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ABN 85 007 693 138 PO Box 510, Broadford Victoria 3658 Australia Phone: 1300 EPCGROUP (1300 372 476) Fax: (03) 5784 2210 www.epcgroup.com Publisher and Managing Editor Anthony T Schmidt Phone: 1300 EPCGROUP (1300 372 476) Mobile: 0414 788 900 Email: ats@epcgroup.com Business Development Manager Lawrence Whiter Mobile: 0418 543 821 Email: lawrencewhiter@bigpond.com National Advertising Sales Manager Yuri Mamistvalov Phone: 1300 EPCGROUP (1300 372 476) Mobile: 0419 339 865 Email: yuri@epcgroup.com Advertising Sales - SA Jodie Gaffney - AmAgo Mobile: 0439 749 993 Email: jodie@amago.com.au Advertising Sales - WA Licia Salomone - OKeeffe Media Mobile: 0412 080 600 Email: licia@okm.com.au Graphic Design Annette Epifanidis Mobile: 0416 087 412
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ISSN 0046-7391
2
Editor’s Column
4
Industry News
9
Recommended Reading - Dr Max Lay
10
Fleet Maintenance - Tyre Maintenance
12
Cover Feature: VAC Group
16
Traffic Technology
18
Project Focus
SEPTEMBER 2018 Volume 50 Number 2
20 Special Report: ASEAN Smart Cities 24 Road Safety
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30 Innovative Solutions - EastLink 32 National Precast Feature 36 Focus on Asphalt
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40 AAPA News 41
ITS Special Feature
48 TCA News
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50 TMAA News 54 ACA Corrosion Feature
About the Cover Whether it’s a simple road or footpath repair, or a major new infrastructure or construction project, one of the biggest and potentially most costly planning and construction challenges, is that of accurately locating, identifying and accounting for sub-surface utilities and other assets. Underground asset protection specialist VAC Group has developed a range of underground asset identification and mapping technologies to suit projects of all types and sizes.
Turn to Page 12 for the full story.
EDITOR’S COLUMN
TIPPING POINT
Are 30km/h speed limits a step too far? Dear Readers, Despite the major political upheavals that have occurred recently, I must admit that the vast majority of discussions I have had pertaining to road safety and traffic management over the past month have been predominantly focused on one issue – the impending introduction of 30km/h zones in some areas in inner-suburban Melbourne. Announced in early August by the City of Yarra council, the proposal to run a 12-month trial of 30km/h speed zones on residential streets in Collingwood and Fitzroy from September, has proven to be somewhat controversial to say the least - with many motorists saying it’s a ‘step too far’ in terms of elevating the status of bicycles and pedestrians on roadways above that of motor vehicles. The trial, which is being supported by a $250,000 grant from Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC), will apply across a total of almost eight kilometres of local roads bounded by Alexandra Parade and Hoddle, Johnston and Nicholson streets, with the exception of Brunswick and Smith Streets. Despite the fact that the area is already a 40km/h zone, Yarra Council claims it wants to make the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists on the area's smaller roads, which are often used by motorists travelling between the outer suburbs and the city. Now, before you start preparing a vitriolic email to send me in defence of the rights of cyclists and/or pedestrians - simply on the grounds that I believe that 30km/h zones are ill-conceived - please note that I am both
2 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
a cyclist (albeit recreational – but definitely in the 100km+ long-distance category) and a pedestrian. What’s more, I’m confident that I am not alone in my opposition to the proposed 30km/h zones. Indeed, judging by the public response in the broader mass media (print, tv and radio) over the past few weeks, there are a significant amount of people who are more than a little concerned about this move. Please don’t misunderstand, I am familiar with the science behind the proposed reduction in motor-vehicle speeds - especially in terms of the exponential reduction in the risk and/or seriousness of injuries sustained when hit by a vehicle travelling at 30km/h, vs. 60, 50 or even 40km/h. Let’s be clear, the physics is not up for argument - but I believe the behaviours and proposed solution are. Unusually – I’ll try to be brief! In short, I believe that: a) The effort and concentration required to keep a vehicle travelling at no greater than 30km/h is in itself exponentially more demanding than travelling at 40km/h – especially given that many vehicles are not fitted with a cruise control capable of being set at such a low speed. b) While constantly monitoring their speed so as not to get booked, many drivers will actually be paying less attention to the road and more on the speedometer. c) There may be a ‘false sense of security’ (especially for pedestrians) in areas where they believe the traffic will be travelling at such a low speed.
d) I don’t believe I’m alone in thinking that the road network is predominantly for motor vehicles, dedicated bike lanes and gazetted ‘bike only’ streets are predominantly for bikes, and pedestrians are supposed to use the footpaths and ‘exercise extreme caution and care when crossing the road’. With that in mind, I believe that what’s really needed is: 1) An expanded network of ‘bike only’ streets to provide a useable and functional network for those who commute by bicycle (with access to these streets strictly limited to resident’s vehicles only); 2) AN ONGOING EDUCATION CAMPAIGN to inform pedestrians of all ages as to their responsibilities AND how to cross the road safely; 3) More pedestrian crossings (I believe that pedestrian education, combined with more places to safely cross the road, can help to reduce accidents and injuries); and, finally 4) A total rethink when it comes to reducing road speed limits to less than 40km/h. Needless to say, I await your emails – please address them to ats@epcgroup.com and please... keep them nice.
Anthony T Schmidt Managing Editor
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Working with the heavy Gearing up to improve vehicle industry to Victoria’s transport system improve our freight networks The Victorian Government will have a suite of effective and integrated transport solutions available to improve Victoria’s transport system, after the recent release of the Victorian Chamber’s Transport Taskforce Report: Gearing up for Success. Chief Executive Mark Stone AM said the report, developed by the Victorian Chamber in partnership with a team of industry experts and led by board member Brian Negus, sets out how Victoria’s transport system can meet the challenges of strong population and trade growth. “Victoria has a good transport system but it needs to be developed to manage forecast strong population and trade growth, with Victoria’s population projected to increase from 5.9 million to 10.1 million people by 2051. “The recommendations contained within the Transport Taskforce Report strengthen the economy, support trade and investment, boost tourism, help get people to where jobs are and improve liveability across the state,” he said. Transport system improvement is a longstanding priority for the Victorian Chamber and part of its 2018 Election Campaign, Stronger Business Stronger Victoria. Mr Stone also highlighted the importance of avoiding damaging Victoria from partisan approaches to infrastructure planning. “The recommendations in the Taskforce Report provide a platform to end the uncertainty that comes from partisan approaches to Victoria’s transport system,” Mr Stone said. To view a copy of the he Victorian Chamber’s Transport Taskforce Report: Gearing up for Success, please visit: www.victorianchamber.com.au
About the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 1851, is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.
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The heavy-vehicle industry is invited to submit proposals on how best to trial a user-pays system for delivering the road infrastructure needed to improve freight networks. The Business Case Program for LocationSpecific Heavy Vehicle Charging Trials is seeking industry-driven proposals on how best to trial a system designed to fund upgrades to the road freight network and eliminate pinch points. Road freight is the engine of our economy and roads are our most valuable infrastructure asset. Australia has 874,000 kilometres of roads and our exports, imports, domestic deliveries, e-commerce and many jobs, rely on ensuring that this vast network runs as efficiently as possible. This Business Case Program puts stakeholders connected to the heavy vehicle industry at the centre of the infrastructure planning process. We are inviting heavy vehicle operators to explore how they can help improve a particular route or network by paying a fair and equitable user charge. We would like to work with them to develop a business case to test the value proposition for all stakeholders. Work is also progressing with industry on designing options to trial the possible replacement of heavy vehicle registration fees and fuel charges at the national level, through a related initiative – the National Heavy Vehicle Charging Pilot. A range of stakeholders connected to the road freight sector are eligible to submit a proposal to develop a business case by 21 September 2018. For more information on how to submit a proposal visit: https://infrastructure.gov.au/ roads/heavy/charging-trials/business-case. aspx
Altus Traffic aims for social employment targets Traffic management specialists Altus Traffic has committed to achieving social employment participation targets set out in major infrastructure contracts by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with WISE Employment. The program will provide new jobs for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as helping Altus clients achieve their social employment targets. The program involves candidates from WISE Employment, who are selected to take part in a tailored Altus Training (RTO 41594) course. Upon completion, candidates are inducted into the Altus Traffic business and placed into work environments alongside experienced traffic control staff. WISE Employment continues to support the clients after their placement, ensuring successful onboarding and continuation of employment. The first graduates of the program have already begun working on the Southern Program Alliance in Melbourne, with additional candidates currently being assessed. The program is designed to be rolled out to meet both Indigenous and social employment criteria throughout VIC, NSW, QLD and SA. By working together with WISE’s employment services and its Social Enterprises Altus Traffic will be able to meet and exceed both social employment participation and then later social procurement targets as well as helping its contractors do the same. Jeff Doyle, CEO of Altus Traffic said: “We’re delighted to create a program that can help people secure a much-needed job and a career pathway, and at the same time assist our clients in meeting their social employment participation targets. It’s a real win-win for everyone involved and I’d like to thank our partners WISE Employment and Social Traders for helping us create this program which we look forward to growing.” Social Traders worked with Altus to identify potential partners for the development of the social employment and procurement offerings.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Autonomous vehicle hub announced in South Australia Driverless electric shuttle buses capable of travelling at speeds of up to 45 kilometres per hour will soon be trialled in Australia from a planned ‘autonomous vehicle hub’ in South Australia. Australian company Transit Australia Group (TAG) and global electric driverless technology company EasyMile recently announced a new partnership to be based at TAG’s joint venture Precision Buses in Adelaide. The partnership will involve Australian trials of EasyMile’s EZ10 autonomous buses, to be coordinated from Precision’s Adelaide site. The trials will focus on the deployment, operations and maintenance of the vehicles. TAG said it would reveal details of where and when the trials will take place later in the year. EZ10 shuttle buses carry up to 15 passengers (eight seated and seven standing) and are capable of operating on existing roadway and public infrastructure using EasyMile’s proprietary software. The buses are currently manufactured in France but a TAG spokesperson said there was potential further down the track for the buses to be manufactured at Precision’s Adelaide site. TAG CEO Michael McGee said the partnership could also help the company develop an autonomous version of TAG’s ZDi electric bus, which is already manufactured in Adelaide and is currently being trialled on the city’s public transport network. He said through TAG’s joint venture with Precision Buses, the company was looking to transition existing advanced manufacturing expertise away from automotive and into “next generation” urban transport vehicles. “South Australia has the opportunity to benefit immensely in all areas of this emerging industry,” he said. “Our immediate focus is on working with EasyMile to deliver successful trials across Asia-Pacific and expanding our local knowledge, skills and capabilities around driverless bus technology, operations and maintenance.”
6 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
“However, as the market for autonomous electric vehicles matures, we are well positioned through Precision Buses to locally manufacture and assemble autonomous vehicles, and this is something we are very excited about for South Australia,” Mr McGee added. A TAG spokesperson said the State Government had been consulted about the partnership. He said the company would release more details of South Australia’s involvement in the project later in the year. Swedish bus and truck manufacturer Scania had expressed interest in a partnership with Precision to build its buses for the Australian market. The deal is conditional on Precision winning the bidding for a $300 million South Australian Government tender to build the state’s replacement public transport buses over the next 10 years.
CSIRO roadmap finds hydrogen industry set for scale-up An economically-sustainable hydrogen industry could soon be on the cards according to a blueprint released by CSIRO, the national science agency, which found that cost competitiveness is firmly on the horizon. The National Hydrogen Roadmap sets out a path to develop the action and investment plans required to realise the full benefits of a hydrogen economy. Hydrogen is a cleanburning fuel with a range of uses, from powering vehicles, to storing energy. Hydrogen can service multiple markets and if produced using low-emissions energy sources, will enable deep decarbonisation across the energy and industrial sectors. Roadmap findings include: • Hydrogen technologies are reaching maturity, with the narrative now shifting from R&D to market activation. • Hydrogen presents a new export opportunity for Australia and could also play a significant role in enabling the further uptake of renewable energy. • While the benefits are clear, current barriers to market activation include a lack of supporting infrastructure such as hydrogen refuelling stations for transport, and the cost of hydrogen supply for some applications. • An appropriate policy framework could create a 'market pull' for hydrogen, with investment in infrastructure then likely to follow.
• In or around 2025, clean hydrogen could be cost-competitive with existing industrial feedstocks such as natural gas, and energy carriers such as batteries in many applications. CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall described the Roadmap as a unique opportunity. "Australia has a unique and urgent opportunity to turn significant natural resources, including coal, gas, and renewables like solar and wind energy, into a lowemissions energy product and ship it around the world – in some cases literally exporting Aussie sunshine," Dr Marshall said. "CSIRO is at the forefront of innovation with our partners in industry, government and the research sector, like our recently developed, world-first membrane to separate hydrogen from ammonia for fuel cell vehicles. "This National Hydrogen Roadmap provides a blueprint for growing Australia's hydrogen industry through coordinated investment to be globally competitive." CSIRO Hydrogen Future Science Platform Director Dr Patrick Hartley said industry interest was evident. "We've established a strong network of partners and collaborators that support current, practical research and technology development initiatives right across the hydrogen energy value chain," Dr Hartley said. "And while much of the required technology is at a mature stage, there is considerable scope for further R&D to further improve process efficiencies and develop new applications." The national science agency consulted broadly to develop the Roadmap, which was sponsored by 21 industry and government bodies.
INDUSTRY NEWS
World’s first AI traffic light technology gets green light Real-Time Traffic Management Fuelled by Artificial Intelligence Green Light, a technology startup based in Washington, DC, has secured an official agreement with a Latin American capital city to conduct a pilot of Green Light’s new artificial intelligence technology that turns “dumb traffic lights into smart ones.” The agreement to hold a demonstrative pilot of 6 intersections will serve not only as a showcase for both the city of Asuncion but for other cities as well. The company’s founder and CEO is James Henry of Washington DC. Henry, a serial entrepreneur, recruited top scientists from the University of Stockholm and some veteran traffic engineers from Transport for London. Henry aims to disrupt the traffic industry by innovating in two significant ways: 1. Turn dumb traffic lights into smart ones using cameras and video recognition software to respond dynamically in realtime; 2. Allow each intersection to communicate with one another to form an intelligent network that adapts system-wide. Company officials, backed by members of the scientific community, believe pollution, traffic and fuel consumption will reduce as a result “Traffic is a problem everyone faces worldwide. The global population is exploding, and urban centres are turning into parking lots. The solutions offered are far too primitive to meet the needs of cities today,” Mr Henry said. “Municipalities struggle to keep up by building more roads, but more people rush to use them, and conditions worsen, known as the Downs-Thomson Paradox. Municipal expenditure on traffic management globally is currently in the mid 20B figure and is expected to grow to the low $70B by 2022, at a CAGR of 21%.” “The world needs traffic management solutions that are fully adaptive and dynamic in real-time,” James Henry said.
8 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
“They need to be able to respond to actual traffic conditions which fluctuate moment to moment and at Green Light, we have assembled a team of premier AI traffic programmers and veteran traffic engineers to create a truly smart system that will reduce pollution, congestion, frustration and ware on infrastructure.” The Green Light intersection by intersection solution responds to conditions on demand in a decentralised dynamic fashion. Each intersection decides what’s best for itself and also communicates with the those around it to form an integrated brain. By acting as an intelligent network, the more intersections that have our solution, the smarter the system and the more perfect the traffic signal timings become. Green Light believes that its system will lower pollution, travel time, idle time, citizen frustration and infrastructure overhead. Scientific studies at the University of Toronto and University of Pennsylvania, Pittsburg have indicated that a true real-time solution should be able to: · Reduce idle time by up to 40% · Reduce travel time by up to 25% · Reduce pollution by up to 20% In addition, improving traffic flows will increase productivity as workers regain time lost in traffic jams, reduce vehicle emissions and reduce traffic-related injuries/deaths Once the pilot implementation is nearing completion, Green Light will begin outreach to Multilateral institutions such as World Bank, IMF, IDB and IFC to communicate commitment promoting ESG pillars. Funding may be possible from Multilaterals for installations in developing countries with urgent traffic problems and limited financial resources.
Heavy Vehicle National Law to go back to basics The National Transport Commission (NTC) expects to draft a whole new Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) after it completes its review of the existing law. According to NTC Chief Executive Paul Retter, the review of the HVNL will be a backto-basics review which is expected to result in an entirely new performance-based law that is fit for purpose “Since May 2018, we have heard a lot from industry about the government not being prepared to make wholesale change to the law. Based on our discussions with governments, I am firmly of the view that this is not correct,” Mr Retter said.
“The HVNL, in its current form, does not reflect best practice. We understand that it is onerous for industry and the regulator, falls short of being truly national and is overly prescriptive and complicated,” he said. The 2012 HVNL consolidated 13 model laws and brought six of the eight state and territory laws into a single national law. “However, it is fair to say that while the HVNL was better than what preceded it, it was subject to a fair amount of compromise.” Mr Retter said the NTC was best placed to undertake the review as it was not beholden to any particular jurisdiction. NTC will work with all governments and a large number of industry stakeholders and other experts across Australia during the review. “The NTC was established by Australian governments to undertake exactly this type of national transport reform. We understand the law, its limitations and frustrations.” He said the NTC had already been consulting widely with industry, road organisations, jurisdictions, fatigue and technology experts, and key legislative professionals. Detailed discussions have occurred between the NTC, the ATA, NatRoad, ALRTA, road transport organisations in each state and territory, safety bodies, and governments. “We will establish an expert review panel to help develop new policy settings and legislation that reflects best practice.” Mr Retter said the NTC was also setting up working groups for the key priority areas of safe and efficient access, enhanced fatigue management, accreditation for safer operations, and telematics, technology and data. Consultation with industry will happen in rural and regional centres as well as urban areas to ensure the views of heavy vehicle operators across the country are taken into account when drafting replacement legislation. “The 2018 review and subsequent proposed legislation will acknowledge that one size doesn’t fit all across this vast country. Taking a performance-based approach to the HVNL, rather than a prescriptive approach, will deliver streamlined legislation without compromising on safety.” The NTC will finalise the terms of reference for the review in the next few months for approval by the Transport Infrastructure Council.
RECOMMENDED READING
THE HARNESSING OF POWER:
HOW 19TH CENTURY TRANSPORT INNOVATORS TRANSFORMED THE WAY THE WORLD OPERATES BY MAXWELL GORDON LAY (ISBN-13: 978-1-5275-1095-1) Widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts in both road technology and road history, Dr Max Lay’s prodigious collection of written works is almost as impressive as his knowledge, with his published works amassing to a literal library of over 760 books, book chapters, papers and reports – many of which are considered ‘mandatory reading’ for engineers and other professionals in the fields. Dr Lay’s latest offering, The Harnessing of Power: How 19th Century Transport Innovators Transformed the Way the World Operates maintains his reputation for extremely high quality, well researched content which is both informative and insightful. The book examines how the 19th century’s transport legacy of bicycles, trains, ocean-going steamers, trucks, trams, buses and cars arose, creating numerous new technologies and markets. Nothing like this range of transport changes had occurred before, and the 20th century changes were incremental compared with those of the 19th century. The book explores where the key transport features came from and why there were so many inventions, innovations and inconsistencies. The Industrial Revolution was a key part of the process as it had strong links with transport developments. The book adopts a broad, global perspective, but initially has a strong British focus as the Revolution was a process predominantly initiated and implemented in Britain. Nevertheless, when it lost momentum, Britain began to lose its leadership. By century’s end France and south-western Germany were the dominant changemakers and the USA was appearing on the horizon. The Harnessing of Power: How 19th Century Transport Innovators Transformed the Way the World Operates also highlights the many inventors and entrepreneurs who caused the dramatic transport changes and notes that they did this predominantly through individual initiatives to satisfy personal rather than corporate or national goals and that they were often hindered rather than aided by officialdom. Published by Cambridge Scholars, The Harnessing of Power: How 19th Century Transport Innovators Transformed the Way the World Operates is definitely recommended reading for industry professionals, or in deed for anyone with an interest in transportation, roads or history. To order, please visit: www.cambridgescholars.com
In 2005 Dr Lay was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to engineering, particularly through leadership in the delivery of quality road infrastructure and the development of new contract management processes, and as an educator and historian. In 2000, the Australian Road Research Board named its library the ‘M.G. Lay Library’ to honour “his passion for the dissemination of high quality professional information”. In 2014, Dr Lay was awarded the Peter Nicol Russell Medal, the highest award offered award offered by the Australian engineering profession. He has had terms as President of the Australian Automobile Association, the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria and the Royal Society of Victoria.
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September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 9
FLEET MAINTENANCE
HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD TYRE MAINTENANCE Despite the fact that most people are well aware of the critical role that good quality, well maintained tyres play in the safe operation of tyred vehicles, it’s also a fact that for many people, tyre care and maintenance is far from ‘top of mind’. That is, of course, until something goes wrong. If you’re lucky, the problem may be a puncture – and hopefully, the worse consequence may be the inconvenience of not being able to move the vehicle until the offending tyre is repaired or replaced. If you’re not so lucky, the problem – and the consequences – can be MUCH worse. Poorly maintained and excessively worn tyres can, quite literally, spell disaster on the roads and on the worksite. Together with obvious risks posed by a lack of tread and the dangers faced if a tyre blows-out or shreds at speed, poor quality or badly maintained tyres on the worksite not only present a significant OH&S hazard, they can also end up bringing a site to a standstill, which can in itself end up costing many thousands of dollars. With that in mind, leading tyre, wheel and undercarriage specialists Titan Australia have developed a ‘Total Tyre Solutions’ approach to tyre supply, fitting and maintenance. Adam Oakenful, Chief Operating Officer with Titan Australia, explained: “Whether it’s on a large
10 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
piece of equipment, a heavy-vehicle, 4WD or passenger vehicle, the greater majority of people barely give their tyres a second thought until there’s a clear visual indication that something is wrong – such as the tyre is flat or it’s so worn out that it’s impossible to ignore.” “Unfortunately, by that stage, in many instances it’s already too late.” “Rather than simply selling tyres based on the size, we work with our customers to select the most appropriate tyres for their specific applications and then develop an appropriate tyre care and maintenance regimen to help them get the most out of their tyres in terms of operating life and performance.” Not surprisingly, Titan’s ‘Total Tyre Solutions’ approach is proving to be extremely popular with an ever-increasing number of fleet and equipment owners and operators across Australia. From small private contractors, construction companies and operators in both the agricultural and mining sectors, through to large heavy vehicle fleet operators, major projects and Local Government fleet operators, Titan is leading the way across all areas of tyre, wheel and undercarriage manufacture, supply, fitting, maintenance and repair. “While it may be impossible to completely eliminate the risk of accidental damage, having well maintained, high quality tyres fitted to vehicles and equipment does help to minimise the impact of accidental damage if and when it does occur,” Adam Oakenful said. “Regardless of the type of tyre or wheel, our
aim is always to help our customers get their vehicles and equipment back up and running with the shortest possible downtime.”
Focus on quality As a global leader and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of specialist tyres and wheels, Titan’s core focus is one of quality and performance. Importantly, this ‘quality ethic’ not only extends across the company’s range of tyres, wheels and tracks, but also to services such as fitting and maintenance. All Titan in-house wheel and rim inspection, repair and certification services are performed by fully-qualified staff in accordance with AS4457.1 and all other relevant Standards in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. Titan also owns and operates a large fleet of tyre-handler grab trucks. All Titan tyre-fitting vehicles are manned by experienced CERT 2 Qualified fitters who are also inducted on a wide range of mining and construction sites. For further information on Titan’s full range of products and services, please call: 1300 791 672 or visit: www.titanaustralia.com
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11–14 NOVEMBER 2018 | ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRE CORROSION & PREVENTION 2018
C&P2018 INCLUDES:
The annual ACA conference is a 3 day gathering of world experts on corrosion mitigation. This will be a premium networking event as well as a source for the latest information concerning corrosion mitigation. Entitled Corrosion & Prevention 2018, the conference will comprise a program of keynote speakers and presentations under a range of industry ‘streams’, integrated with an exhibition that will showcase the latest products and services of the corrosion mitigation industry.
• Quality Technical Program
• Various Forums
• 72 Booth Trade exhibition
• Awards Dinner
Over 500 delegates and visitors are expected to attend from industries such as; protective coatings, water, defence, building and construction, mining, oil & gas, cathodic protection, power and more.
• Social & Networking functions • Partner Program
PLENARY LECTURERS Professor Brian Kinsella Deputy Director Applied Corrosion Research and Testing, Curtin Corrosion Engineering Industry Centre, Faculty of Science & Engineering | School of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, Curtin University, Australia Dr Laura Machuca Lecturer, CCEIC, Curtin University
Miles Buckhurst Global Concept Director – HPI Jotun, Norway
Associate Professor Geoffrey Will Science & Engineering Faculty Queensland University of Technology
Paul Vince Associate Materials Engineer, Water, WSP
+ more to come
For more information and to register go to: conference.corrosion.com.au
COVER STORY
CONFIDENCE IN
CONSTRUCTION MITIGATING COST BLOWOUTS AND DAMAGE CAUSED DUE TO UNFORESEEN SUB-SURFACE UTILITIES.
Whether it’s a simple road or footpath repair, or a major new infrastructure or construction project, one of the biggest and potentially most costly planning and construction challenges, is that of accurately locating, identifying and accounting for sub-surface utilities and other assets. Put simply, discovering – or even worse, damaging - unmapped or unaccounted for sub-surface utilities, assets or street furniture, can easily add thousands (or as has been seen in some major projects, hundreds of thousands) of dollars to the cost of a project in unforeseen excavation, demolition and/or redesign work. 12 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
COVER STORY
MAKING THE INVISIBLE, VISIBLE
C
ritically, the solution to this problem is not as simple as searching a GIS database or calling one of the ‘Dial Before You Dig’ type services. And that’s not a reflection on the quality of those services – it’s a reflection on the quality of the much of the available data. Peter Howarth, National Sales and Marketing Manager Australia and New Zealand, with underground asset protection specialists VAC Group, explained: “Even with the myriad of GIS databases now covering much of the country, and services such as 'Dial Before You Dig', the information they can provide is only as accurate as the available recorded data, and in many instances, the data is inaccurate or incomplete.” “Needless to say, even for the smallest project, unidentified subsurface assets can be a significant problem - with damaged utilities, project delays, additional costs for repairing damage, costs of reinstating services… and the list goes on.” “Put simply, discovering an unmapped or incorrectly mapped sub-surface utility or asset can spell disaster – both financially and literally,” he added
VAC Group has a range of high-tech scanning technologies on offer, each of which enables them to 'make the invisible, visible'. Available options include: • Computer Aided Radar Tomography (CART) system • 2-Dimensional Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) • Electro-Magnetic Induction (EMI) scanning • Light Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) scanning The CART system is the only product in Australia that produces ‘underground video’, providing a highly detailed, fully navigable 3D rendering of the underground and above ground environment showing all assets and infrastructure. Whilst not infallible due to limitations such as ground conditions, the CART system does provide a “CONTIGUOUS” view of underground assets, or at the very least, a “CONTIGUOUS” view of the trench in which it is installed rather than the “SNAPSHOT” view (typically at 10-metre centres along the line of the asset) provided by other current locating technologies such as EMI and 2D GPR. The more traditional “SNAPSHOT” approach involves extrapolating data from the individual points in a type of “join the dots” process with straight lines between the sample points. Alarmingly, this process not only creates a drawing that doesn’t determine the existence of “UNKNOWN” assets, it only provides positional data on, at best, 2% of the length of known assets and less than 0.4% of the positional data over the entire site. “Recognising that this is the standard to which the Infrastructure industry has been working, makes it easy to understand how difficult it is for anyone to feel confident when it comes to designing or building structures. In fact, working with this level of information makes any type of excavation extremely alarming,” Peter Howarth said. “We believe in combining all available technologies to maximise outcomes.” “All works are carried out in accordance with Australian Standard AS5488-2013 and completed by DBYD Certified locators, and the resulting reports can be delivered in a range of formats including AutoCAD or Bentley MX drawing format with associated images,” he said.
HISTORICAL DATA ISSUES The issue of ‘not knowing’ what assets and infrastructure are buried beneath the surface, or exactly where they are located, is far from new. Indeed, these are issues that have been plaguing projects large and small for many decades. Unfortunately, it’s also an issue that has become exponentially more difficult over the years, thanks to the ongoing and often rapid expansion and redevelopment occurring across Australia. While there are many contributing factors, the major issue basically comes down to one of historical data inaccuracies and/or omissions. And as is the case with any data record, if you start with incorrect data, everything that follows just compounds the initial inaccuracies.
September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 13
COVER STORY
Major inaccuracies in available data stem from an array of issues, including: • incorrect site measurements; • project data that was lost or never updated following an installation; • files and data that have been destroyed; • incorrect data entry; • changes in responsible authorities; • defunct / disbanded departments; • burying decommissioned underground assets and then deleting them from plans as if the asset has been removed; • undocumented additions / modifications; and • slight deviations from the project plans due to: o ‘short cuts’; o uncovering an unexpected rock or natural barrier; and, perhaps most ironically; o uncovering another unmapped underground asset during a project excavation What’s more, historically, there was a distinct demarcation in terms of ownership and management of data and plans – not only between the three layers of government, but also between individual utilities and service providers. From water, gas and sewer pipelines, through to electrical, data, communications and other underground assets, the large majority of this data started its life in isolation within each responsible authority – some well over 100 years ago. In recent decades, much of this data has been combined into larger centralised GIS databases, however, as anyone in the IT field will tell you – every time that data is converted and/or merged is a major opportunity for errors and inaccuracies to be introduced. Alarmingly, when it comes to merging mapping and location data, overcoming discrepancies in historical data from multiple sources across the same location has often been a matter of applying a ‘best educated guess’ as to which data is correct!
‘CLOSE ENOUGH’ ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH While applying a ‘best educated guess’ to mapping data might be fine in terms of identifying the location of buildings, bridges, roads or other above-ground assets (where it is simply a case of going to the location, having a look what’s there and, if need be, taking a few measurements), when it comes to providing an accurate location for underground assets, it’s far from a satisfactory solution. Importantly, the cause of the data inaccuracy – either initially or in subsequent iterations - is effectively a moot point. After all, in subsurface location data, an inaccuracy of as little as 100mm can mean the difference between a successful excavation and destroying a major gas or water main, or disrupting the electricity supply or communications network across an entire area for an extended period.
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In short, excavation works using existing data often still end up being a case of trying to pick your way through an unknown maze of underground assets… and that’s just for the areas that have data available! “Accuracy of data aside, the biggest challenges are projects in areas that simply don’t have any available recorded data,” Peter Howarth, explained. “And we’re not just talking about the many hundreds of new greenfields developments that are underway across the country at any given stage – the problem is much more widespread.” “Even in well established areas, it’s staggering how many individual properties don’t have accurate mapping of house connections such as water, gas and sewage.” “Even when it comes to power and telecommunications, many houses have nothing better than a sketched ‘mud map’ in the fusebox – and some don’t even have that,” he said. “Needless to say, even for small residential jobs, this lack of accurate data basically renders services such as 'Dial Before You Dig' of little or no use. After all, the information they can provide is only as accurate as the available recorded data,” Peter Howarth added.
CONFIDENCE IN QUOTING There have been numerous occasions recently where contractors and project owners have faced cost-blowouts of many hundreds of thousands of dollars purely due to the discovery of unmapped sub-surface assets, infrastructure or other items once work has commenced. As a consequence, many contractors have become increasingly cautious when it comes to quoting excavation work - particularly in older areas where there has been development for in excess of 100 years. Indeed, there have been a number of projects which were unable to attract any tenders or quotes for excavation, because of the elevated risk of running into unforeseen challenges during the excavation phase, including unmapped subsurface infrastructure. By providing a full and accurate picture of not only the buried assets, but also the sub-surface structure of the project area, VAC Group’s sub-surface asset detection and reporting system provides contractors and project owners with all of the information required for accurate quoting. “In terms of seeing what’s buried beneath the surface, our system may not always provide you with ‘the answers that you want to hear’, but they will always give you ‘the information that you need to know’,” Peter Howarth said. “That provides everyone with a high level of confidence that the job that’s being quoted on, is the job that’s going to be done – without any nasty sub-surface surprises.”
CONFIDENCE IN ALL STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION With that in mind, VAC Group has developed a range of underground asset identification and mapping technologies to suit projects of all types and sizes. From small residential projects, through to greenfields developments, large-scale construction projects and major infrastructure developments, VAC Group can provide engineers, architects, developers and project managers with a highly-detailed and extremely accurate map of all sub-surface assets and infrastructure. “From the outset our goal was to develop a range of solutions capable of delivering the data required to provide an extremely high level of confidence in all phases of construction – from initial scoping, detailed planning and tendering, right through to excavation and construction,” Peter Howarth said. VAC Group’s Australian designed and built scanning equipment utilises a range of innovative technologies to identify, locate and map all types of underground assets, including sub-surface power lines, water and sewerage pipes, gas lines, telecommunication services and other sub-surface assets. Their scanning and mapping systems utilise a comprehensive suite of technologies to provide a total picture of the project area – including, when required, an extremely accurate 3-D image map of both the above ground and sub-surface features of the area. The equipment is able to identify the myriad of materials used in underground utilities, including metal, plastic and concrete pipes, cables, wires (including fibre-optic cables) and conduits, as well as any other hidden subsurface infrastructure. It has even been used to identify sub-surface tree roots in order to protect historic and significant trees. “Our proprietary solutions provide data with a detail and accuracy greater than ever before, allowing designers, engineers, architects and project managers to gain a detailed knowledge of the entire project area, including the location of all utilities, sub-surface assets, discarded, buried or decommissioned assets, and even tree roots.” “Our systems mitigate the risk of uncovering any expensive ‘surprises’ once excavation begins, thereby providing that much sought-after ‘Confidence in Construction’,” he added.
COVER STORY
UNIQUE PROFILER ELIMINATES GUESSWORK For most projects, positive siting of the asset is required and this is achieved using a technique known as ‘potholing’. Traditional ‘potholing’ surveys often involve coring through concrete or asphalt surfaces. Once the surface has been removed, the buried asset can then be fully exposed using one of VAC Group’s fleet of high-performance Vacuum Excavation trucks. Importantly, this process still only legitimises the data at the dots in the ‘join the dots’ approach, and depending on the accuracy of the “locates” performed, can often render the potholing process akin to finding a “needle in a haystack”. To address this, an investigative trenching methodology is often used, with the trench placed orthogonally to the direction of the assets to positively identify any unknown underground assets or sub-surface issues that may be along the excavation line. Unfortunately, the hard surfaces that require removal by the coring process - or in the case of investigative trenches, by concrete saws and breakers - often have services buried either in, or immediately under the slab soffit – and these can be easily damaged during removal. In an effort to minimise the risk of damage to the buried assets, VAC Group has developed a patented ‘profiler system’ for this application. Rather than boring holes or diamond cutting to full depth, the VAC Profiler excavates a 100mm wide survey trench along the project line. Specifically designed so as not to damage sub-surface assets, the profiler works in 25mm increments (to a maximum of depth of 600mm) allowing the operator to easily identify changes in sub-surface conditions before damaging buried assets. As well as providing confidence in the sub-surface conditions for the full length of the project area, the fact that narrow excavated trench is both compact and ‘flanged’ at the top, means that it is quick and easy to reinstate. The process is dimensionally stable, safe and reduces both time and costs.
For further information on VAC Group's full range of services, Ph: 1300 822 834 (24 Hour Service) or visit: www.vacgroup.com.au
September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 15
TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGY
AUSTRALIAN TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES DRIVING THE SUPER HIGHWAYS OF TOMORROW Roads around the world are getting smarter. Traffic management is a high tech enterprise and the battle to beat congestion, improve safety, and make our major roads more efficient is big business. It’s no wonder. Congestion wastes time, and time is money. A report published this year by INRIX, a transport-data company, found that in developed countries, citydwellers lose nearly $1,300 (AUD) a year sitting in traffic. Australian government estimates put the avoidable cost of congestion for our capital cities at around $16.5 billion, having grown from about $12.8 billion in 2010, and rising to around $30 billion by 2030. The world is turning to technology for help. The impetus to get traffic moving is literally turning roads into information super highways, with smart management systems delivering operational and safety benefits for road users, operators, planners, as well as the community, economy and environment. The traffic management system currently making headway around the globe is Johnson Controls’ Meridian system, which was developed in Australia and is now being used for motorways and tunnels all over the world. This advanced software solution for monitoring and controlling complex
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systems and devices has most recently been selected by Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) as the foundation of their Smart Motorway Management System. The project is scheduled for completion mid 2019 and will initially operate on a section of the M4 in Western Sydney, New South Wales. The platform is currently deployed at the Tugun bypass and tunnel project at the Gold Coast Airport in Queensland, and the Penlink motorway in Victoria. It is also being used for traffic management across global cities in Europe, the US and the smart transport hubs of Asia. Each project varies in complexity from tolling systems in Portugal to a highly sophisticated 13km tunnel network in Singapore, which coordinates and controls over 60,000 devices. “The system was designed and developed here in Australia by a team of in-house transportation engineers who have continually refined and adapted the platform by listening to the needs of customers. By keeping pace with technology, there has been huge ongoing demand for this smart system which has become a major export around the world,” explained Jordon Peters, Service and Development General Manager for Johnson Controls’ Transportation and
Integrated Controls division. “Meridian uses an integrated approach to its intelligent transportation system (ITS) and can be adapted to integrate existing and emerging technologies to make motorways easier to manage. This includes CCTV, predictive analytics, traffic detection, SCATS data, variable and changeable message signs, hardware cabinets and other plant equipment. Meridian takes all the data and makes it useful and actionable to improve operators’ situational awareness and reduce the time it takes to clear incidents, all with the with the click of a mouse,” added Peters. “Beyond its integrated operating system, Meridian also has the brainpower to gather and analyse information. It’s capable of identifying ongoing road usage and capacity issues that allow agile management of the motorway, saving time and money, and improving safety.”
Predicative smart traffic technology All motorway systems can be controlled via Meridian due to the platform’s flexibility. It provides the operator with a single interface so there is no need to switch between applications. It can even directly change settings in other underlying systems by using Meridian’s comprehensive response plans.
TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGY
The system features a rich graphical user interface (GUI) with menu and mouse-driven Windows applications. This GUI, known as the Meridian Workbench, relays real-time status updates of devices through video, images and data-tables as appropriate. The easy to use road network map features the latest GIS technology, linked with the spatial database of Meridian, to allow the operator to retrieve information about any aspect of the systems with a mouse click. Standard Meridian features include: • High availability and reliability • Integrated Traffic, Plant (SCADA), and Incident Management, into one system • Geographic Information System (GIS) Technology – real locations, used for accurate incident management. • Schematics / SCADA displays • Automatic Dynamic Response • Regular updates which incorporate new features and capability As well as network planning, the Meridian technology is beneficial for enhancing road safety and performance. With modern traffic data analysis and reporting the key to identifying bottlenecks
and increasing flow capacity, smart systems like Meridian support long term road planning and evolve with the needs of increasingly complex road and infrastructure networks. Urban roads being built today, and planning for expansion of road networks, will rely heavily on sophisticated statistical analysis tools to improve the overall performance and operational efficiency.
Roads and tunnels are multi-billion dollar infrastructure investments that need to be carefully managed to optimise their use and prolong their life. The Johnson Controls Meridian platform is future proofing today’s motorways in preparation for the arrival of driverless cars and other technological changes as the information super highway age takes hold.
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September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 17
PROJECT FOCUS
Acciona and Ferrovial successfully deliver NSW Pacific Highway upgrade The Warrell Creek to Nambucca Heads Pacific Highway Upgrade in NSW opened the final six kilometre section at the end of June. The project is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments, and has been delivered by an ACCIONA and Ferrovial joint venture. The milestone represents the highly successful delivery of essential infrastructure for NSW by the two companies, both of which are significant investors in the state and in Australia. Opening of the Warrell Creek to Nambucca Heads section follows on from the opening of the initial 14km of road in December last year. The project is part of the larger Warrell Creek to Urunga Pacific Highway upgrade to improve road safety and transport efficiency and relieve seasonal traffic congestion. The 20km project was delivered under a Design and Construct Contract managed by NSW Roads and Maritime Services. Since activities began, the project has been a substantial driver of economic activity in the region, with over 650 people working on construction at its peak and more than 5,000 inductions onto site. Numerous local subcontractors have also been involved, creating valuable revenue streams and employment opportunities. Fernando Fajardo, Managing Director for ACCIONA Infrastructure Australia, New Zealand & South East Asia, said: “This is a great day for the project, and a credit to the team’s hard work and dedication. We appreciate the ongoing support of the local community, and are proud to have played a central role in delivering this project for New South Wales.” “It just shows how companies with substantial technical expertise and extensive local and international experience can create infrastructure of lasting value in Australia.”
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The newly-opened section includes a rail underpass and new interchange at Warrell Creek. Overall, the project involved building 15 bridges, including a major new 850-metre bridge over the Nambucca River, two new interchanges and access ramps at North Macksville. The project has also delivered a high standard of safety, achieving 2,000,000 hours with no Lost Time Injuries.
Mobile mapping streamlines Bruce Highway upgrade ROBIN is shown in the car mount configuration.
Leading geospatial technology supplier, 3D Laser Mapping, has helped surveying specialist, NorthGroup Consulting, streamline a the Bruce Highway upgrade in Queensland. To help plan restoration works, a multiplatform mapping system, ROBIN, was used to survey a 15km section of the busy Bruce Highway. The captured data provided a highly accurate 3D model of the entire road's features and adjoining land, as well as the road surface itself. Following installation and setup, ROBIN was mounted on a vehicle and deployed in under ten minutes. Driving at the same speed as normal road traffic, NorthGroup was able to capture the data from the safety of the vehicle, with no detriment to other road users, in under eight hours. The data capture was successfully completed in one
continual scan, without the challenges of having to complete repeated scanner set-ups to capture intersection crossings or other offroad features. Upon completion of the project, NorthGroup was able to produce a dense point cloud with sub 10mm accuracy for the entire stretch of highway. Dr. Graham Hunter, managing director at 3D Laser Mapping, explained: “NorthGroup approached 3D Laser Mapping as it was in need of a solution with high accuracy, quality data and quick scanning speeds. ROBIN was an obvious choice and we’re all extremely proud of the results it has achieved.” “Not only did ROBIN help save time and money at the surveying stage of this project, but it also limited safety concerns for the teams on the ground. Collecting data from a moving vehicle restricts operative's exposure to fast-moving traffic, something which is a key consideration during any survey of this kind,” Dr Hunter said. The Bruce Highway is an essential artery in Queensland's road network, and one of its busiest sections is the area between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Due to the heavy volume of commuters and tourism traffic each year, it was in need of an upgrade to satisfy the increasing demand of road vehicles. “The entire project, from start to finish, was completed in under 11 days. This time scale would have been impossible without either closing the highway at night or causing serious disruptions and delays along this busy stretch of highway,” Dr Hunter said. “NorthGroup also found great benefit in ROBIN’s data output. As LiDAR data is stored on the cloud, it allowed the road model to be revisited by all of the project stakeholders - city planners, construction workers, utility companies - all of whom would have had to make additional site visits,” he added. ROBIN can be deployed in a range of sectors, and provides a multi-purpose all round system. It integrates a 12MP camera (for drive) and 18MP (for walk and fly), two GNSS antennas, GIS grade IMU navigation system, touch screen control unit, three mounting systems, capture software, a postprocessing software package and has a field of view of 330 degrees. For more information about 3D Laser Mapping and ROBIN, please visit: www.3dlasermapping.com
Street View point cloud of South Interchange (Bruce Highway).
PROJECT FOCUS
Report finds that Sydney Metro West would boost jobs Building a fast train link from the Sydney CBD to Parramatta would create tens of thousands of new jobs according to a new report published recently by the Committee for Sydney, the Sydney Business Chamber and the Western Sydney Business Chamber. Sydney Metro West is the proposed extension to the Sydney Metro Network. It is designed to connect Parramatta and the Sydney central business districts and increase rail capacity and reduce travel times between these centres. The report argues that Metro West has the potential to be a city-shaping transport investment supporting the three cities vision of the NSW Government for Greater Sydney, which is about ‘rebalancing’ jobs and activity concentrations from the eastern Sydney CBD and Eastern Harbour City towards the Central River City focussed on Greater Parramatta and, in future, the Western Parkland City. It examines scenarios focusing on travel times between Parramatta and Sydney CBD of 15, 20 and 25 minutes were assessed. The 15-minute scenario included five core stations along the route. It finds that under every scenario there is an increase in new jobs created across a route between the CBD and Parramatta. However, it finds that there would be a greater increase in jobs uplift in the West if the journey took less than 20 minutes. For example, under the 15-minute scenario, an additional 70,000 jobs would be created in Westmead, with an additional 66,000 under the 20-minute model and 61,000 under the 25-minute route. In Sydney Olympic Park, an additional 75,000 jobs would be created under the 15-minute model, 69,000 under the 20-minute model and 57,000 under the 25-minute model. In Parramatta, 45,000 additional jobs would be created under the 15-minute model, 39,000 under the 20-minute model and 32,000 under the 25-minute model. Committee for Sydney Director of Policy, Eamon Waterford, commented: “Sydney Metro West will be city-shaping. With a fast journey to Parramatta, it will support the NSW
Government’s vision of rebalancing jobs from the eastern Sydney CBD towards the Central River City focussed on Greater Parramatta and, in future, the Western Parkland City.” “A faster Metro journey will also create new potential for housing and to bring jobs closer to where people in Western Sydney live. This housing uplift along the corridor could give communities in the West new access to fast train and offer a genuine alternative to a long commute into the east of the city,” Mr Waterford said. Sydney Business Chamber Executive Director, Patricia Forsythe said: “The paper shows that there is an upside in every scenario fewer stations will have greater benefit to the western economy and more stations will benefit the eastern or Sydney CBD economy.” These sentiments were echoed by Sydney Business Chamber Western Sydney Director, David Borger, who added: “Our analysis clearly shows that a quicker journey will deliver a jobs dividend for Western Sydney. Areas like Westmead and Olympic Park could see an additional 20-30,000 jobs created if the journey was 20 minutes or less. These would also be high-quality, skilled jobs, the sort we need to boost the economy of a rapidly growing Western Sydney.”
Fluor Team Selected for Gordie Howe International Bridge Project Connecting U.S. and Canada Fluor Corporation announced that Bridging North America, a partnership of Fluor and ACS Infrastructure Canada, was selected as the preferred proponent to design, build,
finance, operate and maintain the Gordie Howe International Bridge project for Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA). The Gordie Howe International Bridge project is a planned bridge and border crossing spanning the Detroit River and connecting Detroit, Michigan, U.S. and Windsor, Ontario, Canada by linking Interstate 75 and Interstate 96 in Michigan with the new extension of Highway 401 (Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway) in Ontario. “Fluor is pleased with the selection of our joint venture team to design, build, finance, operate and maintain this once-ina-generation project,” said Terence Easton, president of Fluor’s infrastructure business. “We are looking forward to partnering with WDBA to reach financial close later this year and ultimately deliver a durable, long-lasting, landmark bridge with a unique visual presence for the local community and international travellers.” Fluor and ACS Infrastructure Canada led the development phase of the project and will hold the prime contract. This is the second project in the Windsor-Detroit area where Fluor and ACS have partnered. Fluor and ACS recently delivered, and are currently operating and maintaining, the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway in Windsor, Ontario, that will connect to the Gordie Howe International Bridge. This partnership will design and build the project, and when complete, this crossing will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. The scope also includes building new, state-of-the-art ports of entry on both the U.S. and Canadian side of the Detroit River as well as improvements to existing infrastructure in both Michigan and Ontario. Early works will start this summer in advance of financial close, which is set for this fall. Fluor and ACS will operate and maintain the facility for 30 years to performance standards that will be established by WDBA following completion.
Artist’s impression of the planned Gordie Howe International Bridge and border crossing.
September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 19
SPECIAL REPORT
Smart solutions can help ASEAN cities improve quality-of-life Southeast Asia’s future is tied to the fate of its cities. Today the region’s urban areas are home to one-third of its total population but generate more than two-thirds of the region’s GDP. Urbanization is fuelling economic growth, but the breakneck pace has left many cities struggling to provide adequate housing, infrastructure, and services to meet the needs of a surging population. While the urban challenges across Southeast Asia have been growing in scope, new technologies that could tackle some of these issues have reached maturity. Smart cities in Southeast Asia, a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), in collaboration with the Centre for Liveable Cities in Singapore, finds that cities across the region can incorporate data and digital technologies into infrastructure and services— all with an eye to solving specific public problems and making the urban environment more liveable, sustainable, and productive. The research, studying dozens of current applications, finds that cities in the region could use digital solutions to improve some quality-of-life indicators by 10-30 percent. It expands on global research released last month by MGI on how the current generation of smart city technologies can perform in a variety of urban settings worldwide.
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Smart Cities are poised to have significant and broad-based impact in Southeast Asia Cities across Southeast Asia are primed to take advantage on smart solutions. Dozens of smart solutions are available today focusing on every domain of city life: mobility, social infrastructure, the built environment, utilities, security, community, and the economy. As they begin their smart transformation, each city is setting its own priorities regarding which ones to deploy. MGI finds that smart cities could have a substantial impact across Southeast Asia to deliver a better quality-of-life. Among its findings: • Smart solutions could remove up to some 270,000 kilotons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. • Some 5,000 lives lost each year to traffic accidents, fires, and homicides could be saved through mobility solutions, crime prevention, and better emergency response. • Intelligent traffic and transit solutions could save up to 8 million man-years in annual commuting time. • Deploying smart healthcare solutions for the urban population could reduce the region’s disease burden by 12 million
disability-adjusted life years - in other words, not only extending overall life expectancy but adding years of good health • By creating more efficient and productive environments for business and hiring, Southeast Asia could add almost 1.5 million jobs. • Residents could also save as much as $16 billion annually as smart solutions contribute to better housing options and lowering energy bills. • The current generation of smart applications can help cities make significant or moderate progress toward meeting 70 percent of the Sustainable Development Goals. “Urbanization can propel Southeast Asia to the level of economic and human development, but only if growth is managed well,” said Jonathan Woetzel, Senior Partner and Leader of McKinsey’s Special Cities Initiative. “Cities need to act now to address growing environmental stresses and particularly to combat climate change and improve their resilience.” There is already a wave of innovation across the region. It includes digital citizen apps, homegrown ride-hailing apps,
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data-driven transit planning, intelligent traffic systems, data-driven disaster risk assessment, advanced construction techniques, smart energy meters, and much more. Low-income cities may be able to jumpstart progress by creating open data portals, which make raw information available for private-sector innovation that does not require any public investment. The report notes that private-sector companies that find ways to contribute to the public good and expand choices for urban residents can find substantial market opportunities across Southeast Asia. MGI estimates that smart mobility applications could create up to $70 billion in value, while opportunities to make the built environment smarter could be worth more than $25 billion. But the report cautions that companies with aspirations to become urban solution providers need to navigate a dynamic and complex ecosystem. Companies need an intimate understanding of a city’s context
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so they can anchor their offerings and value proposition to the real needs of residents, and they may need to add new government relations capabilities.
“Cities need to act now to address growing environmental stresses and particularly to combat climate change and improve their resilience.” Bold action required by public and private sectors A ‘Smart City’ starts with a smart strategic vision and goals. While it is important for city governments to outline a vision for the future, the rapid pace of technological change means that they have to retain some flexibility to experiment and recalibrate. Taking a data-driven approach that continually measures progress against clear quality-of-life goals can guide that process. Cities also need to consider how to pair smart technologies with complementary policies and investment in hard infrastructure. “Cities facing tough budgetary choices will have to prioritize the practical over the flashiest new technologies,” said Mukund Sridhar, Partner and Leader of McKinsey’s Infrastructure Practice in Southeast Asia. “Installing digital systems behind the scenes to manage traffic, coordinate networks of hospitals, or cut down on bureaucratic paperwork may yield more impact than highly visible touchscreens on the street.” Neither the public nor the private sector can build smart cities alone. City
governments will have to continue providing many critical services, but they do not have to fund and operate every type of service and infrastructure system. Smart cities will change the parameters of how cities across Southeast Asia approach public-private partnerships. Despite their varied starting points, priorities, and capabilities, cities across Southeast Asia can cooperate to deploy smart solutions on a much bigger scale. The most advanced cities may be able to assist others in developing technological capabilities and specific apps, but it will also be valuable for the region’s lowerincome cities to share with each other what they are learning about where digital innovation can yield the greatest impact. Green shoots are already visible, and the recently launched ASEAN Smart Cities Network can provide a vehicle for accelerating progress. The report ‘SMART CITIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA’ is available for download from: www.mckinsey.com/mgi
ABOUT THE MCKINSEY GLOBAL INSTITUTE The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company, was established in 1990 to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving global economy. Its goal is to provide leaders in the commercial, public, and social sectors with the facts and insights on which to base management and policy decisions. The partners of McKinsey & Company fund MGI’s research; it is never commissioned by any business, government, or other institution. The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania ranked MGI the Number 1 private sector think tank in the world in its 2015 Global Go To Think Tank Index. For further information about MGI and to download all reports for free, please visit: www.mckinsey.com/mgi
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The Australasian College of Road Safety ety (ACRS)) an and nd Austroads invite you to attend the largest road safety-ded dicated conference in the Southern Hemisphere. The 2018 Australa asian Road Safety Conference (ARSC2018) will be held in Sydney a at the International Convention Centre from Wednesday 3 to Friday 5 October 2018. ARSC2018 will showcase the region’s outstanding researchers, practitioners, policymakers and industry spanning the plethora of road safety issues identied in the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety: Road Safety Management, Infrastructure, Safe Vehicles, User Behaviour, and Post-Crash Care. ARSC2018 will bring with it a special focus on engaging all levels of government and community, from the city to the bush, to move “Towards Zero – Making it Happen!”” The comprehensive 3-day scientic program will showcase the latest research; education and policing programs; policies and management strategies; and technological developments in the eld, together with national and international keynote speakers, oral and poster presentations, workshops and interactive�symposia.
To register your expression of interest as a delegate, speaker,�sponsor or trade exhibitor, or for further information about the Conference, please visit www.australasianroadsafetyconference.com.au. Additional enquiries should be directed to the Conference Secretariat, Encanta Event Management on +61 3 9863 7608 or ARSC@encanta.com.au.
PLATINUM SPONSOR
WHO SHOULD ATTEND? With a record number of submissions received, ARSC2018 is expected to attract over 700 delegates including researchers, policing and enforcement agencies, practitioners, policymakers, industry representatives, educators, and students working in the elds of behavioural science, education and training, emergency services, engineering and technology, health and rehabilitation, policing, justice and law enforcement, local, state and federal government, traffic management, and vehicle safety.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
YOUR HOST CITY: SYDNEY Situated on a breathtaking harbour, Sydney is one of the world’s most attractive and exciting cities. With its rich mix of colonial and indigenous history, multicultural cuisines and festivals, museums, exhibitions and theatres, Sydney is an experience waiting to happen. Enjoy the mild sunny climate and miles of golden beaches. Stroll along Darling Harbour, The Rocks and Circular Quay enjoying the sights of the world famous Opera House, or climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The new ICC Sydney is Australia’s rst fully-integrated convention, events, exhibition and entertainment centre, and is located at the heart of its very own Sydney harbour waterfront precinct, set amongst restaurants, retail and a vibrant public domain on Darling Harbour.
www.australasianroadsafetyconference.com.au
ROAD SAFETY
FLEXFENCE WRSB INSTALLATION
ON NORTHLINK WA STAGE 2 The NorthLink WA Central Section consists of the first section of the Perth Darwin National Highway, and includes nearly 20km of highway with four interchanges, from Reid Highway to Eleenbrook. Being delivered by the joint venture between Lain O’Rourke and BGC Contracting, the $417 million project comprises Stage Two of the $1.12 billion NorthLink WA initiative. Having started in 2016 and with expected delivery of mid-2019, the NorthLink Central Section aims to reduce congestion and to eliminate two of Perth’s most dangerous intersections, with road safety a key driver of this project. To help mitigate the risks from roadway departure, the Flexfence wire rope safety barrier was chosen for verge and median locations. One of NorthLink WA’s key benefits is the removal of four of the State’s most dangerous intersections. Two of these are located in the central section which is being delivered under NorthLink Stage 2: Tonkin Highway / Reid Highway and Beechboro Road / Gnangara Road. The elimination of these two intersections are aligned with the State's
'Towards Zero' strategy, one of NorthLink WA’s main objectives regarding safety and road accidents. Among other road safety barrier products, a total of 52km of Ingal Flexfence Test Level 4 system will be provided by Ingal to the construction of NorthLink WA, of which 17km are designated to the Stage 2 Central Section of the project. This wire rope barrier was selected due to its high containment capacity and full compliance with NCHRP-350 TL4 and EN1317-2 H2 containment levels, offering the best opportunity in achieving MainRoads WA ‘Towards Zero’ goals. NCHRP-350 TL4 is the containment of an 8,000kg truck and EN1317 H2 is the containment of a 13,000kg bus. Its superior protection and clean lines have gained popularity in the market as a median barrier for the prevention of cross-median accidents. Cross-median accidents are typically violent collisions with a high probability of multiple serious injuries and death. In summary, NorthLink WA Stage 2 is a major step in Western Australia’s journey
Towards Zero fatalities on the State’s road network. The project will also contribute to a reduction in congestion with a free flowing link between Reid Highway and Ellenbrook. This will not only improve freight efficiency, reduce urban congestion and improve road safety, but also improve amenity for the community, tourists and road users in the region. For further information on FLEXFENCE WRSB Wire Rope Safety Barrier or any other products in the Ingal Civil Products range, please visit: www.ingalcivil.com.au
The Australian Railway Historical Society NSW Division latest publication, The Hawkesbury River Railway Bridges by Bill Phippen OAM, is a fascinating and comprehensive history, well worth reading for historians, engineers and railfans alike. on the ge, Brid largest way third 1889, r Rail the in y Rive , was een built betw a kesbur ney NSW it was nection ed by he Hawts of Syd ld when ay con er Separat ld nev outskir in the wor the railw ia. cou le in ge brid l link Austral colonies workab as out the fina nies of h, the with said was colo kes of bus nation and his le ry Par before eastern metres t the a sing kilo . Hen ths into brough mon them sand ge, thou rated between brid ge was es from fede the brid piec an have links g of . The ds of sport Americ openin address san by tran ons at the eld of thou embled foundati e much ass aps Tenterfi in tens ly the and s to coll a ship famous York n. Sad e close t as ing New kme mos in sail w and l wor bridge cam ded it ent of loca the ia nee Departm ge Glasgo rs and t brid ed and n Austral th. The men enginee promis ace were e whe the nor com a repl projects the tim line to were new r build 9, at ply ed to n othe er. At the in 193 time sup ways’ pow continu war whe war man the Rail icated vital s of NSWrs of the erial or aps perh d, fabr . Railway the yea t of mat 6 it was igne tion wan des ing n for 194 niza dur ned ion in ing bee the orga abando complet t, hav within men ge’s ely brid achieve complet test cted grea constru and
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The Hawkesbury River Bridge is the largest single asset in the care of the Sydney Trains. Situated in an obscure bend in the river it is unseen by the public, except when they cross it. Two bridges have had to be built, side by side, both technically challenging for their time, and both requiring spectacular, and well photographed, engineering feats to move the huge steel spans into place.
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24 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
PLEASE ORDER AT PHONE: (02)96994595 EMAIL counter.sbo@arhsnsw.com.au
Bill Phippen was born in Sydney in 1950. He graduated in Civil Engineering from Sydney University in 1976. Bill was elected to the Founding Board where he served continuously until 2017. From 1996 until 2012 Bill was the President of TAD. In 2010 he was named by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of the 100 most influential people in Sydney. In 2013 Engineers Australia named Bill as one of the 100 most influential engineers in Australia. Bill is a member of the Engineers Australia Sydney Division Heritage Committee.
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ROAD SAFETY
Real-world research the key to understanding driver fatigue The National Transport Commission (NTC) is encouraging more heavy vehicle drivers to take part in a research project examining heavy vehicle driver fatigue. In collaboration with industry and governments, the NTC is working with the Cooperative Research Centre for Alertness, Safety and Productivity (Alertness CRC) to evaluate the impacts of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) on driver fatigue. NTC Chief Executive Paul Retter says not enough evidence exists about the cause and impact of fatigue to determine the changes needed in fatigue policy. “The heavy vehicle industry requires more flexibility in fatigue regulation, however first we need to better understand fatigue and the road safety challenges it represents. “There is a lack of comparable data, and data in general, on fatigue risks associated with heavy vehicle driving. We need robust evidence to underpin any future reforms of the fatigue regulations in the HVNL,” Mr Retter said. A new NTC video about the research project explores both the real-world and laboratory phases of the study with the view of encouraging more drivers to take part. “Drivers are vital in helping us understand fatigue. We need more drivers and operators to take up this valuable opportunity to share their experiences,” Mr Retter said. The research phase of the project is due for completion at the end of 2018. The NTC will present findings to transport ministers in May 2019. The video can be viewed online at: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttFi-vk6li4&t=1s This project is part of the NTC’s broader work program which focuses on improving road safety outcomes. For more information, please visit the NTC website: www.ntc.gov.au
26 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
Hyundai Motor Company Partners with Autotalks to Increase Road Safety
perfect match with Autotalks’ leading V2X capabilities. The funding from Hyundai will fuel Autotalks' technology roadmap as well as support our customers and partners all over the globe." Prior to the current investment by Hyundai, Autotalks completed four funding rounds with a total of more than $80 million in investments.
Hyundai Motor has announced a strategic partnership with Autotalks, a leading technology company specialized in the manufacturing of Vehicle to Autotalks CEO, Hagai Zyss Everything (V2X) communication chipsets. Hyundai Motor forms a strategic partnership with Autotalks through a direct investment to accelerate the development and deployment of the next generation chipset for connected cars. Hyundai is expanding partnerships in the connectivity field to further strengthen connectivity technology vital to autonomous driving and explore new business opportunities within smart city infrastructure. V2X technology allows vehicles to communicate with one another, with other road users and road infrastructure, enhancing road safety and mobility. The main focus of any V2X solution is safety. As a reliable non-line-of-sight sensor working in all environments and weather conditions, it helps prevent road collisions and avoid dangerous situations. In manned vehicles, V2X systems convey important information to the driver in the form of alerts and notifications and can also actuate the vehicle in dangerous situations. In autonomous vehicles, V2X complements existing sensors, allowing them to make more informed decisions as well as easing their interaction with other road users. "Connectivity is one of the core technologies that can be applied to smart city business models, as well as autonomous driving and infotainment,” said Yunseong Hwang, director of open innovation business group at Hyundai Motor Company. He added “Hyundai will continue to invest in disruptive technologies that are in line with Hyundai’s current and future strategic pillars." Hagai Zyss, CEO of Autotalks, commented, "Having a top global car manufacturer such as Hyundai invest directly in Autotalks is not only a vote of confidence in the company, but a testament to the growing V2X market. Hyundai’s pursuit of cutting-edge communication and safety technologies is a
Melbourne filmmaker drives home road safety message A Melbourne film student got to see his work on the big screen after winning the inaugural Split Second film competition run by the Victorian TAC (Transport Accident Commission). Third-year Swinburne University student Callum Borthwick’s film ‘Gates of Heaven’ was announced as the winner of the film competition focused on sending road safety messages to young drivers. The Transport Accident Commission has partnered with the Melbourne International Film Festival to present the first Split Second youth film competition. The competition was hotly contested with a total of 78 entrants vying for the $50,000 production budget on offer. TAC’s Engagement Senior Manager Meg Jacobs said the competition attracted high calibre entries from across the state. “The response from Victoria’s young creatives to the Split Second film competition was fantastic and we’re looking forward to seeing Callum’s finished film,” Ms Jacobs said. “Callum’s film will make audiences think twice about using phones while driving and the consequences of driving while distracted,” she said. The competition challenged Victorians between the ages of 18 and 25 to put forward a plan for a 45-second film that highlighted the theme “the problem is in our hands”. The film was brought to fruition by Callum and award-winning production company Positive Ape and was featured during over 500 MIFF screenings in Melbourne and regional Victoria. Callum will also receive $5000 in prize money for his efforts.
PRODUCT FOCUS
NOT ALL DELINEATION SYSTEMS ARE CREATED EQUAL Have you ever wondered if any of the delineation devices that you see on today’s roads actually comply to a standard? After all, there are so many types of artificial kerbs and delineation systems surely someone must be keeping an eye on them… wrong! Whereas some states and councils are very particular about what they use to delineate roads to keep pedestrians and road users safe, others are not so particular. And who can blame them! There are so many types available on websites and in digital catalogues, choosing the right kind of system can be something of a maze. The quick answer is: demand to see a product’s accreditations – and not just compliance to a standard. Check the level and quality of international accreditations and test data that’s available. High quality companies will gladly share this with you. They will not only be pleased to evangelize the superior qualities of their product, but they will back up their claims with solid data and certifications. One example is the Klemmfix delineation system, which is used extensively by RMS and VicRoads, as well as numerous private contractors throughout Victoria and New South Wales. Manufactured in Germany, Klemmfix is certified to by The Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) to
TL-Leitelemente and has certificate nos. 94 5 S 001/LU and 3194. It has also been accepted by the USA Federal Highway Administration under NCHRP 350. Although the product is absolutely unique, several companies have tried to copy it and there are a number of imitations actively sold in Australia today. The fact remains, however, irrespective of their appearance, they ARE NOT Klemmfix. They do not have the accreditations, they are not backed by the same warranties and there is little to no data to support their level of performance. Just some of the features that set Klemmfix apart include: • The single separator units are connected with a moulded-in metal hook; • The stable, but flexible connection guarantees enough clearance in order to set up different curves (90°-angle to about 11 x 11m); • The manifold anti-skid system on the bottom of each unit ensures excellent laying stability and grip on the road surface; • The Horizont klemmfix separator does not have to be glued or screwed to the road; • Built-in one-size-fits-all slot accepts all Klemmfix delineators; and • Lateral climbing edges allow vehicles firstly to climb on and secondly to press down on the separator whilst driving (check out the video at http://www.klemmfix. com/GuideCurb-507)
THE LEITBOY DELINEATOR The Leitboy delineator from Klemmfix is a unique two-part delineator with rebounding support from a double-walled flex boot. The Leitboy units have recessed sheeting areas, which minimise the risk of damage to the sheeting during handling or after an impact, while their flexible rubber boot enables them to return to the upright position if they are struck by a vehicle. Remember, if it doesn’t say Klemmfix, then it isn’t Klemmfix. Don’t accept a fake, go for the original and demand Klemmfix by Horizont, Germany. Klemmfix is only available in Australia from Reflective Road Safety Products: www.reflectiveroad.com.au
September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 27
DELIVERING OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AND VALUE AUSTRALIAN 2 YEAR IN-SERVICE PERFORMANCE REPORT Smart Cushion Replacement Parts Costs
Durability and Robustness
• 3 main types of components were replaced over the 59 resets
• 31 different Smart Cushion units required 1 or more resets
• Shear Pins (2 x $2 = $4) required for every reset
• 8 Smart Cushions were reset twice
• Delineator Panel ($190) required for 21 resets
• 1 Smart Cushion was reset 5 times
• Sled Panel ($1416) required for 4 resets • The total cost of replacement parts over the 59 resets was $9,994 • The average cost for each reset was $169
• 2 Smart Cushions were reset 4 times • 1 Smart Cushion was reset 11 times • Average Reset Time 55 Minutes (1 person crew) • All Smart Cushions were reset fit for service after an impact
THE ONLY STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS REQUIRING REPLACEMENT IN OVER 90% OF IMPACTS ARE 2 X ¼” SHEAR BOLTS (COST < $5)
SMART CUSHION INNOVATIVE DESIGN AT ITS BEST
Renowned for its remarkable performance in the field - both in terms of its impact energy absorbing capabilities and the speed and ease with which the unit can be reset following an impact - SMART CUSHION is also being lauded by governments, road authorities, contractors and infrastructure owners alike for the significant reduction in post-impact repair and reinstatement costs that it offers when compared to other traditional impact barrier systems. Tested and approved to the US MASH TL3 standard, the key to SMART CUSHION’s remarkable performance lies within its unique design, which incorporates methodologies to dissipate energy both by mechanical and by hydraulic means. Specifically developed to maximize both safety and reusability, SMART CUSHION’s fully redirective, non-gating, bi-directional, design delivers outstanding performance and durability before, during and after an impact. Unlike the old-style attenuators, the SMART CUSHION attenuator rarely reaches maximum stopping resistance due to the interactive feedback nature of the system. It is this continuous interactive feedback system that allows the lowest ride-down accelerations when impacted end-on.
THE SMART MONEY IN ROAD SAFETY IS ON SMART CUSHION Low initial cost does not always equate to getting a good return on the investment. This is particularly true for impact protection systems, which by their very nature, are extremely likely to require repairs and/or replacement parts following a vehicular impact. Put simply, what may appear at the outset to be a ‘better value’ solution can, in fact, end up being an extremely expensive selection, with repair costs quickly adding up to multiples of the initial purchase price. If every impact results in a majority or even total replacement of the unit, perceived savings can soon disappear – and the costs will continue to escalate… year after year! SMART CUSHION has set a new benchmark in what road safety experts regard as 'good value' in crash cushion selection. Together with the significant reduction in labour and traffic management costs offered by SMART CUSHION following an impact, the fact that in over 90% of impacts the only structural components requiring replacement are 2 x ¼” Shear Bolts (costing less than $5), when it comes to whole-of-life costs, SMART CUSHION truly is in a league of its own!
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INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
EASTLINK TUNNELS LEAD THE WAY WITH ‘VENTILATION ON DEMAND’ EastLink is one of the first toll roads in the world to upgrade its tunnel ventilation system to dynamic ventilation on demand with partial portal emission. This upgrade has slashed the ventilation system’s electricity usage, reduced GHG emissions, and halved the audible noise from the ventilation system. EastLink has twin 1.6 km tunnels, with three traffic lanes in each tunnel. The EastLink tunnels protect the environmentally sensitive Mullum Mullum valley above, reaching a maximum depth of 53 metres underground. Up to 115,000 vehicles drive through the EastLink tunnels in a single day. The original tunnel ventilation system, commissioned when EastLink opened ten years ago, was designed to expel 100% of tunnel air, including pollutants from vehicles’ combustion engines, through two 45 metre high ventilation stacks. Twenty-four smaller jet fans are located within the tunnels, to control air flow in through each tunnel portal, along the length of each tunnel, towards the base of each ventilation stack. The two stacks have a further ten larger ventilation fans to draw air up from the tunnels for expulsion at the stack tops.
30 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
Since the opening of EastLink, the speed of airflows within the tunnels and stacks was controlled in a traditional way, by switching individual fans on and off at pre-programmed times of the day. When switched on, a fan always operated at full speed. EastLink identified a number of issues with this traditional type of tunnel ventilation system, including: • Only operating ventilation fans at full speed is inefficient using more electricity than necessary, and produces higher operating noise levels. • Switching an individual fan on and off at pre-programmed times of the day means that the fan is likely to operate for longer than is necessary. • Toggling ventilation fans between fully off and fully on, and only operating fans at full speed increases wear and tear on components. • Starting up a ventilation fan from fully off to fully on cause a step-change in noise, which makes morning start-ups more noticeable for nearby residents. To address these issues, EastLink upgraded the ten large ventilation fans from fixed speed fully off / fully on operation to much
more efficient self-regulating or closed loop variable speed operation. EastLink corporate affairs and marketing manager Doug Spencer-Roy explained, “EastLink installed new impellers designed for quiet efficient operation within each of the existing ventilation fan housings, and new variable speed drive motors to regulate the rotational speed of the new impellers.” For these works, each ventilation fan, weighing over 7 tonnes, was separately removed from and re-installed within the tunnel complex in delicate operations conducted during nights when traffic was lowest. Remarkably, almost no tunnel closures were required for these works. Traffic management was mostly limited to temporary lane closures while at least one lane remained operating. EastLink also updated its ventilation control system to a closed-loop system using realtime data from air quality and air flow sensors to dynamically control the speed and number of fans required to meet traffic demand. Every few seconds, the updated control system adjusts the speed of each operating fan to ensure fan operation is finetuned in close to real-time.
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
Doug Spencer-Roy said, “EastLink’s tunnel ventilation system now responds dynamically, more efficiently and in close to real-time for the volume of traffic travelling through the tunnels, the vehicle mix such as the proportion of large heavy vehicles, and prevailing weather conditions such as wind speed and direction.” In addition to the upgrade of the tunnel ventilation system to dynamic ventilation on demand, EastLink also introduced partial tunnel portal emission during day-time. (Since 2010, the EastLink tunnels had already been successfully operating tunnel portal emission at nights, under a change agreed that year with EPA Victoria.) This means that during day-time, a limited amount of tunnel air is allowed to exit via tunnel portals, with the majority continuing to be dissipated via the ventilation stacks. Doug Spencer-Roy said, “To verify that air quality standards in the local community have not been compromised through the introduction of these changes, we have located a temporary air quality monitoring station in a nearby residential area close to one of the tunnel portals.” Following a pilot period which demonstrated the community benefits of dynamic ventilation on demand with partial portal emission, and that there has been no compromise to community air quality, EPA Victoria issued a new tunnel ventilation system licence to EastLink on 4 June 2018. Doug Spencer-Roy said, “The results of the EastLink tunnels’ innovative dynamic tunnel ventilation on demand system and partial tunnel portal emission have exceeded our expectations, with huge reductions in electricity usage, greenhouse gas emissions and audible noise.”
Above: Temporary air quality monitoring station. Left: The Ventilation on Demand control system
The benefits include: • Ventilation system electricity usage has reduced by 68%, saving approximately 6.2 GWh each year. This electricity usage reduction will reduce GHG emissions from power stations by an estimated 9,000 tonnes CO2-e annually.
• Audible noise from the ventilation stacks has halved, confirmed by noise measurements, reducing noise for local residents. EastLink also expects savings in maintenance costs and longer lifespans for tunnel ventilation equipment. Doug Spencer-Roy added, “Recently, a noise measuring team was conducting measurements near one of our ventilation stacks. The ventilation system is now so much quieter that the team needed to contact the EastLink control room to verify that the ventilation system was actually running.” “EastLink’s successful implementation of dynamic tunnel ventilation on demand with partial portal emission was only possible through pro-active consultation with EPA Victoria, local councils and local residents – every step of the way.” “EastLink recommends that other operators of major road tunnels consider whether similar changes to their tunnel ventilation system might provide community and business benefits without compromising their applicable air quality standards,” Doug Spencer-Roy concluded .
ABOUT EASTLINK EastLink’s 40 kilometre road network is the largest privately operated freeway network in Victoria. EastLink is the major north-south transport artery in Melbourne’s east, connecting the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Peninsula Link freeways. EastLink is Melbourne’s fastest road and safest freeway, with traffic averaging 250,000 vehicles per day. For more information visit: www.eastlink.com.au
September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 31
NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE
The Bridge Replacement Program includes the substitution of McIntyre’s Bridge and Schmidt’s Bridge in the village of Bellbrook. Here, the two worsening timber bridges have both been replaced with a precast concrete solution. Spanning over the Nulla Nulla Creek, both precast bridges are 30-metres long and provide a single lane travel. National Precast member, Waeger Precast, designed, manufactured, and installed a range of precast elements for both McIntyre’s Bridge and Schmidt’s Bridge.
FAST CONSTRUCTION SAVES TWO MONTHS’ TIME
Waeger’s Manager – Bridges, Chris Purcell, says the project’s tight timeline demanded a construction method that allowed for simultaneous operations on and off site. The solution, therefore, was a modular precast design that minimised on-site construction. “Using precast construction allowed McIntyre’s Bridge to be completed approximately four weeks earlier than conventional construction methods,” Mr Purcell reveals. “In turn, Schmidt’s bridge was also able to be complete about four weeks faster than convention bridge construction techniques, saving a total of eight weeks off the construction time.” As well, the short timeframe between the completion of each bridge meant the roadwork crews could continue from one bridge, directly to the next without the need to demobilise then remobilise to site.
MANUFACTURING THE ELEMENTS
PRECAST BRIDGES FOR BELLBROOK’S FUTURE PROJECT: DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT MCINTYRE’S AND SCHMIDT’S BRIDGES LOCATION: BELLBROOK, NSW PRECASTER: WAEGER PRECAST CLIENT: KEMPSEY SHIRE COUNCIL BUILDER: WAEGER BRIDGES ENGINEER: BRIDGE DESIGN On New South Wales’ mid-north coast, road users will have access to safer and more reliable travel as ageing timber bridges are upgraded as part of Kempsey Shire Council’s $2.2 million Bridge Replacement Program. Providing safe and direct passage, bridges are essential for economic activity and it is therefore vital to ensure they are constructed with sustainable building materials and maintained in a safe condition.
32 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
Thirteen abutment retaining wall panels were manufactured for McIntyre’s Bridge and sixteen of the same specifications were manufactured for Schmidt’s Bridge. Reaching one-metre high and up to six-metres long, all panels adopted a Class 2 off-form finish on the visible face and are a tapered shape to match adjacent roadwork batters.
NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE
“The shape of these connections allows fast construction sequencing due to the mechanical interlock shear profile, rather than reliance on chemical bonds. The deck system can be trafficable for vehicle loading as little as one day after installation of the precast elements.” Here, four decks have been installed for each bridge, with two per span forming a five-metre wide, 30-metre long bridge. The headstock beams are conventionally reinforced and are 0.75-metres wide by up to 4.5-metres long.
PRESERVING THE NATURAL SURROUNDS
Named after the large number of Bellbirds that inhabit the dense scrub along the Nulla Nulla Creek, Bellbrook is a heritage village located on the traditional lands of the Dunghutti indigenous people. With the bridges located in a sensitive natural environment along the Creek, access to the sites were difficult. “Works were planned around having minimal disturbance to the surrounding trees, but most importantly, without disturbing the natural creek bed levels and flows,” Mr Purcell says.
Civil elements included deck units and headstocks. “Spanning 15-metres long, the Waeger Decks were manufactured with special tapered rebates to achieve structural grouted connections between decks and between precast and insitu substructure members,” Mr Purcell explains.
The Bridge Replacement Program is part of the Council’s 10 Year Works Program 2017 – 2027 and includes the replacement of 94 timber bridges. Timber bridges constituted 73% of the Council’s bridge assets before the program began, with 28% of those being identified in poor condition. It is projected that over the next 25 years all timber bridges will have been replaced with concrete/composite structures or reinforced concrete box culverts.
• BRIDGE DESIGN AND SUPPLY • BRIDGE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION • PRECAST BRIDGE SYSTEMS • PRECAST & PRESTRESSED CONCRETE • CUSTOM MADE PRECAST PRODUCT • ARCHITECTURAL PRECAST • PRECAST STAIRS • CIVIL CONSTRUCTION WORKS RMS Prequalified to B3 for Bridgeworks and C1 for Precast Concrete Operating under Third Party Certified, Quality, Safety and Environmental Management Systems
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September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 33
NATIONAL PRECAST FEATURE
ABOUT AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS Australian Standards are in place to ensure that all suppliers are manufacturing, supplying and testing their products in accordance to strict guidelines. In the construction industry, compliance with the relevant Standards is paramount.
NEW STANDARDS’ SERVICE FOR LEADING PRECASTERS we are helping our Members to provide that assurance.”
SERVICE PAYS FOR MEMBERSHIP
In the building and construction sectors, compliance with Australian Standards helps to codify best practices, methods, and technical requirements to create a safe and sustainable built environment.
“This service not only saves our Members approximately $7,822 – if they were to purchase all Standards individually – but it also puts them one step ahead of their competitors by having immediate online access,” Ms Bachmann comments. “Aside from all the other services we offer, this one service could pay for a year’s membership for a small to medium sized precaster.” The announcement of the new Standards’ service comes ahead of a major overhaul of the Association’s structure, which will include new categories of Precaster membership on offer, along with other new high-value services, which are currently being negotiated. To find out more about National Precast’s memberships and which Standards are available, contact Ms Bachmann at National Precast on: (08) 8294 0833.
While the National Construction Code (NCC) is freely available online, the Standards that it references are not. More than 100 primary-referenced Standards are specified in the NCC, along with an another several hundred secondary-referenced Standards. With more than 25 years’ experience under its belt, the precast industry’s peak body has grown to become a respected and recognised voice for the Australian precast concrete industry. Representing the industry and promoting some of the country’s leading precast manufacturers, National Precast offers a range of beneficial services for its Members. Access to the Standards via SAI Global is the most recent service that the Association provides to their full Precaster Members. For more information on National Precast’s Member Services, please visit: www.nationalprecast.com.au/membership-info
Au P st rou ra d lia ly n M ad e
A new service available to full Precaster Members of National Precast will empower them to access information they need to boost productivity, remain compliant, and gain a competitive edge. The Association’s Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Bachmann, says she is excited to have finalised an arrangement with SAI Global, which allows Members to download and print 36 precast-specific Australian Standards. “Fast access to Standards is critical for precast manufacturers, as it ensures they are manufacturing, transporting, and erecting precast concrete in ways that are compliant with the relevant Standards,” Ms Bachmann explains. The Association’s Members are highly regarded throughout the construction industry and ongoing compliance to Standards is a top priority. “Asset owners, both in the public and private sectors, need to be able to trust that the products they are buying and installing are Standards’ compliant, and this is just one way in which
While on their own compliance to standards is voluntary, government regulators and public health authorities often turn to Standards in their regulation to provide a baseline level of safety requirements for houses, buildings, infrastructure, and machinery. State and Commonwealth governments often refer to either Australian or joint Australian/New Zealand Standards in their legislation. In these cases, Standards can become mandatory and are therefore considered to be a benchmark of acceptability.
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34 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
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A SOUND INVESTMENT FOR ANY REGION ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS? AMMANN ABA UNIBATCH HAS THE ANSWERS. In today’s market you need a productive, cost-effective asphalt plant. You also need to prove to the community that you comply with or exceed the latest environmental requirements. The Ammann ABA UniBatch Asphalt-Mixing Plant helps you do both. It leverages Ammann’s cutting-edge technology to deliver exceptional output of high quality mixes. It also answers key environmental concerns through standard offerings and options that include: • Multiple noise mitigation systems • Fume extraction systems
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ABA UniBatch: the solution for happy business owner and communities.
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FOCUS ON ASPHALT
QUALITY OF AMMANN CHINA FACTORY CAPTURES ATTENTION OF VISITORS AAPA DELEGATES ARE RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE DURING TOUR A group of Australian asphalt experts visited Ammann China during a recent information gathering tour and came away impressed with the manufacturing facility – and optimistic about the role Ammann products can play in their country’s future. Twenty delegates from the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) recently visited South Korea, Japan and China and stopped at road authorities, a bitumen refinery, road construction firms, research institutes – and Ammann’s Shanghai facility for manufacturing asphalt-mixing plants. “What stood out the most was the professionalism of the Ammann team and the efforts and measures taken to ensure the quality of the product,” said Carlos Rial, Chief Executive Officer of AAPA, which represents all sectors of the Australian bituminous flexible pavement industry. “The factory was clean, well-organised and professionally laid-out with a high regard to safety practices,” he said. Rial believes the facility will only get better. “It was obvious to all that Ammann is very serious about continuous improvement in quality control in manufacturing and has demonstrated this over the past 10 years at its Asian plant,” he said. “It is a testament to the culture the organisation brings to the manufacturing industry in China and also how well it treats its workforce to retain highly skilled labor.” The visit to Ammann China was part of the AAPA International Knowledge Transfer (IKT) 2018 outreach to Asia. The delegates have diverse backgrounds, including state and local road authorities, road construction contractors, design firms, research bodies and bitumen suppliers. “All delegates seek to participate in the knowledge exchange for their organisations and also to represent a collective AAPA voice that can drive change to benefit all industry in Australia,” Rial said. “This exciting knowledge exchange between countries is an opportunity to benchmark best industry practices and to drive improved safety, sustainability and value for money through improved efficiency and innovative solutions.”
36 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
The visit comes as Australian roadbuilding officials are looking at ways to increase utilisation of recycled asphalt (RAP). Key data was shared during the stop at Ammann China regarding high RAP usage and the best plants and technologies for doing so. “In some parts of Asia, such as Japan, high percentage recycling is a priority. The percentages are much lower in Australia, and increasing
the ratio will require the implementation of improved asphalt-mixing plant technology,” Rial said. The delegates saw such technology in action when they departed the factory and paid a visit to a nearby working plant, an Ammann ABA UniBatch. “Ammann’s RAP technology, which prevents damage to the bitumen when working with the recycled materials, looks to be a good fit for Australia,” Rial said. Future plants will have to address environmental concerns beyond RAP utilisation, something Ammann products do. “The technology used by Ammann to address emissions and odor was particularly interesting,” Rial said. The emphasis on technology went beyond asphalt-mixing plants to include the compaction machines and light compaction equipment that also is produced by Ammann. “There was a good information exchange on opportunities to improve pavement performance and enhance safety through Ammann advancements in compaction, remote-control, autonomous-plant and hazard-sensing technology,” he said. Rial believes lessons learned made the two-week trip worthwhile. He remembers Ammann as a very notable stop along the journey. “The delegation was impressed with what was presented at the factory, the openness of the information exchange and the journey Ammann took from the time it began manufacturing until now,” Rial concluded.
September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 37
FOCUS ON ASPHALT
BORAL WINS INDUSTRY AWARD FOR ASPHALT EXPERTISE Boral has been recognised for its asphalt expertise and contribution to dramatically changing a Central Victorian intersection that has been the site of fatal accidents and serious collisions. Boral received the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association’s Victorian Outstanding Project of the Year Award for the Ravenswood Interchange on the Calder Highway near Bendigo, 140 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.
The award honours construction excellence, quality outcomes, innovation, technical complexity, interaction with the client and the on-site team, and improvements in design, processes and products used. The Ravenswood Interchange is Victoria’s first circular road. The road design vastly improves navigating the options of exiting and entering the Calder Highway and Alternative Calder Highway and local roads. Boral’s Southern Region General Manager - Asphalt, Tim Oudenryn, said the works required good communication between Boral and client CPB Contractors to limit congestion in work areas while managing live traffic travelling in altered lanes. Tim said the project’s primary challenge was a change of pavement design and the subsequent requirement to ensure available resources. The project was initially planned as a predominantly granular pavement with spray seal surfacing and 10,000 tonnes of asphalt through intersections. However, due to the
project’s timing requirement’s the pavement design was changed to be deep lift with more than 40,000 tonnes of asphalt. “Once the pavement design was changed this became a very challenging project to manage with the traffic requirements on such a busy highway,” Tim said. “This required significantly more interaction and communication with both CPB and VicRoads. However, this extra planning and effort produced a great outcome for all stakeholders.” “The Bendigo asphalting crew did a great job,” Tim said. “It is a large and difficult project for a regional crew to complete and they did a wonderful job, especially when it was a small job that grew into something much bigger because of a change in specification.” The project started in May 2016 and was completed in mid-2018. Boral is now a nominee for the national award to be announced in Brisbane in August. Boral also won AAPA Victoria’s Outstanding Project of the Year in 2017 for the Bolte Bridge resurfacing works in Melbourne.
BORAL COULD TURN SAWMILL RESIDUE INTO RENEWABLE BITUMEN AND DIESEL The Mid North Coast of New South Wales could become home to the world’s first biorefinery turning sawmill residues into renewable diesel and renewable bitumen. On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced up to $500,000 in funding to Boral Timber, a subsidiary of Boral Limited, to investigate the feasibility of building a ‘second-generation’ biofuels refinery using the waste sawmill residues from the Boral Timber Hardwood Sawmill at Herons Creek near Port Macquarie. Under the $1.2 million study, Boral will explore the technical and financial viability of establishing a biorefinery using innovative technology, which would be located near the Herons Creek sawmill. If the study is successful, the proposed biorefinery, which would cost an estimated $50 million to build, could convert up to 50,000 tonnes of waste sawmill residue produced each year into transport-grade renewable diesel and bitumen. The sawmill residue - which includes sawdust, remnant woodchips, shavings and offcuts - is currently used for lower value uses such as landscaping and boiler fuel. The study
38 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
will consider a mechanical catalytic conversion technology, developed by Spanish-based Global Ecofuel Solutions SL, combined with the potential biorefinery at Herons Creek and will be the first time the process would be used in a production scale facility. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the project further shows that big businesses are increasingly moving towards renewable energy solutions. “The transport sector is a significant user of energy in Australia, with liquid fuels a key long term energy source for heavy-vehicle road and air transport since they cannot readily be electrified. Bioenergy comprises a growing proportion of Australia’s energy mix, and this new technology could see residue from the production process be used to reduce Boral’s reliance on diesel and bitumen derived from fossil fuels,” he said. “If this ground-breaking technology is successful, we hope to see a transition to similar biorefineries by other companies which have a waste stream in forestry or agriculture,” Mr Frischknecht said. Boral Executive General Manager (Building Products) Wayne Manners said that if the feasibility study was successful, the transport-
grade renewable diesel produced at the potential new biorefinery could eventually account for up to 15 per cent of Boral’s annual diesel needs. Boral is one of the largest consumers of bitumen and has one of the largest truck fleets in Australia, using approximately 100 million litres of diesel each year. “The application of this technology has the potential to transform the way we use low value hardwood sawmill residues into a resource that could be highly valuable not just to Boral but to the industry more generally,” he said. For further information, visit: www.arena. gov.au or www.boral.com.au
FOCUS ON ASPHALT
YOTTA ACCELERATES GROWTH IN AUSTRALIA WITH STRATEGIC PMS PARTNERSHIP trusted advisor during that time. Working with them will allow us to significantly extend our footprint for Horizons across the country. “Not only will it give us a stronger sales presence on the ground, PMS’ in-depth understanding of the specific highways management challenges in different areas of the country will also give the combined solutions offering greater traction and credibility.” “We are really impressed with Yotta and we see great potential in its innovative proposition to the Australian infrastructure asset management marketplace,” says John Yeaman, managing director, Pavement Management Services. “We are looking forward to integrating its visualised asset management software, within our overall services proposition.” “Horizons is a smart modern cloud-based platform that will enable our customers to
Highlighting the growing momentum behind its dynamic international growth, technology company, Yotta has announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with leading Australian hi-tech civil engineering consultancy Pavement Management Services (PMS). As part of the agreement, PMS will incorporate Yotta’s visualised asset management software solution, Horizons, into its existing technology suite, and offer it under its own branding to existing and prospective customers across Australia – typically comprising local and regional councils, and state governments – alongside its own solutions and services packages. Simon Topp, director of marketing and international business at Yotta, commented: “PMS has well over 30 years’ experience working in the Australian highways asset management and has developed extensive market expertise and a reputation as a
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plan their road maintenance programmes more efficiently, engage more closely with their stakeholders, and deliver a holistic view that allows them to make a more robust case for funding and investment,” he adds. Ultimately, the biggest beneficiaries of the partnership between Yotta and PMS are likely to be local authorities and state governments across Australia. Thanks to the agreement, these organisations will have the opportunity to use the latest visualisation asset management software to make more informed decisions about their highways network, while at the same time accessing the service and support of an organisation with in-depth knowledge of the roads network across Australia and the factors impacting on it. For further information, please visit: www. pavement.com.au
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AAPA NEWS
AAPA RELEASES VICTORIAN SPRAY SEAL AND ASPHALT MARKET OVERVIEW
AAPA & IPWEA VICTORIA SIGN STRATEGIC PARTNERING AGREEMENT
The Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) has released the results of a survey into the Victorian spray sealing and asphalt placement market. AAPA, in collaboration with its Victorian branch members, has undertaken a survey to characterise, understand and quantify the capacity of the industry to deliver flexible pavement treatments across the State of Victoria. In the 2017/18 financial year, road agencies were challenged to deliver a larger program of funding than was available in the previous 2016/17 year. In recognition of the challenge such an increase in funding would present, AAPA and its members have engaged pro-actively with VicRoads and Local Government to better understand the delivery of their respective programs. It is anticipated that a continual increase in road construction and maintenance activity is likely to occur in the coming years, where the government may allocate a similar funding level or possibly an increased amount for delivery. AAPA and its members have, therefore, pro-actively undertaken this project to understand and quantify the capacity and capability of the industry to deliver across the State. This report quantifies the scope and size of the market and will assist the industry to better understand the challenges, restrictions and opportunities that exist in the delivery of such a large program of work. The report is available for download from the AAPA website. Please visit: www.aapa.asn.au
AAPA and IPWEA Victoria are pleased to announce the signing of a Strategic Partnering Agreement that will see the two organisations collaborate to deliver technically relevant solutions for local government flexible pavements. The Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Victorian Division (IPWEA Victoria) seek, through this Strategic Partnering Agreement (SPA), to establish a strong partnership between our respective organisations. Recognising that roads are a Local Governments’ largest asset by value, by working together, the two organisations believe that they can offer greater value from the investment local communities make in their road network. Their common purpose is to provide enhanced services for members of both organisations and other professionals working in the areas of local government and public works engineering. Furthermore, the purpose of the SPA is to align (where appropriate) the common strategic outcomes of AAPA and IPWEA Victoria to leverage greater outcomes for all members for the combined resources available. The objectives of this Partnering Agreement, through the establishment of an AAPA/IPWEA Victoria Technology Leadership Committee are therefore to: • work in collaboration to drive enhanced safety practices for both Local Government and industry road workforces • to jointly educate and inform on best pavement management practice and engineering treatment selection • to jointly progress improved sustainability practices in both engineering pavement materials and personnel • to establish the right treatments and specifications for Local Government roads – especially given the different nature of these roads when compared to the State-controlled road network.
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ITS SPECIAL FEATURE
Intelligent Transport Systems News and Feature Articles
ITS SPECIAL FEATURE
MOBILITY AS A SERVICE (MAAS) RESEARCH AND REPORT BY ITS AUSTRALIA MARKS A PATH FOR PROGRESS During August, Intelligent Transport Systems Australia (ITS Australia) published and released its research and report into Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in Australia: Customer Insights and Opportunities. There’s much discussion these days about once-in-a-generation change; digital disruption, major demographic and societal shifts, and mega-projects offering improvements unimagined by our grandparents or sometimes even parents. What has not been seen before though, is the kind of unprecedented potential for change in transport we are currently experiencing. During interviews with more than 80 leaders in the transport sector, across government, industry and academia a strong theme emerged: not since the mass-production of private vehicles c1920, has there been such potential for revolutionary change in the transport sector. Transport innovation like ‘Mobility as a Service’ (MaaS) offers the potential to drastically improve customer choices, reduce travel costs, increase network capacity and transport sustainability while improving social and environmental outcomes. MaaS is built on the availability of real-time transport data, electronic ticketing and toll-road charging, and near ubiquitous digital devices enabling customers to be better informed and give them access to transport or mobility options that work best for them. MaaS is only possible due to the wide-spread and advancing application of ITS both in Australia and internationally.
42 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
While the mass-production of private vehicles obviously had a stunning impact on society and the built environment the advent of connected and automated vehicles and other revolutionary technologies offer the potential for similar levels of disruption. Concepts like Mobility as a Service and evolving our transport networks are ways we can adapt to, and positively leverage societal and technological disruption. This project was led by ITS Australia but made possible with funding support from project partners through the iMOVE CRC. Project partners were supported by a Steering Committee of industry and government experts from the following organisations collaborating on the project and providing invaluable advice and input: Cubic, HMI Technologies, Transdev, MaaS Australia, DIRDC, PTV, RACV, Keolis Downer. Through in-depth interviews with these and other experts, the perspectives gathered
enabled the development of a robust discrete choice consumer survey to test the thoughts and expectations of a demographically representative sample of Australians. Susan Harris, CEO, ITS Australia said “The research and survey responses have been analysed to glean insights into how Australia can prepare a pathway forward for these mobility services locally. Looking at a holistic approach that ensures our most important stakeholders, end-users or customers are included in preparing for this exciting once-in-a-generation opportunity, we are pleased to share this research and the outcomes with the ITS industry and look forward to supporting the industry in the development of suitable, on-demand and MaaS Systems for the Australian community.” ITS Australia project goals and methodology: • Review the current status of MaaS overseas and in Australia
ITS SPECIAL FEATURE
â&#x20AC;˘ Explore Australian consumer preferences in relation to on-demand transport and MaaS â&#x20AC;˘ Support the development of suitable on-demand transport and MaaS systems for the Australian community The intent is this report can offer an evidence base to help prepare for the major changes anticipated in a way that cleverly builds on existing assets and delivers user-centric services that match the increasing expectations of customers. In surveying 4,000 demographically representative Australians across urban, regional and rural areas, the survey sample closely matched the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data. Transport and mobility as a service offers the potential to drastically improve customer choices, reduce travel costs, increase network capacity and transport sustainability while improving social and environmental outcomes. To support these goals, ITS Australia undertakes to work with government and industry to shape opportunities for MaaS in Australia that: 1. Promote the efficient movement of people and goods to improve safety, and reduce congestion and environmental impacts.
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September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 43
ITS SPECIAL FEATURE
Transport and mobility as a service offers the potential to drastically improve customer choices, reduce travel costs, increase network capacity and transport sustainability while improving social and environmental outcomes.
• 80% of those surveyed own 1-2 cars. 60% estimate their weekly transport costs as less than $100. According to the December 2017 Transport Affordability Index1 the average metropolitan home now spends $337.94 on transportation per week, amounting to 14.2% of the household's income. Regional households are spending $269.61 per week or 12.3% of total income. • The most popular MaaS trip use indicated was social trips like eating out, watching a movie at a theatre, visiting a bar, etc. • Respondents indicated they would value government oversight of a MaaS service run by private companies. • Pay-as-you-go access to transport modes have a predicted adoption rate of between 30% and 46%. • With most new tech early adoption by innovators is around 2.5%. Survey data shows this figure was almost double in relation to the take-up of MaaS in Australia. ITS Australia represents members across the public and private sector, including start-ups, multi-nationals, and government departments, promoting and advocating for the advancement of Intelligent Transport Systems, which are more than the technology on which they operate, they include a multitude of interdependent and standalone elements each having equal importance. A copy of the report can be accessed at: www.its-australia.com.au/maasreport 1 Produced by the Australian Automobile Association: https://www.aaa.asn.au/?s=Cost+of+Transport
2. Encourages a vibrant and competitive industry sector and supports effective MaaS deployment. 3. Builds on the existing public transport network and supports improved access to transport options for customers. 4. Enhances transport access and mobility options to customers across metropolitan and regional centres that Australians live and work in. 5. Is inclusive and responsive to the sociodemographic and mobility needs of all customers, balancing innovation and improvements against equitable access for all Australians. 6. Offers an interoperable open access solution that encourages competition and enables effective data sharing while protecting privacy and security concerns. 7. Aims to be more convenient than individual use of private vehicles. Statistical findings from the research: • 40% of under-30s would use MaaS compared to 14% of over-65s. • Bus and train are the most popular local public transport with bike-share the least popular.
44 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
When the future is on the line You need to be sure that the lines are up to the task
Road lines and markings have always played a critical role in road safety and traffic management. Now, thanks to the development and introduction of an array of driver assisted technologies including the first driverless vehicles, the importance of high quality linemarking has never been greater. Mobile Laser Technology's mobile retroreflectivity testing service can provide you with extremely accurate data on the condition of your linemarking giving you the data you need to establish an efficient re-marking strategy, while eliminating unnecessary remarking.
• Data Collection at Highway Speeds • Eliminates the Need for Lane Closures • Operates in All Ambient Light Conditions • Optional Video Overlay System • Provides an accurate data map of linemarking across your road network area • Data available in a range of formats
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ITS SPECIAL FEATURE ABOUT CUBIC CORPORATION Cubic Corporation designs, integrates and operates systems, products and services focused in the transportation, defence training and secure communications markets. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. For more information visit: www.cubic.com
CUBIC WINS CONTRACT TO PROVIDE NEXT-GENERATION TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT PLATFORM TO SYDNEY LANDMARK PROJECT WILL PROVIDE INDUSTRY’S MOST ADVANCED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS TECHNOLOGIES FOR MAJOR CITY TRANSPORT NETWORK, WITH THE GOAL OF SAFER AND MORE RELIABLE JOURNEYS ACROSS ALL MODES OF TRAVEL Cubic Corporation has announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division has been awarded a contract by Transport for New South Wales to provide Sydney, Australia with one of the world’s most advanced transport management systems. The Intelligent Congestion Management Program (ICMP) contract, valued at more than AU$50 million, is for a term of five years and seven months, with options for two three-year extensions. The new system will enhance monitoring and management of the road network across NSW, coordinate the public transport network across all modes, improve management of clearways, planning of major events and improve incident clearance times, while providing real
time information and advice to the public about disruptions. “This landmark project will position Sydney as a global leader in multimodal transport management operations,” said Matt Cole, president of CTS. “Today’s announcement will enable Cubic to commercialise this new technology and bring additional innovation to Transport for New South Wales, enabling the organisation to remain at the forefront of transport management technology.” “It will also create a whole new stream of high tech jobs in NSW, producing ground breaking innovations that we can export to the world.” Cubic and its partners, including WSP, PTV
Group, Mentz and Microsoft, will provide and support a technology platform integrating the operational management systems for all modes of transportation in the Sydney area, coupled with the most up-to-date data, statistics and intelligence on transport operations. The project will see New South Wales’ Transport Management Centre transformed into a true multimodal operation across the state’s entire transport network to address congestion, improve safety and increase public transport usage. “Cubic has been involved in traffic management in Sydney since prior to the Sydney 2000 Olympics,” said Tom Walker, senior vice president and managing director of CTS Asia Pacific. “This new project is exciting and strategic because it is the first contract anywhere in the world for Cubic’s next-generation, fully multimodal Transport Management Platform.” “The world’s cities have become far more complex in the last 20 years and transportation planners now need to deal with a range of new opportunities and challenges while preparing for a hybrid future, which will likely include the introduction of autonomous vehicles,” added Walker.
NEW BENCHMARK SET FOR PROJECT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY New guidelines to drive greater transparency and accountability in infrastructure decisionmaking and reduce instances of major projects receiving funding before appropriate planning and assessment have been released by Infrastructure Australia, the nation's independent infrastructure advisor. Developed by Infrastructure Australia out of a recommendation in the 2016 Australian Infrastructure Plan, the Infrastructure Decisionmaking Principles are designed to ensure major public infrastructure investments deliver the best outcomes for the community and the best value for taxpayers. “The Australian Infrastructure Plan acknowledged that Australia's governments and the community would benefit from a set of clear principles to provide a benchmark for high-quality infrastructure decision making,” said Infrastructure Australia Chief Executive, Philip Davies. “While the Infrastructure Priority List has helped create a credible pipeline of future infrastructure investments, too often we are still seeing instances of projects being committed
46 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
to before a business case has been prepared, a full set of options have been considered, and rigorous analysis of a potential project's benefits and costs has been undertaken. “Ultimately, we want to ensure that community needs are properly understood, all options considered and communities consulted before projects are committed. This should include making better use of existing infrastructure by deploying new technologies or utilising the data we're already collecting. “The Infrastructure Decision-making Principles should act as a guide for Australia's governments, establishing clear lines of responsibility and accountability for major infrastructure projects and providing the broader community with a clear set of expectations with which to hold decision makers to account. “We want to see Australia's governments do more to engage with communities, both in communicating long-term infrastructure plans, problem identification and by incorporating community input in a meaningful way into the project development processes.
“Part of this involves being more transparent around project decision-making by publicly releasing the analysis and processes that form the basis of funding decisions. “Many of these principles are already embedded in Infrastructure Australia's broader approach to providing infrastructure advice, as well as our Assessment Framework, which guides the assessment of nationally significant infrastructure priorities and provides advice to project proponents in preparing their submissions. “The scale of investment in major projects and the long life of most infrastructure assets warrants rigorous decision-making processes. Our hope is that Australia's governments embrace these Infrastructure Decisionmaking Principles and give the community added confidence that decisions on public infrastructure projects are robust, transparent and accountable,” Mr Davies said. Infrastructure Decision-making Principles is now available for download from: www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au
7–11 October
Congress Dates
The 5th International Federation of Structural Concrete (fib) Congress is coming to Australia in 2018.
7–11 October 2018
The Congress, focusing on the theme “Better – Smarter – Stronger”, is dedicated to bringing together leaders and practitioners in the concrete industry from all over the world. The multidisciplinary theme of the Congress provides an excellent forum to share knowledge, and to learn about advances in the concrete world. With over 580 abstracts submitted from over 50 countries and across 25 themes, there is something for everybody!
Registration Now Open
Features include: • 4 day technical program with over 350 presentations • 5 excellent key note speakers from around the globe • Exhibitors of concrete products & services from all over the world • fib Awards for Outstanding Concrete Structures Gala Dinner • Opportunities to connect with world leading concrete practitioners A Conference of this type is a once in a life time opportunity for the Australian concrete industry to show the world what we can do in our own backyard. Head to our website to secure your registration and find out more.
Professor Stephen Foster Congress Chair
www.fibcongress2018.com
TCA NEWS
TCA ANNOUNCES FIRST TYPE-APPROVED ON-BOARD MASS (OBM) SYSTEM Transport Certification Australia (TCA) recent announced the first type-approved OBM System. The Chief Executive Officer of TCA, Chris Koniditsiotis, said "Loadmass Pty Ltd (trading as Loadman Australia) is to be congratulated for being the first to market with a type-approved OBM System." OBM Systems are often referred to as on-board weigh scales or electronic weighing systems, and are widely used across the surface transport sector for commercial, contractual and regulatory purposes. Loadmass Pty Ltd (Loadman Australia) has been granted ‘Category A’ Approval for its LM300 Can-Coder OBM system. There are three categories of typeapproved OBM Systems (Categories A, B and C) which meet the needs of different stakeholders. Category A OBM Systems electronically display mass information to drivers and/or loaders.
"All categories of type-approval are subject to an assessment of the performance-based requirements contained in the OBM System Functional and Technical Specification, comprising the accuracy, reliability and robustness – as well as tamper evidence and security relevant to the typeapproval category – of OBM Systems.” "TCA type-approval also extends to a business and probity assessment of OBM System suppliers, which verifies the capacity of suppliers to meet the expectations of consumers and end-users.” “With OBM Systems serving many end user needs, type-approval caters for a range of uses without being hardwired to one policy need,” said Mr Koniditsiotis. The Managing Director of Loadmass Pty Ltd, Frank Parker, said "Loadman Australia has worked closely with Loadman in the United States to develop an OBM System capable of meeting TCA's performance requirements."
"To obtain type-approval, we made enhancements to the LM300 Can-Coder product which we've been offering to Australian customers since 2009. The enhancements focused on reliability and accuracy – including updated methods for system installation and calibration – to meet TCA's requirements, as well as meeting the needs of our customers across a range of uses." "Meeting TCA's performance requirements ensures our customers can purchase a product which has been evaluated independently and meets the highest standards for on-board mass systems for use in heavy vehicles," said Mr Parker. For further information, please visit: www.loadman.com.au
CONSOLIDATING HEAVY VEHICLE REST AREA INFORMATION FOR IN-CAB NAVIGATION DEVICES AND SERVICES Transport Certification Australia (TCA) recently announced that it is consolidating heavy vehicle rest area information for navigation devices and services used by heavy vehicle drivers. Prompted by calls from the heavy vehicle industry, TCA's work will allow technology providers to incorporate heavy vehicle rest area information through in-cab devices and services. TCA's Chief Executive Officer, Chris Koniditsiotis, said "The consolidation of heavy vehicle rest area information, which incorporates both formal and informal rest area locations, is long overdue." "Despite general rest area information being offered through consumer navigation devices, heavy vehicle drivers face difficulties in finding in-cab devices and services which meet their specific needs." For example: • Consumer navigation devices are typically orientated towards passenger vehicles and drivers, and do not always distinguish heavy vehicle rest areas from general rest area locations • Heavy vehicle drivers need information about rest areas (including the size and number of parking bays, the availability of
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facilities, shade and other details) • Heavy vehicle drivers rely on the availability of informal rest areas, which are not always recognised – let alone mapped – as rest area locations. These issues were highlighted during the 2018 fatigueHACK hosted by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) in April 2018. In response, TCA has initiated two complementary pieces of work: • Translate rest area location information published by Australia's road and transport agencies into a form which can be readily used by technology providers (by referencing the data definitions contained in the Telematics Data Dictionary – part of the National Telematics Framework). • Work with Rod Hannifey, Road Transport and Road Safety Advocate, to digitally record the locations of informal rest areas (identified by green reflectors). Mr Hannifey, who is currently in the process of recording the location of informal rest areas, said "I welcome the support for this initiative from TCA, and hope in time it will be one more step to help Australian truckies better manage their fatigue, both for their safety and for their compliance. My next aim
is a National Rest Area Strategy, and this data can only help see that achieved." The Chair of the ATA, Geoff Crouch, said, “The ATA is delighted with TCA’s plan to develop this consolidated database, which will enable technology providers to provide consistent and accurate information about the location of truck rest areas and their facilities." “The database will benefit truck drivers both in the short term, through better access to information, and in the long term because it will help underpin new rest area guidelines and mandatory service level standards for the road network." “It’s an immediate, solid result from our 2018 fatigueHACK,” said Mr Crouch. TCA will make the national rest area data set available in a standardised, open format. In doing so, TCA will encourage technology providers to offer in-cab navigation devices and services tailored to the needs of heavy vehicle drivers. TCA will progressively release the provision of consolidated rest area information, and work with stakeholders – including the Telematics Industry Group (TIG) – to promote its availability and use. For further information, please visit: www.tca.gov.au
TCA provides assurance in the use of telematics and related intelligent technologies. How TCA help the transport industry: • We connect both industry and government to telematics and related technologies • We check and approve technology to help transport operators make informed decisions • We provide information and advice on technological developments.
What we do: • Administer programs such as the Intelligent Access Program (IAP) • Type-approve In-Vehicle Units (IVUs) and On-Board Mass (OBM) systems • Data analysis and policy advice • Lead progress in connected / automated vehicles. .
Transport Certification Australia
Connect with TCA
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F +61 3 8601 4611 E tca@tca.gov.au
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Transport Certification Australia
TMAA NEWS
LET’S GET SERIOUS ABOUT SAFETY AT ROAD WORKSITES!
“TMAA has been working to raise awareness of road worker safety through the ‘Traffic Management. Our Job. Your Safety’ campaign.
See the Campaign Online Scan the QR Code or visit: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=tWe5X7Nfe-g to view the ‘Traffic Management. Our Job. Your Safety’ campaign ads online.
The Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA) newly elected President Stephen O’Dywer’s message is clear – we need to stop the devastating effects of serious incidents at Road Worksites by educating the public and holding them accountable. Stephen has backed up his message by asking every State/Territory Minister to contribute to a national educational safety advertising campaign that shines a spotlight on the hazards road workers face every day. The campaign aims to raise awareness and engage the motoring public in slowing down and obeying the signage at worksites. Motorists should treat worksites the same way they treat school zones. Stephen said the campaign, developed by TMAA Northern Territory Division in conjunction with the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics (Northern Territory), has already been aired in the Northern Territory, Tasmania and more recently, the Australian Capital Territory.
Newly elected Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA) President, Stephen O’Dywer
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The advertisement’s premise is that of the dangers to roadworkers and traffic controllers every day on our roads,” he said. “The campaign is emotive with the storyline told by the victim’s child, and the response has been positive and pro-active, driving discussion about safety by those who have seen it.” Stephen said the campaign was created to be a three-part series, not unlike the long running and very successful AAMI campaign. “Parts 2 and 3 are already scripted to follow on with what happened to the roadworker, the family and driving the ‘slow down’, ‘obey the signs’, messages. Stephen said the Tasmanian Department of State Growth had run their version of the advertisement as the backbone of a two-year campaign with great results in safety improvement across the state: ‘Your Speed is Our Safety Campaign’. Visit https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=bWflJmwZGBc&feature=youtu.be to view the adverts.
The Road to Relevant Research
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“We want to work with the state and territory government to reduce the injuries, near misses and fatalities on road worksites and across this nation’s roads,” he said. “So much of our daily news is of someone being hurt by a vehicle and many of the roadworker injuries are left unreported. It’s time this ended and I would like the governments to help end the number of reported and unreported statistics affecting families and friends forever,” he said. Stephen said that with the billions of dollars to be spent on infrastructure over the next few years, the risk to roadworker and traffic controller safety also increased if motorists don’t proactively change their behaviour when approaching and driving through worksites. “It is time to get the message out there loud and clear and educate the public that it is not okay to speed through worksites, please observe the signage.” “Some motorists will slow down for children at school zones, but not for somebody’s loved ones at worksites? This has to change. It is time to get serious,” he said. For more information on the campaign follow TMAA on Social media and visit: www.tmaa.asn.au
The Informit Engineering Collection is an ever expanding resource covering aspects of highway engineering - planning and development, design, construction, maintenance and management. The database offers an extensive variety of resources including journals, trade publications, reports and conference proceedings.
The Collection guarantees quality through partnerships with peak professional bodies including Engineers Australia and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand, as well as Content Providers including EPC Media Group. The Informit Engineering Collection delivers hard to find content designed to complete and complement your highway engineering requirements. Other key titles published by EPC Media include: Construction Engineering Australia Waste + Water Management Australia
ABOUT THE TMAA The Traffc Management Association of Australia (TMAA) is the peak body for Traffc Management. The TMAA represents the Traffc Management and Traffc Control industry throughout Australia. The TMAA represents a total cross section of industry providers from small regional businesses to national traffic management companies working across all states and all road and infrastructure projects. The continued growth of traffic management across the nation is a direct result of the growth in government and private projects currently under development and planned for the future. Traffic management companies and traffic controllers across the country work in a range of multi-billion dollar infrastructure, recovery, relief and rebuild projects. They are represented in all aspects of works projects: repair, emergencies, events, utilities, building and construction and protection.
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Research for your global future
TMAA has had significant success in raising the profile of the traffic management industry and bringing the voice of traffic management companies to Government and industry sectors that they support.
September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 51
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ACA CORROSION FEATURE
DIGGING IN FOR TUNNEL DURABILITY Tunnels that carry road, rail and utility services are usually built to minimise the cost and time it takes to move people, freight and services around a city or country. Many are built under or through mountain ranges in order to minimise the cost of going over or around them. The longest road tunnel in the world is currently the Laerdal Tunnel near Bergen in Norway and the longest rail tunnel is the Gotthard Tunnel that was bored through the Swiss Alps. New Zealand's longest tunnel is the nine-kilometre long Kaimai rail tunnel near Apata. In Australia, both the longest road and rail tunnels are part of high speed links to airports: rail in Sydney and road in Brisbane. Tunnels, however, are not a modern idea; they have been an important part of public and private infrastructure for millennia. Archaeological digs through Roman ruins have uncovered evidence of tubular brickand tile-lined hypercausts and aquifers running beneath towns and roads. Tunnels are mostly of two types of construction. The less expensive method is referred to as â&#x20AC;&#x153;cut and coverâ&#x20AC;? where a trench is dug and the road or rail or services are installed. A roof is then placed over the trench and the ground reinstated and landscaped. The alternative is to manually or mechanically dig through rock and soil and then line the inside of the tunnel with concrete for strength
54 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
and stability. The road, rail or services are built or installed behind the advancing end of the tunnel. A common design for modern tunnels is to use a boring machine to dig through the ground substrate. The development of large, mechanical machines in the mid20th Century, simplified construction of underground tunnels. Initially, the concrete linings were cast in situ behind the excavating machine head as it worked its way slowly forward. Today, precast reinforced, highstrength concrete panels are delivered to site and mechanically placed around the circumference in an interlocking pattern. Such a method is vastly different to that employed in the construction of London's 'Tube', where many of that network's older tunnels are beautiful, hand-built, brick lined constructs. Rob Kilgour, Principal Engineer for Materials Technology at WSP - a leading global engineering consultancy, whose role covers durability planning and material selection for new projects stated that the use of pre-cast concrete panels greatly improved quality assurance as the pieces were prepared under controlled, factory conditions. As a tunnel is dug, a water-resistant lining system is installed to provide structural support and waterproofing. The concrete elements may be either in situ or pre-cast panels. Polymer membranes may be placed
prior to installing the concrete lining typically an approach used for cast in place linings. Where precast segments are used, a rubber gasket is used to prevent water ingress between the segments. The gaskets are made from ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. Kilgour added that it is not just the physical route that has to be checked.
“When we build through brownfield sites it is essential to conduct a thorough analysis of the soil to check for contaminants,” he said. “Hydrocarbons often leak into the ground around and under industrial plants and petrol stations which can damage waterproofing membranes and the rubber seals between concrete segments.” Building under a large modern city - such as Melbourne, Auckland, or Dubai - presents many challenges to the construction company delivering the project. The route must be carefully planned so as to avoid other infrastructure such as pipelines for gas, water and other utilities, building foundations and existing transport tunnels. When the Victorian government approved the underground rail tunnels and stations in Melbourne in the 1970s, planning the route had to take the railway deep enough to avoid much of the infrastructure and around or through the footprint of some the city's tallest buildings. The challenge of avoiding existing transport tunnels was highlighted in the English Crossrail project when the excavating and concrete handling equipment passed just 450 mm above the roof of a platform of one of the Tube's largest and busiest stations. One project Kilgour worked on was the underground metro train system in Dubai. “We carried out a baseline survey of all the buildings in the oldest parts of Dubai to make sure that we could prove that the tunnelling works did not cause any damage to buildings and property adjacent to the route.” The different types of tunnelling systems are very dependent on the nature of the ground conditions. Tunnelling through sand presents different challenges to those encountered when working through mud and rock. “A variety of
techniques can be used in terrain that is soft,” Kilgour stated “These include techniques such as ground freezing or emulsification that increase the density of the ground and allow excavation and construction of the tunnel lining to be completed before the ground softens again.” To this day, one of the greatest tunnel engineering feats is the nearly 2,000 kilometres of sewers that were dug by hand under London almost 160 years ago. Designed by Joseph Bazalgette in the mid-19th Century, the system remains a masterpiece of Victorian engineering. There are approximately 132 kilometres of main sewer where the diameter is large enough for a man to comfortably walk upright in them; while public tours were stopped decades ago, if you know the right people, it is still possible to be taken into the tunnels beneath the busy streets of central London. Today, infrastructure requirements often call for a life expectancy of 100 years, so durability planning is starting to be incorporated into the whole design process. According to New Zealand-based Les Boulton, a Consultant to the Nickel Institute, this was not always the case. “During much of the 20th Century, it was often the case of constructing a project as cheaply as practical and letting others worry about paying for the maintenance.” In the past, little thought was given to materials selection for durability or the potential impact this may have for the asset owners in terms of ongoing maintenance costs. This resulted in a modest construction cost but very expensive continual monitoring. Too often it was a matter of putting up with a repeating cycle of repair and replace after a structure had been built. “Engineering graduates are now being taught - and then putting into practice - the concept of lifecycle costing,” Boulton added “Durability planning provides a method for assessing performance requirements specific to the prevailing exposure environment and required design life and controlling material selection so that the appropriate strength and grade of materials are procured and used for construction.” “In modern road and rail tunnels there is a large amount of machinery and equipment that the users rarely notice.” “This equipment includes large jet fans that circulate the air in the tunnel, fixed and interactive signage, as well as the trays and brackets supporting service ducts and cables. All inaccessible or unmaintainable equipment and attachment points must be designed to last up to 100 years.” According to Boulton, designs call for stainless steel to be used for casings and fixings. Pipes for a range of services and utilities as well as servicing tunnels and large stormwater
drains are often placed under the road or rail deck, in the space referred to as the “tunnel invert.” Most tunnels - rail, communication, utility or service - are usually bare concrete because owners don't value aesthetics. “Road tunnels are often painted or tiled to give a pleasing pattern that breaks up the monotony of the view for drivers,” added Boulton. Safety has also contributed to the move away from cheaper project options. A multi vehicle crash deep inside one of the many tunnels through the Swiss countryside in the 1980s resulted in many deaths and a fire that burned for a days. The insides were made of steel with a corrosion protection coating. Carbon steel starts to yields at 350 degrees Celsius at which point structures can start to fail under their own weight. “You can't get excellent durability and strength from steel and paint,” Boulton said. “Everyone involved has to sign up to the planning for durability and safety.” In contrast, stainless steel can withstand temperatures of 1000 degrees Celsius. Specifying corrosion resistant stainless steel is more expensive as a construction cost, but greatly reduces the ongoing maintenance costs. “Specifying durable materials has been slow to be adopted because maintenance traditionally is treated as an expense and is accounted for differently,” said Boulton. To support industry, the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) works with private companies, organisations and academia to research all aspects of corrosion such as rubber degradation from hydrocarbons. The ACA provides an extensive knowledge base that supports best practice in corrosion management, thus ensuring all impacts of corrosion are responsibly managed, the environment is protected, public safety enhanced and economies improved.
ABOUT THE AUSTRALASIAN CORROSION ASSOCIATION The Australasian Corrosion Association Incorporated (ACA) is a not-for-profit, membership association, that disseminates information on corrosion and its prevention through the provision of training courses, seminars, conferences, publications and other activities. The vision of the ACA is that corrosion is managed sustainably and cost effectively to ensure the health and safety of the community and protection of the environment. For further information, please visit: www.corrosion.com.au
September 2018 | Highway Engineering Australia 55
EQUIPMENT ACA CORROSION FEATURE FEATURE
Corrosion & Prevention 2018 to showcase the latest advances in corrosion mitigation The industry leading Corrosion and Prevention 2018 (C&P2018) conference hosted by the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) is fast approaching. The annual conference and trade exhibition brings together leading researchers and industry practitioners who combat corrosion on a daily basis. The ACA will welcome delegates to C&P2018 at the Adelaide Convention Centre in South Australia between Sunday 11 Wednesday 14 November 2018. Showcasing the latest advancements in corrosion mitigation, C&P2018 is the largest corrosion conference and exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere. As always, the focus of the ACA's annual conference and trade exhibition will be the safe and effective management of the continuing challenge posed by corrosion. It has been estimated that industries and
56 Highway Engineering Australia | September 2018
governments spend billions of dollars every year on corrosion mitigation and repair, making it vital that the latest technologies and practices are applied to managing this insidious threat. More than 400 delegates are expected to attend the conference and extensive exhibition supported of key industry suppliers. Industry experts will deliver five plenary presentations - including the F P Thompson Lecture, which will be delivered by Professor Brian Kinsella, Curtin University, Australia. The lecture commemorates the work of corrosion science pioneer, P F Thompson, and has been delivered every year at the ACA's annual conference since 1951. With 90 abstracts submitted, the conference is set to provide the latest information and industry knowledge concerning corrosion prevention, control and repair. C&P2018 will appeal to a broad range
of industries including water/wastewater, oil & gas, building & construction, transport infrastructure, mining and asset management. Topics covered will include advances in asset management; cathodic protection; concrete corrosion and repair; corrosion mechanisms, high temperature corrosion; steel corrosion; modelling and prediction; materials selection and design, and protective coatings. C&P2018 will provide the premier venue for networking opportunities for delegates to network with colleagues and peers. Social functions including the Welcome Function and Exhibition, ACA Awards Dinner and Farewell Function are included in your C&P2018 registration. Save the date and register today. For further information including program details and registrations, please visit: https://conference.corrosion.com.au
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