2011 South Australian
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Thank You Engineers Australia South Australia Division would like to thank and acknowledge our Sponsors for the 2011 South Australian Engineering Excellence Awards.
Division Partner
Division Supporters
2011 South Australian
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
CONTENTS
President’s and Chief Judge’s Message
04
About the awards and recognition
05
2011 judges
06
About Malcolm Kinnaird
07
Finalists
08 - 24
Commendations
25 - 30
Excellence Awards
31 - 34
Malcolm Kinnaird Engineering Excellence Award
35
2011 South Australian Young Professional Engineer of the Year
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2011 South Australian Professional Engineer of the Year
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President’s Message Through the Australian and South Australian Engineering Excellence Awards we seek to recognise the outstanding expertise and commitment of Australian engineers, from all fields and disciplines. Engineers Australia, as the body representing the professionalism of Australian engineers, is proud to promote our engineers and their projects within the profession itself and the community as a whole. The annual Excellence Awards are central to our purpose to provide leadership, endorse excellence, support innovation and sustainability, and promote community confidence in South Australian engineering. However, the ongoing success of the South Australian Engineering Excellence Awards is only possible through the generous support of our Sponsors, and we would like to thank them for this. I invite you now to read on as we acknowledge those who have participated in the 2011 South Australian Engineering Excellence Awards and hope to see you and your entry next year. Dr David Cruickshanks-Boyd FIEAust EngExec President Engineers Australia South Australia Division
Chief Judge’s Message Twenty-five entries were submitted and judged this year. The standard was high and the task of selecting entries for recognition challenging, for the juries. The diversity of the entries underlined the wide range of engineering activity undertaken in South Australia - All the way from the restoration of a rural lake, to the design and construction of the new western grandstand at the Adelaide Oval. (Both of these projects were judged to be worthy of an Excellence Award). Sound engineering principles were evident and notable in the two other Excellence Award winners: the In-Situ Submarine Generator Repair and the Clare North Substation Project - which incorporates technology new to Australia. Those entries awarded commendations were not far behind in the evaluations performed by the juries. The Adelaide Oval Western Grandstand project was judged the overall winner, being awarded the Malcolm Kinnaird Engineering Excellence Award – Congratulations to Aurecon. Those who have won an Excellence Award have the opportunity to go forward to the National Engineering Excellence Awards competition later in the year and I wish them the best of luck. It is no small matter to put an entry together, and on behalf of the South Australia Division of Engineers Australia, I thank all entrants for their efforts. Such enthusiasm reflects the healthy state of engineering in South Australia.
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Separately, I particularly thank all those who volunteered their time to sit on the various juries and provide their experience to the task of judging the entries. They were ably supported by Engineers Australia South Australia Division staff and in particular Events Coordinator Sharryn Fensom, who kept things moving and anticipated requirements well ahead of time as the judging took place. Ross Milton FIEAust CPEng (Retired) Chief Judge
About the awards Why enter? This is your chance to promote the outstanding work undertaken by your engineering team and market capability! Engineers add real value to our communities. Small to medium size organisations produce excellent engineering, so be assured that a “small� project can produce engineering excellence as well as the larger projects. The Engineering Excellence Awards recognise the highest level of achievement in the engineering field. They provide peer recognition of outstanding engineering work, be it a large or small project. As well as identifying the leaders within the engineering profession the Awards provide an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the invaluable contribution the engineering profession makes to the community.
Recognition Recognition is given by the awarding of an Engineering Excellence Award. This is the major award for the category. Projects that have achieved high scores, but not to the degree as above, may be awarded a High Commendation. The best overall project, as determined by the judges, is given recognition by the awarding of the Malcolm Kinnaird Engineering Excellence Award. Winners of a South Australian Engineering Excellence Award are eligible and encouraged to enter the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards in the same year. Winners of South Australian Engineering Excellence Awards will be contacted on how to enter these National Awards.
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2011 Judges Project Management: Doug Gillott FIEAust CPEng Marianne Phillips Doug Callow FIEAust CPEng (Retired) Michelle Shi-Verdaasdonk MIEAust
Innovation/Research and Development: Prof Fred Zockel FIEAust CPEng Greg Marsh FIEAust CPEng
Environment: Peter Forward FIEAust CPEng Jerome Argue MIEAust CPEng Nadine Kilsby MIEAust John Dyson MIEAust CPEng
Building and Structures: Leo Noicos FIEAust CPEng Frank Siow MIEAust CPEng Daniel Lee MIEAust CPEng NPER Rob Considine MIEAust CPEng
Project Infrastructure and Reports, Procedures and Systems: Barry Grear AO FIPENZ HonFIEAust CPEng Phil Crawley FIEAust CPEng Patrick Campbell TMIEAust CEngT Tom Gouldie FIEAust CPEng
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The Malcolm Kinnaird Engineering Excellence Award The overall award, formerly known as the Engineering South Australia Excellence Award, has been named the Malcolm Kinnaird Engineering Excellence Award. This is in recognition of Mr Kinnaird’s strong passion for South Australia, his vision, leadership and drive to deliver many major developments, including the Adelaide-Darwin rail link and the West Lakes Development. Mr Kinnaird epitomised the key function of the engineering profession, to identify and deliver solutions. The Malcolm Kinnaird Engineering Excellence Award will be given to the most outstanding entry and will be considered from the winners across all categories
About Malcolm Alexander Kinnaird AO FTSE HonFIEAust CPEng Malcolm Kinnaird was born in Adelaide and educated at the University of Adelaide where he graduated as a civil engineer in 1958. Upon graduation Mr Kinnaird was employed as a Research Assistant in the Civil Engineering Department of the University of Adelaide. In 1960 he left the University to found the consulting engineering firm of Kinnaird Hill de Rohan and Young, which became Kinhill Pty Ltd. From the inception of the original practice, Mr Kinnaird was the Executive Chairman of the Board and was at the forefront of Kinhill’s development Kinhill was acquired by Brown and Root Inc in July 1997 and changed its name to Brown and Root Services Asia Pacific Pty Ltd in June 2000. Following the acquisition, Mr Kinnaird retired as an executive of the company and held the positions of non-executive Chairman of Kinhill Pty Ltd and Director of Brown and Root Pty Ltd. He retired from these positions in late 1999. In 1991, Mr Kinnaird was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for his services to engineering and the community. He was awarded the French decoration of Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur in 1998. Mr Kinnaird was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of the University by the University of South Australia in 2000. In 2002 Mr Kinnaird was awarded the Centenary Medal for Service to Australian Society through Business and in 2003 he was recognised for his contributions to the field of engineering and the development of the State of South Australia by being named as South Australian of the Year. Malcolm Kinnaird has been a member of the Engineers Australia South Australia Division Hall of Fame since its inaugural year in 2006. Mr Kinnaird has been a Fellow and Chartered Professional Engineer since 1959 and was admitted as an Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia in 1991, a title awarded to only 150 highly esteemed Engineers Australia current members at any time.
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Finalists
FINALIST
Flinders Medical Centre Redevelopment: New South Wing AECOM Category: Buildings and Structures
The redevelopment of the Flinders Medical Centre South Wing has produced a much needed addition to the existing facilities in the south of Adelaide and with some noteworthy engineering accomplishments: • A low level displacement air conditioning system recognised as a first for SA Health, proving to be an effective infection control; • The first 5 Star rated health building in SA; • A 43% reduction in energy by effective use of modeling and choice of materials. This redevelopment represents originality and innovation not only enhancing engineering within Australia but providing a safe and working environment for the community.
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FINALIST
Private Bushfire Shelter BCA Engineers Category: Buildings and Structures
This project represents a pragmatic response to the safety and well-being of the community during what appears to be annual events affecting many lives in Australia and around the world. It was originally conceived following the devastating fires in Victoria. The concept is a buried structure capable of sustaining up to 6 persons with an independent air supply and also providing protection well beyond the current standards. The project uses first principles in modeling the behaviour between fire, structure and people based on real time. It makes good use of materials and the surrounding environment to ensure safety and quality of life is achieved during extreme fire events. This is another example of innovation through the use of good solutions with sound engineering principles.
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FINALIST
Christies Beach High School Sustainability Learning Centre KBR Category: Buildings and Structures
This project is an excellent example of collaboration between client, users, engineers and architects and the effort as a team to create a modern sustainable learning centre. As part of the Building Education Revolution (BER) the project team had to go “back to basics” and adopt sound engineering principles to be able to design and develop a sustainable comfort control system integrated with the building. Special features were: • Use of earth tubes where fresh air is tempered from the earth into the building; • Functional use of low embodied energy materials incorporated into the building fabric; • The operation of the system being successfully used as an educational tool. The result is an economical and simple solution that uses locally sourced materials and trades with demonstrated energy savings in a maintenance friendly environment.
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FINALIST
Hardened and Networked Army Edinburgh Defence Precinct GHD Pty Ltd Category: Buildings and Structures
This project is a “city within a city� and is the largest single infrastructure and facility project in SA involving more than 50 buildings at a cost of $600m, constructed in a high secure environment that will service an ultimate site population of 5,000 people. There was a diverse range of facility types required including: training; recreation and living; administrative; workshop; storage; as well as a fitness centre with a 50m pool. The supporting infrastructure also had to be redeveloped which included HV and LV electrical, emergency power, sewer and gas, primary and secondary water, storm-water and communication services. Given the challenges of such a diverse project, the team demonstrated a highly coordinated approach using innovation and sound engineering practices, which allowed them to complete the design phase with over 5,000 drawings and specifications to be completed within 15 months. In addition to this, the project established a new benchmark in the sustainable design of buildings for Defence estates using recognised Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) greenstar rating tools.
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FINALIST
Southern Region Waste Resource Authority (SRWRA): Piggy Back Liner Project Tonkin Consulting, SRWRA and Golder Associates Category: Environment
Landfills provide an essential element of managing residual waste from our communities. The SRWRA McLaren Vale Landfill project faced the challenge of constructing new lined landfill cells within areas of historic waste dumping. Tonkin Consulting in conjunction with Golder Associates designed and developed the first “Piggy Back” liner in South Australia for SRWRA. Prior to its design, approval and construction, the regulator and construction industry had no experience in Piggy Back liners, therefore no reference guideline. The Piggy Back liner design was accepted by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA), allowing the critical first stage to be constructed. This was achieved within a tight timeframe during 2011. This solution was developed from first principles for site-specific conditions. It applied landfill design experience, geotechnical engineering skills and advanced engineering principles to adhere to the site conditions. Conventional practice would see a specialist contractor engaged for installation of a lining system using geosynthetics, however construction was undertaken using the client’s own staff to construct the liner, using site produced and recycled materials; an approach critical to meeting the projects timing and financial objectives. Both the project design and construction delivery were delivered on time and within budget.
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FINALIST
Southern Urban Reuse Project KBR, SA Water and United Water Category: Environment
The $63m Southern Urban Reuse Project will supply up to 1,600 ML of tertiary treated wastewater annually to about 8,000 new homes at Seaford, reducing SA Water’s reliance on the River Murray and cutting the flow of nutrients into the Gulf by about 35 tonnes per year. The key features of the project were: • Excess treated wastewater from Christies Beach Waste Water Treatment Plant is transferred to Aldinga WWTP for storage in a 850 ML above ground balancing storage for use through a residential dual reticulation supply throughout the year. • Geotechnical challenges posed by the highly reactive clays on the site of the storage and tertiary treatment plant. • Tertiary treatment of the water comprising membrane filtration, ultraviolet disinfection and chlorine disinfection. • The treatment building utilising deep profile long span roof sheeting to allow a significant reduction in the volume of steelwork required. • Completion on time and almost $4m under budget and without a recordable OH&S incident.
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FINALIST
GPX 5000 Metal Detector Minelab Electronics Pty Ltd Category: Innovation/Research and Development
This product is an excellent example of first class product development. Highly innovative signal processing enables prospectors to find more gold, at greater depth, in mineralised soils and with less fatigue than when using competitor’s products. Besides the application of sound physics and mathematics to the signal processing aspects, the design and manufacturing processes were also carried out in a world’s best practice manner to deliver the product to market on time and on budget. The new metal detectors also have economic and health benefits to the prospecting communities with minimal environmental impact, and will deliver revenue into South Australia through local and export sales.
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FINALIST
Northern Expressway AECOM and SMEC Australia Category: Project Infrastructure
The $564m Northern Expressway is the largest road construction project in Adelaide since the 1960s and has set new benchmarks for the state in terms of safety, quality and community engagement. The project has set new industry standards by building the smoothest road in Australia, as rated by the National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (NAASRA), and undertaking Australia’s most comprehensive analysis of the economic benefits to a region during construction. The successful realisation of a project this size was largely the result of a collaborative team environment and innovative approach to problem solving. During delivery a major interchange was added. A wide range of long term social benefits were incorporated into the project including 20 unemployed women gaining work experience on-site while completing a Certificate II in Civil Construction. A significant Indigenous heritage site was identified and was set aside as a ‘meeting place’ for the Kaurna Aboriginal community. 13% of the total construction hours were undertaken by employed youth and Aboriginal people - 50% lived north of Adelaide. A team of 3,800 people were mobalised, 87% of which lived in South Australia. The project involved constructing 11 major bridges in 24 months and moving more than three million cubic metres of earth in 12 months. The project also involved laying 460,000 tonnes of asphalt producing Australia’s smoothest rated road.
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FINALIST
Electricity Supply to SA Water’s Adelaide Desalination Plant, Chrysler Road, Lonsdale ETSA Utilities Category: Project Infrastructure
This new electricity substation was built at the site of the desalination plant and supplies power for the Desalination Plant’s operation. The Lonsdale substation is located adjacent to the desalination plant and it had to meet several major criteria; such as the structures and equipment at the substation which had to architecturally blend with SA Water’s own control building and landscaping. Also, the construction was to be monitored for reporting against SA Water’s carbon neutrality goals. In Stage 1, four 34 MVA transformers along with associated switching equipment were installed to supply the requested 50 MW of power. This was increased to a total of 80 MW with the installation of a further two 34 MVA transformers and capacitor banks for system power factor correction in Stage 2. The main features relating to engineering excellence of the project were: • Substation and overhead line designs were done in house at ETSA Utilities; • Installation of six 34 MVA transformers in one substation for a single customer was an ETSA Utilities first; • Liaising with a major cable supplier and determining a design that would enable longer cable stretch and reduced connections; • Environmental engineering of Lonsdale substation transformer vaults; and • Zero lost time injuries during the construction and commissioning stages of ETSA Utilities The network upgrade has improved reliability and capacity in this southern area of Adelaide in addition to providing the power requirements of the desalination plant.
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FINALIST
Statewide Wastewater Recycling Project Tonkin Consulting, Wallbridge and Gilbert, HDS Australia and Local Government Australia Category: Project Infrastructure
Wastewater generated from septic tanks in country towns is a valuable resource. The provision of a Community Wastewater Management System (CWMS) provides dual benefits: •
Overcomes problems with individual disposal systems; and
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Provides the community with a valuable resource.
The purpose of the Statewide Wastewater Recycling Project was to ensure that the systems within South Australia were compliant with relevant standards and guidelines, to maximise the reuse of water for community and economic benefits. The Statewide Wastewater Recycling Project resulted in 56 communities across 29 South Australian Councils, providing 7.5GL of water for community use. The project was coordinated by the Local Government Association of South Australia, on behalf of the 29 Councils and successfully delivered major environmental and social benefits to communities accross South Australia. The project was completed on time and on budget with the attraction of $17 million of Federal Government funding. This project has set a new standard for future delivery of regional projects and is being used as the benchmark for securing additional work through the ‘Cities and Towns’ project..
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FINALIST
Water Proofing the South - Christie Creek Upgrade Leed and City of Onkaparinga Category: Project Infrastructure
The Christie Creek Upgrade is a $15m design and construct project with the aim of providing stormwater detention and flood mitigation incorporating 850 ML/year of stormwater harvesting, filtration, disinfection, storage and distribution. The project is a part of the City of Onkaparinga’s ‘Water Proofing the South’ strategy which seeks to substitute alternative water sources such as stormwater for traditional sources, such as mains water and groundwater, to provide an overall sustainable water use in the City of Onkaparinga. It is a catchment-wide approach to stormwater management that addresses flooding risks, capitalises on the value of stormwater capture through its storage and distribution and reduces the impact of low water quality on marine environments. The project used an innovative approach to process and control three pump stations which are connected to a common distribution system but operate completely independently. Each wetland is able to supply water directly to demands on the network. Water quality was suitable for harvesting after just 5 months, rather than the 3 years that had been originally targeted. This was achieved through increased planting densities and staged works bringing forward water into wetlands whilst they were still under construction. This allowed the client to on-sell water and to release a return on investment far more quickly than envisaged, as well as bringing advantages to the ecosystem and local communities.
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FINALIST
Adelaide Airport - Runway and Taxiway Overlay Project Beca, Adelaide Airport and Fulton Hogan Category: Project Infrastructure
The 2010 - 2011 Runway and Taxiway Overlay Project at the Adelaide Airport is considered to be the largest airport maintenance overlay and largest Airfield LED installation ever conducted in Australia. Innovation was required in order to conduct the project in the extreme risk adverse and regulated airport environment. The project was successfully completed within the Adelaide Airport Ltd approved budget and program. No aircraft operations were disrupted during construction, no lost time injuries occurred and a proactive consultation effort kept impacts on other stakeholders to a minimum. This was achieved through: • Detailed early planning including Business Needs Analysis and Methodology report; • Detailed investigations phase including core sampling, HFWD, Pavement Analysis, material considerations and whole of life cost options; and • Full scale construction trial and De-Risking works The ability to develop non-plastic fine aggregates with locally available materials and the ability to safely and cost effectively dispose of coal tar treated waste stream from asphalt milling were critical. Community engagement and consultation including sharing of noise modeling and other environmental information and the process of grooving being detailed to avoid shallow cable slots set a new standard for detailing of grooved runways. The project proved the ability to produce near seamless asphalt within a limited construction window. It was the largest single LED airfield light installation ever undertaken in Australia – over 600 LED lights were installed.
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FINALIST
North South Interconnection System Project (NSISP) Parsons Brinckerhoff, Tonkin Consulting, MWH and SA Water Category: Project Infrastructure
As part of the long-term strategic plan for water in metropolitan Adelaide, the Network Water Security Program aims to deliver an integrated solution for water transfer and distribution. A key component to this program, the North South Interconnection System Project (NSISP) will upgrade the existing metropolitan Adelaide distribution network infrastructure through provision of interconnectivity between the northern and southern water supply networks. It will enable the continued delivery of a reliable water supply to homes and businesses whilst improving the flexibility and functionality of the distribution system. Waterlink JV, a joint venture between MWH, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Tonkin Consulting, provided multidisciplinary expertise and technical innovation in developing the NSISP concept design. Waterlink JV’s role on the project included an integrated system approach to the concept design of pipelines, pump stations, storages, network modelling and the integration of new infrastructure with existing infrastructure. The concept design incorporated significant and complex modeling, including scenario and options assessment encompassing a broad range of assessment criteria. It required integration of significant plant and equipment to achieve the proposed solution.
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FINALIST
Glenside Hosting Facility Power Cooling and Support Capacity Upgrade Lucid Consulting Engineers Category: Project Management
Delivering an IT services upgrade in a live data centre without disruption to normal operations is a significant challenge for any engineering project manager. Lucid Engineering had to increase the capacity of the Glenside Hosting Facility by increasing the cooling capacity in server rooms, boost the electrical wiring systems and Uninterruptable Power Supply and the stand-by generator support. All this had to be done in a small controlled access site without disturbing the surrounding residents. Lucid initially identified a potentially large budget overrun. Through development of a project priority matrix with the client, the scope of works was adjusted to ensure essential works were achieved within budget. Lucid did this by applying a project network analysis technique to produce a work breakdown structure. The schedule was adapted and refined through the project which at some stages exceeded 100 people from 20 organisations.
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FINALIST
Over-the-horizon radar In-Service Support: Strategic Reform Program BAE Systems Category: Project Management
BAE Systems were challenged by the Defence Strategic Reform Program to dramatically lower the cost of operating the Jindalee Over the Horizon Radar (OTHR) system. The project model for providing engineering and maintenance support to the widely dispersed radar sites was already mature, so BAE Systems had to go a major step forward in their project management techniques. The OTHR Support team reviewed every aspect of the previous support contract. Together they came up with a solution that moved technical support for the Frequency Agile Transmitter refurbishment from Adelaide to Alice Springs. Amongst other savings, this enabled a price reduction of up to 19% to be offered to Defence. It wasn’t only the engineering elements that needed to be considered - many of the personnel delivering the OTHR support work in remote locations, including 10 employees and their families at the Harts Range site. The complex nature of the support contract shows how BAE Systems had to innovate to achieve the objectives.
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FINALIST
Business Continuity Planning Project Tonkin Consulting Category: Reports, Procedures and Systems
The Business Continuity Planning project provided SA Water with an insight into maintaining functionality of water supply and wastewater networks, in the event of a major incident. Stage 1 of SA Water’s Business Continuity Project commenced in October 2008 and was completed in December 2010. Approximately 25 Risk and Vulnerability workshops were held to address potential risks to SA Water’s infrastructure. The project provided an insight into the operation of individual systems. The BCP Process also captured intelligence from individuals involved with the operation systems. Extensive consultation with the relevant personnel during the business continuity planning process ensured that valuable information regarding the operation and maintenance of SA Water’s water and wastewater systems was recorded and documented for future reference. Documenting the systems will ensure information is available to use during routine operations and in the case of an incident that causes a loss of a critical piece of infrastructure. The development and implementation of BCPs and Business Continuity Planning Reports further enhances SA Water’s existing Emergency Management System. The implementation of the project has secured SA Water as a national leader in Business Continuity Planning.
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Commendations
COMMENDATION
Innova 21 - University of Adelaide Aurecon Category: Buildings and Structures
Right Image - from left to right: Mark Ellis MIEAust of GHD and Niko Tsoukalas of Aurecon
The new $100m building for the Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Science has recently been awarded a six star “Green Star Education” rating. The eight storey, 14,000 m2 building incorporates a range of features that aim to “inspire” learning while respecting and enhancing the surrounding precinct through innovative use of materials and engineering principles, including: • EFTE “pillows” used as an inflated roof membrane over the south end of the public space carefully integrated with stressed cable trusses; • “Active Slab” technology incorporating cooling loops within the concrete floor slabs and; • Double glazed curtain walling, again integrated with the steel framing. Innova 21 is an excellent example of originality and ingenuity whilst providing a significant contribution to engineering and to the people that it accommodates.
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COMMENDATION
SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre GHD Pty Ltd, AECOM, Candetti Construction, Peddle Thorp Architects and Woodhead Category: Buildings and Structures
Right Image - from left to right: Will Chapman of AECOM and Paul Clarke MIEAust CPEng of GHD
The new $100m Centre is a world class facility established to cater for the professional athlete and also the broader community. It incorporates a 50 metre pool, a 55 metre diving and water polo pool, a 10 metre diving tower and a 4,500 seat grandstand. The engineering team demonstrated a collaborative and innovative approach to the design and delivery of the project. Emphasis was placed on materials, durability in a highly corrosive environment, acoustics, climate control and sustainability using innovative heat recovery and co-generation processes. This project was well planned and well executed and completed within a very tight timescale of 16 months. It sets a new benchmark for facilities of this kind, now being recognised as one of only six venues in the world that are designed to meet the next revision of the international swimming association’s standards.
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COMMENDATION
Flinders Medical Centre Redevelopment: New South Wing AECOM Category: Environment
Right Image: Kriston Symons FIEAust CPEng of AECOM
The $29m New South Wing building, the centrepiece of the $163m Flinders Medical Centre Redevelopment, contains a new labour and delivery ward providing capacity for 3,000 births per year plus clinics and associated wards. The key features of the project were: • The building became Australia’s first 5 Star Green Star rated health care facility. • An emphasis on Environmentally Sustainable Design by concentrating on energy efficient services with the added challenges of implementing this within a functional hospital environment. • The first use of low level displacement air conditioning in a South Australian hospital, designed using computational fluid dynamics modelling tools to ensure both adequate occupant comfort and effective infection control. • Energy efficient air conditioning plant. • Numerous passive design elements to promote low energy use. • A 286 solar panel hot water system, which is the largest of its type in South Australia. • A comprehensive building management system including electrical sub meters to maximize energy efficiency goals throughout the facility. • Extensive use of low Volatile Organic Compounds materials. • Excellent safety record during construction. • Completion on time and within budget. The project established new benchmarks in the design and construction of large scale health care facilities to achieve outstanding environmentally sustainable design objectives, particularly focussing on lower energy use and lower life cycle costs. The Jury noted that it has contributed considerably to further promoting the wider introduction of 5 Star Green Star buildings within the health care sector in Australia.
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COMMENDATION
Northern Expressway (Acoustics) AECOM Category: Reports, Procedures and Systems
Right Image - Darren Jurevicius of AECOM
The $564m Northern Expressway is the largest road construction project in Adelaide since the 1960’s. The 23 kilometre alignment mostly traverses quiet rural residential communities, substantially changing the noise environment for residential residents in the near vicinity. Specialist acoustical advice was therefore paramount to the success of the project. In fact this became the largest and most complex road noise mitigation project undertaken in the state and has acted as a catalyst to the revision of noise policies in South Australia. Noise modeling showed that, without mitigation, noise criteria would be exceeded 15 years after road opening at a majority of residential locations within 500 metres of the expressway alignment. The team, therefore, presented a number of different design strategies to reduce the noise impact of the project. As the house treatments required windows and doors to be closed for the installed noise treatments to work, alternative fresh air access was provided to ensure satisfactory indoor air quality. AECOM developed a fresh air ventilation system in collaboration with DTEI which utilised roof space ventilators to draw air through acoustically treated wall vents. The project was a journey for all involved with significant lessons learned and will be a benchmark for noise control in the future.
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COMMENDATION
Stirling Interchange Drainage Upgrade DTEI and Leed Category: Project Infrastructure
Right Image - from left to right: Anthony Elder MIEAust CPEng of Leed and Don Boffa of DTEI
The Stirling Interchange is located on the South Eastern Freeway in South Australia. The Freeway is critical to South Australia’s economy, forming a major road access to eastern and southern areas of South Australia and Victoria. It is the major route for interstate freight movements delivering up to 27,000 tonnes per day. During the drainage upgrade project it was important that the flow of traffic was not interrupted. The drainage culvert runs beneath the Stirling Interchange at a depth of up to 11 metres. The unique design of the pipe trolley within the constraints was world’s best practice for a live drain re-sleeving with reinforced concrete pipe of this size. It allowed the safe construction of the pipework in a confined space and removed the need for manual handling in a dangerous confined space. The project was a resounding success due to the application of innovative engineering design and sound engineering practices. The upgrade was completed without impacting traffic on the freeway, despite the third wettest summer on record.
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Engineering Excellence Awards
ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD
In-Situ Submarine Generator Repair ASC Pty Ltd Category: Innovation / Research and Development
Right Image - from left to right: Mike Poynter FIEAust CPEng of ASC Pty Ltd, Award Sponsor Representative Jennifer Kelly of AusIndustry and Aaron Low MIEAust of ASC Pty Ltd
The failure of a major component of a submarine creates a major dilemma, as invariably the hull needs to be cut either partly to form an opening through which the item can be maneuvered, or cut completely to get access to the failed part. In both cases the strength of the hull can be compromised and the time frame for the operation is many months. In the case of the Australian Collins Class submarines, the stator windings of the generators which charge the batteries failed, and the available hatch in the submarine was marginally too small to allow the failed part to be removed from the submarine. Through the application of sound engineering principles and ingenuity the engineers found a way of modifying the stator sufficiently to remove it through the hatch. This required the development of original and innovative procedures for dismantling, repairing and reinstalling the generator, as well as very difficult machining and manipulations of the part in the very confined environment of a submarine. This procedure enabled the repair to be completed in weeks rather than months, saved $3 million and most importantly increased availability of the submarine. This type of failure is not unique to the Collins Class submarines meaning that this repair procedure can now be incorporated into the maintenance manuals of many submarine fleets throughout the world.
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD
Clare North Substation Project: Energising the Clare Wine Region ElectraNet and Parsons Brinckerhoff Category: Project Infrastructure
Right Image - from left to right: Geoff Sampson of Parsons Brinckerhoff, Award Sponsor Representative David Fairweather MIEAust CPEng of Aurecon and Hamish McCarter MIEAust EngExec of ElectraNet
The Clare North substation project has achieved the goal of securing power to the Clare Valley wine producing region, which is of critical importance to the industry and the South Australian economy. The project has pioneered state-of-the-art high voltage technology, putting into practice a number of innovations that have received both Australian and international acclaim. ElectraNet and Parsons Brinckerhoff have delivered the first project in Australia to successfully implement the international standard for multiple vendors supplying protection, automation and control capability. ElectraNet is now one of only a few utility companies in the world to have successfully implemented this new technology. Through its ‘open-door’ policy ElectraNet has sought to share its knowledge of this technology and how to implement it, to raise the standard of Australian engineering. It has encouraged a number of visits from various organisations, including other transmission network service providers, distribution companies, universities, vendors and engineering consulting organisations. The project has enabled the company to attract and retain technical specialists at a time when skills are at a premium in Australia. A major legacy for South Australia.
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD
Lake Condah Restoration Project GHD Pty Ltd Category: Project Management
Right Image: Michael Scott MIEAust CPEng of GHD Pty Ltd
Lake Condah near Heywood, Victoria forms a key part of the recently declared “Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape”, and is identified as a wetland of national significance, on cultural and ecological grounds. GHD’s Lake Condah Restoration Project combined community involvement and a civil design that was sympathetic with the local environment and cultural objectives to restore water to Lake Condah. Lake Condah had been drained for agriculture in the 1950s destroying a significant habitat and cultural site. The project was managed around a number of challenging constraints that included restricted seasonal access, minimal aesthetic impact of the water retention structures, extensive land holder negotiations and the management of aboriginal heritage issues. Following engagement with the community, the procurement plan was modified to also provide training opportunities with long term employability benefits. The rock weir that now controls the restored Lake Condah will gradually “grow into” the landscape as native plant species re-establish. Over a period of time the conditions that existed when the Gunditjmara people built advanced fish and eel traps will regenerate. This is expected to result in less ongoing maintenance than a traditionally engineered structure.
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD and MALCOLM KINNAIRD ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD
Adelaide Oval Western Grandstand Redevelopment Aurecon Category: Buildings and Structures
Right Image - from left to right: Garth Rowland MIEAust CPEng and Clive Silva MIEAust CPEng of Aurecon
The new $115m, 14,000 seat Western Grandstand involved the partial demolition and reconstruction of the existing members grandstand. The new and iconic grandstand has demonstrated “cutting edge” engineering solutions representing benchmarks for Australian engineering and world’s best practice by: • Using advanced finite element analyses and design for the feature diagrid roof; • Utilising state-of-the-art wind tunnel modeling and testing; • Using fire engineering principles for the structural steelwork; • Using advanced egress modeling and analysis for emergency exiting providing a more realistic assessment of behaviour during extreme events; • Introducing storm-water harvesting into the River Torrens reuse scheme; and • Sensitive integration of the new with the existing heritage elements. The project used around 2,000 tonnes of steel, 200 precast wall panels and 430 seating planks all designed, fabricated and erected in 18 months. This project significantly contributes to the community of South Australia, not only being internationally recognisable but also showcasing the local contribution to the design and construction.
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2011 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
The 2011 South Australian Young Professional Engineer of the Year Award proudly Sponsored by GHD Pty Ltd
Gerry Doyle MIEAust CPEng
Left to right: Tony Norrish FIEAust CPEng FICE CEng, Gerry Doyle MIEAust CPEng and Dr David Cruickshanks-Boyd FIEAust EngExec
During his career, Gerry has been involved in a number of landmark projects, including: • Planning the expansion of Roxby Downs Township to cater for the expansion of the Olympic Dam Mine • Managing the engineering team for SA Water’s major network improvement to accommodate water from the desalination plant to the northern suburbs, and • The Statewide Community Wastewater reuse program. On these projects, Gerry has shown outstanding ability to quickly identify the problem and to develop sound engineering solutions. Early in his career, Gerry moved into positions of leadership. Three years after graduation he was asked to manage the Mt Gambier office of Tonkin Consulting for a 4 month period. On return he took up a role as the Team Leader of the Water Resources team and grew that team from 6 people to 25 over a 5 year period. He has also taken on numerous project leadership roles and was rewarded by Tonkin Consulting by his appointment as a Director in 2009. This year Gerry has been appointed as Managing Director. Gerry is a visible leader, who leads by example. His energy and passion for what he does is contagious and he uses this to get the best out of those around him. Gerry has been heavily involved in Engineers Australia over the past five years. He is the current Deputy President of the South Australia Division, is the SA representative to the National Civil College Board and is the chair of the Civil Branch in SA. Gerry is President Elect 2012 of the South Australia Division of Engineers Australia.
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2011 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Ken Schalk FIEAust CPEng
Left to right: Ken Schalk FIEAust CPEng, His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce AC SCS RANR CompIEAust Governor of South Australia and Dr David Cruickshanks-Boyd FIEAust EngExec
Ken has been regarded as the pre-eminent stormwater engineer in South Australia for the past 20 years. He is a trusted advisor to many local governments on stormwater issues. During his career Ken has consistently pushed the boundaries of stormwater management, including authoring guidelines for Urban Stormwater Master Planning. He is also a leading pioneer in water sensitive urban design. Ken has been instrumental in the delivery of a number of engineering projects in South Australia. Ken delivered the design of the award winning Warriparinga Wetlands. These wetlands provide significant value both for water quality and community use and are sited near the junction of Sturt Road and Marion Road. Ken was also the author of the Stormwater Management Plan guidelines, which were prepared to encourage Local Government to consider stormwater management issues on a whole of catchment basis. Ken has been heavily involved in the Hydrological Society of SA for many years including the role of Treasurer. Ken is the immediate past Managing Director of Tonkin Consulting, who was tasked by the Board with the responsibility to rebuild the practice following the untimely death of Craig Gilbert. He has a leadership style of quiet support to enable others to achieve their potential, whilst ensuring that the systems and processes needed for the function of the business are maintained and developed. As Managing Director, Ken oversaw the greatest period of growth in the 56 year history of Tonkin Consulting. He has ensured that the Practice remains at the forefront of technology. Ken is a most worthy recipient of this year’s South Australian Professional Engineer of the Year Award.
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Engineers Australia South Australia Division Phone: 08 8202 7100 Fax: 08 8211 7702 Email: sa@engineersaustralia.org.au Address: Level 11, 108 King William Street ADELAIDE SA 5000