Highway Engineering Australia V53.4 June 2022

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

HIGHWAY ENGINEERING AUSTRALIA JUNE 2022

V53.4

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE ITS TECHNOLOGY SINCE 1968

PRINT POST APPROVED - 100001888

HORSHAM RURAL CITY COUNCIL

Reaping the rewards of a proactive approach to asset management supported by world-leading technology

Whether it’s a TL-2 or TL-3 attenuator, your first question should always be:

IS IT MASH APPROVED?

With the ASBAP (Austroads Safety Barrier Assessment Panel) guidelines now requiring all new TMAs sold for use in Australia to be tested and approved to MASH Standards, one of the most critical questions for equipment purchasers to ask is: “Is it MASH Approved?”.

When it comes to Scorpion® TMAs, the answer is a resounding YES – for BOTH TL-2 and TL-3 attenuator.

In fact, the Scorpion II® Metro MASH TL-2 TMA is not only THE FIRST TL-2 TMA to be fully tested and approved to the latest MASH Standards, it is currently THE ONLY TL-2 Truck Mounted Attenuator to be successfully TESTED, PASSED & ELIGIBLE to the current MASH Standards.

So, whether it’s TL-2 or TL-3, when it comes to selecting a fully MASH tested, passed and eligible TMA that has also been ASSESSED, APPROVED & RECOMMENDED FOR ACCEPTANCE throughout Australia by ASBAP, the only name you need to remember is Scorpion® from A1 Roadlines.

THE EQUIPMENT YOU NEED – THE SERVICE YOU EXPECT A1 Roadlines Pty Ltd | 89 Rushdale Street, Knoxfield, Victoria 3180 | www.a1roadlines.com.au P: 1300 217 623 (A1ROAD) | E: sales@a1roadlines.com.au

contents 2

Editor’s Column

Published by:

4

Industry News

ABN 85 007 693 138 PO Box 510, Broadford Victoria 3658 Australia Phone: 1300 EPCGROUP (1300 372 476) Int'l: +61 3 5784 2210 www.epcgroup.com

8

Cover Feature: Horsham Rural City

Editorial and Publishing Consultants Pty Ltd

Publisher and Managing Editor Anthony T Schmidt Phone: 1300 EPCGROUP (1300 372 476) Mobile: 0414 788 900 Email: ats@epcgroup.com National Advertising Sales Phone: 1300 EPCGROUP (1300 372 476) Int'l: +61 3 5784 2210 Email: ats@epcgroup.com Business Development Manager Lawrence Whiter Mobile: 0418 543 821 Email: lawrencewhiter@bigpond.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

TERMS AND CONDITIONS This publication is published by Editorial and Publishing Consultants Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information.

The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication.

JUNE 2022 Volume 53 Number 4

Council Asset Management 14

Dynamic Infrastructure - AI-Enabled Asset Management Reporting

18

ACRS Feature - Sustainable Steel

22

Product Focus: Aussie Pumps

ISSN 0046-7391

22

Truck Wash Special 26

Special Feature: A1 Roadlines 50 Years

34

Focus on Bridges

36

Electric Vehicls

38

ARRB Feature

42

Asset Maintenance

44

ITS Feature

34

44

Copyright ©2022- EPC Media Group

Registered by Australia Post Publication No. 100001888

5

About the Cover (R-L) Horsham Rural City Council CEO, Sunil Bhalla; Mayor, Cr Robyn Gulline; and Manager Strategic Asset Management, Krishna Shrestha at Gross’ Bridge outside Horsham. The bridge was the first in Australia to be included as a digital twin in the world-renowned Dynamic Infrastructure AI-enabled asset data and reporting system..

Turn to Page 8 for the full story.

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Getting ahead of the Curve Dear Readers, It is often said that ‘the benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing’. While that may be true, I might offer that ‘having some foresight is the preferred option’. One has only to consider the energy supply issues currently facing the country to see what I mean.

Now, before I continue, I must - in order to avoid a potential avalanche of vitriolic emails – once again, make it clear that my editorials are ALWAYS 100% NONPARTISAN in nature. I had originally written ‘100% apolitical’, but that was clearly inaccurate! Anyhow… I digress.

While it is clear that there are a number of significant contributing factors playing a part in the current energy supply and cost ‘crisis’, including global supply issues, it would be disingenuous to ignore the impact of a number of local issues – not the least of which is a lack of investment in power generation and transmission infrastructure.

Incidentally, I do believe when we get to a situation where: a) the market regulator has to step in to ensure supply; and b) an ever-increasing number of people are having to ‘self-ration’ heating and other winter comforts due to the fact that they are unable to afford their energy bills, that the word ‘crisis’ is well justified.

But again… I digress. (Call it a skill!)

Be that as it may, if nothing else, I believe that the one serious lesson to be learnt from the current energy supply crisis, is the critical importance of investing in infrastructure. Which, finally, brings me to the point of this editorial (yes, there is one!).

Charging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles.

2 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

While most current projections for Electric Vehicle (EV) uptake across Australia have us lagging significantly behind most of the planet for the foreseeable future, I believe that the tide toward EV ownership may indeed turn far more rapidly than currently projected.

Incidentally, I am well aware of the perils of committing any sort of ‘future projection’ to print – especially in a professional forum such as this – however, based on purely anecdotal evidence alone, I feel reasonably confident that this will prove to be the case.

Indeed, if my discussions over recent weeks with a number of automotive industry experts (including industry commentators, vehicle importers, wholesalers and dealerships) are anything to go by, it would be fair to say we can expect unprecedented levels of interest in Electric Vehicles from both the private and corporate sectors over the coming 12-24 months alone.

Unsurprisingly, it would appear that the major catalyst behind this sudden jump in enquiries and demand for EVs is the rapid rise in the cost of petrol and diesel.

Put simply, the fact that many people are now spending in excess of $100 to fill their vehicles (often more than once a week) has changed the economies of EV ownership so dramatically that the move away from diesel or petrol-powered vehicles is now a serious consideration for many more people – and in a much shorter time-frame - than previously estimated. Add to that, improvements in EV technology and capability (particularly in terms of driving range); the abundance of new EV models coming on to the market; and the increased availability of more affordable options, and it’s easy to see why our previous

growth estimates relating to the EV market in Australia may be far too conservative.

While conservative growth estimates in themselves may not be terribly problematic for the EV industry (after all, who doesn’t like to exceed sales forecasts?) when it comes to infrastructure planning, they can be disastrous. To wit: the ‘State of Electric Vehicles’ report released by the Electric Vehicle Council in March this year highlights 291 EV fast-charging locations across the country. It also highlights state and federal government funding commitments to co-fund the deployment of some 700 additional fast charging locations nationally over the next 5 years, each with multiple charging bays.

Considering that that same report shows a tripling of EV sales to 20,665 plug-in electric vehicles in 2021 from the previous year (NOTE: before the energy crisis and before many of the new EVs were launched), I can’t see how growing from a total of 291 to a little under 1,000 fast-charging sites over the next 5 years, nationally, can be expected to meet demand.

With that in mind, might I respectfully suggest that we reconsider the EV growth curve and the expected demand for fastcharging sites across the country – especially in rural, remote and regional areas - and use foresight to raise our expectations, rather than hindsight to question our choices.

Anthony T Schmidt Managing Editor

MashFlex® TL4 Wire Rope Safety Barrier

MASH TL4 Compliant Roadside Safety Barrier Introducing MashFlex, a member of the Flexfence family, the next generation wire rope safety barrier (WRSB), providing superior motorist safety and more metres of barrier for your dollar. The superior design and clean lines of the FlexFence WRSB have seen it become the road safety industry’s preferred wire rope barrier. These design characteristics have continued in this next generation of the product, MashFlex, with an improved design and simplified assembly sequence.

• Crash tested to MASH Test Level 4 – 2,270kg pick-up truck travelling at 100km/h – 10,000kg truck impacting at 90km/h • Machine swaged, stainless steel fittings for dependable in-service performance

• Low concrete consumption, saving you more dollars per meter • Posts can be powder-coated • Less components for a rapid installation

MASH TL4

Australian Made

www.ingalcivil.com.au sales@ingalcivil.com.au

Except for repairs due to impacts, there is virtually no maintenance required for MashFlex WRSB • • • •

Sydney (02) 9827 3333 Melbourne (03) 9358 4100 Perth (08) 9452 9111 Wagga 0427 779 588

• • • •

Brisbane (07) 3489 9125 Adelaide/NT 0438 153 482 Newcastle 0400 235 883 Local call 1300 446 425 Ref: PP0615

INDUSTRY NEWS

Hays Engineering Salary Guide released: Salaries increase as skills shortage inflates expectations More engineering professionals will receive a pay rise this coming financial year than last, with skills shortages creating a “oncein-a-career market”, according to recruiting experts Hays Engineering.

The recently released FY22-23 Hays Salary Guide found 88 per cent of engineering employers will increase salaries in their next review, up from 62 per cent last year. Of these, 33 per cent intend to raise salaries by over three per cent, while 55 per cent will increase salaries by less than three per cent.

According to Hays Engineering, 80 per cent of employers say the skills shortage has forced them to offer higher salaries than otherwise planned.

For their part, 87 per cent of the skilled professionals Hays also spoke to say their performance and the demand for their skills merits an increase greater than three per cent. Over half (62 per cent) say the skills shortage has made them more confident to ask for a pay rise and 58 per cent have already benefited from the skills shortage through a salary increase, new job or both.

Despite this, only 30 per cent are satisfied with their current salary.

Meanwhile, an uncompetitive salary is the top factor motivating 54 per cent of job searches. It ranks ahead of a lack of promotional opportunities and a lack of new challenges.

4 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

Skills shortage impacts salaries “Intense competition for skilled professionals will translate into gradual salary increases this coming financial year,” says Simon Bristow, Senior Regional Director of Hays Engineering.

“Moving away from the salary stability stance of recent years, employers say the skills shortage is the reason increases are higher than planned. Already 90 per cent are experiencing a skills shortage. 82 per cent say it will impact the effective operation or growth plans of their organisation.”

“This is fuelling a once-in-a-career market.

Previously camouflaged by skilled migration, and further impacted by headcount growth, skills shortages have reached a level unmatched in our years in recruitment and sparked deliberate salary increases from employers,” Mr Bristow said.

“However, while both the value and extent of salary increases is rising, employees’ expectations are growing faster. In a job-rich, candidate-poor market, they feel more assured of their worth and have prioritised a pay rise,” he said. “In such a market, the number one question we’re asked by employers is how to stand out as their preferred candidate’s first choice,” Mr Bristow added.

Hays’s answer is a “new equation” for employers to follow. As Simon explains, “We suggest that today’s skills shortage presents an opportunity to define a new equation in

the world of work. Salary increase budgets only extend so far, so consider the full value exchange for each role. Along with salary, consider benefits, upskilling, career progression, purpose, and the relationship employers have with their employees.”

Other key findings In other key findings, the Hays Salary Guide found: • The top five skills in demand in engineering: 1. Civil & Structural Engineers 2. Civil Designers & Engineers 3. Electrical Engineers 4. Structural Engineers 5. Drafters • Benefits increase to attract candidates: 32 per cent of engineering employers have improved benefits and working practices to entice more staff. The top three benefits sought by engineering professionals are training (either internal or external), over 20 days' annual leave and ongoing learning & development.

• Hiring intentions rise: 61 per cent of engineering employers intend to increase permanent staff levels in FY22/23. 49 per cent will increase their use of temporary and contract staff.

Download your copy of the Hays Salary Guide by visiting: www.hays.com.au/salary-guide

INDUSTRY NEWS

SNC-Lavalin to provide engineering services for Sydney Harbour Tunnel and Western Harbour Tunnel SNC-Lavalin, a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world, has been appointed to deliver engineering services associated with the asset management of Sydney Harbour Tunnel and the city’s new Western Harbour Tunnel.

Under a long-term services agreement, SNC-Lavalin will support Ventia, the Asset Management Services provider for both tunnels - working for Transport for NSW. Ventia is one of the largest infrastructure service providers in Australia and New Zealand.

SNC-Lavalin will provide a range of engineering services, supporting Ventia’s engineering team, for the effective transition of existing operations of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel to Ventia, before operational commencement from September 2022. SNCLavalin will also support Ventia during the procurement, design and construction phases of the Western Harbour Tunnel, including through systems engineering and digital asset management.

Paul Callender, Director of Project and Programme Management Services Australia and New Zealand, said: “This is a significant

contract for us as we continue to increase our portfolio in Australia, delivering critical infrastructure which is reshaping cities and communities.”

SNC-Lavalin has had a presence in Australia for over 20 years and is currently involved in a number of major projects including the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport Line; Inland Rail, the largest freight rail infrastructure programme in Australia; and the Cross River Rail project in Brisbane.

ABOUT ZENLABS ENERGY INC. Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, technology and data to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital. For further information, please visit: www.snclavalin.com

THE WAIT IS OVER

The New Era of Electric is Here

Compact Urban Sweeper S2 Cuts EMISSIONS to ZERO Steering the way to a more Sustainable Future

Garwood International’s 100% Electric Compact Sweeper Available and Ready Now to Demo

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM:

www.garwoodinternational.com.au

Call us today to organise a demo.

NSW, ACT & WA Tony Miller 0429 444 451 tony@garwoodinternational.com.au

VIC, TAS & SA Ian Pinney 0409 905 451 ian@garwoodinternational.com.au

QLD & NT Daniel McHugh 0407 789 370 daniel@garwoodinternational.com.au

NEW ZEALAND Reece McCrystal 0413 751 292 reece@garwoodinternational.com.au

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

Australia’s supply chain at tipping point of data revolution, expert panel finds The COVID-19 pandemic created historic challenges for Australian businesses, with ongoing disruptions across international and national supply chains. This is continuing to result in widespread product shortages, delivery delays and the need for greater asset visibility.

However, during a recent panel discussion, hosted by leading location data and technology platform HERE Technologies, experts advised that Australia’s transport and logistics market is on the cusp of a ‘data revolution’ that will help move goods more efficiently, safely and sustainably.

The expert panel examined the significant role location data, services and technology play in the global movement of goods as well as broader business imperatives including sustainability, driver safety and operations resilience.

Panel participants included experts from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Isuzu Australia Limited, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Australian Logistics Council and HERE Technologies. It was moderated by Rachel Smith, Head of Government and Policy, Australian Logistics Council (ALC) and took place at the newly opened workspace of HERE Technologies in Cremone, in innersuburban Melbourne.

Jason Jameson, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific, HERE Technologies commented on the challenges the industry faces stating, “…multi-modal supply chains and the complexities that come along with them are now standard practice, so end-to-end visibility is more important than ever. Goods are often shipped, flown, warehoused, and then couriered to their destination through a series of third-party subcontractors.”

“Location technology helps with planning, execution and post-trip analysis to reduce idle time at every point in the supply chain, ultimately reducing fuel costs, driver fatigue and carbon emissions,” he added.

6 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

This level of visibility is crucial to manage and even prevent the unexpected, according to Simon Humphries, Chief Engineer, Product Strategy, Isuzu Australia Limited, who said that “repeated incidents of trucks hitting Melbourne’s Montague Street Bridge is one real-life example highlighting the need for location technology solutions. In-vehicle satellite navigation technology driven by truck-specific data can help to prevent these incidents, keeping drivers safe while minimising disruption.”

Location technology – a valuable investment Panelists also touched on where they are investing and why, with Phillip Parsons, General Manager of Logistics, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, stating, “…we’ve invested hundreds of millions of dollars into location technology because we see its value.

With sequential supply chains diminishing, you need software and data to optimise at speed.”

Looking at some of those broader business challenges and objectives, Parsons also revealed investment into “…technologies such as Spatial Mapping to help tackle key challenges like driver shortages and emissions reduction.”

Insights and decisioning also form part of the returns according to Andrew Littleford, Principal Supply Chain Advisory Consultant, AWS Professional Services, who stressed the importance of data. “Data, data, data – it’s all about how you use data. If businesses can leverage the tools available to gather good quality data, they can start to make really good decisions about how to run their supply chain,” Littleford explained.

Driving further location technology uptake Looking at the rate of uptake nationally, Jameson said that Australian supply chain and logistics businesses are at the tipping

point of a data revolution that will bring the full benefits of location technology to bear.

“Telematics technology has been available in vehicles for many years, but we’re beginning to see smarter use of data and better integration, particularly with autonomous and electric vehicles,” said Jameson.

So, what barriers do we need to overcome?

Brad Williams, CEO at ALC, said access to real-time data was important, but making it available had been a real challenge because by making real-time data widely available, businesses who own the data might lose the commercial advantage to competitors. “I think the big issue around how we interact with government is what do we do about privacy and security of that data. We must ensure the data is aggregated to be beneficial and used to inform decision-making. That is the challenge for us from an industry point of view and government needs to drive that,” said Williams.

For Humphries, simplicity is a key driver too, “…any new technology that’s introduced has to be easy to use. If it’s not presented to drivers in a simple, easily digestible way, you can create distraction that increases accident rates and slows the movement of goods – which is counterproductive to what the technology is trying to achieve,” he concluded.

ABOUT HERE TECHNOLOGIES HERE, the leading location data and technology platform, moves people, businesses and cities forward by harnessing the power of location. By leveraging our open platform, we empower our customers to achieve better outcomes – from helping a city manage its infrastructure or a business optimize its assets to guiding drivers to their destination safely. To learn more about HERE, please visit: www.here.com and https://360.here.com/

4" DIESEL TRASH PUMPS we

’re

for

Au

str

ali

a

AUSSIE PRODUCTION SOARS

Autoliv and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research collaborate to save more lives Autoliv, Inc., the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems, recently demonstrated the possibilities of powered two-wheeler airbags in a crash test attended by the Minister of Transport of Malaysia. The test was conducted in relation to the tenth anniversary of the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) laboratory.

Road traffic crashes claim 1.3 million lives every year and are the leading cause of death among children and young adults. More than 90 per cent of road traffic fatalities occur in developing countries. The safety of motorcycle riders is a major challenge in Southeast Asia and motorcycle crashes accounted for 66% of all traffic fatalities in Malaysia in 2021.

In 2021, Autoliv entered a partnership with MIROS, an organization with a progressive approach to road safety in Malaysia and a particular focus on powered two-wheelers. The collaboration directly supports Autoliv's vision of Saving More Lives and UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number three, which aspires to ensure good health and well-being for all, with one of its targets focused on halving global deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes.

“I am very excited and fully support the development of this motorcycle airbag technology. I am sure that MIROS will support and cooperate with Autoliv in the development of this technology and evaluate its potential to save motorcyclists in our country going forward,” says Dr Wee Ka Siong, Minister of Transport in Malaysia.

“Autoliv is committed to our vision of Saving More Lives and to providing world-class life-saving solutions for mobility and society,” says Mikael Bratt, CEO and President, Autoliv.

“Autoliv is prioritizing developing products that specifically protect vulnerable road users. The development of these products is an integral part of our sustainability agenda and an important step towards our goal of saving 100,000 lives annually,” Mr Bratt said.

The MIROS collision test laboratory, PC3 Crash Lab, has played an important role in the vehicle safety ecosystem over the past ten years.

Industry partners such as Autoliv conduct research and development in collaboration with the test laboratory to improve the level of road and vehicle safety in Southeast Asia and worldwide.

“It was a privilege to be a part of the MIROS tenth anniversary event and be asked to conduct a crash test with new technology that brings us one step closer to saving more lives in Southeast Asia.

Autoliv has an important role to play in markets like Malaysia, and I am proud to see Autoliv's airbag for powered two-wheelers generating interest in the country,” says Cecilia Sunnevång, Vice President Research at Autoliv.

4" ü ü ü

TRASH PUMP ... DIRTY WATER SPECIALIST Self priming to 7.6m ü Fast, easy set up Flows to 1,600 lpm ü 10HP Yanmar diesel 5 year pump warranty

Aussie Pumps Australian Pump Industries

02 8865 3500 aussiepumps.com.au

Mobile Media Blasting - Wet & Dry

• Specialising in Concrete preparation for Carbon Fibre application • Abrasive & Non Abrasive Blasting • Paint, rust & contaminant removal from many substrates • Line marking removal • Compact machinery for easy access • Low media usage which means less environmental issues with containment and dust • Suitable for confined space blasting

Recent Carbon Fibre preparation projects • The Glen Shopping Centre Mt Waverley • 161 Collins Street Melbourne

1300 240 337 www.enviroblast.net.au

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 7

COVER STORY

Asset Management

Done Right

4

Centred around the city of Horsham some 300 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, Horsham Rural City Council recently completed a major overhaul of its asset management processes and programs – and the results are impressive, to say the least.

PICTURED: (R-L) Horsham Rural City Council CEO, Sunil Bhalla; Mayor, Cr Robyn Gulline; and Manager Strategic Asset Management, Krishna Shrestha at Gross’ Bridge outside Horsham. Gross’ Bridge is the first bridge in the country to be included as a digital twin in the world-renowned Dynamic Infrastructure AI-enabled asset data and reporting system.

8 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

COVER STORY

Developed with a focus on innovation and efficiency, Council has implemented a raft of programs covering both community facilities and open space assets, as well as the municipality’s extensive road and bridge network. From innovative new road repair and maintenance processes, through to an ‘Australian-first’ implementation of the world-renowned Dynamic Infrastructure AI-enabled asset data and reporting system, Horsham Rural City Council has transformed its entire approach to asset management.

Importantly, these innovative new programs are already helping to deliver a range of practical benefits for ratepayers, residents, local industry and primary producers alike, with faster, better targeted and more efficient service delivery, together with significant improvements in asset capacity, safety and amenity.

The Asset Management and Maintenance Challenge

From roads, bridges, footpaths and recreational trails, to sporting facilities, public facilities and other buildings and infrastructure, few would argue that asset management and maintenance would have to be considered one of the most challenging and onerous tasks facing councils across Australia. Together with the complexities associated with having a large and diverse asset base, there is the added challenge of working out how to best utilise finite resources and often limited budgets to maintain, upgrade or replace assets in a manner that delivers the greatest benefit for their community – be that in terms of safety, economy, facility or any other number of driving factors.

Unfortunately, for many councils, tight budgetary limitations and an ageing asset base, combined with evolving Standards, increased ratepayer expectations (by both residents and local industry), and significant increases in use - especially in terms of the size and number of vehicles utilising local road and bridge networks - has resulted in asset management and maintenance largely becoming a ‘reactive’ function rather than a proactive process.

These were just some of the asset management challenges facing Horsham Rural City Council CEO, Sunil Bhalla, when he took up the post with the council in 2018.

“When I first arrived in Horsham Rural City Council, it was in much the same position as many councils throughout rural and regional Australia,” Mr Bhalla said.

“At the time, the council did not have a dedicated Asset Management Team, so asset management was for all intents, primarily an operational function that involved repairing and maintaining assets as needs arose. It was basically a reactive maintenance plan that was about keeping things going to the best of our abilities with an extremely limited budget, with the works carried out by one of the council’s operational divisions,” he said.

“Even though the team were doing a remarkable job of keeping assets maintained and operational, the main issue with this type of reactive asset management approach is that it tends to leave little or no scope for long-term strategic planning or development,” Mr Bhalla added.

Not surprisingly, this reactive approach to asset management and maintenance is not uncommon across rural and regional councils, which tend to have a diverse asset base, often spread over a large and equally diverse geographic area.

Unfortunately, with only limited budgets and resources, there can also be a tendency for the more remote areas or sparsely populated small towns and hamlets to ‘miss out’ to the larger towns in the battle for project funds.

For many councils, their approach to asset management can also be a case of ‘that’s the way it’s always been done, so that’s the way we do it’. One of the operational departments – usually the Works Department or similar - is tasked with inspecting and monitoring the condition of the assets, and if damage or wear and tear are detected or reported, it is their job to fix it.

“While this reactive approach may have worked in the past, the combination of an ageing asset base, increased demands being placed on assets (especially roads and bridges), and ever-evolving Standards, make it increasingly difficult to keep up with the demand for repairs and maintenance,” Mr Bhalla said.

“Once that starts, it tends to become a never-ending saga of trying to stay on top of things - making repairs when required, instigating upgrades where possible, and trying to do the most with the available budget,” he added.

Horsham Rural City Council utilises a range of maintenance, resurfacing and reconstruction methods for sealed roads, including heavy patching, traditional reconstruction and micro-surfacing.

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 9

COVER STORY With much of the region’s economy centred around dryland and broadacre agriculture, the road network provides a critical link for vehicle and equipment movements between properties.

Proactive Asset Management With that in mind, one of Sunil Bhalla’s first major projects as CEO at Horsham Rural City Council was to engage with each of the council’s divisions, as well as key external stakeholders, to completely overhaul the council’s asset management processes and procedures. This included the establishment of a dedicated Asset Management Team, comprising members from each of the operational and engineering/design teams.

The Asset Management Team is headed up

by Krishna Shrestha, who took up the role of Manager Strategic Asset Management in 2019.

“The Asset Management Team established a working group, comprising Service Managers from each of the operational divisions, together with representatives from both the Engineering Department and Works Depot.

This not only enabled us to ‘get everyone on the same page’ in terms of where we were with asset management and where we wanted to be, it also played a critical role in opening up the flow of information and ideas between each of the divisions,” he said.

Not surprisingly, this collaborative approach has seen Horsham Rural City Council completely transform its asset management and maintenance procedures and operations from a reactive process to a best-practice proactive model. What’s more, the council is now also leading the way with a number of cutting-edge projects and initiatives – including two innovative road resurfacing projects, development of a detailed Rural Road Network Plan (including full Road Hierarchy and Functional Overlays), and Australia’s first implementation of the AI-enabled Dynamic Infrastructure asset data and condition reporting system.

Focus on Roads and Bridges

The aim of the new Asset Management Team: To develop a ‘proactive’ asset management strategy utilising the latest available tools and technologies to deliver the best possible outcomes for ratepayers, residents, local industry and visitors in terms of asset capacity, safety and amenity.

“Rather than simply focusing on the operational aspects of asset monitoring and maintenance, we wanted to move to a ‘holistic’ asset management process that includes input from all stakeholders – initially from within the council, and then from the community and local industry,” Mr Bhalla said.

10 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

While the council’s asset management and maintenance plans have delivered a range of successful projects in Horsham and many of the smaller communities, (including new or upgraded open space assets, sports facilities, public facilities, footpaths, bike paths, kerbs and drainage projects), as a rural council and a major agricultural centre, it is perhaps understandable that much of Horsham Rural City Council’s asset management and maintenance budget is focussed on roads and bridges.

Situated in Victoria’s Wimmera region, the Horsham Rural City Council area is home to a population of 19,800 – some 75% of

which live in the urban area of Horsham. The remainder of the population lives either on rural properties or in one of the many small hamlets located within the municipality.

Forming the heart of Victoria’s ‘wheatbelt’, much of the region’s economy is centred around dryland and broadacre agriculture.

Horsham is home to the nationally acclaimed Grains Innovation Park agricultural research centre, the Wimmera Agriculture and Logistics Hub (WAL Hub) and the Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal - the central location for container grain handling and grain processors across one of the world's largest grain, pulse and oilseed growing regions.

Even though Horsham Rural City Council is relatively small in terms of population, its road network stretches some 3,000 kilometres and incorporates over 60 bridges.

Approximately one-third of the road network is sealed, with the remaining two-thirds split evenly between gravel roads and unmade earthen roads.

Krishna Shrestha, Manager Strategic Asset Management with Horsham Rural City Council commented: “Managing a road network of this type is definitely a matter of finding the right balance.”

“While it would be easy to focus predominantly on the high-use roads such as those in and around Horsham and the larger towns, it’s important to remember that farming and agriculture form the backbone of the region’s economy. As such, many of the remote roads across our network, provide critical links and access for our primary producers,” he said.

“Put simply, even though many of these roads may only carry relatively low average daily vehicle numbers, we need to ensure that they are well maintained and able to cater for trucks, heavy vehicles and other heavy equipment movements between properties when needed,” Mr Shrestha said.

COVER STORY

Developing a Rural Road Network Plan

Recognising that sealing the municipality’s entire 3,000 km road network isn’t a viable option, the Asset Management Team undertook a detailed review of the road network, with the aim of developing a Rural Road Network Plan.

Working with a wide range of stakeholders including primary producers, transport specialists and industry, the review enabled the Asset Management Team to: • Identify important freight connections; • Establish a priority farm machinery network; • Review the road hierarchy classification for the municipality; • Confirm the desirable construction and maintenance standards for the road network; and • Identify specific locations for road safety improvements.

Adopted by Council in April this year, the Rural Road Network Plan will help the council better manage the existing road network with the finite resources available for upgrades and maintenance. As well as enabling the council to create a detailed road hierarchy (including functional use) which defines where each road fits in the overall rural network based on a range of criteria including social accessibility, freight/farming needs, and use for tourism, the Rural Road Network Plan also provides service standards which outline the expected width, form, construction and clear zones for each road classification.

The process has enabled the development of a set of achievable service level and maintenance standards across the municipality’s sealed and unsealed rural road network. The plan’s maintenance regime outlines both the target levels of maintenance and the expected condition ratings for each road classification.

Innovative Approach to Road Maintenance In keeping with its focus on innovation, sustainability and getting the most out of its asset management and maintenance budget, Horsham Rural City Council has implemented a number of innovative maintenance programs and strategies for both gravel and sealed roads across its road network.

(RIGHT & BELOW): The innovative Otta Seal surface treatment alternative for gravel roads improves access, reduces costs and extends maintenance intervals for treated roads.

Gravel Roads: • Council has collected data on the gravel depth of every ‘Access’ category rural road across the network. The depth data, which was collected at 500-metre intervals, has been used to develop a targeted multi-year re-sheeting program for the municipality’s gravel roads.

• As part of this initiative, Council is also working with Deakin University to find suitable gravel sources in the local vicinity.

As well as providing the council with additional gravel resources to tap into, the primary aim is to reduce transport between source and site. This will not only help to reduce the environmental impact of the gravel re-sheeting operations, but it will also save on transportation costs for gravel, which in turn will free up more funds for works that will benefit the community.

• For high-use gravel roads, Council is utilising an innovative treatment known as Otta Seal. An Otta Seal provides a highly cost-effective surface treatment alternative for gravel roads and has enormous potential to improve access for large farming stakeholders across the municipality, while at the same time extending maintenance intervals for the treated roads.

Sealed Roads: • Through extensive study, including consultation with stakeholders, Council has agreed upon a ‘maximum roughness level’ for sealed roads across the network.

Importantly, Council has also committed to maintaining roughness levels under the agreed threshold for the entire council road network.

• To that end, Council has also undertaken a full laser scan inspection of all sealed roads across the network, measuring cracking, rutting, roughness and a number of other parameters at 1-metre intervals along the length of each road. This data, which will be updated at regular intervals, forms the basis of programmed maintenance requirements for the sealed roads.

• Council is utilising a range of maintenance, resurfacing and reconstruction methods for sealed roads depending on the severity and/or extent of the damage or failure. Options include heavy patching, traditional reconstruction or a state-of-theart micro-surfacing method.

• Horsham Rural City Council has also been working with neighbouring councils to define a Regional Future Freight Route and develop targeted widening and improvement plans in conjunction with local and federal government consultation and funding.

Developed as part of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program 2022, Council has been notified by the Department of Infrastructure that five funding applications have been approved under the HVSPP 2022 – providing total funding of $5,096,156 over three years, matched by Council funding of $3,661,082 over the same period.

This leveraging of Council funds will allow for the upgrading and widening of five priority rural roads totalling some 36.2 km in length.

These key regional heavy vehicle routes provide important linkages to the Western Highway, Wimmera Highway and Henty Highway, as well as the Wimmera Intermodal Freight Terminal at Dooen and the Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange.

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 11

COVER STORY

Gross’ Bridge over the Wimmera River outside Horsham, was the first bridge in Australia to be included as part of the world-renowned Dynamic Infrastructure AI-enabled asset data and reporting system.

State-of-the-Art, AI-enabled Bridge Asset Data Management

Horsham Rural City Council is also the first council in Australia to start using the stateof-the-art Dynamic Infrastructure AI-enabled bridge asset data management system.

This ground-breaking new service and software package from international technology specialist Dynamic Infrastructure, is available throughout Australia thanks to a partnership between Dynamic Infrastructure and respected Sydney-based specialist engineering and consulting company IF3 Pty Ltd. The Dynamic Infrastructure system utilises the latest in cutting-edge AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology to identify and categorise faults and damage on bridges and other structures. The system can then locate the faults or defects on a Digital Twin of the bridge, creating a comprehensive digital ‘health record’ for each bridge, as well as a timeline for each identified fault.

12 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

Speaking about the Dynamic Infrastructure system, Krishna Shrestha, commented: “We have over 60 bridges - including 28 major bridges – across the municipality. Ensuring that these bridge assets are able to keep up with the demands of increasing traffic numbers and larger vehicle loads is critical to the continued future growth and prosperity of the region.”

“Having accurate and up-to-date condition data for the bridge assets not only enables us to identify and assess damage or faults, it is

Created as part of the Dynamic Infrastructure process, the Digital Twin of Gross’ Bridge allows the exact location of any faults or damage to be displayed.

also a critical factor in helping us to optimise our bridge asset maintenance works,” he said.

The Dynamic Infrastructure system has not only enabled the Horsham Rural City Council team to build a full ‘health record’ for each of the municipality’s bridge assets, it also provided them with a timeline that puts all of the historic bridge inspection data into a directly relatable context, thereby highlighting any damage or faults that may be escalating with age.

“The system enables us to prioritise our maintenance work, budget accordingly, and better allocate resources – all in a fraction of the time it used to take,” Mr Shrestha added.

“We implemented the Dynamic Infrastructure package during 2021, and it is already delivering some excellent results - everyone is extremely impressed with its performance and capabilities,” Krishna Shrestha said.

No Need to Change Bridge Inspection Processes

Together with the system’s impressive AI capabilities, one of the other major benefits of the Dynamic Infrastructure system is that it doesn’t require users to change their current bridge and asset inspection methods. The system can accept bridge inspection data and reports in any format – from paper-based plans, notes and photographs, through to digital photos and scans.

The system uses existing historical inspection data to create the bridge’s ‘heath record’, and then accepts subsequent inspection data and/or damage reports in any number of formats. This not only helps to significantly streamline and speed the asset inspection data management process, it also eliminates the need to change existing bridge inspection service methods, schedules or service providers.

“The set-up process was extremely easy,” Krishna Shrestha said. “We simply provided the Dynamic Infrastructure team with all of the historic data and reports that we have for each of our bridge assets, and they collated these into a full historic record for each bridge.”

“The AI system then inspected all of the imagery and identified, classified and rated any damage or faults. It then created a record for each bridge asset, showing the type of fault or damage, its exact location on the bridge and the date of the image."

"The system also creates a timeline for each bridge, which enables us to look at an individual fault across all of the inspections to see when it first appeared, whether or not it’s getting progressively worse, or if it’s been repaired,” he said.

“It really is a remarkable system,” Mr Shrestha added. “It has already made a massive difference to our bridge asset management and maintenance operations.”

“Not only has it streamlined and simplified all aspects of our bridge asset operations - from inspection, reporting and data management through to budgeting, planning and maintenance delivery – it is also playing a major role in helping us to develop, manage and deliver our 10-year bridge asset works program,” he concluded.

(L-R): Dane Hansen, General Manager – Digital Asset & Engineering Solutions, if3 Pty Ltd and Krishna Shrestha, Manager Strategic Asset Management with Horsham Rural City Council, at the recent IPWC 2022 Conference in Adelaide.

Award-winning Paper Horsham Rural City Council’s experience with Dynamic Infrastructure was also the subject of an awardwinning paper at the recent IPWC 2022 Conference in Adelaide.

Authored by Krishna Shrestha, Manager Strategic Asset Management with Horsham Rural City Council, the paper entitled ‘Defect identification and maintenance management of bridges and concrete structures using Artificial Intelligence’ sparked a great deal of interest amongst delegates and was extremely well received, winning the NAMie Award for Best Asset Management Paper at the conference.

You can download a copy of the full paper by scanning the QR Code below or visiting: www.dynamicinfrastructure.com.au/ DIdefectIDandMaintMgmt

ABOVE: The Dynamic Infrastructure package’s ‘time-line’ feature enables faults to be viewed and immediately compared with previous inspection data.

“We implemented the Dynamic Infrastructure package during 2021, and it is already delivering some excellent results - everyone is extremely impressed with its performance and capabilities.”

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 13

AI-Enabled Asset Management Reporting Developed by international technology specialist Dynamic Infrastructure, and available across Australia thanks to a partnership between Dynamic Infrastructure and respected Sydney-based specialist engineering and consulting company IF3 Pty Ltd, the Dynamic Infrastructure package is revolutionising asset condition reporting and data management across the globe.

This ground-breaking new software package utilises the latest in AI-enabled (Artificial Intelligence) technology to automatically identify and categorise defects and damage on bridges and other structures.

HOW IT WORKS INITIAL DATA INPUT

Whereas many traditional asset management and monitoring systems require data and reports to be provided in a specific format or worse still, manually entered and/or converted to a specified, often prescriptive format, the Dynamic Infrastructure system utilises all existing data and reports, regardless of the format or age - including paper-based engineering drawings and plans, photos, paper-based inspection and condition reports, together with digitised data and images to build a detailed ‘health record’ for each bridge asset.

The asset owner/manager simply provides this data to Dynamic Infrastructure, and they take care of the rest – scanning, converting and inputting the data into the system ready for analysis. This data can also be used to create a highly accurate 3D ‘Digital Twin’ model of the bridge which will be used to pinpoint the location of defects on the structure.

UTILISING AI TO IDENTIFY AND CATEGORISE DEFECTS AND DAMAGE

Once the initial data has been collated into an asset record and the bridge has been assigned its unique

14 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

CHRONOLOGICAL ‘HEALTH RECORD' FOR EVERY BRIDGE

Each bridge asset’s ‘Health Record’ contains a fully detailed yet easy-to-navigate history of condition reports, images, identified defects, repairs and maintenance requirements.

The Dynamic Infrastructure system collates the defect data by location on the bridge, and in chronological order, creating a ‘timeline’ for the bridge as a whole, as well as for each individual identified defect. This not only enables users to keep track of defects and check for any escalation in severity, it also allows repairs to be prioritised and then logged when complete so they’re no longer flagged as requiring attention.

SUBSEQUENT DATA INPUT

identifier, Dynamic Infrastructure’s cuttingedge AI-enabled algorithms analyse the data and images to identify any defects or damage.

Defects are identified, categorised, logged and then rated for severity against a global database of over 1,500 bridges and counting.

The AI technology used by the system is incredibly thorough and is able to identify and categorise all manner of defects and damage from photos and other historic data, effectively transforming the entire process from a subjective one that relies on an individual to find and identify all defects on a structure and then make a judgement call on severity, to an objective process.

Importantly, once the record has been established, it is extremely easy to manage and append. Rather than relying solely on data from formal, scheduled bridge inspections, the system also allows for data such photos taken by field staff of damage resulting from an incident to be added to the bridge’s ‘health record’ by email. Critically, this email capability does not require the field staff member to have their own individual login for the Dynamic Infrastructure system to submit photos and data relating to bridge damage.

For example, if a field crew or incident response team identifies new damage or fault on a bridge structure, all they need to do is take photos of the damage and note its location on the structure. The photos and location data can then be sent via email to the bridge’s unique identifier email address.

Once received, the images are scrutinised by the system’s AI algorithms, with information relating to the type and severity of the damage, as well the exact location of the damage, added to the bridge’s individual ‘health record’, together with the date and time.

As with all other condition data, and damage assessments, the system provides the opportunity for the licensed users to access and/or modify data relating to the type and severity of damage, and to allocate priority code for both budgeting and operational purposes.

SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS AND COST BENEFITS

Provided to asset owners and managers on a SaaS (Software as a Service) model, the Dynamic Infrastructure package delivers significant savings in terms of both time and cost. As well as simplifying and streamlining the tasks associated with bridge asset management and maintenance planning, the

fact that it is provided as a fully-supported cloudbased SaaS system, means that it also eliminates any additional burden on in-house IT services, including the need for increased in-house data processing capacity or additional specialist IT staff.

Even when considered purely from a data management perspective, the fact that the system provides a highly accurate, extremely detailed ‘health record’ for each bridge asset which can be easily viewed and shared between stakeholders - either in isolation or as part of the entire asset base - not only streamlines communication between stakeholders, it also helps to significantly boost efficiency and productivity.

From an operational perspective, the ‘objective’ nature of the defect detection process, combined with the system’s ability to pinpoint defects on a 3D Digital Twin model of the bridge, both play a major role in improving efficiency - minimising the chance for defects to be missed, while also providing clear guidance as to the exact location of defects within the content of the structure and individual components.

What’s more, by providing the ability to view historic data relating to every defect in a ‘timeline’ format, the system also enables users to view the propagation of defects between inspections, which can often be a key marker as to the seriousness of a defect. This level of data and detail can prove invaluable in helping to prioritise works and optimise asset maintenance budgets.

FEATURES + BENEFITS

• Identify defects before they evolve into large-scale failures • Objective AI-enabled defect detection helps to minimise the risk of defects being missed • Timeline feature allows tracking of defect propagation • Optimise asset maintenance budgeting • Streamline communication and data sharing between stakeholders • Prevent unplanned expenses and manage risk • Maximise warranty through automated tracking of repairs • Intuitive and easy-to-use system • Pinpoint defects on a Digital Twin of the bridge • Does not require changes to current bridge inspection procedures / contracts • No additional in-house IT requirements • Extremely cost-effective asset condition data management and reporting For further information the Dynamic Infrastructure system, please contact the exclusive Australian provider if3 Pty Ltd, T: 1300 552 878 or visit: www.if3.com.au

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 15

The DOLRE bridge traffic barrier development demonstrates how the incorporation of FEA into the design process can optimise a solution that is vastly different from the solutions that traditional Engineering methodologies would produce.

Transition Test #1 for 2270kg Ute

Transition Test #2 for 2270kg Ute

Transition Test #3 for 2270kg Ute

A problem was identified and through the iterative use of FEM combined with Eurocodes for structural analysis a solution was found and optimised that was vastly different to the direction that traditional engineering was leading.

Once the bridge barrier design was optimised, the same process was used to assess transition designs to various European roadside barriers in accordance with EN1317 and TR16303-2011 requirements.

Transition Test #1 for 13,000kg Bus

Transition Test #1 for 900kg Sedan

Australian authorities required product assessment to Australian bridge standards. Future finite element modelling in accordance with MASH standards and NCHRP179 validation requirements satisfied ASBAP’s analysis for both traffic barrier and transition designs.

Ideal for Bridge Refurbis hment Projects.

ASBAP Approv ed for use in Austr alia

DISCOVER MORE

• Fully crash tested to European Standards and simulated to US MASH TL4 requirements • Unique design imparting low stress to bridge deck - protecting water proofing membranes and coatings on the deck • Easy to install • Easy to dismantle in times of flood • Cost-effective bridge rehabilitation solution

www.lbaustralia.com.au Ph 1300 522 878

ACRS FEATURE

ACRS SUSTAINABLE STEEL & PRODUCT CERTIFICATION HELPING ENSURE YOUR CONSTRUCTION STEELS MEET YOUR SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS

Recent years have seen a significant increase in demand for sustainable products and practices. But the ‘journey to a more sustainable world’ is not without its challenges – especially when it comes to selecting the most sustainable product options. This is particularly true for products such as construction steels, where there is an array of globally-produced and supplied product options to choose from.

18 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

ACRS FEATURE

“The SCS Scheme ensures that construction steel entering Australia and New Zealand from anywhere in the world meets the highest global environmental, social and ethical standards, using independent certification of ESG criteria and performance indicators.”

CHOOSING SUSTAINABLE STEEL First, there is the challenge of establishing which product is actually ‘the most sustainable’ choice. This task is often made more challenging thanks to the variety of methods used to measure ‘sustainability’, and the fact that many products are either self-assessed or assessed against ISO 14001:2016 Environmental Management rather than product certification.

Then there is the matter of traceability: once you order the most sustainable product, can you be sure that the construction steels you ordered are what you received?

Not surprisingly, these ‘sustainability challenges’ have resulted in a significant increase in demand for a premium, independent verification scheme in the area of steel sustainability. A verification scheme that provides surety there is no producer bias, misrepresentation or dilution of the expected certification process.

With that in mind, ACRS has partnered with leading international construction steel certification authority, CARES, to introduce its market-leading Sustainable Constructional Steels (SCS) Certification Scheme to the Australasian market. The SCS Scheme ensures that construction steel entering Australia and New Zealand from anywhere in the world meets the

highest global environmental, social and ethical standards, using independent certification of ESG criteria and performance indicators.

SUSTAINABLE CERTIFICATION OPTIONS Independent Third-Party Product Certification systems continue to develop around the world to meet the needs of international and local consumers, specifiers, designers and governments. Independent third-party certification schemes such ACRS Steel Certification provide a rigorous and trusted mechanism for certificate holders to demonstrate that the products they supply consistently meet evolving requirements.

This evolution has been driven in part by demand for sustainable steel and responsible sourcing. Need for certification of such materials has increased inline with both growing public expectations and an increased focus by governments and industry on sustainability. Indeed, with ‘as built’ sustainability ratings now playing such a critical role in the success and ‘saleability’ of most construction projects, sustainability certification is now being demanded in tandem with product certification for most construction products.

However, most available sustainability certification schemes are based wholly, or largely, on ISO 14001:2016 Environmental Management rather than product certification. Unfortunately, ISO 14001 certification focuses primarily on documented systems rather than on making a regular detailed assessment of actual activity and product output – much in the same way as ISO 9001 focuses on Quality Management Systems rather than product output.

As a result, when used on their own, ISO 14001-based schemes are increasingly considered not to provide adequate verification of supplier claims of sustainable supply to consumers, due to the fact that this generic ‘quality’ approach does not verify actual output or provide an adequate mechanism for product traceability. This can open the material supply chain to the possibility of unsubstantiated or incomplete claims of environmental attainment.

Put simply, demonstrating the conformity of any product, including steel, is not simply a matter of reviewing documented management systems.

It’s the same for proving a product’s sustainability credentials. What’s more, basing claims of ‘sustainability’ purely on a management system rather than on regular assessments of actual product output disadvantages both specifiers and

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 19

ACRS FEATURE

consumers as well as better-performing suppliers by providing lesser performing suppliers with an unfair cost advantage and market access.

CONFIDENCE IN SUSTAINABLE STEELS Australian and international steel producers are working hard to reduce their emissions. Currently, around 7% of global CO2 emissions are generated by the industry, but this is expected to drop significantly in coming years thanks to new materials, manufacturing and processing methods. The SCS Scheme will play a major role in helping steel producers and processors measure, monitor, and improve the sustainability performance of their products, further strengthening industry efforts to combat greenhouse gas emissions.

The ACRS SCS Scheme also delivers a range of significant advantages for consumers, industry and governments across Australia and New Zealand.

The Scheme helps building designers, specifiers and customers make informed decisions about the materials they are buying. It enables them to confidently source high-quality constructional steels produced under high standards of environmental, social and ethical management within an internationallyrecognised scheme looking at the actual product, rather than a scheme that focuses on documented processes – thereby combatting any ESG confusion throughout the steel supply chain.

What’s more, the SCS Scheme will provide the public with confidence that the steel installed in their homes, high-rise commercial and residential buildings, and infrastructure projects, meets the highest global standards in terms of both quality and sustainability.

MORE THAN EMISSIONS Importantly, the SCS Scheme is about much more than simply measuring the CO2 emissions associated with a piece of steel. It is a true assessment of product sustainability across all key sustainability benchmarks.

The Scheme’s supplier mapping evaluation and management systems requirements provide insights into labour conditions and human rights risks in sourcing and production. The

20 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

Scheme aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals – ‘The Global Goals’ – and measures and monitors a comprehensive range of criteria through the global supply chain, including ethical business practices; modern slavery, human rights and labour conditions; environmental impacts (including circular economy and climate change); fair supplier treatment; and the socioeconomic impacts of the steel value chain.

Raw material and transport data, combined with independently-verified production and lifecycle emissions data, support the development of the products’ carbon footprint and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) – prerequisites of the scheme. This enables accurate data, for example, the Global Warming Potential per tonne of product, to be easily accessed by designers and specifiers. On-product bar markings and digital product labelling allow 100% traceability on all verified products from manufacture to site.

The SCS Scheme assesses producers annually against benchmark sustainability performance, providing independent expert verification of the environmental and social performance of their product and its production processes.

Utilising a Rosette Rating System, credits are awarded to recognise and incentivise levels of performance exceeding mandatory levels. As well as providing producers with an accurate assessment of their current performance, it enables organisations to better understand and plan a ‘transition pathway’ from current performance levels to an aspirational ‘sustainable’ steel production, which is represented by a ‘4 Rosette Rating’. This ‘4 Rosette Rating’ requires zero-emission steel production, responsible sourcing, a good safety record, and sustainably produced and processed constructional steel with a digital record.

For steel specifiers and procurement teams, the SCS Scheme’s easy-toaccess producer performance data and information allows them to assess and demonstrate the expected certification requirements of leading construction firms and governments more easily and accurately.

ACRS FEATURE

ONE STOP FOR COMPLIANCE, TRACEABILITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY With the introduction of SCS certification, product conformity, traceability, and sustainability certification will all now be available through ACRS. Firms seeking both independent premium product and sustainability certification can now do so through one certification body – ACRS. The SCS Scheme provides independent verification to steel sustainability requirements by an expert body in steel and product certification on a continuing basis to the recognised levels expected by ACRS. The independence and rigour

that ACRS is renowned for in Australia and New Zealand will help achieve the desired quality, environmental and socially responsible outcomes across the construction industry.

The SCS Scheme already certifies 29 producers and suppliers from 11 countries, with several suppliers to the local market already expressing interest.

Products certified under the SCS Scheme are approved inputs for a range of international building and infrastructure rating systems, and are compatible with the recently-released Responsible Steel Standard. ACRS is also currently seeking recognition from the Green Building Council of Australia.

The UK’s Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) recognises the Scheme as a ‘responsible sourcing certification scheme’; with the US LEED building rating system and the Hong Kong CIC scheme also recognising its Environmental Product Declarations (EPD).

For further information please email ACRS at: info@steelcertification.com or visit the website: www.steelcertification.com

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 21

PRODUCT FOCUS

AUSSIE TRUCK WASH SPECIAL A new high-pressure water blaster designed specifically for truck wash applications has been released by Australian Pump Industries. An extension of Aussie Pumps’ highly successful Scud range, the new ‘Truck Wash Special’ is equipped with a “Big Berty” Bertolini slow speed heavy duty triplex pump that delivers 21 lpm flow at 2,600 psi pressure.

“We have a lot of our Scuds for hire at every major rental company in the country, with its 4,000 psi, 15 litre per minute pump,” said Aussie Pump’s Chief Engineer, John Hales.

“The machines, either Honda petrol engine drive or Yanmar diesel, are widely used in earthmoving, transport, professional cleaning and similar applications.”

The Aussie Truck Wash Special uses higher flow and less pressure to get big muddy jobs done faster. That makes service work easier and enhances appearance.

Aussie started building a similar specification for piggeries where, again, high pressure wasn’t the major requirement - rather a combination of high flow and pressure.

Driven through a gearbox from a Honda 13 hp engine, the “Big Berty” pump offers real advantages, with a huge finned crankcase to provide cool running, solid ceramic pistons and a unique valve arrangement comprising 316

22 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

stainless steel valves to prevent corrosion and enhance high fluid dynamic efficiency.

The pump also features Tenifer-treated steel plunger rods that result in a harder, smoother surface for increased seal life. High-pressure seals are also a special compound that is wearresistant and feature a Teflon reinforced antiextrusion ring.

“The pumps and made to last and come with a four-year warranty,” John Hales added.

The standard drive system is a Honda 13 hp GX160 industrial petrol engine available in either recoil or electric start configuration. A diesel option for construction and mining applications is also available with a 10 hp electric start Yanmar engine.

The machine is encapsulated in Aussie’s unique stainless steel welded frame with its registered “Scud” design. The Scud is a big success not just in Australia but around the world. It features a number of OH&S friendly advantages, including its unique curved configuration and virtually no sharps edges.

The Big 13” steel wheels with flat-free tyres make the machine easy to move and manoeuvre.

Another big advantage of Aussie’s Scud Truck Wash Special is that it is able to be fitted with an optional stainless steel high-pressure hose reel, rated to 5,000 psi maximum pressure. Supplied

with up to 30 metres of high-pressure hose, this gives the operator a major advantage in terms of reach.

The unit is also available with an extensive range of other accessories, including long wands for undercarriage cleaning, turbo lances for enhanced effective working pressure, and even a telescopic wand that gives the operator the ability to clean up to 5 metres in height without the use of ladders.

“We have studied the trucking industry and interviewed many owner-operators and big corporate transport operators to find out what they were looking for in a truck wash unit,” John Hales said.

“We believe that the Aussie Scud Truck Wash Special delivers all that they were after and more. It’s a great result,” he said.

“What’s more, we’re now looking to follow it up soon with a new range of high-pressure electric drive steam cleaners and cold wash machines with similar capacity for static installations in transport depots or workshops” John Hales added.

Further information on the Scud Truck Wash Special and the full range of Aussie highpressure cleaning equipment and pumps is available from Australian Pump Industries, W: www.aussiepumps.com.au T: 02 8865 3500.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS! TOCK

S MODEL F O E RANG

IN S

W O N & SET UPO GO T READY

At A1 Roadlines we understand that our customers have a range of preferences when it comes to fleet vehicles. That’s why we fit and service the Scorpion II TMA across a full range of suitable host vehicles from world-leading manufacturers including ISUZU, UD, FUSO and HINO to name a few.

So, when it comes to selecting a fully MASH tested, passed and eligible TMA that has also been ASSESSED, APPROVED & RECOMMENDED FOR ACCEPTANCE throughout Australia by ASBAP (Austroads Safety Barrier Assessment Panel), the only name you need to remember is Scorpion II® TMA from A1 Roadlines. When it comes to the brand of host vehicle… that’s up to you!

THE EQUIPMENT YOU NEED – THE SERVICE YOU EXPECT A1 Roadlines Pty Ltd | 89 Rushdale Street, Knoxfield, Victoria 3180 | www.a1roadlines.com.au P: 1300 217 623 (A1ROAD) | F: (03) 9765 9499 | E: sales@a1roadlines.com.au

INFINITY TESTING 'Infinity Testing’ is without a doubt the harshest method of testing the performance of a Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) during an impact.

NO RELIANCE ON ROLL-AHEAD DURING AN IMPACT Rather than relying on some of the impact energy being absorbed by the forward movement of host vehicle on which the TMA is fitted, with ‘Infinity Testing’ the host vehicle is anchored to the ground to prevent any forward movement during an impact.

TMA ABSORBS & DISSIPATES 100% OF THE IMPACT ENERGY Testing the TMA on a host vehicle which is anchored in place, tests – and for both the Scorpion II® TL-3 and Scorpion® II METRO® TL-2 TMAs – confirms the capacity of the TMA to absorb/dissipate 100% of the impact energy without the benefit of the host vehicle roll-ahead.

‘WORST CASE’ SCENARIO TESTING Compared to standard testing with an unrestrained host vehicle, Infinity Testing is a much tougher testing regimen.

It is considered ‘worst-case scenario’ testing which makes it much more difficult to meet the pass criteria for IS values, as all of the Ridedown Acceleration must be provided by the TMA absorbing the energy from the impact.

NO UPPER LIMIT FOR HOST VEHICLES From a practical standpoint, the fact that both the Scorpion II® TL-3 and Scorpion® II METRO® TL-2 TMAs were successfully tested to MASH Standards using the ‘Infinity Testing’ method, means both units are MASH certified with no upper weight limit for the host vehicle.

www.a1roadlines.com.au

THE ULTIMATE TEST OF ATTENUATOR PERFORMANCE HOW IT’S DONE With ‘Infinity Testing’ the host vehicle is anchored in place during the impacts to assess the TMA's capacity to absorb/ dissipate 100% of the impact energy without the benefit of roll-ahead.

WHAT ABOUT ROLL-AHEAD DISTANCES? Importantly, to emulate ‘real world’ operating conditions, both the Scorpion II® TL-3 and Scorpion® II METRO® TL-2 TMA have also been successfully tested and MASH certified using standard ‘non-anchored’ host vehicles, with both units posting impressively low roll-ahead distances.

Scorpion® II TL-3 TMA Crash Test: MASH Test 2-53 Impact Angle: 10.3 Degrees Roll-Ahead Distance: 5.1m

Impacting Vehicle Weight: 2266kg Impact Speed: 103.8km/h

Scorpion® II METRO® TL-2 TMA Crash Test: MASH Test 2-53 Impacting Vehicle Weight: 2295kg Impact Angle: 9.9 Degrees Impact Speed: 81.6km/h Roll-Ahead Distance: 12.4m

THE EQUIPMENT YOU NEED – THE SERVICE YOU EXPECT A1 Roadlines Pty Ltd | 89 Rushdale Street, Knoxfield, Victoria 3180 P: 1300 217 623 (A1ROAD) | E: sales@a1roadlines.com.au

SPECIAL FEATURE

1026 Construction Australia • Feb/Mar 2022 2022 HighwayEngineering Engineering Australia | June

SPECIAL FEATURE

50 YEARS OF INNOVATION Over the past 50 years, the name A1 Roadlines has become synonymous with innovative road marking and road work zone safety equipment and solutions. Indeed, since 1972, A1 Roadlines Pty Ltd has either been directly responsible for - or at the very least, at the forefront of - the development and introduction of many of the line marking and work zone safety equipment solutions used across Australia today.

From its humble beginnings in suburban Melbourne, A1 Roadlines is by any measure a true ‘Aussie success story’. But it’s much more than just the story of a small family-owned business borne out of one man’s foresight and entrepreneurial

spirit, which has gone on to become one of Australia’s leading suppliers of road marking and work zone safety equipment… as impressive as that is!

The A1 Roadlines story is also about good old-fashioned Aussie ingenuity and innovation. It’s the story of a company that got to where it is by ‘thinking outside the square’ to provide innovative and practical solutions to common issues and challenges. It’s the story of a company that’s built on an underlying commitment to innovation, R&D and product development, and driven by the goal of finding better, safer and more efficient ways of doing things.

FINDING A BETTER WAY While at first glance it might seem a slightly odd start for such an iconic ‘road and highway industry’ business, the A1 Roadlines story was initially borne out of family-owned house painting business in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.

In the early 70s, A1 Roadlines Founder and Managing Director Karl Hohendorf was working with his father Heinz in the family’s professional house painting business. Their work included painting the wooden fences which (for those outside Victoria) are a ‘particularly Victorian feature’ of the greater majority of houses built across the state.

“In the 1970’s, the majority wooden house fences across suburban

Melbourne, were painted with a Mission Brown oil-based paint mix,” Karl Hohendorf explained. “For maximum speed, efficiency and quality, we would apply the paint to the fence panels using an airless sprayer, which gave us a good quality finish on the rough-sawn wooden panels. But it was a job that wasn’t without it’s challenges.”

“At the time, the biggest issue for us was that we would only be able to get one fence panel sprayed before we had to refill the paint pot, so we were spending a lot of the day tending to the spray equipment and paint supply, rather than actually applying the paint.”

“Basically, we knew there had to be a better way to do the job, but we already had the best equipment available in Australia,” Karl added. “So, with that in mind, we set about trying to design and build a spray unit that could hold a good supply of paint – enough to spray multiple fence panels - while at the same still remaining portable and, most importantly, still providing us with the good quality finish we were after.”

After trialling a couple of initial ideas, the answer to this fencepainting challenge came in the

form of a custom designed and built portable airless spray trolley, complete with multiple paint drums, an on-board airless pump unit, and hand-held spray guns.

“Interestingly, as is the case with many relatively straightforward designs, with the benefit of hindsight, the mobile spray unit seems a fairly obvious solution. All that was needed, was for someone to think of it,” Karl said.

Needless to say, the new unit worked extremely well, it delivered great results and provided a massive boost in productivity… but that was just the beginning.

“Not surprisingly, as pleased as we were with the design and performance of that first unit, it’s fair to say that I had absolutely no idea that that relatively simple idea, would see me move from a life of house painting to an entirely different life in an entirely different industry,” Karl added.

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 27

SPECIAL FEATURE

FROM HOUSES TO HIGHWAYS From the development of the first spray unit, the move ‘from houses to highways’ happened quite quickly. As is often the case with new, innovative equipment, thoughts quickly turn to what other applications the equipment might be suited.

Considering that at the time, the process of road marking generally either involved extremely large and expensive equipment, or at the other end of the scale, a lot of labourintensive hand painting, Karl quickly realised that his new mobile sprayer design would provide an ideal solution for road marking applications – particularly for the lane direction, pedestrian and transverse markings at intersections.

“Back in 1972, applying road markings was a much more labourintensive process than it is now, especially at intersections,” Karl said.

“The amount of hand painting required, generally meant that even a good crew could usually only complete the line markings at two or three intersections each day at most.”

“Put simply, at that time, line marking

was extremely inefficient, and most of that was down to the equipment or, more precisely, lack of suitable equipment,” he added. “The large line marking machines were generally too cumbersome to use at intersections, and weren’t able to be used for transverse lines, while the rest of the work - lane delineators, directional arrows, pedestrian lines and the like was usually hand painted. Some crews were using traditional air spray guns with guide discs, but these tended to produce a far from ideal result to say the least.”

“I was confident that the new machine that we’d initially developed for painting fence panels, would in fact provide an ideal solution for painting road markings,” he said.

“What’s more, I knew that our unit would be able to do it easier and in significantly less time than the traditional methods, while still delivering an excellent quality result.”

And with that realisation, Karl Hohendorf shifted his focus from ‘houses to highways’ and A1 Roadlines was born.

DELIVERING A TOTAL ROAD MARKING SOLUTION From an ‘industry demand’ perspective, the move from house painting to road marking couldn’t have been timed any better – particularly in Victoria.

With the introduction of METCON (which saw, amongst other things, the introduction of STOP and GIVE WAY signs and road markings in place of the standard ‘give way to the right’ rule at many uncontrolled intersections) and STATCON (which saw the establishment of a network of Priority Roads with intersections controlled by STOP and GIVE WAY signs and road markings), road marking work in Victoria in the 1970s was booming.

With that in mind, Karl made some additional modifications to the spray unit, built a purpose-designed trailer, manufactured a series of compliant road marking stencils and started tendering for line marking work across

28 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

metropolitan Melbourne and Victoria.

Needless to say, the quality of the line marking work, combined with the speed with which he was able to complete the work, led to a rapid growth in demand for A1 Roadlines’ line marking services across Victoria. Indeed, there was more work on offer than they could handle – even with the new high productivity equipment.

From roads and highways, through to carparks, factories, sports courts and more, demand for A1 Roadlines line marking services surely exceeded even Karl’s expectations.

That said, while some may have been happy to carry on working at maximum capacity, content in the knowledge that they had established what had quickly grown into an extremely successful business, for Karl Hohendorf, he was only just getting started.

SPECIAL FEATURE

TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL “I’ve always seen A1 Roadlines as essentially two separate business – the line marking business where we go out and do the work, and the equipment business, where we design, develop and manufacture equipment and materials for the line marking industry,” Karl said.

“Right from the outset, when we developed that very first machine, I knew that we were onto something good.

Something that quite literally had the chance to change an industry for the better,” he added. “I felt confident that once other road marking contractors saw how easy the equipment was to use, just how much it could boost their productivity and how it could reduce the amount of arduous physical work they had to do, that they’d would want to use it.”

As history now shows, Karl’s instincts were correct, and with a steady growth in demand for the new Australian designed and built line marking machines, A1 Roadlines opened its first dedicated manufacturing facility in Melbourne’s outer south-east.

Importantly, rather than simply staying with the one original design, A1 Roadlines launched the A1 ROADLINER range, featuring a number of models to cater for a variety of line marking applications: from highways to roadways, sports fields to car parks. Together with the original ‘walk behind’ units, A1 Roadlines developed designs with reflective bead dispensers, a range of spray gun options, and even a self-propelled compact unit with a stand-on trolley for the operator.

With its manufacturing facility now well established,

A1 Roadlines also started importing a selection of additional equipment from German manufacturer Hoffman, before establishing a collaborative relationship with US-based specialist manufacturer Graco – a relationship that continues to this day.

“With our own manufacturing facility and design team, we were able to bring in equipment from overseas and then modify it to suit the local conditions and meet the needs of the Australian road marking industry,” Karl said. “This included modifying the machines to convert them to airless spray units for improved performance and spray accuracy.”

Together with the rapidly expanding equipment range, A1 Roadlines also started producing stencils and guides and supplying consumables, including paints.

“During those early days, road marking was definitely a ‘rapidly maturing’ industry sector,” Karl said. “With the road rules and road marking requirements evolving at such as rapid rate during the 1970s and 80s, for many contractors, it really was a case of ‘learning as you go’.”

In fact, in many cases, even the paints and other marking materials being used by a lot of contractors in those early days weren’t ideally suited to the task, and the results could be described as ‘ordinary at best’,” he added.

In an effort to overcome the challenges with road marking paints, A1 Roadlines also worked with the team from Dulux paints on the development of a specialist road marking paint specifically for the Australian market. Appropriately named Dulux Roadmaster® A1, this highly durable, low dusting high build paint is used extensively throughout Australia to this day.

“From the outset, our goal has always been to provide councils, contractors and road authorities with ‘one stop shop’ providing high quality, reliable equipment and products which have been specifically developed for the task of road marking,” Karl said.

“That’s why we’ve always placed an emphasis on providing tools, equipment and materials that focus as much on boosting productivity and making the job easier for the operator, as they do on being able to deliver high quality results.”

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 29

SPECIAL FEATURE

FOCUSING ON ROAD WORK ZONE SAFETY In much the same manner as A1 Roadlines’ 50-year history ties in so closely with the evolution of the line marking industry across Australia, it also parallels many major developments in road work zone safety and traffic management across Australia. Hardly surprisingly, considering that the company was directly responsible for the development and/or introduction of a wide range of traffic management and work zone safety solutions – many of which have gone on to become standard features of road work zones to this day.

“When we started in the 1970s, safety measures at most road work zones generally consisted of no more than a red traffic cone at each end of the job – often without even a flagman to control traffic,” Karl Hohendorf said. “And even though there was significantly less traffic on the roads back then, we soon realised just how dangerous it was for road maintenance and road marking crews to be out on the roads exposed to passing traffic.”

Needless to say, witnessing the working conditions and safety risks ‘first-hand’ during their road marking operations became the primary catalyst for development of A1 Roadlines’ traffic management and work zone safety product range.

One of the first products to be developed was a set of portable traffic control lights for work zones.

Believed to be some of the earliest lights of their type in Australia, the first model of A1’s portable traffic light system featured a red and a green pole-mounted light, fitted to a ‘wheel-barrow’ type enclosure with a 12v battery.

As ‘basic’ as these may seem when compared

30 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

to what’s available today, these cable-connected, battery operated lights represented the latest in safety technology, with their introduction widely considered somewhat of a ‘watershed’ moment in road work zone safety.

Indeed, these new ‘state-of-the-art’ portable traffic lights even led to major changes in both the Australian Standard and state specifications for traffic lights. This happened when questions were raised as to whether or not the lights were compliant with the traffic light Standard of the day, when they started being used at a site in Melbourne. When the ensuing investigations revealed that the Standard of the day only applied to fixed traffic lights, it was decided that the new lights were indeed beneficial, and as such the Standard should be amended incorporate both fixed and portable traffic lights.

Building on the success of the portable traffic lights, A1 Roadlines went on to expand its road work zone safety offering to include an array of products, including directional arrow boards for vehicles, equipment and roadside applications, portable flexible warning and traffic control signs, variable message boards, traffic speed detection signs and, most recently, the worldrenowned Scorpion® II MASH TL-2 and TL-3 Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMAs).

SPECIAL FEATURE

SUCCESS THROUGH INNOVATION While there are clearly many contributing factors in A1 Roadlines’ 50-year success story, there can be no doubt that one of the key factors in the company’s success, is its focus on innovation.

Whether as a result of its ongoing commitment to R&D and continual improvements to its own product range, or working with international suppliers to source the latest in high performance products and materials, A1’s focus has always been firmly set on the delivering high quality, innovative products that maximise safety, productivity and performance.

“When I first started out in the 1970s, a lot of the technology that now features in many of our products hadn’t been invented yet,” Karl said. “And it’s not just about equipment controllers, or wireless communications for traffic signals or VMS signs, even things that we all take for granted such as LED lights weren’t available at the time.”

“Our first traffic lights and flashing arrow boards all used incandescent globes, while our first trailer-mounted Variable Message Sign (VMS) used a mechanical display board with individual ‘flip disk’ panels to provide three rows with eight characters on each row,” he added. “You had to be very efficient with your messaging back then!”

Be that as it may, A1 has always strived to include the latest available technologies across its entire product offering. From the introduction of computer-controlled programmable line marking units and high performance marking materials, including the latest in Thermoplastic pavement markings, through to full colour, remote programmable digital Variable Message Signs, radar-based speed detection signs, and solar powered traffic signals & signs, A1 Roadlines’ focus on innovation has played a major role in keeping it at the forefront of both the road marking and traffic management equipment industries for 50 years.

It was a tradition that started with the company’s founder Karl Hohendorf back in 1972 and is being continued by Karl’s daughter Janine Bartholomew, who joined the company in 1989 and was appointed as A1 Roadlines Pty Ltd’s Director and General Manager in 2020.

Importantly, as well as maintaining its focus on innovation, quality products and customer service, A1 Roadlines is also continuing its long history as a successful Australian family-owned business.

Indeed, A1 Roadlines is now a ‘3rd Generation’ family business.

Janine was the first of Karl’s children to join the business in 1989, followed by her brothers Tim (who was with the company from 1992 to 2018) and Simon who joined the company in 1994. Now, with Karl’s granddaughter Annalise (Janine’s daughter) also working in the business, A1 Roadlines looks set to continue for the next 50 years at least.

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 31

So too, the Engineer can use the vast capacity of Finite Element analysis to validate, optimize and adapt data to create the finest design solutions.

Just as Conductors use all the instruments at their disposal to create the finest music...

www.if3.com.au

FOCUS ON BRIDGES

AN INNOVATIVE BRIDGE INSTALLATION SOLUTION IN SAUDI ARABIA THAT SAVES TIME Mammoet’s MTC 15 on a barge creates 500t capacity containerised sheerleg for the Red Sea Project’s Shurayrah island bridge installation work.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project is the world's most ambitious and exciting tourism and hospitality project - a luxury destination created around one of the world's last hidden natural treasures.

Led by the Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the project is located on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, between the cities of Umluj and Al-Wajh, and sits over 28,000 km2 of pristine lands and waters, including a vast archipelago of more than 90 islands.

Its main island - a dolphin shaped Shurayrah Island - will be the gateway to The Red Sea Project, setting the standard for groundbreaking architecture and sustainable design.

Shurayrah Bridge will become one of the main access points for guests onto the island.

TRSDC has appointed Archirodon, a marine contracting specialist to design and build the iconic bridge to the Shurayrah island. The bridge will stretch a total of 1.2km and will connect the island to the mainland.

A precast yard for bridge sections has been established near the coast to minimise travel distances with concrete sourced from on-site batching plants.

To handle the transportation and installation of 60 pre-cast bridge-beam and edge-beam segments onto piers Archirodon reached out to Mammoet. Initially, the customer was looking at installing the bridge sections by SPMTs (self-propelled modular transporters) on a barge with the help of SPMT’s suspension cylinders to lift and then lower the pre-cast segments on the bridge bearings.

However, having studied the project in more detail, Mammoet’s engineering team proposed an alternative installation method by using Mammoet's mobile floating crane concept – an MTC 15 crane positioned on a barge, thereby creating a 500t capacity containerized floating sheer leg with an outreach of 30m. This installation method would provide significant time savings to the client as it will allow them to build the bridge faster by installing one section a day instead of one in two days, and provide more flexibility and accuracy to the operation.

The MTC 15 comes in standard shipping containers and can be easily shipped to any port, then assembled and erected in a matter

of days. Archirodon’s 210-class barge with a suitable deck load was available at the site, this minimized the costs associated with mobilization of a new barge, and reduced the environmental harm by using readily available local resources.

The MTC 15 was shipped to the Port of Yanbu, where it was swiftly assembled on the barge and then sailed to the project site in Umluj, where its boom was then raised, ready to lift the 400t bridge sections.

THE PROCESS At the pre-cast yard, Mammoet’s SBL1100 hydraulic gantry, a four-point lifting system, lifts a section and safely places it onto the SPMTs for the transport to a new temporary jetty.

At the jetty, the MTC-15 crane on the barge then lifts the segment from the trailers, places the precast segment on the bow while on-hook and then floats off to the installation area. Once at the required installation location, the segment is skillfully placed onto bearings on the crossheads of the piers.

With the segment installation complete, the floating crane returns to collect the next section and repeat the process.

“The combination of creative engineering with flexible innovative equipment enables

The MTC 15 crane is positioned on a barge, thereby creating a 500t capacity containerized floating sheer leg with an outreach of 30m.

34 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

FOCUS ON BRIDGES

Mammoet SPMTs (self-propelled modular transporters) were used to transport the precast segments to the purpose-built temporary jetty.

sand or water on-site for ballast further reduces environmental impacts.

Upon completion in 2030, the Red Sea Project will comprise 50 hotels, with up to 8,000 hotel rooms and around 1,300 residential properties across the 22 islands and six inland sites. The development will establish a world-class resort that attracts domestic and international tourists to experience Saudi Arabia’s untapped riches, unlocking new opportunities in the Kingdom’s tourism sector. It will set new standards in regenerative tourism and with sustainable development at its core, supporting infrastructure that emphasizes renewable energy and water conservation and re-use.

Once at the required location, the precast segments are skillfully placed onto bearings on the crossheads of the piers.

Mammoet to offer this unique tailor-made solution for the customer that saved significant time,” said Abdul Rouf, Manager Sales Mammoet Saudi Arabia.

“Moreover, the decreased handling time made this method of operation safer and eliminated the need to build additional temporary infrastructure.”

“Our collaboration with the client optimized the overall project schedule and ultimately kept the customer’s budget,” Mr Rouf added.

Speaking about the innovative project, Jacques Stoof, Mammoet's Global Director Market Development and Innovation said: “We always work closely with the customers to listen and understand their requirements to be able to offer the most efficient solutions.”

“MTC 15 on a barge or a containerized floating sheer leg is a testament to that as it provides a simple yet effective way to lift heavy loads, both inland and in coastal waters and can be perfectly suitable to any civil project, on any local river or a lake,” he said.

FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability is at the heart of The Red Sea Project, from design and architecture through to construction, operations and destination management. All transport and installation works are performed during the daylight hours in order to protect the sensitive marine habitat.

The MTC 15 has also been constructed by reapplying parts from previous cranes, reducing its environmental footprint. Using

ABOUT MAMMOET Mammoet helps clients with Smarter, Safer and Stronger solutions to any heavy lifting or transport challenge. We aim to develop long term relationships in order to understand their businesses and challenges best, so we can realize the most efficient and cost-effective approaches. We have a unique global network and an unparalleled fleet of equipment.

Through deep and longstanding engineering expertise and the highest quality and safety standards in execution, we bring an intelligent and flexible approach to projects across a wide breadth of industry sectors. Clients trust us to help them achieve feats that were once considered impossible, and we have often broken records in doing so.

For more information, visit: www.mammoet.com

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 35

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

UBER INVESTING IN A GREENER FUTURE WITH $26 MILLION IN EV DRIVER INCENTIVES Uber recently took another step forward in its global commitment to becoming a zeroemissions mobility platform by 2040, by announcing a $26 million investment into Australia’s electric vehicle market. As part of this initiative, the company is cutting service fees by 50% for driver-partners using battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on the platform until mid-2025 (for the first 2,500 drivers, up to a value of AUD $3,500 per year).

This announcement follows the success of a 12-month trial to reduce service fees for BEV drivers across the platform and supports commitments by governments across the country to accelerate electric vehicle adoption.

In April last year Uber announced a service fee reduction of 50% for BEV drivers taking trips on the platform from July 1 2021 to June 30 2022, which has driven huge increases in green trips on the platform, with: • Over 378,000 EV trips completed • EV driver-partners on the platform have increased 4 times nationally • Monthly EV trips have increased nearly 5 times nationally • Approximately 502 tonnes of CO2 has been saved (which is the equivalent of planting 16,000 trees) EV driver-partners saved an average of $5.5K AUD from a combination of service fees and fuel savings over the last 12 months, when compared to the amount that may have been spent on fuel had those driver partners driven

an equivalent distance using a typical non-EV rideshare vehicle such as a Toyota Camry, over the same period.

Uber ANZ General Manager, Dom Taylor said: “Uber is committed to accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles in Australia and the results from our trial over the last year have been phenomenal.”

“The number of driver-partners using EVs on the platform has almost quadrupled, with five times as many EV trips being taken now than before we began the initiative, equating to over 500 tonnes of C02 emissions saved.”

“We know this approach is producing results and we also know that driver-partners want the program extended. We want to do our bit – we’ve listened to them and have extended this initiative for another three years,” he said.

Australia lags behind the rest of the world in the uptake of electric vehicles, with EVs still only representing 0.7% of the million cars sold in Australia annually.

“One electric vehicle on the Uber platform can help the equivalent of 100 riders a month get from A to B, with rideshare drivers realising three to four times greater emissions savings compared to average car owners, Mr Taylor said.

“We want to work with Governments, vehicle manufacturers and key stakeholders in the industry to accelerate the rate of EV adoption across Australia so that together we can create a more sustainable transport future,” he added.

Matthew Kean, NSW Treasurer and Minister for Energy said: “Governments and the private sector need to work together to achieve netzero by 2050 and a key part of this is ensuring that we accelerate the use of more sustainable transport options.”

“It’s great to see big businesses like Uber invest heavily in the industry and this initiative will help to incentivise the uptake of electric vehicles with rideshare drivers in a costeffective way.: “NSW has a nation-leading EV strategy and our commitment to tax reform and government rebates, together with support from private companies, will lay the foundation for an EV revolution across the State,” Minister Kean said.

Behyad Jafari, CEO of the Electric Vehicle Council said: “Australians understand that electric vehicles help clean the air, cut carbon emissions, and reduce our dependence on imported oil, meaning they are keen to see more on our roads.”

“What we know is the best way to support people going electric is to take a ride in or drive one. Once you experience the performance of an electric car, there’s no going back. That’s what makes Uber’s initiative so great – not only will it help drivers on its platform go electric, but it will provide riders with an opportunity to experience new sustainable innovation,” Mr Jafari concluded.

JUMP IN DEMAND FOR SOLAR FOR HOME EV CHARGING Independent solar consumer advisory SolarQuotes has launched a new service to help Australian electric vehicle (EV) owners and buyers find the right home EV charging solution and charger installer. The new EV charger quotation service comes at a time when Australians are becoming increasingly eager to make the switch to electric cars but are still shopping around.

SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock says while enthusiasm for EVs is high, actual sales in Australia are low compared to countries such as the UK and USA. “There are three major reasons for this difference: first is price; you can’t currently purchase an EV under $40k in Australia,” Finn states.

“The second is supply, largely due to issues beyond our shores. Long waiting lists

36 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

for some vehicles discourages buyers, but this will resolve itself in due course.

“The third reason is something known as ‘range anxiety’, and that’s a factor more based on lack of information than reality,” he added.

Range anxiety is the fear of running low on battery power while driving an EV, and being unable to find a charging station nearby to replenish it.

“I provide a lot of supporting information to ensure EV owners and buyers understand the capacities and capabilities of these vehicles, how to maximise range and locate

charging stations on the go,” Finn says.

“The proliferation of public charging stations and evolving vehicle efficiency will go a long way to making range anxiety a non-issue. I’ve also released a very useful and comprehensive ‘101’ guide on home EV charging, so owners can make the most their investments.”

Among other tools and EV resources on the SolarQuotes.com.au website is a home EV charger comparison table, a map of public charging stations across Australia and advice on combining home solar with electric cars.

As for the new SolarQuotes EV charger quoting service, it enables owners and potential owners to enter details such as which EV they drive or plan to buy, and whether or not they already have solar installed. They are then matched with up to three pre-vetted installers, each of whom will recommend an ideal charging solution and provide a quote for supply and installation.

This free SolarQuotes EV service can be used whether or not rooftop solar panels are already installed (or will be installed) at the premises.

NTI AND SEA ELECTRIC STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP STRENGTHENS our operators are equipped to offer 24/7 specialist roadside support.”

“As a truck specialist, we’re here to support operators to need to maintain fleet uptime whilst being conscious of environmental impacts, and seeking longterm economical options for their business,” Mr Hasted said.

The 24/7 SEA Connect phone service is available to SEA Electric owners via 1800 SEA EVS (1800 732 387).

Further information on Truck Assist is available at: www.truckassist.com.au while details on SEA Electric’s Australian assembled truck range can be found at: www.sea-electric.com/en_au/

The strategic partnership between Australia’s leading specialist insurer NTI and Australian EV truck manufacturer SEA Electric has strengthened, with NTI’s Truck Assist Roadside assistance service complemented by the company managing a 24/7 call centre for the OEM, while also offering insurance options for operators in the EV space.

For SEA Electric, gaining the support of an industry leader in NTI further eases the customer transition into the zero-emissions transport world.

“By manufacturing the world’s first true range of electric trucks in Melbourne and supporting them via an extensive nationwide sales and service network, SEA Electric has normalised the process for companies to convert to all-electric fleets,” said Bill Gillespie, SEA Electric President, Asia Pacific Region.

“The next logical step was to strengthen our ties with NTI via this suite of initiatives and provide SEA Electric customers with the confidence that a specialist truck call centre is supporting their investment around the clock.”

“All new SEA Electric trucks also operate with the backing of NTI’s Truck Assist Roadside assistance for the life of the SEA Electric vehicle’s warranty period of three years or 150,000km. Supporting SEA Electric customers by having expert help at hand if ever required, further adds to our operator’s peace of mind,” Mr Gillespie added.

For truck owners across the country, Truck Assist has grown a reputation as a dependable partner that keeps businesses moving, with its insurance policy offering designed to meet the needs of electric truck owners.

“As Australia’s number one heavy vehicle insurance and roadside assistance provider, we are committed to providing SEA Electric truck owners a comprehensive product and service that is handled with expertise and care, every step of the way,” said Alan Hasted, General Manager, Truck Assist.

“We’ve taken a hands-on approach to understanding how EVs work and knowing what customers need – from understanding the technology, to how they are manufactured, and ensuring that

ABOUT NTI NTI is Australia's leading specialist insurer. With over 50 years’ experience in the insurance industry, NTI has always been successful in finding new ways to keep customers moving, across the heavy vehicle, marine and mobile plant & equipment industries.

NTI’s combination of tailored products, experienced people, accredited repair & recovery networks, and industry advocacy has seen it ranked as Australia’s #1 heavy vehicle insurer and recognised industry leader across marine and plant & equipment.

ABOUT SEA ELECTRIC SEA Electric is an Australian company with a global reach specialising in the assembly and 100% electrification of commercial vehicles worldwide.

Dealing directly with vehicle users and working alongside automotive OEM's, SEA Electric supplies and licences patented technology.

SEA Electric was founded in 2012. After four years of product development and testing, SEA Electric launched its commercial operations in early 2017, triggered by the reduction in battery kWh pricing, allowing for commercial feasibility in offering electric drivetrains to the global market.

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 37

ARRB FEATURE

In a recent Financial Review article, Nationwide CEO Michael Stephenson said he is impressed with hydrogen vehicle fuel ranges and suggests there are fewer parts that can go wrong. They are putting this thinking into action with a collaboration with parent company RACV and Hyzon to manufacture the first Australian hydrogen tow trucks assembled trucks in Victoria.

Find out how you can transition your fleet to hydrogen in a commercially sound way

ACCESSING THE AUSTRALIAN HYDROGEN ARTERIAL ROUTE

by Renata Berglas, ARRB Mobility Futures Leader and Chair, H2Q A new tri-state collaboration between New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland announces the beginning of a renewable hydrogen refuelling network for heavy transport on Australia’s busiest freight corridor.

NSW is expecting 10,000 hydrogen heavy vehicles will be on the road by 2030 and Queensland Minister for Hydrogen Mick de Brenni claims Queenslanders will be ‘trucking on sunshine’ in his recent speech.

It is clear government is supporting the zero-emission transition of the transport sector. The freight industry is cautiously optimistic that the price of fuel cell vehicles will come down to a comparable level.

However, there are still many hurdles to overcome including vehicle availability, cost and supply of hydrogen and the trial of vehicles in Australian conditions.

Fuel Cells or Fool Cells ?

The debate of batteries over fuel cell vehicles will continue until it becomes clear which drive train suits what duty cycle. In Europe and America demand for zero-emissions passenger vehicles is driving the investment in zero-emissions technology. Elon Musk has strong opinions and is never afraid to express them. He remains convinced that the best-case hydrogen fuel cell does not win against the current case for batteries. He is not the only person with huge influence and reach that feels this way.

38 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

Hydrogen technology is top of mind for many forward-thinking companies including Hyzon, H2X, Nikola, Toyota, Hyundai, Foton Mobility and others producing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with confidence. Freight operators may have to rethink their long brand loyalties to flagship OEMs that are not moving fast enough to develop new zero-emissions models. Previously unknown brands like Hyzon are making inroads capturing market and build consumer confidence. Tesla leads the new OEM revolution and shows people are willing to try a new brand if it delivers a new driving experience.

Fight, Flight or Fright for the Future of Freight?

Vehicles powered by hydrogen face stiff competition from electric types, but several operators have indicated they expect hydrogen and electric vehicles to eventually operate side by side in their fleets. The time frame for hydrogen fuel cell deployment depends on how optimistic you are that big business will invest in zero-emissions technology. Scalability is key to cost reduction.

Fourth and fifth generation fuel cells developed in Europe, are considerably cheaper and more efficient than their predecessors. But it takes commitment and demand for this new technology for the deployment to scale and costs to reduce.

The Hydrogen Connect Summit will feature an extensive and intensive quickfire case study series session on mobility with contributions from John Edgley, Managing Director HYZON, Heather Bone Head of ESG Toll Global Express, Neil Wang, CEO Foton Mobility, and Mark Gjerek, Director MOV3MENT. They will share their lessons learned in decarbonising fleets, solutions needed for a commercially sound heavy transport and logistics sector, and a reality check on how quickly we can decarbonise road freight.

The 2022 Summit has been designed to give hydrogen beginner, intermediate and advanced up-takers the necessary expertise, latest technology and most recent hardlearned lessons to do what it takes to switch and become part of the hydrogen-fuelled Australian revolution.

WHAT:

HYDROGEN CONNECT SUMMIT 2022 Tackling Challenges, Scaling-up and Securing Offtakers to Accelerate a Price Competitive, Demand Driven Hydrogen Economy WHERE: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre WHEN: 07 September: Pre-Summit Workshop and Tech-Tours: Lessons to Learn to Immerse Delegates in their Specific Area of Interest 08 & 09 September: Summit Keynotes, Panel Discussions and Corporate Practitioner Presentations DAY 1: National and State Initiatives to Accelerate a Demand Driven Hydrogen Economy in Australia to Serve Global and Domestic Markets DAY 2: Visionary Commitments and Industry Generation, Transmission, Storage and Distribution Best Practices, Fuelled with Opportunities for Manufacturers, Investors, Generators, Distributors and Offtakers For further information and registrations, please visit: www.hydrogenconnect.com.au

ARRB FEATURE

OMNIGRIP DIRECT BECOMES FIRST RECIPIENT OF TIPES CERTIFICATION The first proprietary surfacing systems have just been evaluated for use in Queensland under the Australian Road Research Board’s (ARRB) Transport Infrastructure Product Evaluation Scheme (TIPES) as applied to High Friction Surface Treatments (HFST) & Coloured Surface Treatments (CST).

TIPES uses a performance-based assessment methodology, developed in consultation with road jurisdictions, to evaluate the ability of proprietary products to provide satisfactory long-term performance when applied to roads subject to heavy traffic under Australian conditions.

OmniGrip Direct’s materials were assessed by a joint Product Evaluation Panel (PEP) as being suitable for use on such roads in

Queensland (OmniGrip CST as a CST and OmniGrip HF as an HFST) and have been awarded a TIPES Certificate. Both surfacing systems were evaluated to Level 3 (of 3) which considers performance over a period of at least 5 years based on data and other evidence provided relating to previous sites treated.

TIPES Governance Manager, Mark Steidle noted: “We are particularly pleased to have been able to work in partnership with road jurisdictions such as the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads to finalise the product certification protocols and specifications, and then conduct subsequent evaluations. Specifically, these materials play a significant role on modern

road networks, helping to deliver positive road safety and traffic management outcomes.”

Mr Steidle also congratulated OmniGrip Direct, the products’ approved suppliers, for being the first through the process and “…for their passion and thoroughness in successfully demonstrating that the composition and performance of their products meets, and in many cases exceeded, the requirements of TMR.” Darren Scerri, CEO of OmniGrip Direct added” “We recognise this as Australia’s toughest product approval system.”

“Achieving approval recognises the quality and durability of our high-friction surface, OmniGrip HF, and Australian recycled-glass coloured surface, OmniGrip CST,” he said.

“We believe the real winners will be Queensland’s drivers and riders who will be safer on roads, bus lanes, bike lanes and paths, and road asset managers who will benefit from reduced lifecycle costs,” Mr Scerri added.

The evaluations of three other surfacing systems are in their final stages and progress will be charted in ARRB social media and selected press to keep the industry informed of the range of products TIPES approved for usage in the state.

The assessment protocols for HFSTs and CSTs and how to apply for assessment are detailed in local TIPES Supplements, which can be found at: https://www.arrb.com.au/tipes

SUPPORTING A CIRCULAR ECONOMY WITH RECYCLED PLASTICS Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads and Main Roads Western Australia are investing in research to understand the opportunities for incorporating recycled plastics into transport infrastructure. ARRB is delivering this research.

With only around 10% of Australia’s 3.4 million tonnes of produced waste plastics being recycled each year, this research is looking to identify potential uses for recycled plastics that support a circular economy.

There are five key ways to help tackle the waste plastics problem in Australia: 1. Reduce the amount of plastics we use 2. Ensure the plastics are produced in a way that they can be reused or recycled 3. Give preference to multi-use plastics over single-useuse plastics 4. Recover plastics for reuse in new plastics

5. Consider potential alternative uses for waste plastics, such as in road infrastructure 6. If suitable ways to use recycled plastics in transport infrastructure can be found, benefits can include reducing waste sent to landfill, creating a market for more efficient waste collection schemes and better source separation, as well as the generation of new manufacturing industries to produce recycled-plastic infrastructure products.

A framework was identified in the research to assess the potential uses of recycled plastic in road infrastructure against factors such as performance, health and safety, environmental impact, re-recyclability and emissions.

Read about ARRB’s work on the use of recycled plastics in noise walls at: https:// www.arrb.com.au/news/recycled-plasticbuilds-noise-walls-in-victoria

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 39

BRP ROAD PATCH Prefabricated Bitumen Rubber Bound Seals

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

ROAD MAINTENANCE

SEALING UTILITY REPAIRS

BRIDGE MAINTENANCE

TRAFFIC CALMING

CMY

K

FEATURES & BENEFITS: • Simple application with standard emulsion • Reduces overall maintenance costs • No expensive tools or machinery required • Consistent quality – Reduced rework • Waterproof seal with the flexibility of bitumen rubber • Prefabricated format for ease of use and 24/7 availability • Easy to handle 750mm x 1000mm sheet size • Cut to size or shape on-site as required • Sheets can be easily butted together for large areas • Available with various aggregate sizes to match existing surface conditions • Also adheres to a range of other surfaces including steel, timber and concrete • Open to traffic immediately after installation • Storage shelf-life of 10+ years

ROAD MAINTENANCE

The BRP Road Patch can be cut to size. Pieces can be butted together, ensuring zero wastage.

BRIDGE MAINTENANCE

The BRP Road Patch is ideal for small bridge maintenance jobs, and can be used on range of surfaces.

Bridge Joints

Early Intervention

The BRP Road Patch provides a cost-effective solution for constructing and waterproofing bridge joints.

Early intervention with a proven seal will result in safer roads and cost savings.

Deck Sealing

The resilience of the bitumen rubber provides a durable binder for flexible structures, including timber decks, vehicle and pedestrian bridges.

Long-life Repairs

By sealing off the defects using a waterproof seal, the BRP Road Patch delivers a high quality, long-lasting repair.

Sealing 100mm beyond any visible defects eliminates perimeter cracking and hidden stress cracks, thereby reducing the possibility of rework.

Minimal Disruption

Installation is quick and easy. The BRP Road Patch offers a cost-effective solution for deck sealing with minimal disruption to traffic.

SIMPLE INSTALLATION PROCEDURE REQUIRING MINIMAL LABOUR AND TOOLS

1 Sweep all loose particles from area.

Demarcate 100mm beyond any visible defects.

AVAILABLE FROM:

2

3

4

5

Evenly apply emulsion to the demarcated area and to the back of the of the BRP Road Patch.

Wait for the emulsion to break (e.g. turn from brown to black).

Place the BRP Road Patch onto the emulsion treat area.

Apply a small quantity of emulsion to the edges and along any joints. Blind edges and joints with crusher dust or sand.

Driver over the BRP Road Patch with construction vehicle on-site (several passes recommended). Open to traffic immediately.

AUSTRALIA Road Safety Spares

T: (02) 8840 4303 E: spare.parts@roadsfaetyspares.com.au www.roadsafetyspares.com.au

INTERNATIONAL A.J. Broom Road Products CC

T: +27 11 454 3102 E: ajbroom@icon.co.za www.brp.co.za

ASSET MAINTENANCE

MAINTAINING CULVERTS - AUSTRALIA’S VITAL HIDDEN INFRASTRUCTURE

By Steve Piscetek, Divisional Manager, Mainmark Civil and Mining Culverts are the hidden heroes of the infrastructure sector and while they are often not as prominent as bridges, tunnels and road networks, they are an essential asset that protects, roads, rail, buildings and structures. Unfortunately, culvert maintenance and repairs are not always prioritised appropriately.

One of their common functions is managing stormwater runoff, allowing water to flow freely under road and rail corridors. In many cases culverts also provide fauna with safe access. Because of these important functions, the construction and maintenance of culverts need to adhere to standards that protect waterways, the community and other infrastructure like roads, pathways, and rail lines. They must also be designed with a hydraulic capacity capable of handling runoff water with AEPs (annual exceedance probability) up to two per cent, or ARIs (average recurrence intervals) up to 50 or 100 years.

The ‘1 in 100 year’ rule commonly referred to by engineers, defines significant flood incidents that have a one per cent chance of occurring in any given year. Unfortunately, as we learn more about weather events, it has become clear that heavy floods can occur more frequently than we originally estimated which increases the strain on a culvert’s passable hydraulic capacity. Many culverts are now considered undersized which increases the risk of damage to roads, rail, and other critical infrastructure.

THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE CULVERTS Over time, culverts are susceptible to deterioration that can diminish performance and structural integrity, including clogging

42 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

with debris, scouring at outlets, and abrasion and corrosion. The main challenge with maintaining culverts is that they are invariably located underground, often under critical infrastructure. As a result, replacing the culverts can be very expensive and disruptive.

Therefore, asset owners have sought innovative ways of monitoring the condition of and repairing and refurbishing their culvert assets.

MAINTAINING HEALTHY AND EFFECTIVE CULVERTS Mainmark recommends proactive culvert damage mitigation which includes performing regular inspections to ensure all blockages are removed. Monitoring to consistent standards by checking for corrosion, settlement, joint or compression failures, water ingress and fire damage should be carried out. Any potential hazards affecting a culvert’s structural integrity should be dealt with immediately.

The conventional approach to remediating and maintaining culverts is to patch or line the culverts with new materials. Often cementitious materials are applied as a shotcrete or gunite solution to remediate damaged or deteriorated areas.

Unfortunately, this approach can compromise culvert effectiveness over time.

For example, if a 2m diameter damaged culvert is remediated using a 100mm repair layer of cementitious material, its diameter is reduced to 1.8m. This significantly reduces the overall hydraulic capacity of the culvert making it less effective.

Alternatively, ‘re-sleeving’ – which involves inserting a smaller diameter pipe into a culvert and grouting the space between them – is another widely accepted option. However, while these methods are effective, they can also contribute to the capacity dilemma.

NEW INNOVATIONS New solutions, that have been developed by Mainmark and our partners, are more costeffective and time-efficient than conventional methods and do not significantly reduce culvert hydraulic capacity. For example, relining culverts with vinyl ester structural coatings can replace the strength of the culvert without the added thickness of conventional cementitious material. The thin 12-15mm coating minimises the loss of hydraulic capacity.

Teretek® engineered resin has also been used to fill voids around culverts, increase ground bearing capacity and to realign culverts that have moved due to settlement.

When all else fails and a culvert needs to be abandoned, Mainmark’s Terefil® is a lightweight cementitious-based flowable filler that is an ideal solution for decommissioning ageing and redundant culverts and pipes.

Mainmark has remediated hundreds of culverts over the years using these techniques, including relining seven major culverts in the Toowoomba Bypass with Terefil® cementitious void fill. The project subsequently received a Good Design Award in the Engineering Design category.

While culverts may not always be highly visible, they contribute significantly to our everyday lives and our communities rely on their ability to perform correctly. It’s therefore important that they are taken care of, and the right remediation solution is adopted.

About the author: Steve Piscetek is the divisional manager for Mainmark Civil and Mining. Steve has extensive experience working in construction, road and water infrastructure, the mining and resources sectors and offshore construction.

ENGINEERING TRAINING INSTITUTE AUSTRALIA TRAINING | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | WORKSHOPS SMALL GROUPS | LIVE STREAM | FACE-TO-FACE

The premier provider of technical and professional engineering workshops and seminars throughout Australia

VIEW OUR COURSES

Paul Uno

BE MBdgSc MIE(Aust) CPEng NER RPEQ APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus)

CONTACT US: (02) 9899 7447 | CONNECT WITH US:

WWW.ETIA.NET.AU | REGISTRATIONS@ETIA.NET.AU ANNUAL SPONSORS OF ETIA

ITS FEATURE

TRANSPORT SUSTAINABILITY: DECARBONISING AND ELECTRIFYING

by Stacey Ryan, Policy Manager, ITS Australia Transportation is the third-largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the highest growth rate. In 2019 approximately 15% of total net anthropogenic GHG emissions came from transport.

The ITS Australia community recently came together in Melbourne at the association's first conference of the year, Roads, Tolling and Technology 2022. This event has long been the industry insider conference for tolling technology, a mature industry with an increasingly expanding range of interests and issues.

First amongst these priorities for 2022 are data, sustainable and equitable transport, and the changing economics of road access. The two-day program included presentations and panel discussions working to address these complex challenges and make the most of the potential opportunities technology offers to solve them. The event also saw compelling discussions about the role technology can play in delivering and supporting sustainable transport – electric, active and shared.

We saw many big ideas and bold claims during one of the conference's major highlights, a panel discussion facilitated by Silje Troseth, Vice President APAC & General Manager of Q-Free Australia. In this session titled The Road to Decarbonisation in Australia, hosted by Q-Free, an insightful panel of experts considered the pathway to an entirely electric future. Panellist Peter Griffin, Director Innovation and Strategic Engagement at the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), commented, “It is going to happen.

It's inevitable. We're on the road now, but it's going to take some time.”

44 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

Transurban is working on a sustainable driving program and is continuing to plan, design and operate road assets in ways that reduce emissions. Matt Brennan, Head of Sustainability at Transurban, explored some of the steps that the organisation is taking to reduce emissions today, including reducing the gradients in and out of tunnels or on roads, focussing on the smoothness of pavements, and doing everything possible to avoid congestion.

Dr Ingrid Burford, Senior Associate Transport and Cities at the Grattan Institute, highlighted that light vehicles represent about 60% of carbon emissions in the transport sector. That is where her mitigation policy strategies are focused. She highlighted a carbon ceiling, sometimes called an emission standard, as perhaps the best tool for delivering on the Net Zero 2050 target, commenting, “It's a policy measure that is very familiar to manufacturers; it's used across about 90% of the International light vehicle markets in the world.”

CASE STUDIES

Emissions modelling NEVFMA stands for the 'Network Emissions and Vehicle Flow Management Adjustment' and the project is led by Aimsun, working with EarthSense, Siemens Mobility and Oxfordshire County Council for Highways England.

The model predicts not only traffic but also emissions, with a real-time, traffic-linked pollution dispersion model. The simulation of predicted NO2

pollution levels from EarthSense's MappAir dispersion model integrated with Aimsun Live allows real time proactive and reactive traffic management to tackle emissions and congestion.

Camera-based emissions tracking It's well evidenced that traffic pollution causes health issues and damages the environment this can have particularly outsized effect in urban environments – both due to high traffic and more congestion intersections and networks increasing emissions and particulates. Specific areas where targeted action is taken to improve air quality are called Clean Air Zones.

ITS FEATURE

Kapsch TrafficCom are utilising camera-based technologies to both mitigate these impacts and provide network managers tools to manage emissions through a range of interventions.

These include: • Advanced sensors, permanent and mobile video cameras • Optimal automatic number plate recognition capabilities • Ability to classify the vehicles to determine their emissions levels • Charging and enforcing capabilities

Emissions targets Informed by and delivering on relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Transurban have committed to a decarbonisation program across their managed motorways in Australia and internationally. They are targeting a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 through two initiatives - Scope 1 and Scope 2; Scope 1 being contractor fuel efficiency and switching to ZEV, and Scope 2 comprising renewable energy initiatives and optimising ventilation as well as lighting upgrades and the generation of renewable energy.

Their Scope 3 reduction targets include reducing emissions intensity for major projects by 2030 through low carbon materials and renewable energy.

ITS Australia is committed to exploring ways technology can reduce the impacts of GHG

emissions and address other environmental challenges we are facing – recognising that transport is a key contributor yet can play a powerful role in makes changes for the better -- working with our members to advocate for a transport future that is safe and sustainable.

PEDESTRIAN &VEHICLE DETECTION

AGD SYSTEMS PTY LTD. Unit 17/15 Valediction Road.

Kings Park NSW 2148 Australia

T : +61-2-9653-9934 E : sales@agd-systems.com.au W : www.agd-systems.com.au

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 45

ITS FEATURE

HERE COLLABORATES WITH AWS ON SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE END-TO-END VISIBILITY AND FLEET EFFICIENCY HERE Technologies, the world’s leading location data and technology platform, recently announced it has entered a five-year strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help organisations improve their supply chain visibility, transportation and logistics (T&L), fleet routing, and estimated times of arrival (ETAs) from the first-to-last mile of delivery.

Australian businesses witnessed, and continue to face, historic supply chain disruptions. A recent map visualization developed by HERE Technologies displaying the time spent in port by container ships and the level of truck traffic congestion affecting ports in 2021, shows the West Gate Tunnel and Freeway in Melbourne bearing the brunt of the supply chain bottleneck. Roads around Melbourne’s port were 5.5% more congested in December 2021 than average. Container ships were also spending close to two days at the port – more than twice the global median (0.69 days) in 2019.

These disruptions are driving demand for location intelligence to improve asset tracking, logistics, and ETAs. According to Gartner®, by 2023, 50% of global leading enterprises will have invested in real-time transportation visibility solutions.[1] “Multi-modal supply chains and the complexities that come along with them are now standard practice, as goods are often shipped, flown, warehoused, and then couriered to their destination through a series of third-party subcontractors. Supply chain visibility is, therefore, more important than ever, with location technology having a critical role to play,” Jason Jameson, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific, HERE Technologies said.

46 Highway Engineering Australia | June 2022

The new partnership with AWS will see HERE Technologies list its Supply Chain Solutions that are utilized by T&L companies globally in AWS Marketplace, a curated digital catalog that customers can use to find, buy, deploy, and manage third-party software, data, and services.

“We are proud to work with AWS on deploying these cost and timesaving solutions for companies to minimise idle times, predict ETAs more accurately across every stage, and begin the crucial step of measuring fleet CO2 emissions as the transition to EV vehicles accelerates and economies decarbonise,” Mr Jameson said.

Bill Vass, Vice President, AWS Engineering, added: “T&L companies around the world rely on real-time visibility for customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. When shipments do not arrive on time or don’t arrive at all, someone’s bottom line is impacted.”

“The AWS Services for data management and aggregation power HERE Supply Chain Solutions using AWS Services required for the most relevant customer data to be conflated with the latest location intelligence to solve the visibility and predictability problem throughout a supply chain,” Mr Vass said.

HERE Supply Chain Solutions connects and integrates data from multiple stakeholders in the transportation ecosystem to optimise workflows across the entire supply chain – from the factory, to inside the warehouse and outside on the yard, all the way to the last mile delivery.

Additionally, HERE will work with AWS to bring to market advanced capabilities for T&L participants to leverage, such as warehouse and yard management, predictive ETA calculations and, CO2 fleet emission solutions.

The Road to Relevant Research

Did you know you can access the latest issue of Highway Engineering Australia via Informit?

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.

HERE Supply Chain Solutions include: • HERE Asset Tracking delivers real-time visibility of asset location and status. HERE leverages a Platform-as-a-Service model to enable businesses to track their assets seamlessly indoor and out.

Businesses can reduce time and money spent on missing equipment and focus on optimizing asset utilization and efficiency.

• HERE Tour Planning creates cost- or time-optimized tours for all vehicles in a fleet, incorporating vehicle type and capacity, to maximize utilization. The calculations reflect current traffic and use special truck-routing attributes, such as road, height, and turn restrictions, when heavy vehicles are used.

• HERE Last Mile is an end-to-end software-as-a-service (SaaS) application for managing last mile and urban deliveries. It comes with a web-planning dashboard, mobile driver app, and real-time tracking for more accurate ETAs. Customers can easily integrate with their existing order management and Customer Relationship Management systems or use it standalone.

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

Request a quote or free trial via www.informit.org/trial-and-quote

ABOUT HERE TECHNOLOGIES HERE, the location data and technology platform, moves people, businesses and cities forward by harnessing the power of location. By leveraging our open platform, we empower our customers to achieve better outcomes - from helping a city manage its infrastructure or a business optimize its assets to guiding drivers to their destination safely. To learn more about HERE, please visit www.here.com and https://360.here.com/

Research for your global future

GARTNER and MAGIC QUADRANT are registered trademarks and service marks of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved [1] Magic Quadrant™ for Real-Time Transportation Visibility Platforms, Bart De Muynck, Carly West, Oct 19, 2021.

June 2022 | Highway Engineering Australia 47

ITS FEATURE

UK MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRANSPORT TO DELIVER KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT TRANSPORT TICKETING GLOBAL Wendy Morton MP, UK Minister of State for Transport will present the keynote opening address live at Transport Ticketing Global on 28 June 2022.

This address follows last year’s release of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, detailing the UK government’s plans to reform the UK rail industry including an overhaul of ticketing and fare setting. It is set to be the catalyst for the biggest shake-up of the industry in decades.

Transport Ticketing Global 2022, the world’s largest public transport forum event for smart ticketing and mobility professionals, will bring together delegates from around the world at Olympia, London, on 28 and 29 June 2022 to explore the latest developments in this rapidly evolving industry.

Over 100 industry-leading speakers will deliver engaging sessions in the agenda-setting two-day conference on topics including the deployment of Account-Based Ticketing (ABT) & contactless; mobile-based and biometric ticketing; the use of central bank digital currency on public transport; transport data analysis; enabling MaaS; fare modelling and policies; revenue collection procurement and post-COVID UX, new customer behaviour and customer Information.

The conference will also feature an in-depth panel discussion to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the reform outlined in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, featuring insight from experts across the UK rail and ticketing sectors including senior representatives from FirstGroup, Great British Railways Transition Team, Rail Delivery Group and more.

A series of case studies will explore new international developments and deployments.

They include insights into the Nordic MaaS project, NOMAD; frameworks of tariff model development for ABT at HSL Helsinki; the lessons learned by SL in Stockholm while building their ticketing system in-house over the last four years; the implementation of mobile ticketing across 15 transit agencies across multiple counties in the USA and the evolution of digital ticketing by ATAC SpA in Rome.

Among the expert speakers set to share their insights over the two-day conference program are Juan Corro, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer, EMT Madrid; Mark Langmead, Director Revenue and Compass Operations, Translink Vancouver; Brittany Esdaile, Director – Regional Fare Systems, Sound Transit; Danielle Agius, Head of Digital Experience Strategy, LNER; Andrew Anderson, Head of Customer Payments, Transport

SUBSCRIBE YES! I wish to receive a print subscription to

for London; Katherine Conrad, Director, NEORide; Hallie Liao, Head of International Development, Shenzhen Bus Group and Nick Mackie, Vice President Global Head of Urban Mobility, Visa.

An extensive exhibition, running alongside the conference, will offer the opportunity for delegates to interact with the latest technologies first-hand and meet with a complete range of solution providers under one roof.

In the evening on 28 June, the tenth annual Transport Ticketing Awards, the most prestigious recognition in the sector will celebrate the smart ticketing and mobility industry's greatest achievements.

Sponsors include: Vix Technology, Visa, Cybersource, Conduent Transportation, Cubic, Scheidt & Bachmann, Stripe, Thales, eos.uptrade, HaCon, Indra, INIT, Moovit, Passenger Technology Group, Ridango, Snapper, Snowball Tech, Worldline, Fujitsu, Infineon, Masabi, Nexi, Telexis, Wizway, NTT Data, Flowbird Urban Intelligence and Discover Global Network.

Transport Ticketing Global 2022 takes place at Olympia London on 28 & 29 June.

Complimentary passes are available for transport operators and government authorities.

To register or for information, please visit: www.transport-ticketing.com

PP

T

VI

SU

OR

CE

TY I L

EQ UI P T EN M

QU A

Whatever your line marking or traffic management requirements, A1 Roadlines has the equipment and expertise to meet your needs.

R E S

THE EQUIPMENT YOU NEED – THE SERVICE YOU EXPECT A1 Roadlines Pty Ltd | 89 Rushdale Street, Knoxfield, Victoria 3180 | www.a1roadlines.com.au P: 1300 217 623 (A1ROAD) | F: (03) 9765 9499 | E: sales@a1roadlines.com.au

THE ACRS DIFFERENCE

üIndependent

ACRS is a steel certification scheme for steel users, and independent of product suppliers. So you know ACRS is working for you;

üExpert

All ACRS auditors and technical staff are qualified and experienced in the manufacture of the materials ACRS certifies. So with ACRS you know certified materials have been audited and approved by people who understand them;

üComprehensive

ACRS certifies all steel products, from all manufacturing locations to all scheme standards. So with ACRS you know all listed products are covered, not just some;

üRigorous

ACRS audits every major site at least once every year. So with ACRS you know certificates are up to date;

üVerified

During every audit, ACRS takes samples at random from standard production and checks production data every three-months. So with ACRS you know supplied materials are assessed regularly;

üContinuous

ACRS uses only selected laboratories to ensure accurate results independent of the supplier, and matches these with the supplier’s production data to monitor the supplier’s consistency.

www.steelcertification.com

Ph: (02) 9965 7216 | E: info@steelcertification.com ABN: 40 096 692 545 ACRS - Independent, Expert Third Party Certification & Verification of Reinforcing, Prestressing and Structural Steels for Compliance with Australian and New Zealand Standards