachi wheel loaders (up to 14.2 tonnes). Deposit from 25%. Offer valid until 23 December 2014 or while current stocks last. *terms and conditions apply. Visit www.cableprice.co.nz for terms and conditions.
EXCAVATORS
RATE*
TERM
ZX17U-2 ZX33U-5 ZX38U-5 ZX48U-5 ZX55U-5 ZX65USB-5 ZX75US-5
1.7% 3.3% 3.8% 4.8% 5.5% 6.5% 6.5%
17 months 36 months 36 months 36 months 36 months 36 months 36 months
(17U - Includes trailer package deal) WHEEL LOADERS
RATE*
TERM
ZW40 ZW80 ZW100 ZW140 ZW180
4.0% 5.0% 6.5% 7.0% 7.0%
36 months 36 months 36 months 48 months 48 months
0800 555 456 sales@cableprice.co.nz www.cableprice.co.nz