Northern Division
2013
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EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHOWCASE 2013
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CONTENTS Reports, Procedures & Systems Joint Winner________________________ 20
President’s Message__________________ 2 Director’s Message___________________ 3
Reports, Procedures & Systems Joint Winner________________________ 21
About The Awards____________________ 4
Highly Commended Engineeing Excellence________________ 22
About Engineers Australia______________ 5 2012 Winner’s Postcard_______________ 6
Highly Commended Infrastructure_______ 23
Meet The Judges____________________ 9
Professional Engineer Of The Year Winner_____________________________ 24
Message From The Chair______________ 12
Professional Engineer Of The Year Highly Commended___________________ 25
2013 Award Winner__________________ 14 2013 Research, Development & Innovation Winner____________________________ 16
Young Professional Engineer Of The Year Winner_____________________________ 26
Small Business Ventures & Projects Winner_____________________________ 18
Project Entrants_____________________ 27
People’s Choice Award________________ 19
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE platform to an innovative solar/wind/diesel power station, as well a couple of significant emergency repair works. Those of you who attended the recent Excellence Awards technical presentations held at City of Darwin will appreciate the quality of this year’s entries and the effort that has gone into both the projects and the entry presentations. There were two outstanding reports submitted to the awards this year. Often, significant work undertaken by our engineering teams is not in the physical environment, but in the ideas, strategies, management plans and solutions they formulate. The reports category is specifically designed to recognise this work.
Louise McCormick President Welcome to the 2013 Northern Division Engineering Excellence Awards. These awards reinforce the values that are central to Engineers Australia which are to provide leadership, foster excellence, encourage innovation and promote community confidence in Australian engineering. Tonight we celebrate our engineering teams and individuals through these awards by showcasing their achievements, innovations and successes over the past year.
These awards also recognise individual members of the Northern Division engineering teams who have achieved high standards of engineering in the People in Engineering Awards. This year we had a number of very strong candidates and I congratulate all of them on their contributions to the engineering profession.
This is my last year as President and my 8th year of being involved in Northern Division Engineering Excellence Awards. Even though I am a veteran of these awards, I am continually inspired by what our engineering teams achieve in such challenging environments.
A lot of time, effort and contributions are made to the awards, which is what makes them such a success. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who entered the awards.
As one of the judges this year, I was able to appreciate all the challenges, innovations and successes of each project in more detail. The large range and diversity of the projects was astounding with projects ranging from a disabled access fishing
EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHOWCASE 2013
Special thanks to the judges, our divisional staff, and our sponsors – without your continual support, these awards would not happen.
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DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE teams who continue to work hard and then tell us all about their ideas. Thank you to the judges for giving their time so generously to help make the difficult decisions about awards. They had 13 projects to consider as well as a large field in the People in Engineering Awards. None of these decisions are easy and they give careful consideration during the judging period.
bronwyn russell Director 2013 has seen yet another record number of entries into Northern Division Engineering Excellence Awards. Well done to all entrants for again inspiring us with a high standard of projects. It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many creative solutions occurring around the Northern Territory. I have been seeing projects for ten years now and each year I learn something new. Congratulations to all members of the engineering
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Sponsors, I cannot thank you enough. The 2013 awards are a great success and this can’t happen without you each year. The event would not happen without the support of a fantastic staff team. Thank you Karen and Keely again, for making it possible.
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ABOUT THE AWARDS 2013 will see Northern Division celebrate 32 years of Engineering Excellence.
and its clients, industries and regulators, with an opportunity to demonstrate skills and achievements publicly.
Last year’s Award winners included the National Partnership on Remote Indigenous Housing and the Defence of Darwin Experience. Both these projects went onto represent the Northern Territory Nationally.
Entries to the 2013 have seen the largest on record for Northern Division with many diverse and interesting projects from as far as Alice Springs and Daly River.
The Australian Engineering Excellence Awards acknowledge the world-class standing of Australian engineering and provides the engineering profession
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ABOUT ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA Engineers Australia is the national forum for the advancement of engineering and the professional development of members.
Engineers Australia underpins the quality and credibility of engineers in Australia by accrediting tertiary engineering courses, managing national competency registers, and meeting its obligations to create and maintain standards accepted world wide, via its association with engineering bodies in other countries.
With more than 100,000 members embracing all disciplines of the engineering team, Engineers Australia is the largest and most diverse professional body for engineers in Australia. Our chartered engineers are regarded as trusted professionals not only in Australia, but worldwide.
The organisation promotes its Chartered Professional Engineering status as an internationally recognized symbol of quality and reliability in engineering.
Engineers Australia seeks to: • Advance the science and practice of engineering
Engineers Australia is among the few bodies in its category that can speak with authority on behalf of the entire engineering team – professional engineers, engineering technologists and associates, and engineering managers.
• Cultivate lifelong learning by our members • Promote the contribution of the profession as widely as possible • Champion professional and ethical conduct • Welcome all those who wish to practise engineering • Allow members’ aspirations to flourish, and learn from their creativity and innovation • Celebrate excellence in engineering outcomes • Draw inspiration from our engineering heritage • Sustain the integrity of the profession • Take the lead in advocacy of the profession
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2012 WINNER’S POSTCARD national partnership on remote indigenous housing
We are continuing to work in partnership to improve infrastructure in Indigenous communities, with the Northern Territory Government, the Australian Government and Ilpeye Ilpeye Aboriginal Corporation joining together in 2013 to upgrade the Ilpeye Ilpeye town camp in Alice Springs. Improved infrastructure and new urban subdivisions at Ilpeye Ilpeye will provide town camp residents with the first freehold opportunities to own their own homes.
New Future Alliance, Territory Alliance & the Northern Territory Government
Winning the 2012 Engineering Excellence Award provided magnificent recognition for the efforts of all the partners in the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH) in working together to improve the lives of Indigenous families living in remote communities. Our award is an excellent example of the significant social outcomes that we as engineers are able to achieve through the professional and committed application of teamwork to infrastructure investment. NPARIH projects have revitalised the landscape of remote communities and provided residents with a new outlook. Residents of Maningrida and Wadeye, the focal communities under the 2012 award, now take great pride in their new subdivisions and houses, establishing gardens and caring for their houses and neighbourhoods. The NPARIH program has continued to produce outstanding results in other remote communities across the Territory. Further infrastructure and housing projects have now been completed in the major remote communities of Wurrumiyanga, Gunbalanya, Galiwinku, Angurugu, Umbakumba, and Ngukurr. As at 31 May 2013, a total of 903 new houses have been built, 448 existing houses rebuilt and 2317 houses refurbished. The social outcomes of NPARIH are amply demonstrated through the ground breaking employment of local Indigenous people across the program achieving an overall Indigenous employment rate of 24%.
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2012 WINNER’S POSTCARD Defence of darwin experience NT Dept of Construction & Infrastructure & NT Dept of Natural Resources, Environment & the Arts & Sport
A very successful year has passed since the Defence of Darwin Experience was awarded the Northern Division Engineering Excellence Award. Expectations were surpassed earlier this year with its 100,000th visitor since opening. The support of Engineers Australia in advancing the science and practice of engineering has assisted our project team continue the development of the state of the art technology on the world stage, allowing our engineer’s aspirations, creativity and innovation to successfully flourish. Several similar projects in Australia and New Zealand have benefited from the expertise and innovation of our NT members, where remoteness and isolation requires a different way to achieve high class outcomes Last November the project engineering team and our key stakeholder attended the National Awards where the calibre and complexity of the finalists was impressive. The opportunities to network saw innovative engineers from around Australia comparing and demonstrating their latest technologies on their iPhones, both in the great marble hall and later at the after party. We wish all of this year’s finalists ongoing success in their endeavours, continuing the tradition of engineering excellence in the NT.
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MEET THE JUDGES
Louise McCormick
alan grove
Louise graduated from the University of Southern Queensland in 1999. She successfully obtained a full scholarship with the Queensland Department of Main Roads and upon graduation she joined the Bridge Design office in Brisbane as a graduate engineer. In 2002, Louise spent 12 months working in construction as the Bridge Superintendent’s Representative on the Gatton Bypass Duplication Project and in 2004 she was seconded to KBR to undertake verification checking of the box girder bridges on the Sydney M7 Westlink Project. During her time with Main Roads, Louise was also part of the team that developed Australia’s first fibre composite bridge.
Alan Grove graduated from UNSW with BE and M Eng Sc in 1965 and has worked in Darwin ever since. After three years with the Department of Works he worked in the private contacting business for 14 years building pipelines, sub divisions, highway construction, marine works and concrete constructions.
MIEAust CPEng RPEQ
MIEAust
As part of the Palmerston Development Authority he oversaw the start of construction of the City of Palmerston. Then as Construction Manager for the Trade Development Zone Authority he was responsible for the construction of this industrial zone at East Arm and assisted manufacturers in the construction of their specialised factory requirements.
In August 2005, Louise moved to Darwin and joined the Northern Territory Government as a Senior Structural Engineer. Since then, Louise has held several senior positions within the NT Government including managing two of the Northern Territory’s largest road and bridge projects – the Victoria Highway Floodplain Upgrade ($50 Million) and the extension of Tiger Brennan Drive from the Stuart Highway to Berrimah Road ($100 Million)
During the last 10 years of his career, until his retirement in 2003, his main responsibilities were to the Department of Lands for their capital works programs and management of the private development of urban land throughout the Northern Territory.
Currently, Louise is the Manager of the Highland Infrastructure Group NT, which she joined in August 2012. Louise has played an active role on the Northern Division committee for some time and is currently President for Northern Division, on National Congress and a member of the Congress Liaison Committee.
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MEET THE JUDGES Dr Debbie Hall
ACSA
MSc, BSc(Hons) Grad Dip Applied Corporate Governance, MSc, BSc (Hons)
I graduated with a PhD in Zoology from the University of Cape Town in 1993. Filling my childhood ambition to be a game ranger, my early work experience was in environmental education and interpretative roles in nature reserves and wildlife parks. An overseas adventure in 2003 provided an opportunity for reinvention when I moved to Papua New Guinea, and then to Darwin, with my young (now nearly 10 years older) family. I currently hold the position of General Manager Northern Territory for CPA Australia, one of the world’s largest professional accounting bodies. My role is focussed on member service and being an active and vocal advocate for members, the profession and the business community more generally. While in Papua New Guinea I worked for SAGRIC (now Coffey International), first in project management roles and later as part of a monitoring and evaluation team examining the delivery of large infrastructure projects funded through AusAID. This introduction into road and bridge building, water systems, sewage treatment and the challenges of EIAs and social impact was a useful reference point for me in the role of the panel’s non-engineer. The past weeks have provided an interesting view of what is happening around the NT in the engineering field, and has yielded a greater appreciation for the level of ingenuity and innovation employed in the delivery of the assets many of us take for granted.
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terry flowers MIEAust
Terry moved to Darwin after completing the first step of his Engineering training in Victoria with the “Commonwealth Department of Works” in early 1965, and was quick to bend the normal process of working in the Design section of that major organization, to become involved in the Construction aspects of a wide range of projects across the Top End. Construction activity increased dramatically at that time as the Federal Government came to recognize the strategic importance of Darwin, and for the need to upgrade and improve the Building and Engineering services in remote Aboriginal communities throughout the NT. That involvement continued and increased as he moved into Private Enterprise becoming involved with the various projects that resulted, and in turn, that involvement saw Terry steer his employer into major diversification across most Engineering disciplines and building activities. Terry assumed part ownership of the firm just prior to Cyclone Tracy and was able to significantly contibute to reconstruction of essential services in the rebuilding of Darwin afterwards, because of the Firm’s diversification and his personal aquaintance with CDW management. Now in quieter times, he enjoys being with his children and Grandchildren as each of them participate and enjoy the opportunities a developing Darwin continues to offer.
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MEET THE JUDGES Jas is involved at many levels of engineering including the Board of Mechanical College, Chair of Consult Australia NT, Member of the Institute of Project Management, the Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating, Society of Fire Safety, Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators amongst other interests.
JASWANT DEO AFIEAust CEngA
Jaswant Deo has 32 years mechanical engineering experience in various capacities including Management, Engineering, Design, Construction, Manufacturing, Project Management and Dispute Resolution. He was recognised by his peers in Northern Division as the Engineering Associate of the Year in 2011 and went on to win the national award. He currently is employed with RP Project Management.
In addition Jas is registered as a Tutor with the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Indigenous Leadership of the Charles Darwin University for their Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme and lectures in Project Management. He is also a current mediator with the Department of Justice – Lands, Planning & Mining Tribunal and NT Work Safe. In his spare time Jas is heavily involved in Rugby Union.
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
alan grove MIEAust
Once again I have had the pleasure of participating in the selection of the Engineering Excellence awards. It always delights me to examine the best engineering projects completed during the previous year and be shown the latest technological innovation. It is also a pleasure to be part of a dedicated profession group of evaluators and I have enjoyed our shared purpose and their critical analysis of the projects presented. We had a record number of 13 entrants this year including two submissions in the Reports, Procedures and Systems Category. The panel visited all but one of the physical projects which were enthusiastically demonstrated by their proponents and who were in turn subject to probing questioning by the judges. I congratulate all proponents on the quality of their written submissions and their support for the works they were involved with. All proponents also presented at a plenary session hosted by the Darwin City Council to their engineering peers and the general public. It takes planning and practice to excel in presenting complex technical projects to an audience of critical minds in a limited time frame of ten minutes. There were many excellent projects submitted this year but the judges were unanimous in awarding the 2013 Engineering Excellence Award for the NT Division of
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Engineers Australia to ‘Cullen Bay Seawall Rectification’. This project demonstrated what can be achieved by cooperative local engineering expertise in addressing an emergency seawall failure, its temporary consolidation, failure investigation and innovative final rectification. Sinclair Knight Merz, the Northern Territory Government and Advance Civil Engineering Pty Ltd deserve credit for their contributions to the success of this project. Another project addressing similar marine failure rectification is considered by the judges to warrant recognition and consequently a Highly Commended Award in the General Category is awarded to ‘Nightcliff Jetty Repairs.’ Dept of Transport, Dept of Infrastructure, Sinclair Knight Merz and the contractor Ribshire Pty Ltd all cooperatively addressed the stabilisation of the wave damaged Nightcliff Jetty and installation of final remedial construction under extreme tidal access limitations and the need to carry out noisy operations, often at night, close to urban habitation. Those involved are to be congratulated for saving a much appreciated public asset. The judging panel has awarded an Engineering Excellence Award in the category of Innovation Research and Development to the ‘TKLN Renewable Energy Project.’ This project involved the design, development and installation of high penetration diesel, solar and wind hybrid power stations at three remote NT communities. TKLN Solar P/L (a wholly owned subsidiary of Epuron), Power Water Corporation and CAT Projects P/L were all actively involved in the concept and installation of these power generation projects. The judges visited the power station at Lake Nash which successfully incorporated diesel, solar and wind generated power and battery storage into a smart technology controlled, operator free power generation unit for the Lake Nash Community. Installed monitoring and data collection equipment will produce statistics for use in future installations and efficiency improvement. 12
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR The TKLN Renewable Energy Project also justly deserves the Australian Solar Energy Award for Sustainability.
Congratulations to the proponents Craig & Rhodes and Sinclair Knight Merz.
A High Commendation Award in the category of Project Infrastructure is recommended to be awarded to ‘Construction of High Level Bridge Across Daly River.’ Amongst the many engineers involved in this project the Department of Transport, Department of Infrastructure and the contractors Fulton Hogan deserve particular recognition for the construction of such a high quality bridge in a remote location. In particular, the judges were impressed with the local input, the benefits afforded many locations west of the Daly River and the amount of indigenous labour used in construction and the training given to these workers.
The People’s Choice Award is made after all the project posters are displayed at various shopping venues in the NT and the interested public encouraged to vote for the favourite. This year’s award has been won by the project ‘Archer Zone Substation,’ submitted by Power Water Authority and designers GHD Pty Ltd. Although we have six categories in the People in Engineering Awards, submissions were only received in two of these. These two categories were however keenly contested, attracting seven submissions, and caused the judges considerable consternation in choosing a winner from the highly credentialed applicants. The quality of the applicants was such that the judges have suggested that those not recognised this year should not be deterred from submitting their name in future years.
In the category of Small Business Ventures and Projects the submission ‘Framelock Shades’ is awarded an Engineering Excellence Award. Colin West, the innovator behind this project, has won this award in a previous year for his crowd control barriers. With this current project Colin continues to demonstrate his innovative solutions to needy products and his commitment to having his products engineering certified so that they are customer safe and are internationally accepted. Peter Russell, his certifying engineer, has pursued Australian and International Standards acceptance for these products. Congratulations to you both.
The panel has recommended the following awards: • David McHugh in the category of Professional Engineer of the Year • Prof David Lilley Highly Commended Professional Engineer of the Year • Adam James in the category of Young Professional Engineer of the Year As always these awards would not happen without the organising ability and dedication of Bronwyn Russel and her team at Engineers Australia. Many thanks. I also thank my fellow judges for their valued contribution in time, professionalism and considered deliberations.
This year we had two entrants in the Reports, Procedures and Systems category. These were ‘RAAF Base Tindal Construction Plan’ and ‘Ichthys Project Road Transport Management Plan’. The judges were so impressed with both these submissions that they are being rewarded joint winners of the 2013 Engineering Excellence Award in this category. The work, the detail and the presentation excellence in both of these submissions are probably the best that have ever been submitted in the Northern Territory.
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD Cullen Bay Seawall Rectification
Sinclair Knight Merz, NT Dept of Infrastructure & Advance Civil Engineering
The Cullen Bay seawall rectification project commenced in 2011 after growth of a crack was noticed behind the seawall. This growth was indicative of a potentially significant failure of the seawall structure. An urgent program of inspections and assessment confirmed that serious failures had occurred and emergency works including removal of loads behind the wall were instigated. Access to the wall anchorage system was extremely difficult; the seawall tie-rods and deadman anchors were co-located in the same area as anchors for the lock walls, and in the inter-tidal zone. The assessment revealed that failure of wall anchorages had occurred. There existed a very real and imminent risk of major failure of the seawall, putting at risk the integrity of the marina lock walls and gates, support of the gangway to the Cullen Bay ferry pontoon and other Cullen Bay infrastructure including the fuel, water and electrical services to the pontoon. Design of a substantial temporary tie-back system was fast-tracked. This comprised surface level tensioned strands, anchored by a 60 tonne gravity structure of stacked concrete blocks. Once the wall was stabilised, the team proceeded with design and construction options for permanent rectification works. The new seawall tieback system adopted comprised an innovative rock anchor solution combined with a new concrete waler on the face of the seawall. Design, management and construction of the wall tie system and related replacement works proceeded without incident in very demanding conditions. The success of this project is a testament to the effort and expertise of the team.
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2013 WINNER “The Seawall between the Lock and the ferry terminal was in danger of collapse”
“The success of this project is a testament to the effort and expertise of the team”
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD TKLN Renewable Energy PROJECT PowerWater (Remote Operations), Epuron & CAT Projects Energy from the sun is replacing distillate in producing electricity in remote communities. Innovative engineering in the integration of solar and conventional diesel power stations has proven high penetration solar is now viable, both technically and most importantly, economically. One megawatt of renewable energy capacity has been installed in the remote Indigenous communities of Ti Tree, Kalkirindji (Wave Hill) and Alpurrurulam (Lake Nash) as part of a TKLN Renewable Energy Project which commenced in 2011. Over the three communities, up to 80 per cent of the energy demand during the day and 20 to 30 per cent of the total electricity used will come from renewable energy sources. The solar systems use a fixed array flat plate design. They also incorporate a sophisticated battery storage system which smoothes output drops caused by cloud events and enables sufficient time for the diesel system to respond to reductions in solar output. Wind turbines have also been installed in Alpurrurulam and a new, high-efficiency diesel power station with a sophisticated control system has been built to integrate the renewable energy systems most effectively. Power and Water General Manager Remote Operations Darryl Day, said the Corporation is diversifying its energy mix across the remote communities to provide reliable, cost effective and more environmentally sustainable electricity services into the future. “This is an advanced green energy project because of the large contribution that solar will make to the local electricity supply and the innovative solutions used to integrate solar with the diesel power stations at the communities.
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RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION “The three facilities will deliver substantial savings of around 1200 tonnes of CO2-e emissions and displace diesel consumption by an average of 440 kL per year. This benefits both the surrounding communities and the Northern Territory as a whole. Power and Water has a 20-year power purchase agreement for the renewable energy produced by these systems with the owner Epuron, an Australian Renewable Energy Company. Over the next twenty years Power and Water will purchase solar energy generated by the systems at a set tariff and TKLN will provide the capital to build and maintain the solar power stations. The solar power stations received funding from the Australia Government Renewable Remote Power Generation Program.
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Solar power for Ti Tree, Kalkarindgi and Alpurrurulam
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD SMALL BUSINESS VENTURES & PROJECTS Framelock Shade Framelock Structures Pty Ltd
Innovative Northern Territory small business Framelock Structures Pty Ltd has achieved a potential world first by creating a portable shade structure that can be certified to withstand wind loads. The Framelock Shade innovation was born from a need to offer clients a safe, well-presented and portable shade structure that can be certified by a structural engineer to comply with the Northern Territory Government’s Building Act. The Framelock Shade uses a special aluminum portal frame structure, lowered mansard roof design and Alnet extrablock shade cover that provides a SPF 43 rating to block out 97.6 per cent of ultra-violet rays. Research into the design and materials produced a robust shade cover strong enough to withstand a 30 metre per second wind speed, or 108 kilometres per hour. Local Darwin Structural Engineer Peter Russell specially designed each element of the shade structure to ensure maximum strength and safe use. Elements included special knee joints and a 160 degree apex joint for the mansard roof and longitudinal bracing with struts spaced at certain distances from the centre according to the width of the shade pavilion. An Australian wind load expert was involved to identify a safe wind load and the design was full scale load tested and the steel inserts for the new joints were tested at Charles Darwin University. The simplicity of the design enables parts to be interchangeable with other frame types owned by Colin West. The Framelock Shade is designed with minimal anchor points and safely pinned to the ground to avoid the use of dangerous tie down ropes and star pickets to improve safety of patrons and staff at major events.
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD 2013 PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD Archer Zone Substation GHD & PowerWater
Over the last decade load growth at Palmerston Zone Substation has averaged 6.0% per annum. Contributors to this growth include (but are not limited to) the staged development of the Robertson Barracks; the expansion of the Palmerston Shopping Centre; numerous new developments in the Palmerston CBD; and extensive residential development such as Fairway Waters, The Chase, and the new suburbs of Farrar, Rosebery, and Bellamack. In 2008 the security of supply issues became more onerous, and the construction of Archer Zone Substation was increasingly critical. There was no alternative source of power supply for the people and businesses of the City of Palmerston. The median load on Palmerston Zone Substation had increased, it was estimated that an extended outage of Palmerston Zone Substation could have cost the community in the order of $6million/day. With this in mind PWC and GHD set about designing the future Archer Zone Substation, based on the following considerations and objectives: • Provide additional power supply capacity to meet the continual load growth of community • Secure the power supply to the Palmerston community • Enable the growth of the new suburbs, easing housing demand. Through a strong collaborative effort between PWC and GHD all these objectives were achieved. The collaborative efforts through the design phase were also extended through to the construction phase with various contractors required to provide timely inputs onto the site. The efforts of the teams will provide Palmerston, its future suburbs and the surrounding rural areas with a secure power supply for today, tomorrow and beyond.
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD REPORTS, PROCEDURES & SYSTEMS RAAF Base Tindal Married Quarters Craig & Rhodes and Roberts Day
The construction plan documentation for a proposed 100 service residences on-base at RAAF Base Tindal has been developed by Craig and Rhodes; in conjunction with its sub-consultants, on behalf of Defence Housing Australia (DHA) and the Department of Defence. The design documentation will eventually assist in facilitating project approval from the Public Works Committee. A date and time for The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is yet to be determined.
Integral to the delivery of the construction plan is the application of best engineering practice and forward thinking urban design. The result is a housing concept that meets or exceeds defence green building policies, addresses engineering concerns specific to RAAF Base Tindal and provides a sense of community for its residents.
The project documentation integrates a multi-disciplinary design approach, consisting of: • Civil, Geotechnical, Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering • Urban and Landscape design masterplanning and built form development • Environmental review and assessments
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2013 JOINT WINNERS REPORTS, PROCEDURES & SYSTEMS Ichthys PROJECT Road Transport Management Plan Sinclair Knight Merz, JKC Australia & Inpex
The Ichthys Project is the Territory’s largest ever construction project. Demonstrating all parties’ dedication to safety and leaving a positive legacy that will benefit the Northern Territory, the Road Transport Management Plan produced by SKM, sets a new standard of how major construction projects manage traffic on public roads. The all encompassing comprehensive plan for the management of traffic covers over 600 round trips per day at the peak, travelling on over 20 different routes, with traffic generated by: • Cargo movements, including plan and equipment • Delivery of materials and goods • Workforce and visitor movements associated with construction • Consideration of traffic from other Ichthys Project works (eg off-shore works). The Project Controller / Engineering, Procurement & Construction Contractor is JKC, appointed Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) to produce the Road Transport Management Plan (RTMP), which would then be used as a governing document to which all sub-contractors, and their individual traffic management plans, on the project would have to adhere to. The plan identifies the traffic hazards and undertakes risk assessments for each individual traffic route. A comprehensive set of management measures are also detailed so as to reduce the risk to as low as reasonability practicable. The document was required to be approved by the Northern Territory Government prior to any construction works commencing. Including work on updates, over 500 hours of work have been put in to produce the 342 page document, which can be downloaded by the public from the INPEX website. A new standard for transport management plans has now been set that now leaves a lasting legacy for the Northern Territory.
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD HIGHLY COMMENDED EXCELLENCE AWARD Nightcliff jetty repairs NT Dept of Transport, NT Dept of Infrastructure & Sinclair Knight Merz
The jetty structure was originally designed and constructed between 1992 and 1994 in two distinct stages as funding allowed. The original structure was 112 metres in length and contained 14 spans. The completed structure was lightweight, however was high maintenance. The jetty subsequently had several stages of corrosion protection and remedial works after it was opened to public. The works included installing concrete capping over the column base plates for protection. On 25 January, 2012, a period of strong adverse winds generated large waves on a very high tide. The waves crashed over and pounded the jetty for a sustained period with the resultant wave uplift breaking numerous deck planks, damaging the stairs at the end of the jetty, breaking two out of six foundation anchor bolts on pier no 12 and damaging other piers The jetty buckled badly and became unstable and was immediately closed to the public. An urgent project was then commenced to enable the jetty to be stabilised and repaired. The jetty is located in close proximity to a residential area and it was essential that the design took into account the need to minimise noise generation. An innovative, efficient approach was needed and in the meantime the structure had to be supported by lateral cables to provide additional strength in the event of subsequent storms. The repair method adopted was to cast reinforced concrete around the base of columns, connecting this to concrete footings to eliminate the need for more delicate steel repairs. The jetty was opened to the public on Friday 3 August 2012.
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ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD HIGHLY COMMENDED INFRASTRUCTURE high level Daly river bridge NT Dept of Transport & NT Dept of Infrastucture
Following the construction of a high level bridge across Daly River, motorists travelling between Daly River Road to Wedeye (Port Keats) can expect significant reduction in the wet season delays. The new high level 184 metres long Daly River Bridge; with 2 kilometres long approach embankment roads; and a dedicated 1.8m wide pedestrian crossing was completed in November 2012 with a high Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.81. The NT Department of Transport; the NT Department of Infrastructure; Fulton Hogan; GHD Pty Ltd; Cardno (NT) Pty Ltd; and Douglas Partners were venture partners. The $24 million bridge project jointly funded by the Northern Territory and Federal Governments will significantly reduce the number of days the crossing is closed, from about 114 days per year on an average, to less than five days during major flood events only and will help in the social and economic development of the Remote communities. The single lane bridge, which has the in-built infrastructure to widen to two lanes in future, has been named Bul Bul Bridge in honour of the renowned Aboriginal tracker who passed away in1943. Communities in the Daly, Wadeye, Palumpa and Peppimenarti localities are expected to benefit from this initiative, as well as the tourism, the fishing and pastoral industries. It also helped to boost skills in the region, by employing 29 Indigenous workers during the construction phase. This remote area project has been completed well within the target time. This is a significant achievement for a major project in this remote area, due to cost, weather and logistical issues.
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PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER OF THE YEAR 2013 WINNER dave mchugh FIEAust CPEng
David McHugh , a Civil Engineer with 38 years experience, is a Member of the NT Planning Commission and a Project Director with Thinc Projects in Darwin. He has recently been Project Manager on the $130m RAAF Tindal Redevelopment Stage 5 and building of the Airborne Early Warning and Control Facilities. David was the Developer’s Representative on the $220m Darwin Waterfront Development – Recreation Lagoon and Beach, Wave Pool, Public Parkland, Elevated Pedestrian Bridge, Overseas Passenger Terminal and associated infrastructure services. David was formerly Chief Executive of the NT Department of Transport and Works, and during his 30 year career with Government, worked in Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Darwin. David has been actively involved with Engineers Australia for many years. He is a Past President of the Northern Division and a Past Member of National Council and is currently a Member of the Civil College Board.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHOWCASE 2013
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PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER OF THE YEAR HIGHLY COMMENDED DAVID LILLEY FIEAust CPEng FICE FIStruct FIEMechE
David Lilley is Professor of Structural Engineering at Charles Darwin University, after more than 27 years at University of Newcastle (UK). He currently teaches advanced level structural analysis, water resources engineering, and integrated design to undergraduate and postgraduate students. His research interests include structural dynamics and non-destructive testing. David has worked as a consultant on technical issues including structural design, inspection of sports stadia, vibration problems, and forensic analysis of structural failures. He has undertaken analysis and design of ship-board cranes for use in oil and gas exploration and development and is currently providing technical support to Northern Territory’s Department of Infrastructure. David is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and the Institutions of Structural, Civil, and Mechanical Engineers
EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHOWCASE 2013
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2013 YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER OF THE YEAR adam james MIEAust CPEng
Adam moved to Darwin in 2003 after completing a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering at the Central Queensland University. He has been working with Wallbridge and Gilbert RFP since then. He is now a Director and Senior Structural Engineer with the company. Adam enjoys the challenge of designing economical and elegant structures. At the weekend, Adam enjoys the outdoors and continues to invest time and energy in chasing the elusive metre barramundi. He was recently married and is the proud father to his six month old daughter, Isla. He looks forward to engineering and building a swing set for her that will be the envy of the neighbourhood children. Adam is grateful for the experience the Territory has brought to him, and is thankful for the hard work and support of his colleagues and family.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHOWCASE 2013
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PROJECT ENTRANTS East Arm Wharf, Pond F Reclamation
rapid creek fishing platform
Aurecon & NT Dept of Infrastructure
NT Dept of Infrastructure & NT Dept of Transport
The increasing demand for hardstand at East Arm Wharf necessitated the reclamation of Pond F, a large tidal pond located within the Wharf. This was accomplished using a combination of innovative filling, ground improvement and traditional earthworks techniques.
The $500,000 Rapid Creek Fishing Platform has provided a long-awaited recreational facility for Darwin’s disabled people, who’d been advocated for 18 years for a suitable place to drop a line.
Sand was initially placed on the mud using a novel “raining method” utilising a cutter suction dredge machine. This avoided mud waving and also stopped exposure of the mud to air to limit the potential for acid sulfate soils. A coarse aggregate drainage layer of 0.5 m in thickness was then placed on the sand and from this working platform vertical prefabricated drains (VPD’s) or “wick drains” were installed through the sand and to the thickness of mud below. The drains significantly accelerated consolidation from loading and surcharge during the reclamation. It is thought that this project is the first in the Northern Territory to use PVDs to accelerate settlement. Subsequent filling of the remainder of the pond by earth fill was undertaken using traditional earth moving techniques and plant, with the earth placed and compacted in line with the specification. The innovative methodology undertaken in this design has allowed the land to be available for use by the Port in the shortest possible time at the least risk and most importantly, within budget. The additional economic benefits of not interrupting daily wharf operations and bringing forward the availability of the hardstand are difficult to quantify but arguably would be measured in millions of dollars.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHOWCASE 2013
The specially designed platform, featuring drop-down sections of balustrade and a unique disabled-friendly Master Locksmiths Access Key – or MLAK –key system not tried before on a fishing facility, was funded by the Northern Territory Government through the Green Heart of Darwin initiative. The Department of Infrastructure which managed the project reached agreement with the Disability Advisory Committee that it (the committee) would be solely responsible for issuing the keys and that only people with a permit could access a key to unlock the flap. It was a case of duty of care for all involved. Feedback from the Disability Advisory Committee was integral throughout to the department’s design and development of this innovative facility. A long list of government, business and community groups and agencies were consulted during the life of the project.
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PROJECT ENTRANTS AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS
Heavy Haulage By-Pass
Aurecon, Sitzler & NT Airports
NT Dept of Infrastructure & NT Dept of Transport
The Australian Federal Police Headquarters Building (AFP) at Darwin International Airport (DIA) is the first project of a programme of works titled Project Jupiter which will deliver contemporary leased office accommodation and other facilities for the AFP at various locations around Australia. This project involved design and construction of the building with an open plan and specific inclusions to suit the proposed AFP fitout.
The Heavy Haulage By-pass has resulted from a $23 Million commitment by the Northern Territory Government and the Itchthys Project partners to improve infrastructure and safety on routes being used to haul millions of tonnes of quarry materials for construction of the new LNG onshore processing plant in Darwin Harbour.
Key performance criteria required by the project included: • Grade A Office accommodation for 24 hour operation.
The project’s key feature was a high-priority upgrade of the 14-km gravel Jenkins Rd in rural Darwin to a superior standard capable of handling sustained heavy haulage and road train use during the plant’s construction phase.
• 5.0 Star Green Star Office v3 rating. • 4.0 Star Green Star As-Built rating. • 4.5 Star NABERS Energy performance (not rated). The completed building provides a quality asset for Darwin International Airport and quality office accommodation for the AFP. The building comprises over 3300m2 of floor area over 2 levels. The ground level includes plant rooms, amenities and open plan office space intended to be fitted out as utility areas, holding rooms, muster/training rooms, security reception and administration area. The first floor includes amenities and open plan office space intended to be fitted out as a gym, training area, open and enclosed offices and meeting rooms. The site includes the AFP building, unsecure car park, service road, secure compound with car park and landscaped areas. The project was tendered as a Design and Construct project with Sitzler selecting Mode Design to provide architectural design services and selecting Aurecon to provide environmentally sustainable design services (ESD) and structural and building services engineering.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHOWCASE 2013
The new by-pass is also seen as an important support route for future Middle Arm industrial development. To expedite progress on the required road and intersection upgrades in what was a challenging timeframe, the Department of Infrastructure project management team split the work into several contracts which went to major local companies with proven track records in efficient roads maintenance and construction. The major contractors included Ostojic Group Pty Ltd, East Arm Civil Pty Ltd, Allan King & Sons Pty Ltd and Top End RACE Pty Ltd.
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PROJECT ENTRANTS
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Australian Centre for Indigenous KnowledgeS & Education Irwin Consult Structural & Civil Team
The Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Education (ACIKE) is a joint initiative between Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE). The four ACIKE buildings on the Casuarina Campus of CDU are to be the central hub for resources and administration to support the delivery of courses throughout Northern Territory locations in Darwin, Batchelor and Alice Springs at both Batchelor Institute and CDU campuses. The Ceremonial Building (Block 1) includes a ceremonial space, Gallery, Coffee shop, offices, meeting rooms, workstations and a plantroom within the building. The external faรงade of the Ceremonial Building includes full length concrete walkways and a high level concrete box gutter building designed to provide a waterfall effect into the detention ponds at each end. Xlerplate structural weather resistant steel fins up to 9m high surround the curved Southern end of the building providing a stunning feature as well as shading for the windows.
Are you aware of some of the engineering programs conducted for the Youth of the NT?
sUNCHASE SunChase is an initiative of Engineers Australia and its primary purpose is to invigorate the imagination of Primary school students to visualize the ways the community can benefit from solar energy now and in the future. A series of inter-school solar kit car races are run over the one day.
The Informal Learning Building (Block 2) contains offices, informal learning space, server room, lecturer offices, classrooms, workstations and two plantrooms. The Academic Pod (Block 3) is a double storey building containing two large multi-purpose class rooms, work stations, offices and a plant room. The Large Teaching Space (Block 4) contains a large teaching space, store and plant room. The southern end of the building is cantilevered over the top detention pond with wall fins providing shading and a feature of the building.
EXCELLENCE AWARDS SHOWCASE 2013
ENGQUEST Targeted to primary school students, EngQuest is an all year round, web based program to provide a hands on way for students to achieve key learning outcomes in science, maths and technology without even leaving the classroom. Fun and interactive student projects combined with comprehensive resources and teacher support make EngQuest the perfect package for primary school teachers across Australia.
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Northern Division