INSIDE CONSTRUCTION: October/November 2017

www.insideconstruction.com.au

Past: construction at Weir & Lock 7, Rufus River, 1932 (note flying fox on left, stiff leg derricks on both sides of the river, steam engine in right foreground).

Past: Goolwa barrage batter pile frame (note steam locomotive on narrow gauge railway; stiff leg derrick lifting a kibble of concrete from the wagon to pour into the formwork). See the Murray River infrastructure story on pages 22-23

Destination Brisbane Consortium. All rights reserved. Artist’s impression. Subject to planning approvals.

CONSTRUCTION OVER THE YEARS Future: a view of what Brisbane’s transformational Queens Wharf precinct, covering 10% of the CBD, could look like. Image courtesy Destination Brisbane Consortium.

See a future issue of Inside Construction for the story.

Present: Eastern Creek bridge - part of the Schofields Road Stage 3 project covered on pages 14-15.

IN THIS ISSUE

Engineering construction on a path of growth ENGINEERING construction in Australia is continuing to grow despite a deceleration, according to the Australian Industry (Ai) Group and Housing Industry Association’s September Performance of Construction Index (PCI).

The Australian PCI tracked its eighth month of expansion across the Australian construction industry. The index pulls together and weigh various metrics across the construction industry, with measurements above 50

ISSUE 1 – OCT/NOV 2017

THE CIVIL CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

indicating expansion.

Engineering construction managed to maintain at 56.9 points, declining from 58 in August. The overall index fell 0.6 points to 54.7, remaining above the 12-month average of 52.2.

Engineering construction and house building remain the big drivers of the industry, with apartment building a significant drag. Both engineering and housing sectors are solidly in growth phases and well above 12-month averages.

Employment and wages also had a strong month, with growth in wages at their highest level in almost nine-and-a-half years. The PCI attributes this to increased investment in transport infrastructure and other public works driving demand for skilled labour.

However, a deceleration in new orders (down 4.2 points to 53.3) may suggest a slowdown in activity in the coming months.

INSIDE WESTERN SYDNEY It’s booming in Sydney’s West RETRO INFRASTRUCTURE A lazy big river as a piece of infrastructure MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS Telematics has a firm place in construction MACHINE CONTROL How smart can machines get?

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Editor’s note +

Everything old is new again WELCOME to the first edition of Inside Construction – a new title with a 30+ year heritage.

Our cover images say it all - we have an interest in projects past, present and future.

The present is easy enough to understand - it’s happening now. The interest in the past isn’t an end in itself, but to provide contrast (both good and bad) with the present. The tools that our predecessors used were crude compared to today’s benchmarks, but this was at times compensated by great ingenuity or courageous decision making.

I recall an accurate observation made to me a couple of decades ago (yes, I’m not a teenager), that failure to make a decision is a decision in itself. Unfortunately, we have too many modern examples of this.

The interest in the future is understandable: it holds our dreams and aspirations and hasn’t yet been tarnished by harsh reality. It’s our opportunity to plan effectively, correct past mistakes

and oversights, and change lives for the better in the process.

We have aspirations ourselves. We would like to involve a broad crosssection of the industry: contractors and specialist subcontractors; suppliers of equipment, services, materials, industry-specific software, training; project owners and project consultants, etc. These are all tools of our industry not ends in themselves but helping to provide better outcomes in planning, building and maintaining infrastructure in its many forms.

It’s important for each of us to understand what is important to others in the industry: in silos, we can become self-absorbed and forget that what we regard as important is only important to someone else if it can benefit them - be it increased safety, productivity, reliability, cost-effectiveness or something else that we can point to as benefiting others in the supply chain, not just ourselves. As someone once said to me: “You’ve got to leave

something there for the next person.”

With that aim, we would like to avoid jargon wherever possible. We have an intelligent but broad audience, and we don’t always know the terms of another specialist so we urge people to make information that they supply accessible to a broad audience.

As a magazine starting out in a revised direction, we are bound to make mistakes. Please be patient, but please also share your opinions. Tell us what you like, don’t like, or would like to see.

Tell us what you’re working on, what has gone well, what you’re having problems with and would like a better answer to.

We want to be on the ground, visiting projects of different types and in different geographic areas, but also looking at how you are using new equipment, products, back office systems, etc. and integrating them into how you work.

Senior Editor: Jacqueline Ong Editor: Greg Keane (greg.keane@mayfam.net) Journalist: Jan Arreza (jan.arreza@mayfam.net) Creative Director, Patterntwo Creative Studio: Toni Middendorf Advertising Sales: Heidi Paracchini (heidi@mayfam.net) Subscriptions: Email: subscriptions@mayfam.net Web: www.insideconstruction.com.au Office: Level 13, 333 George Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2000 Email: contact@mayfam.net Website: www.insideconstruction.com.au COPYRIGHT WARNING: All editorial copy and some advertisements in this publication are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any form without the written authorisation of the managing editor. Offenders will be prosecuted.

Greg Keane greg.keane@mayfam.net

REWIND

THIS TIME, 10 YEARS AGO...

WA opened first bridges in freeway extension: two bridges forming part of the $171.5 million Mitchell Freeway extension through Perth’s northern suburbs were opened to traffic and pedestrians in October 2007. The Moore Drive traffic bridge and Portmarnock footbridge were the first to be completed as part of the much needed freeway extension

Qld link on the fast track: the Queensland government declared the Northern Link Tunnel proposal - now known as the M5 Legacy Way - a significant project in November 2007, fast-tracking its development. The 4.6km M5 Legacy Way was opened on June 25, 2015.

BP opens bitumen plant: the multimillion dollar bitumen import facility capable of supplying more than 18,000t of bitumen each year for the development and maintenance of roads in Tasmania was officially opened in Hobart in October 2007. In 2015, Puma Energy acquired BP Australia’s bitumen business, including its Hobart facility.

London Crossrail given the nod: believed to be London’s biggest infrastructure project since the Channel Tunnel, the London Crossrail was given the green light in October 2007 by then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The final piece of the track - the Elizabeth line -was installed in September 2017 and will open through central London next year.

27-day project wins alliance award: a complex road and rail restructure - the Middleborough Road Rail Separation Project - which was completed in just 27 days, won the alliance team behind the task the inaugural Alliancing Association of Australasia Excellence Award.

The project involved excavating 73,000 cubic metres of fill material to lower a railway line by up to six metres and constructing a four-lane road bridge.

The completed Elizabeth line track is the final piece of the London Crossrail project. (Credit: Crossrail Ltd)

Indonesia proposes to build world’s longest suspension bridge: after years of planning and discussion - the idea was first put forward in 1960 - the Indonesian government gave the go-ahead for a project that would build the world’s longest suspension bridge across the Sunda Strait.

The six-lane bridge would run for 30km, with a suspension bridge extending for nearly 3km. Seven years later in November 2014, the incoming Joko Widodo government shelved those plans.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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News

A TBM cutterhead used on the Sydney Metro Northwest project.

John Holland orders big CONSTRUCTION giant John Holland Group has had a busy September on the Sydney Metro project, with big orders on equipment.

The developer, which specialises in rail and tunneling, teamed with CPB Contractors and Ghella in June to land

the $2.81 billion contract for twin tunnels under the CBD and Sydney Harbour. In September, orders were put in for five bespoke tunnel boring machines (TBMs) from German manufacturer Herrenknecht, which came out on top after an international tender process.

Tunnelling charges ahead at NorthConnex northern interchange TUNNELLING on NorthConnex is charging ahead, with a new addition to the road header fleet now chewing through rock beneath the city to build the project’s twin 9km tunnels.

Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher said the additional road header would deliver a free-flowing freeway link between the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga and the Hills M2 Motorway at West Pennant Hills in NSW as soon as possible, saving motorists up to 15 minutes travel time and bypassing 21 sets of traffic lights.

“Tunnelling for the $3 billion project is happening 24 hours a day, with all 20 road headers now in the ground excavating across the project’s four tunnelling sites,” Fletcher said.

Federal Member for Berowra Julian Leeser said the 20th road header would join the five already in operation at the northern interchange compound in Wahroonga, meaning tunnelling can now be carried out simultaneously in every direction.

“This road header has been named Claire in honour of the northern interchange compound tunnel director’s wife, which is a tunnelling tradition. The naming of the 20th road header brings us one step closer to the delivery of NorthConnex which will take 5000 trucks off Pennant Hills Road every day,” Leeser said.

Meanwhile, surface work is progressing well as the project team 4

prepares to move M1 Pacific Motorway traffic onto a newly created section of road to gain access to what will be the tunnel entry and exit points.

“Claire will be busy underground, excavating up to 5m a day and has been given the challenging task of tunnelling beneath the North Shore Rail Line. In the meantime, an underground bridge is also being built where the Pennant Hills Road off ramp crosses above the mainline tunnel,” NSW Member for Horsby Matt Kean said.

Construction on NorthConnex started in February 2015 and is due for completion in late 2019, weather permitting.

The Australian and NSW governments have each committed $412.33 million towards the $3 billion project

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

Roadheader used on the NorthConnex project.

These boring machines are anything but. Specially designed for Sydney conditions and based on experience from the Metro Northwest phase of the project, the TBMs include four hard rock gripper-types with double shields to drill through sandstone and shale. They will operate in two pairs: one excavating a 6.2km route between Chatswood and Sydney Harbour, the other tunneling 8.1km from Marrickville to Barangaroo.

The fifth wheel, featuring a mixed

shield with slurry technology, will operate solo underneath the Harbour itself.

In total, the TBMs are expected to grind their way through 15.5km of earth, about 93% of which will be sandstone. This is the first time that five TBMs have been assembled for a single infrastructure project in Australia and the first of the tunnel boring machines will commence operations in 2018. The first Metro services are scheduled to begin in 2024.

New UAV saves 75% of time gathering data IDENTIFIED Technologies has upgraded its Boomerang UAV solution to significantly reduce time spent on data gathering.

The company’s CEO Dick Zhang told Inside Construction its software program SiteIQ, combined with its Boomerang drone, is an important and reliable tool for the construction industry, as it helps reduce costs by gathering accurate survey data faster and catching mistakes sooner.

“Last month (August), Identified Technologies integrated Post-Processing Kinematic (PPK) with the SiteIQ tracking software, to help clients in the construction, energy, and mining industries,” said Zhang.

“PPK works similarly to RTK (Real Time Kinematic), but eliminates the need for radio lock, and provides a fast gathering of accurate data at the push of a button.

“The new feature also reduces the need for laying of Ground Control Points (GCPs), which saves companies thousands of man hours while increasing the ease, accuracy, and profitability of using a commercial drone solution. Dustin Drost, the survey party chief at Keystone Consultants, a Pittsburgh-based engineering and consulting firm, says removing the need to lay ground control points saves them about 75% of the time spent on data gathering with a drone.”

For applications like measuring stockpiles, PPK even eliminates the need for GCPs. “We are thrilled to be offering this groundbreaking technology to our clients,” Zhang said.

“In addition to the 70-90% cost savings that drone mapping can provide, we are now able to help companies get that data faster, through an easier and more intuitive process.”

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

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News

CIMIC setting an example for sustainability

Underwater drilling in Australia’s busiest waterway brought unique challenges.

Geotech drilling almost completed HAGSTROM Drilling is on the cusp of completing three months’ worth of geotechnical drilling investigations as part of Sydney’s major Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link project.

Underwater drilling in Australia’s busiest waterway brought unique challenges that required the team to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week in order to meet the project deadlines and accommodate stringent operating restrictions.

In busy shipping and recreational channels, working at night was often the only option.

Investigations were undertaken in Western Harbour and White Bay, the results of which will help refine the design and planning of the Western Harbour Tunnel.

Drill investigations were also conducted in Middle Harbour for the proposed Beaches Link tunnel, which would connect the Warringah Freeway with the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation at Balgowlah under Middle Harbour.

Hagstrom Drilling, a Perth-based company with offices in Sydney and Melbourne, worked in water depths between 15m and 35m deep and used three drill rigs and jack up barges to drill up to 100m below the sea bed for this project.

6

“DGPS technology is critical to provide accuracy in these applications,” André Fuller, Hagstrom Drilling operations manager said.

“Input from these drill investigations determines the tunnel boring requirements, so it is essential that we get A1 performance from the positioning technology.”

Fuller explained that DGPS units are fitted to the drill masts to give accurate position, relocation and elevation information to the operating crews.

“We are consistently achieving +/100mm HRMS and VRMS accuracy and within one metre Easting and Northing, which is well within tolerance levels for this project,” he added.

Another requirement for the project was to utilise the NSW Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) RTK network, CORSnet, now a requirement on all major infrastructure projects in the state.

Position Partners’ local Sydney team was able to assist with the network connection via its AllDayRTK network, which includes full access to the CORSnet infrastructure along with other government-run and privately-owned reference stations throughout Australia.

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

CIMIC Group’s commitment to sustainability has again been recognised by their inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) Australia Index, becoming the only construction and engineering company to receive the acknowledgement.

Inclusion in the Index, which has a focus on economic, environmental and social factors, is granted to companies that lead their industries in corporate sustainability.

Globally, the Group was one of only 10 engineering and construction companies recognised as an industry leader in sustainability.

CIMIC Group chief executive officer Adolfo Valderas says the company’s focus on sustainability helps support the Group’s long-term interests.

“It helps develop client loyalty and facilitates the winning of new or repeat work; it improves efficiency and reduces waste, thereby lowering our costs; and it helps us to attract, retain and motivate employees,” Valderas adds.

The Group applies a holistic approach to sustainability, integrating the concept into their core business strategy. This is done in order to better identify new

growth opportunities, while reducing their exposure to legal, resource and socio-political risk.

The Group’s sustainability commitments are to: ++ provide safe communities and safe, supporting and positive workplaces for their people; ++ act with integrity - honesty and respectfully - in all relationships with the Group’s stakeholders; ++ develop a united and collaborative culture where engaged employees are aligned to achieve superior performance and integrate governance, economic, environmental and social considerations into their roles; ++ seek competitive advantage by innovating to deliver construction, mining and services projects that satisfy the governance, economic, environmental and social needs of clients; and ++ use resources efficiently, minimise waste and promote the delivery of energy efficient, environmentally and socially responsible projects.

CIMIC Group has been recognised by DJSI with inclusion in the Australian Index for the past five years.

Pacific Highway upgrade contracts in Aug/Sep NSW Roads and Maritime Services has awarded several contracts for upgrade works on the Pacific Highway in August and September.

August proved to be a big month, with two contracts awarded. The first was to construct 16 bridges for the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade.

BMD Constructions secured the contract to build bridges between Glenugie and Tyndale plus at Shark Creek.

The package of work involves building 16 bridges at 10 locations including the construction of the bridge over Shark Creek which is more than 870m long.

The BMD team will work closely with Roads and Maritime Services, its delivery partner Pacific Complete, and a number of other contractors who will be carrying out the main civil work, piling work, access roads and supply of precast concrete.

BMD Constructions is also delivering diversion roads as an early work package for the Woolgoolga to Ballina upgrade. This project involves building temporary and permanent diversion roads at six locations, as well as local road treatments, property demolition and utility relocation.

Later that month, a major contract to

deliver the 35km section of the upgrade between Glenugie and Tyndale was awarded to the Seymour Whyte Limited - Ostwald Brothers 50/50 joint venture.

The $163.3 million Section 3 - Main Civil Works contract comprises bulk earthworks and civil works that follow Seymour Whyte Constructions’ current Wave 5A early works contract for the 35km greenfields alignment between Glenugie and Tyndale in northern New South Wales.

The $54.5 million Section 3 - Bridge Structures contract is also in the same area, and as part of that contract, Seymour Whyte Constructions will deliver 20 bridges, the largest of which is a 19-span twin bridge over the Coldstream River.

Finally, in September, the constructonly contract to deliver a 34km section between Devils Pulpit and Richmond river was awarded to CPB Contractors, and will generate approximately $365 million in revenue for the company.

This 155km section completes the highway upgrade and work includes upgrading the Pacific Highway to two lanes in each direction, building seven new bridges, and associated road works consisting of ground treatments, earthworks and road surfacing.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

News +

Investment in next gen crushing tech boosts safety and efficiency LOCATED in the Adelaide suburb of Seacliff Park, Boral’s Linwood quarry is positioned within one of South Australia’s most important sources of hard rock.

Quarrying started here more than 130 years ago and today, Linwood’s operations are focused on providing high quality aggregate, critical in the production of composite materials such as concrete and asphalt.

Linwood is currently the largest capacity quarry servicing the Adelaide metropolitan area. In recent years, the region has seen a flurry of large construction projects such as Adelaide’s Desalination Plant, the city’s Northern and Southern Expressways and the Royal Adelaide Hospital. As a consequence of these important projects, the demand for aggregate products has progressively increased, challenging the quarry’s production capabilities. In 2013, site management identified the need to upgrade their crushing and screening plant with the latest technology in order to meet this growing demand.

The requirement for new equipment first

became evident in the quarry’s primary crushing section. The plant’s 30-yearold primary jaw crusher was struggling to keep up with production demands.

The machine’s reliability and downtime were affecting overall plant performance.

Maintenance costs had risen sharply and the availability of spares had become an ongoing problem. After considering the cost of refurbishing the existing crusher, Linwood’s management decided that investing in a new machine was their best option. Following a detailed analysis of the quarry’s requirements, the team selected Metso’s C140 jaw crusher.

Quarry manager, Andy Baker explains the decision: “Minimising the need to modify our existing civils was a key prerequisite for the new machine.

Essentially, we needed a modern likefor-like crusher that would fit into the existing footprint, increase throughput and be easy to maintain - Metso’s C140 met all these criteria,” he said.

Whilst improving throughput and reliability was a priority, Linwood’s management also recognised the upgrade as an opportunity to improve site safety.

Boral has invested in new crushing equipment to better service market demands in the South Australian region.

As part of the crusher installation, new walkways and access platforms were designed to improve access to the quarry’s primary crushing station.

Once the C140 was installed, the crusher’s performance and reliability significantly improved product quality and throughput. The new machine’s ability to deliver more consistent output also immediately reduced the load and wear rates in other key areas of the plant. Where personnel previously needed to constantly monitor the crusher to ensure a consistent product output size, this was now an automated process.

Baker comments: “Now we can simply program the gap setting and be confident about what product we are going to get. The C140’s hydraulic adjustment provides a massive advantage for us in terms of overall efficiency and safety. It eliminates manual adjustments and associated hazards. This saves us time and keeps our production rates up.”

The plant’s primary crusher upgrade represented a big change for quarry staff, as it brought the latest technology to the primary crushing process in the form of advanced automation and safety.

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The CAT DSS helps mitigate risk by engaging operators with real-time alerts, immediately when fatigue and distraction are detected. Additionally, it monitors events so you can see and assess current risk levels, and helps manage and minimise on-site risk by building multiple layers of protection around your employees.

Key features include: ++ 24-hour monitoring and event classification. ++ Customised reporting and analysis as well as site level recommendations. ++ Training, operator coaching and educational resources. ++ Evaluate fatigue and distraction against available equipment data. ++ Fatigue intervention plan. ++ Proactive monitoring of DSS hardware health. ++ The Cat DSS offers the ability to continuously measure and improve your fatigue management plan, as well as build multiple layers of risk protection around employees.

Exploring driver safety systems CAT’S Driver Safety System (DSS) is a non-intrusive, in-cab fatigue detection technology that instantly alerts operators the moment fatigue or distraction is identified.

Driver fatigue technology works by monitoring eye-closure duration and head pose. If the DSS detects a fatigue or distraction event, the operator is immediately alerted

Driver fatigue technology works by monitoring eye closure duration and head pose.

CPB begins work on Mackay Ring Road WORK has commenced on Mackay and Whitesunday’s massive - the government says largest ever - road infrastructure project with the first sod officially turned on stage one of the Mackay Ring Road project at the end of September.

The $397.9 million project is part of

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

a 10-year commitment to upgrade the Bruce Highway and the Mackay Ring Road would deliver 11.3km of new road, including the first 2.6km of the Walkerston Bypass.

“In addition, 13 new bridges will be built, including major bridge crossings on the Pioneer River and Fursden Creek,

two major overpasses for the Peak Downs Highway and North Coast Rail Line,” Queensland Minister for Main Roads and Road Safety Mark Bailey said.

“Seven minor overpasses of existing local roads and cane rail will also be built and the new Pioneer River crossing will have 100-year flood immunity.”

CPB Contractors won the bid to construct the Mackay Ring Road Stage 1 and project works also included the construction of a two-lane rural highway with connections at Stockroute Road, the Peak Downs Highway and the Bruce Highway north.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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Inside Western Sydney +

It’s booming in Sydney’s West BY any measure, Western Sydney is having an infrastructure boom. It needs to be, because half of the future population of the Greater Sydney area is projected to live in this area.

Arguably, the construction of the M7 was a catalyst. Prior to its construction, Western Sydney had a low population density, a predominance of acreage and a scarcity of significant businesses. Lack of infrastructure was a big factor in this.

Roads didn’t run in straight lines, were narrow and generally unlit or poorly lit, and it took ages to get anywhere. The M7 changed all that, linking the M5 and Hume Highway to the M4 and M2. The problems of the M2, M4 and, to a lesser extent the M5, not really ending anywhere are now being addressed, but that’s a different story… or two.

The region now provides a golden

opportunity to get things right, and the Department of Planning & Environment is doing its best to oblige. There is a North West Priority Growth Area, South West Priority Growth Area and Western Sydney Priority Growth Area, a Sydney Metro Northwest Priority Urban Renewal Corridor - and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

There are also completed upgrade road projects, projects currently under way and planned projects for

the future. We have a story on one of those projects, as well as the Sydney Metro North West, on the following pages but, as you can imagine, we’ll be revisiting this area regularly as we haven’t mentioned the future airport at Badgerys Creek and the infrastructure to support it, or the upgrades to water, wastewater and other services that are currently under way or planned. Stay tuned!

Metro prioritises Sydney’s North West

Skytrain at Rouse Hill, as seen from the Windsor Road bridge.

BY GREG KEANE THE $8.3 billion Sydney Metro Northwest is the major public transport initiative in developing Sydney’s west, and is the first stage of the Sydney Metro project that is the largest infrastructure project currently underway in Australia.

The Metro Northwest is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2019, while the full Sydney Metro, which will extend through the city and terminate at Bankstown, is scheduled to be operating some time in 2024.

With its low population density, the north west has had little reason to justify significant infrastructure upgrades. The creation of the North West Priority Growth Area changes that, and is part of a much larger development program that will see western Sydney house half of Sydney’s population by 2031.

Elements of the project include: ++ A four-kilometre elevated rail section (skytrain) between Kellyville and Rouse Hill, linking with a 270-metre cable-stayed bridge over Windsor Road at Rouse Hill. ++ Twin 15-kilometre tunnels between Bella Vista and Epping (the longest railway tunnels in Australia).

++ Eight new train stations, with a mix of elevated platforms, underground platforms and platforms in cuttings below ground level, but open to the sky. ++ The Sydney Metro Trains Facility for stabling and maintenance of metro trains (the first of which has already arrived in Sydney).

In peak hour, a metro train will operate every four minutes in each direction, negating the need for passengers to consult a timetable.

Three major contracts were let to build and operate the Sydney Metro Northwest: ++ 15-kilometre twin tunnels and associated station civil works - $1.15 billion awarded to CPB John Holland Dragados (Thiess John Holland Dragados at the time of letting in mid-2013). ++ Surface and viaduct civil works (including the skytrain and cable-stayed bridge) - awarded to the Impregilo-Salini joint venture in late 2013; $340 million. ++ Construction of eight new stations and associated car parks, etc., a train stabling and maintenance facility, upgrading the existing 13-kilometre Epping to Chatswood

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

“Sydney is evolving into a truly global city and the record amount of infrastructure being built by the NSW Government to cater for our growing population will help deliver more homes, jobs and economic opportunities right across the metropolis including in Western Sydney.

“The $20 billion Sydney Metro will be transformative in how we approach planning for the city. It has the great potential to provide opportunities for people to live closer to jobs and services and to connect more people to destinations faster than ever before. With careful planning we can capitalise on these opportunities, but the continuation of traditional ad hoc approaches to development would see these opportunities lost.

“Sydney’s North-West is becoming an increasingly popular place to live. Our planned approach accompanying the Metro Northwest has seen long-term, careful planning for Showground, Bella Vista and Kellyville. Under our planned approach to precincts these areas, as well as Schofields, Marsden Park, Vineyard and Seven Hills, have the potential for more homes, new parks, open spaces, new community facilities and new town centres.”

- Brendan Nelson, Deputy Secretary, Growth, Design and Programs, from the Department of Planning and Environment. rail line (which opened in 2009) and its five existing stations to Metro standard, and operating the Sydney Metro Northwest for 15 years, awarded to Northwest Rapid Transit1 in September 2014; $3.7 billion.

The Epping to Chatswood upgrade will commence in late 2018, and require replacement of the existing train service with buses for around seven months while work is undertaken.

A $49 million investment over 120 new buses and additional routes and services will support this.

During this time, the five existing stations on this line will be upgraded to Metro standard, including screen doors along the length of the platforms, keeping people and objects away from the track and reducing the dwell time that trains spend at the stations - necessary to maintain a train frequency almost four times that of the current line at peak times. In addition, there will be upgrades to power and signalling systems.

Skytrain The erection of the twin 210-tonne, 29-metre tall steel towers for the cable-stayed Windsor Road bridge in late May 2017 marked a symbolic end to the structural component of the skytrain construction.

Two gantries, each 150-metre long and weighing 600 tonnes, erected the 1128 precast concrete segments that make up the deck of the viaduct and bridge, and weigh between 56 and 147 tonnes. The gantries lifted and positioned each segment, and held it in position while it was tensioned with steel cable.

The skytrain deck is approximately 11 metres wide and supported on 130 concrete piers. The cable stayed bridge is built on a continuous curve, and its location (the result of community feedback) ensures that it will not impede a future upgrade to the Windsor Road/Schofields Road intersection.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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Inside Western Sydney +

The deck will soon be fitted out with track, acoustic walls, high voltage power, lighting and a water collection system.

Tunnels The final breakthrough of the tunnelling section of the Sydney Metro Northwest occurred in January 2016, and work is well advanced in fitting out the track and stations. Four Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) were built

by French company NFM Technologies in its Chinese factory, and were of a double shield, hard rock, gripper-type design to suit the Sydney sandstone and shale. They averaged an advance of 173 metres per week. This was the first time that four TBMs had been used on a single transport infrastructure project in Australia, but the record will not stand for long as five will be used on the second stage of Sydney Metro.

Station boxes were used to launch and retrieve the TBMs. A precast facility was purpose-built at Bella Vista to supply the 98,184 concrete segments used to line the tunnels.

The 4.476 million tonnes of tunnel spoil were crushed and recycled -

generally on commercial, industrial and housing developments across Greater Western Sydney as well as on an environmental re-use project at Prospect Reservoir.

A further (and innovative) example of recycling was the modification of 60 steel beams removed from the Sydney Monorail to become girders for a temporary road bridge at the site of the new Norwest Station in 2014.

This meant that Brookhollow Avenue was closed for three months rather than three years.

A roadheader was used to excavate a 160 metres long, 23 metres wide and 17 metres high crossover cavern at Castle Hill that allows trains to swap tracks underground (a requirement for service reliability). Two roadheaders were used at the Epping Service Facility to build 300 metres tunnels joining the new tunnels to the existing Epping to Chatswood tunnels.

There are 55 cross passages linking the twin tunnels, with entry into the cross passages being wide enough for wheelchairs to turn into, and the passages themselves being wide

enough for both wheelchairs and pedestrians. All cross passages will have self-closing sliding doors.

There are also walkways on the side of the new tunnels, and these match the walkways of the existing Epping to Chatswood tunnels. More than 230 cameras are being installed to monitor the new tunnels as well as the Epping to Chatswood tunnels, which did not previously have camera surveillance.

Stations and train facilities Station planning involved extensive liaison with local councils and the community to investigate opportunities for new homes, jobs, shops, cafes and parks along the 23 kilometres rail link between Epping and Rouse Hill. The mix of parking bays, taxi and bus spaces, bike storage, etc. is tailored to the local community requirements (see table below).

The Sydney Metro Trains Facility near Cudgegong Road will initially cater for 22 automated metro trains when Sydney Metro Northwest opens in 2019. This will increase to 46 trains when the full Metro network is operational, and the facility will also provide maintenance

services for a fleet of 76 trains.

The size of the Cudgegong Road Station to Sydney Metro Trains Facility construction zone is approximately 590,000 square metres and reflects anticipation of the future requirements of an expanded Metro network. The site also includes administration buildings, and operations control centre; while the maintenance capabilities cover washing, inspection and repairs, wheel maintenance and major train maintenance, with maintenance taking place in an acoustic enclosure.

The facility will operate around the clock.

A public transport corridor has been reserved westwards beyond Cudgegong Road Station.

Northwest Rapid Transit is a consortium of MTR Corporation, John Holland, CPB Contractors and UGL Rail. MTR Corporation is a Hong Kong-based business that carries eight million passengers daily in locations around the world. UGL is Australia’s largest supplier of outsourced asset management and rolling stock maintenance services and a long-term maintenance provider to MTR in Hong Kong.

1

Location

Type*

Parking (spaces)

Kiss & Ride (spaces)

Buses (bays)

Taxis (spaces)

Bicycles (storage)

Cudgegong Road

OC -6

1000

15

6

9

45

Rouse Hill

EL +12

-

25

12

6

40

Kellyville

EL +13

1200 + 160T

10

4

4

45

Bella Vista

OC -6

800

16

6

4

30

Norwest

UG -22

-

9

4

9

30

Showground

UG -20+

600

15

2

4

40

Castle Hill

UG -25

-

7

10

9

20

Cherrybrook

OC -7

400

14

6

4

40

Table of station facilities * OC = Open Cut, EL = Elevated, UG – Underground; figure = distance (m) above/below ground level; T = T-way parking spaces Completed track at the Sydney Metro Trains Facility.

Track work in the Sydney Metro North West tunnel.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 11

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Sydney

BMD Constructions delivering Schofields Road Stage 3 Project

The difference in height between the new eastbound Bells Creek bridge and the previous road level gives an indication of the level of flood-proofing provided by the road upgrade.

BY GREG KEANE SCHOFIELDS Road will be the first east-west road upgrade delivered in the North West Growth Centre. It will become an arterial road providing a link between major north-south thoroughfares Windsor Road to the east and Richmond Road to the west.

Importantly, it also provides a link between the Rouse Hill and Marsden Park town centres.

Schofields Road is being delivered in three stages, the first of which (Windsor Road to Tallawong Road) was completed by the OHL-Abergeldie Schofields Road Upgrade joint venture (JV) in 2014. The OHL-York JV commenced work on the second stage (Tallawong Road to Veron Road) in August 2014 and is scheduled for completion early next year.

BMD Constructions (BMD) commenced work on the third stage (Veron Road to Richmond Road) in early 2016 and it is scheduled for completion mid next year. This stage differs from the others in having a greenfield section (Veron Road to Carnarvon Road), which includes a crossing of Eastern Creek. This will be an extension of Schofields Road, while the Carnarvon Road to Richmond Road section is an upgrade of the existing South Street, which will change name to Schofields Road through to the Richmond Road intersection.

A common element of the three stages is construction of a four-lane, divided road with a wide median that facilitates upgrading to six lanes in the future, provision of bus priority measures at traffic lights, indented bus bays and an off-road, shared path on one or both sides of the corridor (both

sides on Schofields Stage 3). U-turn bays in the median strip to assist local traffic are another common feature.

Stage 3 in detail The natural terrain of the Schofields Road Stage 3 Project is generally low-lying, with two major creeks flowing through the work area and subject to regular flooding. The project being carried out by BMD could, as a result, be regarded as a structural project as much as it is a road project.

There is a 422-metre twin bridge structure across Eastern Creek and a 175-metre twin bridge structure at Bells Creek, as well as an eight-cell box culvert and a two-cell box culvert on South Street, and a four-cell box culvert on Schofields Road, with a single cell culvert on Carnarvon Road near its intersection with Schofields Road/ South Street. A substantial portion of the total length of the project is made up of water crossings but this has the benefit of essentially flood-proofing what will become a major arterial road through western Sydney.

The two bridges use the same Roads and Maritime Services design (14 planks per span by 17.6-metre spans), with only the number of spans (24 at Eastern Creek, 10 at Bells Creek) differing, as well as the headstocks (on the ground for Bells Creek; on short columns for Eastern Creek). For foundations, 900 millimetre diameter piles were cast in situ. The traffic surface is asphalt over a cast in situ deck. Precast parapets are topped with twin rails, and light poles mounted on corbels cast into the precast parapets.

The 3.5 metre-wide shared use path extends across each bridge, and its precast parapets are cast and installed

14 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

respectively from the bridge deck cast in situ deck is completed. There are communications and power service ducts in the bridge footpath which join to services located under the shared use path. It was originally planned a gas main would also be located under the path, but an alternative location outside the path was agreed to with Roads and Maritime, allowing the gas infrastructure to be installed earlier in the project timeline. This avoided clashes with other services and mitigated timing risk.

Simplifying the bridge construction The use of standardised components across the bridges simplifies the logistics of the job, as there are no issues with different components having to arrive in sequence for assembly. The lifting program for the spans essentially becomes a sequence of repetitive actions, with no changes required to the rigging of the crane.

Engineered crane pads are built between the headstocks of every third span, with a crane (either a 250-tonne all-terrain (AT) crane or a 150-tonne lattice boom crawler crane) working to install all the planks for the spans on either side. The crawler crane worked only on the Eastern Creek bridges.

For trucks carrying the planks for assembly, the existing roadway was used for the Bells Creek bridge and a site track was used for the greenfields Eastern Creek bridges. The crane relocates from pad to pad, repeating the lift sequence.

For the infill sections where the crane pads were located, the AT crane set up on the roadway for the infill spans and for Eastern Creek, the crawler crane worked from ground level.

For project manager Eric McKone, the greatest challenge when building the bridges was the risk of working in a flood plain. He said: “Both Eastern Creek and Bells Creek flood after approximately 24 millimetres of rain, which happens at least once every few months.

“To overcome this issue, the project team implemented formwork systems that do not require support from the ground level and can be set above flood impacts.”

In addition, BMD proposed an early start to the last bridge, Bells Creek westbound, to manage the risk of flood delays and bring forward a critical path activity. The general sequencing approach was to have traffic use existing roads while the new eastbound road was built, and work commenced on the greenfield section.

When this work was completed, traffic was to be switched to the new road to allow the westbound section to be built.

Changing this overarching methodology required permission from Roads and Maritime to allow the existing road to be reduced to a single lane, with temporary portable traffic lights installed to provide sufficient construction width to commence the piling pad, piling and headstock works. This permission was granted, allowing an early construction start for the last bridge.

Project materials A further consequence of working in a flood plain is much of the in situ material does not meet specification for use as base material for the road, and there is a deficit of fill material.

This was managed by an approach of improving existing material where possible and relocating it locally where that was not possible.

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Inside Western Sydney + Installing bridge beams at Eastern Creek.

With Sydney having a surplus of fill due to the number of infrastructure projects being carried out, BMD looked to overcome the deficit by sourcing surplus fill from nearby projects and developments.

For the arterial road pavement (South Street and Schofields Road), the pavement specified matches the planned high traffic levels when the area is developed. The 300mm controlled subgrade can generally be achieved with lime stabilisation of in situ materials. This is topped with 300mm of selected material and a 7mm primer seal, over which 220mm of lean mix concrete subbase is placed, sealed with a bitumen emulsion curing compound and 7mm sprayed seal. Two 65mm intermediate asphalt layers are then placed and topped with a 50mm asphalt wearing course.

For the bridge deck pavement, a 25mm asphalt corrective course is placed over the 10mm waterproof membrane, and topped with a 50mm wear course.

The north-south roads (Carnarvon Road and the tie-ins to the future north-south Fermoy Road extension) are paved to the local road specification of 300mm selected material, topped with 250mm of DGB20 (Dense Graded Base) material, a 10mm sprayed seal and 50mm asphalt wearing course.

For the shared use paths, 150mm of DGB20 provides the base for the concrete surface, which is 150mm of 32MPa concrete, with SL82 mesh and 50mm of top cover.

As work progresses, temporary road diversions are being milled, with the millings stockpiled on site and re-used.

One application is to replace unsuitable material as a base for the two-cell

culvert. It is also being considered as an alternative to the 150mm DGB layer under footpaths and, where not used elsewhere, is used as general fill.

Other issues Environmentally, there is extensive use of rock armour to protect the many creeks and other watercourses that cross the site. Apart from temporary sediment basins and other controls to handle the water quality of site run-off, BMD has modified the existing leachate collection pond for run-off from a capped former landfill site on

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

South Street to link into the new open drainage system.

Although the area around the Schofields Road project currently has low population density, there is nevertheless a need to communicate with stakeholders who could be affected by the works. BMD does this in conjunction with Roads and Maritime, with electronic messaging signs used to communicate with motorists in advance of night works, traffic staging switches, etc.

BMD also develops community letters for review and distribution by

Roads and Maritime, and liaises with local residents when variations to work hours are sought. The community is given maximum advance notice of any activities that could impact on their daily activities.

The local community generally appreciates the benefits of the project in improving road capacity, safety and flood immunity, as well as reducing road congestion along what will become an important road link, particularly with its proximity to the Sydney Metro Northwest and its planned extension westwards, as well as the Rouse Hill and Marsden Park town centres.

Generally, little liaison has been required with contractors on adjoining upgrades. The Richmond Road intersection had already been completed as part of a three-stage upgrade of Richmond Road, while liaison with the Schofields Road Stage 2 contractor has generally been limited to cut-in of adjoining pavement sections and the coordination of proposed traffic switches.

At its peak, the Schofields Road Stage 3 Project has had approximately 120 people on site, with more than 80 on average through the peak months.

The project is tracking well for its scheduled completion mid next year, and the early start to the westbound Bells Creek bridge mitigates a significant element of future weather risk.

Eight-cell culvert with rock armouring forms a water retention function to control the release of stormwater to Eastern Creek.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 15

Tunnelling

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Adelaide’s O-Bahn Tunnel nearing completion The road bridge over the River Torrens was widened, and a new shared use bridge was built beside it.

BY GREG KEANE THE SA government’s $160 million O-Bahn City Access Project to extend the O-Bahn service between the end of the current busway at Gilberton and Grenfell Street in the CBD is nearing completion, and is at the testing and commissioning phase.

McConnell Dowell (MCD) is constructing the extension for the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI). The key benefit of the project is reduced traffic congestion and delays, particularly on the Inner Ring Route. An estimated 450 jobs have been created over the life of the project.

Key elements of the project are: ++ providing central inbound and outbound priority bus lanes on Hackney Road between Gilberton and the northern tunnel portal (just prior to the intersection of Hackney

Road and Botanic Road); ++ building a 670m tunnel from Hackney Road that passes under Dequetteville Terrace, Rundle Park, Rundle Road and Rymill Park, emerging in Rymill Park near East Terrace and aligning bus traffic with Grenfell Street; ++ realigning East Terrace between Grenfell Street and Pirie Street/ Bartels Road; ++ widening a bridge over the River Torrens on Hackney Road (including strengthening the underside) and constructing a separate shared use bridge over the River Torrens that links to a new dedicated shared use path to Torrens Road (now in use); ++ relocating some parking and creating additional parking within the Botanic Gardens; and ++ reinstating Park Lands upon completion of tunnelling works.

Adelaide has Australia’s only O-Bahn system, which allows the bus to be

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driven conventionally or steered using a track and guide wheel system. This guidance feature reduced the cost of a tunnel compared to the cost for conventionally driven buses, as the risk of colliding with the wall or an oncoming bus is eliminated.

This meant that a narrower tunnel could be built, requiring only 800mm of separation between the opposing carriageways, and only 1000mm of clearance from the tunnel walls. The guidance feature of the O-Bahn system actually reduces the cost of a tunnel compared to one that would be built to accommodate conventional buses.

Because the buses travel along a “track”, the risk of colliding with the wall or an oncoming bus is eliminated.

No widening was required for travel around a curve, although the radius of curvature needed to account for the line of sight to buses travelling in the same direction, to provide adequate time for

braking to avoid a rear end collision.

The proximity of the project to the CBD provided several challenges, one of which was relocating and protecting the many services that included water, sewer and gas mains; stormwater systems; and underground and overhead high voltage cables.

The age of the area led to unanticipated issues such as old tram footings beneath the road and redundant stormwater pits and storage tanks from a time when the road level was significantly lower. While there were records of almost all utility services still in use, including sewer and water pipes that were over 130 years old, the location of many had to be re-surveyed. The 66kV cables in Rundle Park were temporarily deenergised and then suspended on a temporary bridge, allowing a sheet pile and precast section of the tunnel to be constructed beneath them.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 17

IN TUNNEL & UNDERGROUND

Waterview Tunnel — Auckland, New Zealand

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Sheet piling in the road alignment as the first stage of top down construction.

Pre-drilling was undertaken before driving the sheet piles.

Horizontal sand jacks developed by Bowhill Engineering maintain the spacing between sheet pile walls prior to placement of the roof planks.

Tunnel excavation Top down construction methods were used for work in the road reserves, while cut and cover was used for work in the parks.

The top down method reduces the work footprint as well as the duration of traffic disruption. Sheet piles that form the sides of the tunnel were installed first, after which their tops were exposed and corbels (roof support structures) were installed, after which precast roof planks were placed on the corbels. Traffic was then reinstated, and excavation took place between the sheet piles as live traffic passed overhead. The concrete side walls and floor were cast in situ.

Work though the major Hackney Road/ Botanic Road intersection took place as a series of night works, to reduce disruption, and sufficient lanes were maintained on major roads during peak periods to minimise traffic disruption.

Ground conditions varied for the open excavation sections: Rundle Park had stable clay, while allowing a 3:1 (vertical:horizontal) batter to be adopted, while Rymill Park had poor ground structure and a 1:1 batter was adopted, transitioning to a 1:2 batter where an imported upper fill layer was encountered.

The typical excavation depth to the tunnel floor was around 7m, with roof cover typically around 500mm.

Sufficient excavated soil stockpiles

were retained onsite to allow backfilling once the tunnel structure was completed, avoiding double handling and reducing traffic impact. A Traffic Management Plan is in place for the removal of surplus tunnel spoil from site.

First Creek enters the Botanic Gardens via a culvert under Hackney Road.

The O-Bahn tunnel passes beneath the creek. Construction around First Creek was managed by diverting water through a temporary pipeline, but was disrupted several times by storm events in the wettest winter on record.

Groundwater was encountered in Rymill Park, and on Dequetteville Terrace and Hackney Road. A combination of sump/pump and dewatering spears was used to extract groundwater and dispose to sewer under a trade waste agreement. A Section 128 authorisation was also granted by the Minister to allow groundwater to be extracted from the Adelaide Prescribed Wells Area. Once construction was completed, the tunnel was sealed to prevent groundwater ingress.

Traffic management Rundle Road (between the two parks) remained open for the duration of the works, with excavation staged to allow this.

Where road closures were required to allow roof beams to be installed, this took place on weekends.

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A Traffic Liaison Group met regularly to discuss and refine traffic plans. This involved: ++ DPTI bus operations; ++ Traffic Management Centre; ++ Torrens Transit; ++ Adelaide City Council, Town of Walkerville, Norwood, Payneham and St Peters Council; ++ Taxi Council; and ++ emergency services.

It wasn’t just road traffic that had to be catered for: many of Adelaide’s well-known festivals take place in the parks under which the tunnel will pass, and temporary works were required to allow safe pedestrian access during these times. Such work included removing stockpiles from even areas; grading disturbed areas and covering with bark-chips, rubble and matting materials where required; and providing large vehicle access for set-up/pulldown.

An underground building houses the controls for the tunnel services. In case of emergency, power generators and safety control are managed directly from this facility, which abuts the tunnel within the eastern section of Rundle Park.

Two small surface structures house access stairs, exhaust and inlet vents, fire control panels and associated infrastructure, and antennae. These buildings are elliptical in shape and clad with timber battens for aesthetic reasons. Periodic vehicle access is facilitated by a reinforced grass path.

Whole-of-life cost was considered early in the project planning, and is reflected in the low energy LED lighting (an Australian first) and a rationalised ventilation system with six 37kW fans.

The tunnel is fitted with leading edge technology such as infra-red incident/intruder detection, videobased incident detection, optical fibre linear heat detection and bus collision avoidance (COHDA wireless).

Autonomous day-to-day operation requires no operator input unless an incident occurs.

The guided busway can handle autonomous buses when such technology becomes available.

There are many “smarts” in the tunnel services operation, and these will be covered in a future issue of Inside Construction as part of a broader focus on smart technology in SA infrastructure.

The September issue of sister publication Cranes and Lifting covered roof plank and shared use path bridge beam lifts.

Speedpanel on the right wall, unfinished sheet pile wall on the left, hangers in channels on the underside of the roof planks support services trays etc.

Tunnel services Channels cast into the underside of the deck planks allowed hangers to be readily installed and adjusted for hanging services from the roof.

A non-structural tunnel wall inside the cast concrete wall uses Speedpanel, an Australian-developed lightweight non-load bearing wall system that is fast to install and has excellent fire and acoustic properties.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 19

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Sponsor profile

Tunnel vision (aries) SOUTH Australia is arguably one of the more progressive Australian states when it comes to sustainability, from developing sustainable cities and townships to leading the nation in renewable energy commercialisation, to being at the forefront of waste management and resource recovery.

The state has a 30-year plan for Greater Adelaide, which promotes the principles of future planning based on sustainability, liveability, and economic imperatives. To drive the success of this ambitious plan, one critical component is the city’s public transport system, and the need for it to be more modern, efficient, and sustainable. To this end, the State Government is investing significant funds to deliver a stronger public transport network.

In the metropolitan area, the Adelaide O-Bahn is the most patronised public transport corridor, carrying over eight million passengers a year.

Two years ago, the State Government announced a $160 million investment to provide at-grade priority bus lanes along Hackney Road as well as a guided busway tunnel from Hackney Road to Grenfell Street by the end of 2017.

This project contributes to achieving the goals outlined in South Australia’s Integrated Transport and Land Use Plan, and construction giant McConnell Dowell has played a key role in turning this priority project into reality.

Once complete, the O-Bahn City Access Project will improve travel times and reliability for users of the O-Bahn

service between the end of the busway at Gilberton and Grenfell Street and to reduce traffic congestion and delays, particularly on the Inner Ring Route.

Building O-Bahn The South Australian Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) appointed McConnell Dowell as the major works contractor to deliver this important project. The company boasts local and available resources, a competent and experienced team, and more than 35 years of experience in tunnelling, during which time, it has delivered more than 150km of tunnels.

Across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Middle East, McConnell Dowell has more than 3500 employees and professional engineering and construction teams, and has completed major tunneling and underground construction in the transport, water and power sectors. Notable projects include the subsea tunnels on the Adelaide Desalination Plant for SA Water, the Bogong Hydro Scheme in Victoria for AGL, and multiple underground rail tunnels and stations in Singapore.

McConnell Dowell prides itself on its expertise, creativity, and progressive thinking, evidenced in the company’s innovative wall construction solution that uses sheet piles - one of the reasons the firm was chosen to drive the O-Bahn City Access Project.

McConnell Dowell was tasked with providing: ++ priority bus-only lanes on Hackney

McConnell Dowell has also worked on multiple underground rail tunnels and stations in Singapore, including the tunnel at Beauty World.

20 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

Road from Gilberton to the entrance into the tunnel portal; ++ a grade-separated tunnel (incorporating the guideway busway system) to accommodate the O-Bahn busway underneath the Hackney Road/Botanic Road Intersection, Rundle Park and Rundle Road, before returning to grade in Rymill Park and connecting into Grenfell Street; and ++ the widening of the Hackney Road bridge (western) to accommodate an additional outbound lane and a new shared use pedestrian/cycling bridge over the River Torrens (western side of Hackney Road bridge).

To do so, the firm had to design and construct a tunnel structure, tunnel electrical and mechanical systems, roadworks, traffic signals and Intelligent Transport Systems, cycling and walking paths, storm water management and drainage systems, pavements, utility services, bridges and minor structures, urban form and landscaping, and rehabilitation of existing asphalt pavements. McConnell Dowell, in conjunction with DPTI, is also undertaking stakeholder and community engagement.

A complex journey The process was not without its challenges and McConnell Dowell had two primary hurdles to overcome in the two-year construction journey, the first being the reconstruction of First Creek over the winter of 2016.

First Creek is located at the northern

end of the tunnel beneath the existing road. As part of the design, the tunnel had to pass under the creek to achieve the required clearance before it met the large Hackney Road and Botanic Road intersection.

McConnell Dowell looked at alternative approaches, including re-routing the creek, but these were deemed unachievable without resorting to a large and complex pumped system that would create an ongoing maintenance and cost burden to DPTI. To overcome the challenge, McConnell Dowell worked with structural designer, Walbridge and Gilbert, to develop a solution that led to the re-construction of the creek so it sat within the tunnel with buses passing underneath.

This was a complex undertaking for several reasons. For one, the creek was decades old and built from stone and brick arches that were extended over many years as the road became wider.

Secondly, traffic restrictions meant only small sections of the creek could be exposed at a time with only millimetres to spare in most temporary traffic and construction staging arrangements, requiring precise CAD drafting of each arrangement under the guidance of a temporary traffic compliance expert.

And finally, First Creek was re-built without the ability to divert the creek during the wettest winter on record.

The catchment of the creek was very wide and within only minutes of notice, the creek would go from empty to overflowing. This required an approach

McConnell Dowell expertise, creativity, and progressive thinking led to the resounding success of the O-Bahn tunnel project.

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Sponsor profile +

The intake cavern, subsea tunnels project at the Adelaide Desalination Plant.

that would allow for rapid removal and reinstatement of temporary works, and the ability to move people out of the work zone at any time.

To further complicate matters, the weather impacted the critical path of the project and over a two-month period, the team could only work over a few days.

But McConnell Dowell overcame these challenges. It built the new creek crossing in three sections and determined a number of acceleration strategies that were subsequently implemented, ensuring all major milestones were achieved on time.

The second hurdle was just how to construct the tunnel without impacting the underground 66,000V electrical main. Proving that it is a leader in outof-the box thinking, McConnell Dowell developed an approach to lower the tunnel beneath the existing service, mitigating the cost and schedule risk.

After this approach was accepted at the tender stage, the company developed the detail around the design and construction concept to deliver on its commitment.

The permanent design was fairly straightforward. Following productive and interactive workshops with SAPN,

the requirements and preferences were understood and the permanent design solution will now allow the utility company to access their service from the surface without impacting tunnel operations.

However, the construction solution and temporary design requirements were more complex as the service needed to be isolated, carefully excavated, supported and protected all over a relatively short period of a few weeks. Following that, a permanent structure, much like an in-situ concrete culvert, would have to be built to encapsulate and support the service across the new tunnel alignment.

The service would then be carefully backfilled and protected beneath the surface prior to re-energisation.

Having delivered some of the largest tunnels in the world and being a firm that embraces and champions tunnelling technologies that improve outcomes, McConnell Dowell is well prepared for complex tasks like these, with a team of internal temporary works engineers and draftsman on hand to support projects on complex construction approaches.

Working side-by-side with the site engineering team, the temporary works engineers devised, documented,

fabricated and installed a temporary services bridge and support arrangement of considerable scale that allowed for the work be completed a few days ahead of schedule and without incident.

While these are the two major challenges that faced McConnell Dowell in the O-Bahn tunnel construction journey, it is worth highlighting that the company was also able to complete significantly more work during the day, thanks to its innovative wall construction solution that allowed the walls in the operational road areas to be installed in a relatively narrow construction zone. This also resulted in less impact on traffic and by reducing night works, the impact on the community was minimised, as much as practically possible.

Putting the client first The project site is especially sensitive, both on the community and environmental fronts. As such, DPTI needed to work closely with the contractor chosen to deliver the project.

Acknowledging and embracing DPTI’s desire for a collaborative approach to design and construction, McConnell Dowell and the DPTI co-located in an

open plan site office from the onset - at mobilisation - and promoted an ongoing culture of honesty and open communication. The result? A very high level of satisfaction from the McConnell Dowell and the DPTI project teams, and an outstanding outcome for the project as a whole.

During the project, the client’s interests were at the forefront of McConnell Dowell’s decision-making and planning, and this was clearly seen in the company achieving the hand back of areas for the Fringe Festival in March 2017.

McConnell Dowell developed an acceleration strategy over the 2016-17, Christmas holiday period to ensure that the required areas of the Park Lands could be reinstated on time. This was an enormous task, but it was achieved.

McConnell Dowell is truly a leader in tunnelling and the company continues to invest in machinery and methods that make a difference.

It uses state-of-the-art equipment to maximise production and significantly reduce costs and the team’s technical expertise is complemented by intuitive relationship management skills and flexibility around partnerships and contract arrangements.

For more information, call 03 9816 2400 or visit www.mcconnelldowell.com

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 21

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Retro infrastructure

A lazy big river as a piece of infrastructure

BY GREG KEANE A trip to Wentworth for the triennial Junction Rally in July this year, at the invitation of Don and Iris Wilson, was the trigger for our inaugural retro infrastructure feature.

Wentworth is at the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers (hence the rally name) and in the 1890s, it was the busiest river port in Australia.

Paddle boats and the cargoes they carried (on-board or in towed barges) were an important advance in transport infrastructure and took considerable work from bullock teams. Their use declined post-federation with the rise of connected railways.

The rise and fall of paddle steamers The SA Legislative Council recognised the potential of the Murray River as a highway by offering a prize of £4000 (AU$6784 today) to be shared by the first two steamers to navigate the Murray to the junction with the Darling.

While this prize was withdrawn, it rewarded the River Murray Steam Navigation Company, which pioneer navigator Francis Cadell and others started in 1854, with rewards for steaming through the mouth of the Murray, reaching the junction with the Darling, and continuing to operate paddle steamers commercially. Wool was the main cargo.

The navigation feats of fellow pioneer William Randell were arguably greater, but he received less recognition and reward.

Paddle steamer traffic on the Murray,

Darling, Murrumbidgee, Edward and other navigable rivers grew, and the decade 1870-1880 is regarded as the peak of the trade. This was well before federation, requiring the separate colonies to work together for the benefit of the river traffic.

An 1863 Inter-Colonial Conference on River Management involving NSW, SA and Victoria concluded that “…the commerce, population and wealth of Australia can be largely increased by rendering navigable and otherwise utilising the great rivers of the interior…”

Rail connections were important, and Morgan and Echuca derived significant benefit from their rail links to Adelaide and Melbourne respectively.

TABLE 1 WEIRS & LOCKS OF THE RIVER MURRAY Weir & Lock #

Location

Year opened

1

Blanchetown

1922

2

Waikerie

1928

3

Overland Corner

1925

4

Bookpurnong

1929

5

Renmark

1927

6

Murtho

1930

7

Rufus River

1934

8

Wangumma

1935

9

Kulnine

1926

10

Wentworth

1929

15

Euston

1937

11

Mildura

1927

Building infrastructure in the river

26

Torrumbarry

1924

With a view to improving navigability on the River Murray, the SA government engaged Captain E.N. Johnston of the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 1912 to design a system of locks and weirs, and work on Lock 1 at Blanchetown commenced in the following year.

This was overtaken by the River Murray Waters Agreement reached in 1915 between the Commonwealth and SA, NSW and Victoria to manage and share the waters of the River Murray.

The River Murray Commission was set up in 1917 to effect this.

The prime early responsibility was to construct storages on the Upper Murray (Hume Dam, built 1919-1936) and at Lake Victoria (completed 1928), construct 26 weirs and locks

n/a

Yarrawonga*

1939

Echuca wharf, restored to original condition.

22 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

Operated by

SA Water

State Water NSW GoulburnMurray Water

* Note: weir only on the Murray between Blanchetown and Echuca, and a further nine on the lower part of either the Murrumbidgee or Darling Rivers.

By this time, the transport role of paddle steamers was in decline, with the railways taking greater prominence.

The River Murray Waters Agreement was amended in 1934 to reflect a change in focus from navigation to irrigation, and the construction of Yarrawonga Weir for irrigation diversion and five barrages near the Murray Mouth (at Boundary Creek, Ewe Island, Goolwa, Mundoo and Tauwitchere; completed in 1940), to prevent seawater entering the system during low flows, were added.

The number of locks was reduced, with most being in SA (see Table 1).

An interesting feature of the barrages is that modified Kato excavators are used to extract the stop logs vertically. Designed and built

by Banbury Engineering in the late 1980s, these are rail-mounted and use a compensating ram to provide the vertical lift, and a purpose-designed head for lifting the logs.

Drinking water The importance of the Murray as a source of potable water was recognised with the completion of a pipeline from Morgan to Whyalla to support the BHP

Paddle steamer exiting Lock 11 at Mildura.

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Retro infrastructure +

TABLE 2 DRINKING WATER OFFTAKES FROM THE RIVER MURRAY Extraction site (PL = pipeline, T = township)

Daily av. vol. extracted (ML) 2016-17

Treatment regime

Other towns served

Renmark T

2.31

A

Paringa, Cooltong

Berri T

1.69

A

Glossop T

0.16

C

Loxton T

3.20

A

Moorook T

0.09

C

Kingston on Murray

Cobdogla

1.09

A

Barmera

Woolpunda T

0.60

C

Mantung, Wunkar

Waikerie T

0.80

A

Cadell T

0.16

C

Morgan T+PL

74.40

B

Blanchetown T

0.10

C

Swan Reach PL

22.94

A

Swan Reach T

0.10

C

Palmer T

0.41

Cowirra T

0.08

C

Neeta, Pompoota

Mypolonga T

0.24

C

Wall Flat

Mannum T+PL

0.48+49.40

A

Mt Pleasant*

Murray Bridge T+PL

10.52+39.50

AT

Kanmantoo*, Summit*

Tailem Bend T+PL

6.97+6.60

A

T

Monash

raw water is pumped through the pipeline, only the township water is treated * These off-river towns have a treatment plant supplied by a raw water pipeline

T

iron foundry and shipyard. It also supplies Port Pirie and Port Augusta, and was extended to Woomera in 1949, and duplicated in 1967.

Leed Engineering and Construction will be commencing an upgrade of this plant in March 2018, with the upgrade increasing storage capacity from 12ML to 42ML. The plant’s current capacity of 200ML/day will not change, but the storage upgrade will facilitate increased operational efficiency. With current throughput at 80-130ML/day, there is still substantial reserve capacity.

The efficiency improvements come from greater optimisation of the treatment

process, as well as improvements in water quality through increased contact time for chlorine with water, improving disinfection before passing through the chloraminated process prior to distribution through the 379km pipeline to Whyalla that also supports cities and towns in SA’s Mid North, Upper Spencer Gulf and Eyre Peninsula regions.

Modifications to the filtration system will optimise the treatment process by improving the current operational practices and making these more flexible.

While use of renewable energy does not form part of this project, SA Water is currently evaluating installing solar

The modified Kato excavator at Goolwa barrage.

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TABLE 3 WATER TREATMENTS CROSSING THE MIGHTY RIVER Treatment regime

Treatment

A

B

C

coagulation

x

x

x

flocculation

x

x

sedimentation

x

sand filtration

x

UV disinfection

x

chlorine/chloramine disinfection

x

x

fluoridation

x

x

x

ultrafiltration (membranes)

x

x

panels at its water and wastewater treatment facilities, including the Morgan facility.

Other pipelines taking water from the River Murray in SA are Mannum-Adelaide (completed 1954), Swan Reach-Stockwell (1969), Tailem Bend-Keith (1970), Murray Bridge-Onkaparinga (1973) and the Millewa Stock and Domestic Pipeline network (1975). Victoria followed SA’s example by completing a pipeline from Eildon Dam to Melbourne in 2010.

There are a number of other water extraction sites on the River Murray in SA, detailed in Tables 2 and 3.

While the significance of river boats as part of the transport infrastructure diminished to insignificance over time, the importance of river craft for crossriver transport remains high in SA. A characteristic of the river in that state is that in many areas where a crossing is required, there is a high cliff on only one side of the river and an extended flood plain on the other, requiring a long and prohibitively expensive bridge to flood proof the crossing. This makes a vehicular ferry the only viable option in many locations.

Ferries (or punts) have a long history on the river, initially being provided by private individuals for their own or commercial use. Charles Bonney is recognised as the first to use a ferry,

in 1839. This was to facilitate his overland movement of cattle from South Australia to Victoria, and some early ferries were on stock routes.

The first government involvement was a ferry at Blanchetown in 1879, replacing a private ferry. It was regularly upgraded, relocated when Lock 1 was completed, and joined by a second ferry in 1964 to handle the growth in traffic on the Sturt Highway.

In 1964 a bridge replaced the ferries.

Early ferries and punts were hand-operated using a crank wheel - often requiring the involvement of passengers - and motors started to replace hand cranks in the early 1900s, generally cutting crossing time by two-thirds.

The current River Murray ferry fleet operated by the South Australian Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) is located at Cadell, Lyrup, Mannum (2), Morgan, Narrung, Purnong, Swan Reach, Tailem Bend, Waikerie, Walker Flat and Wellington.

In contrast, only two ferries operate in the NSW/Victoria section of the river, the Speewa ferry at Swan Hill and the Wymah ferry (linking to Granya in Victoria).

A current ferry replacement program has seen three replacement ferries put into service, with a fourth under construction.

Waiting for the ferry is a common experience when travelling the Murray in SA.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 23

Drones

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24 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

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Drones +

The anything-but-boring drones

BY GREG KEANE THEY go by a lot of names, with drones being the most common in general use, but we will follow the industry penchant for acronyms and call them UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) because that’s probably the most descriptive of what they are.

They snuck into the world as toys, but their growth and transformation into very useful work tools probably caught a lot of people by surprise, including the regulators who have generally played catch up. As a still new technology, its potential is nowhere near realised yet.

as faster, cheaper and safer than the alternative of using a helicopter. One of these contractors also uses UAVs to inspect oil and gas, renewable energy and utility assets.

In Australia, rail freight operator Aurizon commenced trials with UAVs

Researcher perspective Associate professor Robert Gorkin from the University of Wollongong (UoW) Australian Institute for Innovative Materials and current researcher in residence at iAccelerate, was one of the people behind a

collecting critical information by fitting with appropriate sensors and analysis equipment.

“Drones can be used to gather more data, better data… that can provide information to enable better decisionmaking. When those decisions lead

workshop in May that looked at how drones are revolutionising science and business.

He said: “Drones are becoming a part of everyday business, with their imaging abilities used for industries from agriculture, civil engineering, real estate, media, and surveillance, even safety.”

He sees drones not just as a unique eye-in-the-sky perspective, but as a customisable platform for

to cost-savings through preventive maintenance on the job site, or productivity gains on the farm, etc., that is the true benefit,” he said.

While such things as crop inspection, weed and pest identification, and moisture analysis are applications in agriculture, they can also be used to monitor vegetation issues when remediating construction sites, establishing and operating wetland stormwater or wastewater treatment

Associate professor Robert Gorkin (right) at a University of Wollongong drone workshop.

Around the world in UAVs Dallas News, in its coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, reported on UAVs being used to assess damage to homes, cell towers and railways. AT&T used a fleet of 25 drones to inspect cell towers and transmission lines for wind and water damage, which assisted in deploying repair crews.

This is not the primary role of the AT&T drone fleet: they are used to test network performance, monitor construction of cell towers and check for birds nesting near construction sites.

In Australia, Aerial Photography Specialists (APS) lays claim to being the first to perform power line inspections using UAVs. It provides asset managers and inspection engineers with high detail digital images, HD video and thermal images to assist them in making condition assessments. An important aspect of UAV use in this application is that they are calibrated and shielded against high levels of electromagnetic interference from power lines.

Australian UAV is another specialist in UAV-assisted inspections of infrastructure, and covers a diverse range of applications such as mobile phone and radio towers, solar farms, pipelines, wind turbine blades and towers, dam walls and lighting poles.

BNSF Railway used drones to assess its rail network once Hurricane Harvey had passed so that it could prioritise repairs to get the network operational.

In 2015, Network Rail in the UK awarded three-year contracts to four companies to provide drone services that include providing map data to improve maintenance efficiency and reduce working at heights on the rail network. The use of UAVs is regarded

to monitor high voltage electrical assets on coal networks in 2014.

Electromagnetic compatibility was a factor in the choice of drone. Infrared technology and high resolution digital images are used, and the UAV use has increased safety by removing people from the rail corridor, while also avoiding interference to freight operations. UAV use has been considered for other assets, including structures.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 25

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1

2

Contrast between 1. an aerial image of a pit and 2. a photogrammetry rendering of the same site [images courtesy Ausrocks].

facilities, establishing and maintaining phytocaps on landfills, etc., or establishing wildlife habitats and corridors in advance of a project.

Surveying is a well-established application, and can be used for 3D ground models, calculation of stockpile volumes, etc. Using drones can not only speed these compared to ground-based methods, but also improve safety by taking humans away from potentially hazardous environments.

An example of this is bridge inspections, where drones overcome safety as well as access issues in working from scaffolding or a work platform, as well as disruption to traffic.

With the number of drones in use and the emergence of businesses and individuals specialising in operating drones, Professor Gorkin sees that businesses currently operating drones for their own applications should consider the alternative of using a specialist.

“There are a growing number of drone pilots and companies with services for hire. Specialists can help navigate the nuances of regulation as well as offer the latest in the constantly evolving tech. It depends on how stringent the needs are for internal capabilities,” he said.

Professor Gorkin sees technologies like drones, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, advanced data handling and analytics as part of the larger industry 4.0 ecosystem that will affect almost all industry sectors. Companies are looking for such tools to provide greater value and larger margins compared to competitors.

An application that arose from an innovation-fostering environment at

UoW was Look UP, a custom drone with 360° HD video capabilities that was developed by Free Look, whose founder Sam Noakes won UOW Pitch 2016.

A prototype has been used to assist RMS engineers to inspect bridges, with advantages over not only traditional scaffolding inspections but also drone inspections using still cameras.

UOW is a prime example of using drones for research; with active projects ranging from ecology in Antarctica to shark spotting at local beaches.

User perspective Consulting engineer Ausrocks is one example of how a business has discovered UAVs and worked to incorporate their use to achieve efficiencies in the services offered.

MD Carl Morandy explains: “We were initially motivated to get a drone in November 2015, after we met up with a client who was using them at their quarry in NSW. We initially thought just the still images would be great for use on report covers, etc. as well as getting better overview shots of remote site visits.

“We soon learnt about photogrammetry and different software used to capture reliable data. We are on our second drone now (the same Phantom 3 Advanced/Pro platform).

We have used about four different programs and methodologies to capture photogrammetry data; each with an increasing level of quality control and, understandably, a better and more consistent outcome. We are at the stage now where we are focussing on increasing the level of accuracy and ground control.”

The UAV has revolutionised how Ausrocks inspects sites, and it now

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gathers a wealth of information in a fraction of the time spent previously, with no need now to spend full days crawling over every part of a pit with a backpack GPS. This has changed how Ausrocks conducts business, with less time spent in the field and more time spent talking to clients about their needs, which in turn results in further work.

Morandy cautioned: “I suppose one of the traps for young players would be to (make sure to) focus on what the captured data will be used for, and then gear up accordingly - there is no point in spending tens of thousands on a drone before you determine your target market.”

Some of the Ausrocks applications have been: ++Using video of a pit for the Transport & Main Roads Quarry Registration System, to assist the geologist to get a feel for the site prior to a visit, or use as a permanent record that can be revisited if any issues arise. ++ Photogrammetry of a semi-flooded quarry pit, where access to the pit floor was not possible for conventional ground surveys. ++ Geotechnical face inspection of final pit walls in deep quarries, allowing quick and safe inspection behind bund walls to check for rock falls. ++ Calculating stockpile volumes (have flown over 200,000t of stockpiles in under an hour). ++ Performing a rehabilitation assessment of an old gold mine.

Manufacturers Komatsu sees a UAV service as a key element of its new SMARTCONSTRUCTION integrated business model. Applications

can include initial site survey, cut/ fill and stockpile calculations and tracking progress.

In Australia, six Komatsu staff gained UAV operator licences following a week-long CASA-certified course with Newcastle-based specialist training company Aviassist. Komatsu is using Skycatch high-accuracy survey quadcopter UAVs to create sub-5cm accuracy 3D point clouds, with data processed in its Komconnect app to calculate areas and volumes (Komconnect is another element of the SMARTCONSTRUCTION model).

Other Machine control and positioning specialist Position Partners offers a range of the multi-propeller design UAVs that we most associate with drones, but also has fixed wing equivalents that go by the acronym of RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) and a complementary Propeller AeroPoints ground control system for greater survey accuracy and a post processed kinematic (PPK) system that can be used on-board RPAS to provide accurate GNSS camera positioning for aerial mapping. This can reduce or eliminate the need for ground control points.

C.R. Kennedy is another machine control and positioning specialist, and best known for handling Leica positioning equipment in Australia. It also offers both rotary and fixed wing UAVs, but also has the Accura remote control hydrographic survey boat in its range, perhaps reinforcing that it’s not the platform but the capability that counts, and we shouldn’t fixate on one platform if there are others that better serve the task in hand.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 27

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Sponsor profile

C.R. Kennedy is a nationwide organisation which employs over 250 people throughout a number of significant divisions. The largest of these divisions is the ‘Survey division’ which distributes land surveying, construction, laser scanning, machine control, laser levelling and laser distance measuring equipment throughout the country. Now, more than ever, they are also very heavily into ‘drones’. An exciting business area for sure.

CR Kennedy’s major distribution partnership for the Survey division is with Leica-Geosystems, a Swiss organisation with over 200 years of history.

Drones For some years now, drones have been growing in significance and are now at a place where they can contribute positively to our daily lives. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), or perhaps even the remotely piloted vehicle (RPV), are here to stay, and CR Kennedy has a range of multi rotor and fixed wing solutions for mapping, aerial photography, aerial inspections, mine mapping and real-time surveillance. Together with photogrammetry software, these aircraft can produce high quality digital terrain

“CR Kennedy’s expertise, advice and technical support are a critical part of our business on a daily basis.”

JOHN WILSON, PRINCIPAL SURVEYOR, DE WITT CONSULTING, NEWCASTLE, NSW.

models (DTMs), 3D models, point clouds, and orthographic photographs.

Laser scanning is of course becoming more and more a viable option in the UAV world and CR Kennedy can offer various options if this level of detail, accuracy and delivery speed are required.

CR Kennedy’s UAV related product basket extents to such significant brands as Riegl laser scanners, Dji drones, Scientific Aerospace drones, Blue Vigil tethering systems and Pix 4D software - to name a few. CR Kennedy are also deep into evaluating several add on PPK systems that will add great value and increased accuracy to various DJI drones.

Another very significant business area for CR Kennedy is the Accura Hydro boat, an in-house development, this beauty is in fact the only product that CR Kennedy has produced in its 85-year history. The Accura offers both single and dual beam sonar operation as well as laser scanning, an extremely handy platform.

It is the case that today, CR Kennedy is by far the largest distributor of drones in Australia. Through the various brands, including DJI, they currently deliver over 1000 drones throughout Australia on a monthly basis – a number that is quite illuminating in regard to

28 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

drone usage in Australia today.

UAV Options CR Kennedy offers a broad range of UAV options, depending on your requirements and budget a package can certainly be tailored for you. A Dji Matrice 200 package is often the starting place for many entering the UAV industry, considering the breadth of range many, many required tasks can be completed within this family.

For higher accuracy requirements an option such as the Australian made Sci Aero 4 Scight multi rotor may be appropriate - or the same companies FarScight fixed wing, if larger area’s need to be covered.

Cr Kennedy can also pair the Riegl Vux Mini scanner with the DJI M600 drone or even the Carbonix VTOL fixed wing if very large areas need to be covered. Such a scanning UAV based system offers great benefits for punching through vegetation and shadows to reveal the true ground level, among other benefits.

Things move very quickly in the UAV world and processes such as PPK (post processing Kinematic) are now becoming available as an add on accessory to boost the accuracy

potential of more humble drones such as the DJI Matrice 200. More appropriate for drone use than RTK, CR Kennedy can now supply a PPK unit to attached to a variety of Dji drones to greatly increase the accuracy of the XYZ result.

Accura hydrographic Survey boat Hydrographic/ Bathymetric surveys have been conducted for many years using conventional boats and other watercraft. Given the recent push towards a more HR related world we now see many situations where it is impossible, ill-advised or at least onerous to have a person or staff member directly involved on the water conducting these surveys – hence the rise of the Remote Control Hydrographic survey boat.

The Accura offers many benefits and these start with the ease of use of the system and general portability. The Accura is a one-man lift, offers dual frequency operation (rather than only single), is supported locally and within its transport case, can be quickly flown from site to site as extra-large baggage with any of the commercial carriers – yes, Qantas or Virgin will let you fly with the Accura.

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Sponsor profile +

“ Seam Surveys have been involved with the Accura boat project for almost two years now.

We have helped work through various beta upgrades and alterations and for the last 6 months, despite lots of use, our package has been virtually bullet proof’.

MICK HARRIS, SEAM SURVEYS – QUEENSLAND.

Software Pix4Dmapper software, now exclusively distributed by CR Kennedy, generates high-end, survey-grade accurate orthomosaics, DSMs and Point clouds in a few clicks only and with a fully automatic worfklow.

Quickly becoming the go to software package, CR Kennedy can package Pix 4d into your UAV purchase or supply licensing as required.

Training and CASA qualifications CR Kennedy partners with a variety of training providers around the country as well as providing an in-house solution. All partners work closely with CASA and do work efficiently through the various processes to get you and your organization flying in as short a time frame as possible. As with software, training can also be included in a UAV package.

CR Kennedy partnering CR Kennedy’s intention is to be your site partner and reduce any issues as much as possible. The aim is to provide customers with not just the best equipment, but a complete and fully supported solution.

Within CR Kennedy today are over 15 staff directly involved in our Survey Drone business. Many of these staff are land surveyors, all are very passionate, qualified and experienced in the operation of drones. Their primary focus is ensuring that customers enjoy maximum use and productivity of their equipment.

For more information or assistance please call 1300 886 982 or visit our website http://survey.crkennedy.com.au/products/uavs

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 29

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Maintenance and repairs

Telematics has a firm place in construction

Caltex’s entire truck fleet uses telematics for greater efficiency in their operations.

BY JAN ARREZA THE use of telematics in the construction space to manage fleet maintenance is still in its early days but its adoption is being fast tracked, thanks to some of the proven benefits of new technologies, including opportunities for companies to improve productivity, save costs and deliver better service to their customers.

A new report by Teletrac Navman released this year provided a view of telematics trends affecting the global construction market and outlined the top challenges for business in an increasingly demanding market. The challenges that topped the list were managing costs (46%), growing revenue (30%) and business expansion (26%).

Other trends observed across the sector include economic optimism, technology disruption and labour shortage.

The ‘Telematics Benchmark Report: Global Construction Edition’ found that more than 80% of businesses say they currently use telematics, or plan to do so in the next year, citing equipment tracking as the most common use (75%), followed by tracking speed (61%) and driver hours (53%).

Telematics in the construction industry falls into two categories on-road and off-road - each gaining differing benefits from technology, and for on-road vehicles that regularly use private roads, GPS tracking can provide accurate data for claiming road user charges (RUC) refunds.

Using telematics data, fleet

managers can pull an automatic report that shows when vehicles travelled on private roads or off-road altogether. The accurate record proves what portion of the journey company trucks were not on public roads, so the company can claim back the RUC, which can represent thousands of dollars of savings.

“The construction industry has long faced pressures to do more with less - more output with fewer resources to meet customer demands, while also ensuring the safety of its workers and profitability of the business,” said Rachel Trindade, Navman’s global vice president of marketing.

“It’s no easy task to balance these competing interests, which is why so many fleets are turning to modern technologies such as telematics to find efficiencies. We’re committed to supporting the industry by helping them understand and navigate these market shifts.”

Building the telematics business case Over at Caltex, the company uses its own in-house telematics solutions for its truck fleet, and also provides telematics technology to a wide range of customers in industries including construction equipment or yellow equipment, which covers earthmoving and quarrying machinery.

“On top of the traditional GPS tracking, engine hours and kilometres, Caltex telematics can integrate with the plant engine management system to provide mechanical data that can be

30 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

translated into a change in the way it’s used,” said Jacques Lepron, telematics manager at Caltex.

“Depending on the type of data available from the equipment, we can make recommendations regarding asset health and maintenance. As a result, fleet managers are able to reduce their operating costs including fuel and maintenance, as well as preventing incidents or breakdowns before they occur.”

There continues to be much debate about the use of telematics for fleet management, unsurprising as it is an area that is still, in some ways, in its infancy in the sector. Additionally, the potential benefits that come with telematics is as varied as the systems and providers in this space.

The initial value proposition was to track a valuable asset and guard against theft, so for a business operating in a high-risk environment, or with small portable assets, telematics was another form of insurance.

But this variety in systems and solution providers is a good thing, says Susan Nicholson, director of product and marketing Asia-Pacific at WEX Australia, a global corporate payment solutions firm formerly known as Wright Express. Variation in products, she says, encourages greater adoption.

“While you aren’t necessarily seeing an erosion of costs in the telematics space, what you’re seeing is the offering of different pricing models, packages and solutions,” Nicholson said.

“When telematics first hit our shores, predominately all that was

available was a perpetual licence with a high up-front cost and ongoing monthly rental model. This model was prohibitively expensive for many businesses when you are looking at a 1000-unit fleet. With a $300-unit cost that’s $300k out of the gate.

“Today, models that provide great base functionality with no up-front costs and reasonable monthly rental make it a much more viable solution for many businesses. As a consequence, we are starting to see much higher rates of adoption.”

Turning to WesTrac, business development manager, Rodney Mudford, said many of the company’s machines have telematics built in from the factory, which can be enabled anywhere remotely.

“We have bundles that we can retrofit, we have ‘plug and play’ options for our ‘do it myself’ customers, as well as satellite, cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options. We have a range of telematics devices from Caterpillar called Product Link, which range in price from $270 up to $3500,” Mudford said.

“We can incorporate mixed fleets with them, and these could be ‘plug and play’ or complex network managers that bring multiple enterprise content management (ECM) data back for the user.

“Uses can be for productivity (payload, tonnes, cycles), utilisation (key on, hours, kilometres), health (warnings, events, abuse), localisation (GPS, geo-fence, time violation, route), maintenance (planned preventative

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Maintenance and repairs +

CAT’s Product Link telematics equipment used in the field.

maintenance due, parts, OEM guidelines), and fuel level, software on an ECM, tyre monitoring, and operator ID, just to name a few. This all comes with a user interface called Vision Link, as well as a full reporting package.”

More than meets the eye But that’s not all. Telematics can also be used to track the location and performance of plant equipment - it’s all about utilisation and maintenance, as well as helping construction firms cut hire costs.

Tracking machine hours enables managers to not only keep tabs on the location of equipment, but also report on whether that equipment is being utilised across multiple sites.

Equipment that isn’t being used isn’t generating revenue, and optimising equipment distribution across sites can therefore accelerate progress with construction projects, allowing them to be completed quicker, and eliminating unnecessary spending on equipment hire.

Enhanced fuel usage measurement provides further insight into when equipment is running without being in use, which again helps to improve efficiency by reducing unnecessary idling.

When it comes to maintenance, telematics systems include equipment fault code notifications and assist with the planning of maintenance schedules, helping to keep equipment operational while maximising output and minimising the need for hire.

Boosting site productivity with Geo-Fences.

Outside of payroll, fuel is the second largest cost for a construction fleet, and while these vehicles may not travel far, they do make frequent trips back and forth, and fuel is burned inefficiently with all the stop and go movements and the sheer amount of mass they must carry back and forth.

With telematics, managers can track every single movement and optimise the process so they can do more with less. It brings efficiency and real-time data to their cycles, helping them understand how their machines are being used and where there is excess use or idling.

Not only will this help drivers perform the same number of trips with less fuel, it also minimises the wear and tear of the vehicles.

According to Lepron, for Caltex, fuel efficiency is the key benefit of the use of telematics technology, adding that telematics also assist in reducing

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maintenance costs by preventing breakdowns before they occur.

“Our advanced CANBus connectivity in Caltex telematics ensures the user can access data that others are not capable of doing in Australia,” Lepron said.

“This is can bring a lot of new options for both the fleet manager and owner to reduce operational costs. The data that is generated by our system can also be exported in various forms to suit any client and their systems.”

The future With things constantly moving forward in this space, many have looked to the future in an attempt to identify new telematics equipment that can be incorporated in their operations, all in a bid to create a more efficient business.

“We are looking to integrate with partners who provide advanced

fatigue management and maintenance management by early 2018,” Lepron said.

“Our partnership with Traffilog [Fleet Management Solutions] means the local market will benefit from all the innovation and new developments being done around the world by them, which will be integrated into Caltex Telematics.”

“We are constantly evolving. We have light vehicle options for managing route optimisation and field service, geo-fence for productivity so we can track production from our loading tool, which is supported by bucket and body payload,” Mudford added.

“We also have drone data to display where improvements are required, flashing OTA (over the air), rapid reporting down to the minute, API feeds for mixed fleet integration, proximity awareness, peer-to-peer communications, and integration with grade control automation.”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 31

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Tyre recycling

Civil construction as a tyre recycling environmentalist

BY GREG KEANE THERE are too many good news stories about the use of recycled tyres in the construction industry to do justice to them all.

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) must take some credit for this in the proactive way in which it supports new applications for recycled tyres, including making financial assistance available, or even just offering advice.

It encourages readers with ideas for recycling, or those looking for advice in the area, to contact it (see www.tyrestewardship.org.au for contact details).

TSA is entering the final year of its five-year term commission to develop markets for tyre recycling, and is looking at whether there might be better models for achieving higher recycling rates.

This application has morphed into collaboration with Flexiroc Australia Pty Ltd, which has developed a concrete product that has been shown under testing to provide both blasting and ballistic protection. US testing is taking place for what is potentially a significant worldwide market.

The use of tyres as the core of the C4M modules provides sound absorption properties that make them suitable for noise walls.

Another advantage, compared to full precast or cast in situ solutions, is that where the modules are used in marine and other hostile environments that require a special (costlier) concrete mix, this is only required for the face panels.

In its home state of WA, probably the greatest competitor for the C4M

bale is limestone block. The tyre bale’s specific gravity of 0.5t/m3 (limestone is app. 2.3t/m3) gives it significant advantages in both transport and handling on site. A typical semi-trailer can carry around 10m3 of limestone, equating to around 12.9m2 of 2.4m high wall.

In contrast, around 40m2 of 2.4m high wall can be carried on the same semi-trailer.

However, Lomwest sees the speed of construction as being the real point of difference for its C4M modules, citing examples such as: ++ a 100m long, 2.4m high coastal wall, built in three days at a cost of $84,000 to replace a conventional wall built in six weeks at a cost of $140,000; and

++ a 116m long, 3m high retaining wall built by four men in seven days using C4M at a cost of $1750/lineal metre, while on the same project 25m of cast in situ wall was built by four men in 19 days at a cost of $7300/ lineal metre.

A contributing factor is that the walls can be backfilled progressively as they are being constructed and that propping is not required.

As befits a product that has a high recycled content, the C4M bale is also highly recyclable. The concrete faces can be easily broken off by an excavator using a demolition grab, leaving the tyre module intact for re-use with new face panels. The broken concrete panel itself can also be recycled.

How the C4M module comes together.

Persistence pays off Perth company Lomwest and its founder Cliff Strahan have been working on the C4M tyre bale system for 14 years, and have a wide range of successful applications to demonstrate its capabilities.

The C4M modules comprise a bale of 100 EPU (Equivalent Passenger Units – equates to around 80 car or 4x4 tyres) sandwiched between precast panels. The modules can be linked to produce structures of any practical height and length - generally walls, be they retaining walls, coastal protection barriers, noise walls, blast walls, ROM (run of mine) walls, even eco-house walls.

Lomwest favours the smaller tyres as rubber crumb producers seek the larger tyres because of the greater rubber content. However, the system could just as easily be used with larger tyres, if they were readily available.

The C4M modules were CAMS-certified for use as impact barriers at Barbagallo racetrack, while the Department of Defence undertook blast resistance trials before the modules were used for a blast wall to protect infrastructure and personnel at British Petroleum’s Kwinana refinery.

The 61 lineal metres of 3m-high wall was manufactured and installed within four days of receipt of order.

32 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Tyre recycling +

Tana shredder at Chip Tyre.

Helix Micro-Rebar is used for reinforcing the facing panels, as Lomwest has found that this is the only product that provides the early strength required for removing the panels from the moulds in the timeframe that it requires for assembly of C4M modules.

Innovative high volume recycler Chip Tyre recycles more than 2000 tonnes of tyres per month at its New Chum facility near Ipswich (QLD), and has been an innovator in finding new uses for recycled rubber.

The facility uses Tana Shark shredders to do the primary breaking down of tyres, with most of the bead wire being removed during this process. A secondary shredder breaks this down further, and produces a wire-free crumb that passes through a set of four granulators and an air extraction system separating out nylon fibre. This product is graded, and cracker mills are used to produce the smallest size (30#, or -0.7mm). One application for this size is in binders.

Shredding tyres is a demanding application for the shredders, and one requiring constant maintenance. Owner David Mohr has made a number of modifications, some of which are being taken up by the manufacturer.

A market that Mohr has looked to develop, in conjunction with a chemist, is an explosive that substitutes rubber crumb for diesel in ANFO (ammonium nitrate/fuel oil) explosives. The resulting product has been used successfully at a quarry near Warwick for over a year.

The use of rubber produces explosive with lower shock energy but greater heave than an ANFO explosive, making it more efficient even with less explosive.

This also makes it cost-effective.

While Chip Tyre processes a high volume of tyres, and recycles the steel extracted during tyre processing, Mohr is concerned about other by-products of processing for which there is no market. He is evaluating construction of a pyrolysis plant for using this waste to generate power for his own use, with surplus sold into the grid.

The road to (tyre) recovery There’s some irony in bitumen and asphalt being significant markets for products of tyre recycling, given

their impact on creating the need for recycling in the first place.

At a gala dinner of the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) at the Roads of the Future international conference in August, Cameron Nisbett of SAMI Bitumen Technologies received the national innovation leadership award for an enhancement to a crumb rubber binder to allow it to be transported greater distances.

SAMI has been a pioneer of crumb rubber in binders, with its SAMIseal being a well-established product.

However, transport beyond 300km was not advised due to concerns about degradation. The recent reformulation means that it can confidently be transported up to 1100km, greatly expanding its potential market.

There are multiple products within the SAMIseal range, with different rubber contents providing different properties.

Low rubber content binders are generally used to improve adhesion while high rubber content suits spray sealing of high stress surfaces. And the use of crumb rubber reduces the use of aggregates and expensive imported polymer.

AAPA has also been active in promoting the use of crumb rubber in asphalt, and recently brought US expert Dr David Jones to Australia to conduct a series of talks around the country.

The interest in crumb rubber asphalt precedes this, with Tyre Stewardship Australia and Queensland’s Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) jointly funding a study

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

into “Optimising the use of crumb rubber modified (CRM) asphalt and sealing technology in Queensland”.

Jason Jones of DTMR and Erik Denneman from ARRB led this.

Outcomes have been the development of specifications for the use of CRM in open graded asphalt (OGA), updating CRM seal specifications and conducting an OGA trial.

Roads and Maritime in NSW, Vicroads and Main Roads WA are also active in exploring CRM asphalt.

CRM benefits are outlined as improved crack resistance and fatigue performance, while its performance is regarded as comparable with other Polymer Modified Binders (PMB).

While emissions and odour can be concerns with CRM asphalt at higher temperatures, this can be managed through use of warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies. There are already several WMA plants around Australia.

Around 20% is regarded as a practical upper limit to the proportion of rubber crumb that can be used.

Interest in use of bitumen crumbed rubber asphalt hasn’t come only from state road authorities: in Melbourne, the Melton City Council has engaged Asphaltech to lay several thousand tonnes of this, with Asphaltech collaborating with Tyrecycle in this.

Both Asphaltech and Tyrecycle are represented on the AAPA Bitumen Crumbed Rubber Asphalt Working Group formed to explore and develop new applications, and to promote bitumen crumbed rubber in the industry.

Other Tyre specialist Tytec Group and green technology company Green Distillation Technologies Corporation (GDTC) are collaborating to apply a destructive distillation process to off-the-road (OTR) tyres. Tytec Recycling has been formed to give effect to this, with the venture scheduled to kick off in Perth in mid-2018. The process breaks tyres down into carbon, oil and steel, and does not require pre-processing.

The plant’s capacity will be 5000t per annum, which will generate more than two million litres of oil, approximately 2000t of carbon and 1000t of steel.

OTR tyres have traditionally been a recycling problem, and been buried on site after use.

Ecoflex has been a pioneer of tyre recycling in civil construction applications.

Its early years were a struggle for mainstream acceptance, but its systems have now been used on some high-profile jobs. One of those was the Kempsey Bypass project undertaken by Abigroup. Ecocell systems were used to support the platforms used for piling and for cranes up to 300t capacity that erected the beams for the Macleay River and Floodplain Bridge.

Perhaps an even greater breakthrough was when they were used as part of the permanent road foundations and retaining wall for an upgrade of Captain Cook Drive. Work was undertaken by Ford Civil for the Sutherland Shire (NSW).

New applications are being discovered regularly, and it is believed that a major announcement will be made in the next few months.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 33

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Equipment news

New piling hammer offers greater productivity PILING equipment specialist Pilequip represents PVE vibratory piling hammers in Australia. The largest of these, the PVE 500M, has been trialled in Europe against high speed doubleacting impact hammers that are traditionally used on large monopiles for marine-based wind farm projects.

The monopiles were 4.3m in diameter, had a 42mm wall thickness, were 21m long and weighed 94t. The PVE 500M drove these through soil with a high-water table in only three minutes.

A high speed, double-acting impact hammer took 30 minutes to do the same work.

While the PVE 500M has gained considerable attention for this feat, it is part of a range that starts with the 82M (82.kg.m; 18.0t) and 110M (110kg.m; 26.0t), with other models between these and the 500M.

A feature of these hammers is an upending system than can lift large tube piles from horizontal to vertical while they are attached to the hammer.

This means using only one crane and one lift, where previously either two cranes or two lifts with a single crane were required. With piles weighing between 40t and 100t, this meant using a large crane.

Using a hammer to upend a pile was not allowed previously, but the PVE hammer allows this to be done safely, as well as driving the piles in a 10th of the traditional time.

Pilequip currently has a 110MU (110M with upending tool) in stock.

Pilequip has experienced significant interest in the market, with some being interested in hiring the hammers and others interested in initially purchasing a used hammer.

The PVE hammer can upend a tube pile …

CJD in early times with Volvo, when style was more utilitarian and the Samsung excavator origins and Champion grader origins were still noticeable. Now the excavators are pure Volvo and graders are no longer in the Volvo-branded range.

CJD burns the candle at both ends CJD Equipment is celebrating 25 years of handling Volvo CE equipment in Australia. The company itself was founded by Ron Rafferty & Rob Jowett in 1974, but has grown significantly with Volvo CE being a large part of that success.

“Our focus since day one has always been long term and we are extremely proud of the relationship we have developed with Volvo CE over the last 25 years,” said Alan Barnett, managing director of CJD Equipment.

“The sales volumes and market share we have gained with the Volvo product has been due to the great people we have around Australia; they truly believe in the products they’re representing and consistently place customer satisfaction as an utmost priority.

“Sales of new machines have grown steadily over the years, building strong brand recognition and acceptance throughout Australia. Coupled with new product introductions from Volvo along the way, and many great CJD employees, we have built a robust business which supports our customers through all aspects of their business cycle.

“Generally speaking I am extremely optimistic. There are plenty of challenges ahead of us, as is the same for any business operation, but if we continue to develop good, strong relationships and focus on continued profitable growth - the business can continue indefinitely.”

Terex rigid dump trucks are part of that future, with CJD Equipment recently announced as Australian distributor. The range of four trucks - TR45, TR60, TR70, and TR100 is manufactured in Motherwell (Scotland) by Terex Trucks, and suits quarry and mine applications.

Clement Cheong, director of sales and marketing APAC at Terex Trucks, commented: “Terex Trucks’ rigid machines complement CJD’s range of equipment to serve clients in Australia. We are delighted with this appointment and confident that, with this partnership, we have the reach to better serve customers around the country.”

CJD Equipment has also sold out of current stock of the Volvo A60H articulated dump trucks (ADT) the most recently introduced and largest machines in the Volvo ADT range. More stock is expected in late November.

...And drive it in 1/10 of the time of a conventional hammer.

A Wolfe at the door CANADIAN trencher and drainage/ utility plow manufacturer Wolfe is looking for an Australian distributor.

An appointment was almost finalised when ill health put an end to negotiations. There are Wolfe trenchers in Australia but these have been brought in directly.

The Veeke family bought Wolfe in 2012. It had a good reputation with owners, but was regarded as a little agricultural in appearance. Listening to feedback from customers, the new owners modernised the range, improved the finish and comfort, and installed Cat engines. The

34 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

reaction from customers has been overwhelmingly positive.

Customer service has been a strong part of the Wolf reputation, and next day service is offered in North America. Ed Veeke is looking to have a similar level of service from its Australian appointee, with an announcement expected late this year.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Transport infrastructure: rail and airports + Aerial view the new runway project, July 2017.

Brisbane’s new runway project into final phase

All images courtesy of Brisbane Airport Corporation.

BY GREG KEANE THE recent awarding of the Airfield Works contract to Skyway, a joint venture of BMD Construction Pty Ltd and CPB Contractors Pty Limited (a member of the CIMIC Group), marks the start of the final phase of 3.3km parallel runway at Brisbane Airport that will be operational in 2020, and meet Brisbane Airport’s projected capacity needs to 2050 and beyond.

BMD had earlier involvement in the runway project in 2012-13, having been the early enabling civil works contractor for the first phase of the project, which included site clearing and access provision, construction of site compounds and provision of a 1.7km floodway and other significant drainage works.

The underlying ground conditions of soft, waterlogged mud and silt up to 35m deep required significant improvement to provide the stable, level surface necessary to support

the runway. Ground consolidation is being achieved by surcharging, and is accelerated by driving 330,000 vertical wick drains into the ground - the largest such installation in Australia.

The variability of ground conditions meant that surcharging levels vary across the site. Some areas will settle more than 2m. More than 1000 ground plates monitor the consolidation. Some areas have been stripped of surcharging material while, in other areas, this is not expected to occur until 2018-19.

The stripped material is being moved to adjoining areas, where it will be used for future aviation infrastructure.

Around 4.5 million cubic metres will be stripped.

The new ground level flood proofs the runway and provides immunity from rising sea level projections from climate change, as well as providing seamless integration with existing runway and taxiway infrastructure.

International dredging specialist Jan de Nul (Australia) used its

Dredged sand being pumped onto the site.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Wick drains being installed.

Charles Darwin trailer suction hopper dredge to extract 11 million cubic metres of marine sand from Middle Banks in Moreton Bay. Environmental considerations were paramount during this work. The dredged sand was pumped to site from a temporary mooring site on the Brisbane River through a 1.1m diameter pipeline that, at its longest, stretched 8.5km. Pumping avoided significant truck movements.

For pumping, water was mixed 5:1 with sand, requiring construction of bund and tailwater ponds to allow settlement before the pump water was released into the Kedron Brook floodway via the new major drainage system.

The dredge worked around the clock, averaging three round trips per day and delivering 30,000 cubic metres at a time. The dredging work was completed in 2014, ahead of schedule.

Hall Contracting completed seawall and site access works in 2016-17.

This provided construction access to the new runway site from Moreton Drive, and replacement of an existing dumped rock wall with a 1720m engineered seawall protecting the airport foreshore.

McConnell Dowell is undertaking the Dryandra Road Works, which includes a four-lane underpass and 1.1km of separated roadway, providing access between the north and south of the link taxiways for both airside and landside traffic. The underpass structure will be supported on 700 precast concrete piles. Work is scheduled for completion in mid-2018.

The Airfield Works contract involves construction of a 3.3km long, 60m wide runway and up to 12km of 25m wide taxiway pavement, as well as airfield infrastructure. Concrete and asphalt batch plants are being established on site, and about 1.25 million tonnes of quarry material will be brought to site and processed through a crushing and screening plant.

Surcharge material being stripped and relocated on site.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 35

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Logistics

Solving the logistics puzzle

BY GREG KEANE THE logistics of a construction project can be a pain in the proverbial for a principal contractor. The primary focus tends to be on how you build something rather than how you get the “building blocks” to site.

However, you can’t build something unless everything is on site at the right time, in the right order, and undamaged.

If craneage is required, then this generally requires coordination of the transport and craneage contractors.

Some companies offer both transport and craneage, and this streamlines the coordination issue and takes primary responsibility away from the principal contractor.

It’s not just the big things: there are some companies that specialise in getting the smaller but necessary things to site on time, and coordinate between the supplier and the project team to make it happen seamlessly.

Delivering a quality outcome within a budget Bowhill Engineering is a regional steel fabricator in SA, and punches above its weight in a very competitive market.

Being more distant from its clients than most of its competitors, it has often relied on innovation to not only bridge the gap in transport costs but also achieve a competitive advantage.

One example was supplying eight large steel beams to Adelaide’s Southern Expressway project in 2014.

Attention to transport was a key factor in winning the work, and delivering a good outcome for the client.

The 32.5m long steel beams were not straight forward to transport to any site. Bowhill decided to minimise traffic disruption and maximise efficiency by moving all eight members (totalling nearly 80t) to the site in one movement.

This saw the design of a purposebuilt transport and storage cradle to ensure safe transport and minimise the potential for damage to the coating on the beams. The cradle had to allow sufficient room for the truck-trailer

combination to reverse under the load.

The hydraulic trailer suspension had sufficient capacity and travel to be able to raise the cradle with its deck, allowing the bolted legs of the cradle to be removed for transport.

These legs were carried to site, and unloading was the reverse of loading, with the beams resting together in the cradle on site until they were due for erection.

Bowhill undertook engineering calculations and detailed shop drawings to ensure a safe, smooth and problemfree execution of its plan.

Apart from assisting to protect the coating, the storage cradle eliminated double handling, and maximised curing time before the beams were loaded into the cradle.

On site, the cradle was placed adjacent to the bridge site where the beams would be used. A crane was not required to load the beams onto transport at Bowhill, or offload them at site. The crane erecting the beams could lift them directly from the cradle.

The use of a single load on a platform trailer meant that there was only one oversize load to disrupt traffic rather than the four that would normally be used for such a delivery.

Forklift loading beams onto the cradle.

(Sydney) with a 24-axle line SPMT. A crane was not required for erection as the suspension travel was used.

Further down the scale, Eagle Cranes and Rigging used an SPMT to carry a 120t, 48m single-span steel pedestrian bridge a few hundred metres from its assembly site to busy Rockhampton road, where it was lifted into position at night by two cranes during a road closure.

Double deals Holts Crane Hire grew rapidly when founder Les Holt developed steerable jinkers to win work transporting bridge beams for the Gold Coast Motorway upgrade. This assisted in winning work for its cranes, and the takeover of the Brisbane Brambles

crane operation provided access to even more large cranes, which meant that more transport and erect work could be undertaken. The company dominated this work in South East Queensland and northern NSW, and this was perhaps a factor in its takeover by Boom Logistics.

At the heavy end, Lampson Australia has been a long-term supplier of heavy haulage and erection work on projects around Australia.

The growing presence of European crane and heavy haulage companies in Australia has greatly expanded the capacity to supply major projects with heavy haulage and erection packages that make life easier for the principal contractors.

Transport backing under the cradle.

SPMTs – underutilised in Australia?

Self Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs) are widely used in Europe in civil applications, and have also been widely used on remote mining projects in Australia where large modules are fabricated offshore, brought to site by barge and then transported to site

by SPMTs. However, they have not yet been seen in large-scale applications in civil projects.

At the Darlington Upgrade Project in Adelaide, the first of two 3000t bridges is being built away from its permanent position. Each bridge will be moved into position by a team of SPMTs in a precisely planned operation (simulations can be found online).

On a much smaller scale, Sarens Australia moved a complete 400t rail bridge into position in Bankstown

36 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

Loaded and under way, with the legs removed.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

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Renewable energy

RENEWABLES RISING despite policy blackout

BY GREG KEANE THE lack of a bipartisan long-term energy policy does not appear to be halting the push towards renewable energy in Australia. It appears that although the market is frustrated, financial factors and certainty of power access are contributing to the push.

While the blackout in South Australia gained publicity for all the wrong reasons in the rest of Australia, there is no doubting the commitment to renewables in the state, which may perhaps have the last laugh.

The SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre, managed by the YMCA on behalf of the SA government, recently completed a $1.2 million investment in a 512kW solar photovoltaic system, with an associated grid-interactive inverter and public display board, LED carpark lighting and a lighting upgrade in other areas. The payback period is estimated at seven years. The investment is part of the state government’s commitment to Carbon Neutral Adelaide: a vision for it to become the world’s first carbon neutral city. It also contributes to targets of the government’s energy efficiency strategy for government buildings.

While impressive, this is only the fourth largest solar array mounted on a building in SA, with Adelaide Airport (1.2MW), Adelaide Showgrounds (1MW) and Westfield Marion Shopping Centre (648kW) taking out the trifecta.

Of course, the publicity value of this goes nowhere near Elon Musk’s “world’s largest lithium ion battery in 100 days or its free” response to the blackout. Further details have emerged since the big announcement, with the 129MWh Tesla Powerpack to be installed at Neoen’s Hornsdale windfarm

near Jamestown.

Known as Hornsdale Power Reserve, the consortium of Tesla and French company Neoen will also become the largest renewable generator in the state.

With internationally recognised businesses involved in this undertaking, the activities at Hornsdale have gained international recognition, with Neoen deputy CEO Romain Desrousseaux saying: “Neoen is extremely proud to be working with the South Australian government and Tesla to expand the Hornsdale Wind Farm in Jamestown.

“At 100MW and 129MWh, the Hornsdale Power Reserve will become not only the largest renewable generator in the state but also home to the largest lithium ion battery in the world, with our company’s long-term, direct investment in South Australia growing to almost $1 billion since 2013.

“South Australian customers will be the first to benefit from this technology, which will demonstrate that large-scale battery storage is both possible and now, commercially viable.

“Together, the South Australian government, Neoen and Tesla will demonstrate that renewables can provide dependable, distributable power that will turn a new page in

38 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

Tesla Powerpack.

Australia’s energy future.”

Infratech, which built a world-first floating solar power plant at a treatment plant in Jamestown, now has a Chemical Looping Energy on Demand System (CLES) that it plans to have available to the market in 2018. The technology is claimed to create a new category that integrates power generation, oxygen generation (health and wellness), water heating, heating and cooling ventilation, and hydrogen. It believes that the focus on energy storage systems needs to be accompanied by the ability to create “energy on demand”. Its system is claimed to be scalable, so that it can meet domestic and commercial requirements.

The heat required to operate the system can come from natural gas, renewable energy or other sources.

Sanjeev Gupta first came to notice to many Australians when Londonbased GFG Alliance, of which his company Liberty House is a partner, bought Arrium and arguably saved its Whyalla steelworks.

What would seem left field for many is that GFG Alliance’s energy division, SIMEC Energy, took a majority stake in, and established a strategic partnership

with local energy company ZEN Energy. GFC has an overseas history of operating renewable energy facilities in parallel with steel plants, which is why it is investing in large-scale power projects to meet its own industrial requirements in Australia.

While SA has largely been the focus here, there are projects around the country, details of which can be found on the Australian Renewable Energy Agency website (https://arena.gov.au).

Paying for it Perhaps one of the obstacles in the past to businesses not using solar panels to reduce their energy costs, especially when they have large roof areas, is that they often do not own their premises and, even if they do, there are other investment priorities more central to the day-to-ay business.

The emergence of third party funding for solar installations, with recovery through rents or rates, has started to change this perception.

There are also examples of local government investments in renewable energy, generally in reaction to strong community sentiment. As an example, the Sunshine Coast Council (QLD) became the first local government to offset its entire electricity consumption across all its facilities and operations with renewable energy from a 15MW solar farm. Downer Utilities Australia contracted to design, construct, operate and maintain the facility, which hooks into an Energex distribution line that runs past the site. Diamond Energy is the electricity retailer partner.

And then there’s the community in Victoria that built its own two-tower wind farm. The people are speaking!

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

ARE YOU READY?

32 for

BASE KIT SPECIAL

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Machine control This project was undertaken with Topcon’s X63 excavator system and Position Partners’ Tokara Service and SiteLink 3D system.

How smart can machines get?

BY GREG KEANE TECHNOLOGY is important enough for the big two manufacturers to have strategic alliances with partners in the positioning technology space - Cat with Trimble, and Komatsu with Topcon.

Both have strategies for using technology, with Komatsu recently unveiling its SMARTCONSTRUCTION concept in Australia. Since the introduction of its D61EXi-23 “intelligent” dozer with fully automated blade control, Komatsu has introduced several intelligent machines (designated by having “i” in the model designation) in the dozer and excavator product lines.

These intelligent machines are part of the SMARTCONSTRUCTION picture, but are by no means the only - or even most important - part.

There are six inter-related elements of the big picture, those being: 1. High-precision job site survey, producing precise 3D data through the use of drones, 3D laser scanners and stereo cameras installed in the construction equipment.

2. 3D completion drawing, converting 2D construction drawings into 3D schematics to provide a more accurate vision of the area, shape and volume of earth to be moved, prior to construction.

3. Research and analysis of site variables, including soil classifications and buried objects.

4. Developing construction plans, with a simulation function that suggests different construction patterns for each section of the works, and updates this with real-time progress so that project managers can continually optimise their construction plans.

5. Advanced AI-driven construction, taking the 3D drawing data and transmitting it to “intelligent” Komatsu construction equipment, so that work is carried out to the tight tolerances, at high production rates.

6. Post-project “as-built” construction data, retaining project data for reference in future maintenance and reconstruction work.

Caterpillar has used the “Age of Smart Iron” as a generic term for its machines with on-board intelligence, but that’s just part of the total picture. At the end of the day, there must be a payback. Telematics is a mature technology in maintenance optimisation, and there’s enough history now to point to real benefits.

The focus now is on optimising productivity and accuracy - not just as individual machines but as fleets of machines working together.

A real world trial was recently conducted using 5km road projects carried out with and without the latest Cat Connect technology.

The new road was digitally designed in 3D using data from drones and GNSS survey tools and design software. The accurate volume estimates assisted in selection of the best equipment for the job.

The 3D design was sent to the machines working on the job using Cat Connect technologies, which also allowed the project manager to monitor progress in real time and make adjustments to improve productivity, as well as monitor actual performance against projected performance used in tendering (this also assists in fine tuning future tenders).

Cat PAYLOAD technology was used to measure loader bucket weights and payload in the dump trucks, with the respective operators having on-screen

40 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

A Cat field day demonstrating The Age of Smart Iron across a range of equipment, including this excavator.

displays of this. External lights also indicate when a payload is being reached. The final bucket can be tipped off so that the dump truck is fully loaded but not overloaded.

Overloading has consequences such as tip-overs, tyre damage/failure, drivetrain stress, and haul road damage.

Cat’s GRADE control solutions are scalable, with the semi-autonomous GRADE with Assist used on excavators and fully automatic GRADE 3D used on scrapers, dozers, graders and paving equipment. The obvious benefits of this are accuracy and speed, with fewer passes meaning less fuel and other operating costs, and less time taken.

AutoCarry technology on the dozers works with the site design and automates the blade lift functions to maintain the desired maximum blade load while minimising track slip. Integrated roof-mounted GNSS antennas provide speed and position information to assess this.

Cat COMPACT technology was used during the paving process. Integrated GPS-mapping builds a detailed

compaction map of the entire job site using propriety technology. It allows specification to be met more quickly, avoids over-compaction and increases temperature accuracy. Data can be shared between machines, and the project manager has live access to all information.

So what was the payback? By using smart technologies, 68 project days were saved, equipment hours were reduced by 34%, and 37% less fuel was used. The cost of the technology could be recovered in one road project of 6.5km length - every kilometre after that is extra payback.

There is a learning curve, but these figures show that there is also a payback.

Perhaps the challenge for the industry is to structure itself to take advantage of the potential for payback. The person required to make the investment should be the one to get the commensurate reward. Given the team nature of the technology, it’s probably difficult to justify placing it on hourly hire rate, where the margins are surely a disincentive to investment above the basics.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Advertorial +

How does GPS machine control work?

3D GPS machine control is now a common sight across most major civil projects Australia-wide. Used widely across a huge array of machines, from scrapers to graders, excavators, wheel loaders and everything in between, GPS is a flexible and accurate solution that enables all plant across the site to get to grade as quickly as possible with minimal wasted material.

Here are some examples of applications where GPS machine control can be used: ++ Subdivisions ++ Landscaping ++ Wetlands ++ Golf courses ++ Bulk earthworks ++ Batters ++ Carparks ++ Sewer & ++ Industrial drainage subdivision ++ Gas lines ++ Sports fields ++ Basements ++ Freeways ++ Footings & ++ Airports foundations ++ Rail ++ Dredging ++ Landfill So, pretty much everything.

What is the difference between GPS and GNSS? Technically, GPS is the abbreviated name for Global Positioning System, the United States’ satellite constellation. But it is only one satellite constellation out of an increasing number, including Russia’s GLONASS, China’s Beidou, Japan’s QZSS and India’s INSAT systems, which all vary in terms of their size and availability.

Although GPS is commonly used to refer to satellite-run technology generally, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is a more accurate term as it incorporates all satellites, in all constellations.

Long story short, they are 2 different terms people commonly use to describe the same thing: satellites in space that deliver positioning information to computers on Earth.

Fun fact: Australia is a pretty great country as we know, but another thing that makes it great is that it is able to access more satellites, from more constellations, than any other country on the planet due to geographic position. So that makes GPS an even better option for many construction and infrastructure projects.

How does GPS work on a machine?

There are a number of different components that work together to give accurate positioning information of the machine’s blade/bucket location

relative to the design it’s working to.

GPS antenna or antennas: mounted to the top of a mast on the machine’s blade, at the back of an excavator or even on the roof of the cab in some of the newer mastless machine control systems.

Machine sensors: depending on the machine and the application, these include tilt sensors, rotation sensors and mainfall sensors and together they deliver an accurate 3-dimensional position of the machine’s cutting edge using GNSS positioning information from all available satellites.

Control box: a display unit mounted inside the cab of the machine to give the operator live information about where the machine is relative to where it needs to be based on the 3D design it’s working to. The difference between these positions is known as the cut/fill.

Depending on whether you’re working with an automatic or manual (indicate) setup, the cut/fill can be sent through the machine’s hydraulics to automatically move the blade to the design.

Base station or RTK network: This provides an accurate cross-reference for the GPS antennas on the machine.

Because the machine is in motion, it needs to continuously update its position information using the satellites. You’ve probably noticed your car GPS or your phone is only accurate to within a few metres when you’re on the move. That’s where a base station comes in: because it’s not moving its position is ‘fixed’ so it continuously talks to the satellites and the machine’s GPS to communicate where the machine actually is to within a few millimetres.

Two antennas mean two 3D positions, which enable the system to always know the direction (or heading) of the machine. Add a rotation sensor and the machine control system will know the blade orientation at the same time, to give greater accuracy.

In grading applications, a twin antenna setup really comes into its own.

It allows the operator to roll the blade and still work at high accuracy, without the need of a slope sensor. A twin antenna setup also enables the operator to work in reverse or change direction quickly without losing accuracy.

What’s the difference between single, twin or dual GPS machine control?

Why would you use a dual GPS antenna machine control setup?

Single = one GPS antenna Twin = two GPS antennas, mounted to the same mast using a diamond bracket Dual = two GPS antennas, mounted to two separate masts

Dual masts are most commonly seen on excavator machine control solutions.

These machines, unlike most other plant on site, don’t move forwards and backwards while they work, the pivot instead. Putting a mast on the two back corners of the machine means the system always knows the position of the boom, because the boom and the tail of the machine always face the same way.

In grading applications, a dual mast setup eliminates the need for rotation, slope and mainfall sensors. It does this by placing an accurate 3D position at each end of the blade, so it always knows the position of the cutting edge and the direction of the blade.

Because the system focusses on

What are the pros and cons of single antenna GPS? Single masts work well in many applications, but because this setup has only one 3D position it is not able to keep track of the direction of the machine quickly and is not able to tell the orientation of the machine as it has no other points to tell where the rest of the machine is.

Single GPS machine control is

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

unable to work in reverse, the machine must be moving forward for it to maintain accuracy.

If you’re working on a steep slope, for example, and the machine is crabbing, a single GPS setup may result in an elevation error because the machine is moving at an angle rather than forward.

What are the advantages of a twin GPS antenna machine control setup?

the direction of the blade, rather than the direction of the machine, it allows operators to work to steep slopes without having to compute the position of the A-frame at all.

The only thing to note as a potential limitation of a dual mast system on a grader, is that unlike a single or twin setup, you cannot easily switch to other types of machine control technology such as laser, sonic tracker, or total-station controlled systems without first installing the rotation, slope and mainfall sensors.

When should you use GPS instead of laser, total station or sonic tracking technology?

GPS is a very versatile tool that lies at the heart of many 3D machine control solutions. It’s advantage is its flexibility, combined with its accuracy, particularly when it comes to Topcon systems which are designed to be multi-platform and multi-machine compatible.

Topcon GPS machine control gives you the option to: ++ Easily swap gear between machines ++ Scale up or scale down to suit the job – for example you might box out a subdivision with GPS but then you can switch to a sonic tracker to follow the kerb. Topcon lets you work with 2D or 3D technology without having to install a whole new system ++ Combine GPS with other technology, including laser or prisms with a total station, to increase accuracy even further for final trim work The only drawback to GPS is that for it to work accurately, you need access to open sky so the system can draw information from as many satellites as possible. If you’re working under dense tree coverage, in very built up areas or underground, laser, sonic tracking or total station based systems are the way to go.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 41

+

Concrete technology Spraying between the piles with Helix-reinforced shortcrete.

Concrete can be special

BY GREG KEANE IN our tyre recycling feature, we came across two special concretes that were both used in precast panels that formed the faces of the C4M “building block” with a compressed tyre bale as its core. The original panels used Helix Micro Rebar, which provided the high early strength for removing from the mould on the preferred schedule.

With the rise of terrorism, C4M developer Lomwest commenced talks with Flexiroc Australia, whose Protectiflex had been tested for both blast and ballistics resistance (the original C4M panel was tested for blast resistance and used for a blast wall at an oil refinery). The feeling was that combining the C4M bale with the Protectiflex armour would produce a comparatively light and cost-effective product with both blast and ballistic resistance.

The power of lateral thinking Australian engineer Gary Bullock is the managing director of UK company Enviromate Ltd, which developed a product that combined concrete and recycled non-biodegradable materials.

The result, Flexiroc, was for use on netball courts and offered a more forgiving surface for players (and their knees).

Bullock’s 30 years of experience as a structural engineer at SKM came to

the fore when he explored whether the shock absorbing qualities of Flexiroc could have application in ballistics protection. Extensive testing verified this application, after which its blast resistance was also tested successfully.

It is unusual for a single product to meet the requirements of both applications but Protectiflex, the Flexiroc derivative targeted at this market, proved equal to the task and now has accreditation under NATO and European standards for some of the highest levels of threat from blast and ballistics.

The rise of terrorism in western countries, and particularly in Europe, has made this a very topical issue in protecting public spaces and infrastructure.

A collaboration with StoneSmart Solutions LLC in the US, following successful testing, will see products developed for the protection market there.

While Flexiroc was initially developed for energy absorption and impact resistance, it has another property that is of great interest to select markets.

It is free draining, and the derivative product Equine Air is currently being performance-tested for thoroughbred training tracks in Australia. In this application, Equine Air is topped with a layer of stabilised sand, which is also used on dirt tracks in the US and Middle East.

The Flexiroc family tree.

42 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

The energy absorption and impact resistance is important in protecting valuable animals from injury, while the free draining characteristics mean that there is minimal downtime in thoroughbred training after a rain event.

Bullock’s local company Flexiroc Australia, in collaboration with premier sports field contractor Turf One, installed the first Equine Air trial track section in 2016, and the method of installation is as interesting as the product itself. A truck-mounted volumetric mixer was used to produce Equine Air, which was delivered into the hopper of an asphalt paver by the mixer. The screed is adequate for compaction and finishing.

The volumetric mixer and paver can be readily washed down to remove all traces of the Equine Air, and provide a fast and economical method of laying the pavement.

Flexiroc paving is also being installed as a porous pavement in the Sydney Light Rail Project, as the free draining and fast linear laying has appeal to this market. City councils are placing more and more emphasis on permeable pavements, with increased flooding and reduced water availability for vegetation being a natural consequence of hard paving.

Yet another application, this time with a product named Tremorflex, has been developed and tested at the University of Western Sydney for use as a resilient building product in earthquake zones. There are plans for this product to be developed for use in California and New Zealand.

The diversity of applications identified in a relatively short period of time indicates that the potential for derivatives of Flexiroc, either on their own or in combination with products with complementary properties, has barely been tapped. Bullock sums this up as: “It seems that not a month goes by without our recognising another potential use for the product. It certainly makes for exciting times.”

It’s not steel fibre The Helix Micro Rebar reinforcing used by Lomwest in its standard C4M module facing panels isn’t mesh reinforcing and it isn’t fibre - it has its own unique properties.

Luke Pinkerton is founder, president and chief technical officer of USbased Helix Steel International, and he delivered a paper at the Concrete 2015 Conference in Melbourne on “Twisted Steel Micro-Reinforcement: Proactive Micro-Composite Concrete Reinforcement”.

While that’s quite a mouthful, it basically outlined that conventional reinforcing is designed to carry load only after the concrete fails, whereas Helix - the twisted steel micro-reinforcement (TMSR) - engages concrete before it fails and increases concrete strain capacity, while still providing reactive reinforcement when strain capacity is exceeded.

He described a mix of concrete and Helix as a microscopic composite, contrasting with the macroscopic composite of concrete and reinforcement bar. This difference meant that it was difficult for structural engineers to calculate required dosages for TMSR. Pinkerton presented a simple design method calculating the TMSR dosage required to resist tensile forces and provide a comparable or superior performance to conventional reinforcement.

The design model had been validated through third party testing at an IAS/NATA certified laboratory, and subjected to full scale field-testing, calibration, and peer review by structural engineers in several countries.

Applications in Australia include precast concrete caissons below Westgate Bridge, (Melbourne), radio tower footings, wind turbine bases, shotcreting between piles for a basement wall (at no greater pressure than standard shotcrete), the structural elements of a crushing plant, precast arches, large concrete tanks and shotcreted stabilisation batters.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Blasting +

BlastBoss improving blasts systematically

BY GREG KEANE AS operations and technical director at dust control, road stabilisation, erosion control and water management specialist Reynolds Soil Technologies (RST), David Handel admits that he had limited knowledge of the intricacies of blasting.

However, mines are a large segment of the RST customer base and, in discussions with mine personnel about dust control and haul road maintenance, he came to understand that mines had many issues with current blasting technology, including limited fracture of cap rock, water contamination of explosives, hole collapse, cost and dust.

While Handel did not know blasting, he knew about chemicals and felt that a chemical solution was possible. He also knew people who knew about blasting, and drew on them to increase his understanding of blasting issues and conduct trials.

In hearing about the positive effects of water in extending the duration of a blast and improving fracture, Handel questioned why water was not used in blasts and was quickly advised of the downside of water contaminating explosives.

However, it gave him a direction of trying to harness the positives while eliminating the negatives. A high viscosity plasma gel known as Shockwave Power Plasma was the result, and it is loaded in blast holes as decking. Upon detonation, it creates a hydraulic shockwave that attenuates, redirects laterally and extends the duration of blast wave forces, so that improved and more even fracture can be achieved with up to 30% less explosives. It can be used with different types of explosives, and can allow less costly explosives (for e.g.

ANFO) to be used successfully.

Further advantages are reduced dust, noise, vibration and fume. Drilling costs can be lowered through reduced sub-drill and greater spacing of drill holes, and the reduced sub-drill also leaves a cleaner blast floor.

The improved fracture has benefits in filling loader buckets when loading

out blast material, in having more even weight distribution in the dump truck, and in reduced crushing requirements when processing the blasted rock.

While Power Plasma is the core product in terms of improved blast performance, Handel developed a complete blast system to address other issues that his attention was drawn to while researching blasting, and a separate company (BlastBoss Pty Ltd) was set up to handle the blast products, which have patent protection and are starting to be used in international markets.

Holeguard is a micro emulsion of water-soluble copolymers and is added to the drilling fluid/water when drilling the blast holes. Its primary purpose is to stabilise the walls and minimise their collapse. This manages blast material use and the need to re-drill holes, but there are secondary benefits in reducing friction, increasing cuttings removal and sealing the drill collars to control dust.

Dryshot is a structural water sealing barrier that can be used for both isolating toe water to create a dry hole for immediate loading of explosives and sealing over explosives or stemming to prevent water ingress and contamination.

It allows ANFO to be used in wet holes, and provides protection for “sleeping” holes. Because it protects explosives in the dry state, there is no need to increase the quantity of explosive in a wet hole.

Where Dryshot is used to cap toe water, this benefits the blast as it attenuates and increases the duration of the blast pressure event, and can deliver significantly increased rock fracture using less explosive (similar benefits to Shockwave itself).

A secondary benefit is that it aids in fume management.

Dekshield is essentially a structural version of Dryshot, and incorporates granular product. It can withstand high water head pressure for a prolonged period, making it a key component for protecting ANFO in wet hole environments. One trial involved a 10-metre head of water for seven days, with no water ingress into the ANFO explosives.

It provides excellent sealing around detonator cords and does not harm them, and stops stemming rock from diluting explosives. Water acts to seal

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Shockwave Power Plasma - part of the innovative BlastBoss range of blasting products.

BlastBoss founder and CEO David Handel.

the extremities of the Dekshield layer.

Common attributes of the BlastBoss products are that they are compatible with each other, and are instantly effective. They have application in civil, mining and quarry applications, and can be used underground as well as above ground. For purposes of convenience, Power Plasma is available in plastic packs as well as a gel.

The application of the products can vary depending on the conditions of the site and primary aim of the blast; with top deck, bottom deck and combined

top and bottom deck loadings possible.

Handel has acknowledged the assistance of a number of industry leaders in researching and testing the range of blast products.

He says: “Shockwave Power Plasma has the potential to revolutionise the global and Australian blasting industries by providing an advanced and efficient blasting solution that lowers costs, boosts productivity and enhances safety; while also being environmentally friendly. We are genuinely excited to introduce it to the market.”

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 43

Experience the Progress.

Find your Liebherr-contact

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Attachments +

Rock star came, sawed and conquered

BY GREG KEANE ROCK saw attachment manufacturer Echidna Technologies Pty Ltd recently released its OmniCut cutting system, which works well in rock, concrete and asphalt where, in the past, tungsten carbide blades were used for low to medium strength rock and diamond matrix blades were used for harder and more abrasive rock.

The OmniCut adapts rock drilling bit technology in combining tungsten carbide substrate and diamond grit in a single tooth that combines productivity and long tooth life in all conditions, and does not require water spray for cooling other than for hard granite-like material.

Results with the saw have indicated:

++ Australian sandstone - 0.5m2/hr/kW i.e. 70-100m2 for a 30-tonne excavator. ++ Concrete incl. steel-reinforced concrete - 0.2–0.3m2/h/kW. ++ 60-80 MPa limestone (mainly northern Ontario, Canada) - 0.2–0.3m2/h/kW. While the tip material is part of the secret of the performance, designer and managing director George Fischer states that the design of the steel holder was the key to success, requiring correct selection of both material and geometry, together with precision of manufacture. Echidna uses a five-axis CNC machining centre for this.

He also notes that the holders require ongoing maintenance to deliver the best outcomes. A contractor should allow 30 to 45 minutes per day for this, but the outcome is that the cutting

New way of trimming piles FINNISH contractor Teppei Morimoto had many years of cutting piles manually, and knew that there must be a better way. His invention, the MotoCut cutter, is the first pile cutting device to use diamond saw blades. A jaw holds the cut pile section.

It provides a clean cut and is around twice as productive as manual methods. A range of four excavator-mounted attachments has been developed, and these suit excavators of 5t to 30t operating weight, and handle piles from 200mmx200mm to 500mmx500mm.

The MotoCut can be used not only where the pile is cut off neat but also where exposed reinforcing is required, such as where there is a connection to a deck. In that instance, the saw does a full cut to remove the top of the pile down to the height of the top of the exposed reinforcing. A partial saw cut is then done at the bottom of the exposed reinforcing area, to a depth that does not reach the reinforcing but leaves a neater finish than only using a

breaker. A breaker of some sort is then used to remove the remaining concrete.

This method is not only faster than using a breaker from the top down, but leaves the site neater and substantially reduces OHS risk in several areas.

Instead of bringing in a specialist contractor for the pile trimming, sites can now use an excavator already on site to use a bucket to expose the piles down to a depth that allows the cut to be made, and then swap over to the MotoCut to perform the cuts. The flow and pressure requirements of the attachment are well within the range of a standard excavator.

The ability to now do this work with existing site equipment and personnel avoids the potential delays of coordinating with an outside contractor, and allows work to be done progressively so that the next stage of work can be started with the trimmed piles while other piles are still being worked on.

The concrete pile cutter was released to the market in 2014, and its success

Cat Box Blade attachment with 2D and 3D guidance options.

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

The OmniCut cutting system from Echidna promises higher productivity and reduced costs in a range of rock types.

tips can be rotated in well-maintained holders to extend their life.

A point of difference to standard teeth is that the Omnicut teeth are not all the same, being grouped in sets with each tooth being a different profile.

With correct attention to detail, one set of teeth working in Sydney sandstone cut over 6000 quarry blocks.

The system is designed to be maintained on site, and Echidna provides a re-tipping jig for tooth repair and an

onsite tooth removal tool in addition to replacement teeth and holders.

Having noted that the Australian market is very price-driven, Fischer set up a factory in the Czech Republic a few years ago, and the European market now accounts for the bulk of production, with users there appreciating the benefits of a premium product, as well as complementary technology such as autonomous self-contained saws that do not require an excavator.

saw a prototype MotoCut plasma pile cutter for steel piles and pipes released at Conexpo in early 2017.

While the prototype handled up to 270mm diameters and wall thicknesses to 20mm, the production model to be shipped in December 2017 can handle up to MotoCut concrete pile cutter working on a US project.

330mm diameter.

Being a fully hydraulic attachment (with Brisbane-based Premier Rock a hydraulic generator and compressor Machinery (PRM) has been appointed incorporated in the attachment), there as the Australian distributor. A unit has are significant safety benefits in not already worked on a Brisbane project, requiring separate cutting tools. A second and reportedly performed well. PRM model, possibly handling diameters up to already has a history with innovative 1000mm, is being planned as are cutters European attachments, representing for different profiles. When mounted on Movax piling attachments, Remu a suitable hitch, this attachment can screening buckets, Rotar demolition also be used for cutting steel pipe on hammers, Montabert hammers (in some pipeline projects. states) and Lehnhoff quick hitches.

Smart out of the box SMART technology doesn’t necessarily mean a big attachment. A Brisbane contractor bought a Cat Box Blade attachment, and a Cat 299D to mount it on. The application is ground preparation for a concreting company specialising in large slabs, and increased accuracy in ground preparation means more precision with concrete quantities.

The box blade is already productive because, with reversible blades,

it is cutting in both directions off travel. The Trimble machine control system has dual masts, and can work to 3D designs by using a Universal Total Station when working inside a building, or use 3D GPS when there is a line of sight to a satellite. It can also work to 2D designs using dual laser sensors, A third mast is fitted to the loader arm, and used when boxing out with a bucket.

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 45

State infrastructure report: NSW +

Exciting times for NSW

BY JACQUELINE ONG ACROSS Australia, engineering construction is on a path of growth.

The September instalment of the Australian Industry Group and Housing Industry Association’s Performance of Construction Index (PCI) revealed that across the country, engineering construction activity maintained

strong growth for the month, albeit at a slower pace, with the sector decreasing by 1.1 points to 56.9 points from August (readings above 50.0 points indicate expansion with higher numbers indicating a faster pace of expansion). This is the sixth consecutive month of expansion in engineering construction activity.

In each issue of Inside Construction,

we will bring you a snapshot of the work available and contracts awarded, and in our inaugural edition, we turn the spotlight on NSW where there is a large pipeline of infrastructure in store for the sector, backed by plenty of funding by the state government by way of its $72.6 billion commitment to infrastructure over four years, revealed in this year’s Budget.

But first, here are some of the ongoing major projects in NSW: ++ Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link. ++ Sydney Metro - Northwest, City and Southwest, and West. ++ NorthConnex. ++ Western Sydney Airport. ++ WestConnex northern and southern extensions.

CONTRACTS AWARDED

CPB CONTRACTORS Project: Pacific Highway upgrade - Woolgoolga to Ballina, main civil works, sections 7, 8 and 9 Contract period: 31 August 2017 19 December 2019 Contract value: $401.39 million Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

JOHN HOLLAND, CPB CONTRACTORS AND GHELLA Project: twin tunnels under CBD and Sydney Harbour (Sydney Metro) Contract value: $2.81 billion Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

TIPP-EXC CIVIL Project: relocation on Maitland Road and Duffle Drive water main (Adamstown) Contract period: 8 September 2017 6 October 2017 Contract value: $167,451.90 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

INFRASOL GROUP Project: contract specialist for WestConnex Contract period: 18 September 2017 1 January 2018 Contract value: $237,600 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

GHD

JACOBS GROUP Project: Sydney Harbour Bridge lane refurbishment Contract period: 6 July 2017 - 5 July 2018 Contract value: $1.167 million Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

FULTON HOGAN INDUSTRIES Project: minor bitumen sealing works across NSW Contract period: 20 September 2017 11 October 2017 Contract value: $579,348 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

Project: detail design and associated comprehensive RFT preparation for construct-only contact documentation packages for the approximate 500 lineal metres of proposed rock revetment seawalls to be constructed along the edge of Newcastle NSW Harbour, including the significant culvert extension at Cottage Creek.

Contract period: 31 August 2017 - 19 October 2017 Contract value: $184,218 Issuing agency: Hunter Development Corporation

SPECIALIST SITE SERVICES Project: Castlereagh Highway, Pearson Lookout slope stabilisation Contract period: 9 October 2017 26 October 2017 Contract value: $1.33 million Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

MCCARTHY HAULAGE Project: bulk haulage of clay materials in relation to Conrad remediation works Contract period: 1 September 2017 30 December 2017 Contract value: $495,000 Issuing agency: NSW Department of Industry - Lands & Forestry

BORAL CEMENT Project: supply and delivery of quicklime for X-line overtaking lanes Contract period: 21 September 2017 12 April 2018 Contract value: $344,036.88 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

GHD Project: options study, concept design, detailed design, commissioning of Bundarra Sewerage Contract period: 29 September 2017 23 October 2019 Contract value: $438,154 Issuing agency: Department of Finance, Services and Innovation

DEARNU Project: Mogriguy culvert works (13-15km north of Dubbo) Contract period: 26 September 2017 7 November 2017 Contract value: $195,855 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 47

Bond +

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BEFORE REHABILITATION IN 2009 – PERTH AIRPORT

48 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

8 YEARS AFTER REHABILITATION WITH HATELIT C – PERTH AIRPORT

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 49

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State infrastructure report: NSW

BRIDGE CHECK AUSTRALIA Project: bridge repairs Contract period: 28 September 2017 10 May 2018 Contract value: $1.1 million Issuing agency: Department of Finance, Services and Innovation

AECOM AUSTRALIA Project: Western Harbour Tunnel & Beaches Link - provision planning and environmental lead Contract period: 18 April 2017 - 30 June 2018 Contract value: $911,960 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

RIDER LEVETT BUCKNALL NSW Project: Western Harbour Tunnel & Beaches Link PDDR cost estimation services Contract period: 13 July 2017 - 26 October 2017 Contract value: $768,680 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

HANSEN YUNCKEN Project: Birchgrove Wharf Contract period: 2 August 2017 - 28 March 2018 Contract value: $2.67 million Issuing agency: Roads and Maritme Services

COFFEY GEOTECHNICS

GHD

Project: Mulgoa Road stage 1 - geotechnical investigations and reporting Contract period: 19 June 2017 - 15 January 2018 Contract value: $363,000 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

Project: Woolgoolga to Ballina site contaminated investigations/assessments Contract period: 8 February 2017 - 27 October 2017 Contract value: $483,613.90 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

SANDPIPER DREDGING

AT & L AND ASSOCIATES

Project: dredging Yamba Harbour Contract period: 30 August 2017 - 20 December 2017 Contract value: $1.68 million Issuing agency: Department of Finance, Services and Innovation

Project: upgrade concept, detail and REF for Empire Bay Drive The Scenic Road Kincumber intersection Contract period: 4 August 2017 - 20 July 2018 Contract value: $971,447.40 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

BRIDGE AND CIVIL Project: Old Kapooka Bridge demolition Contract period: 23 May 2017 12 September 2017 Contract value: $992,905.22 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

LAING O’ROURKE AUSTRALIA CONSTRUCTIONS Project: track works (North Sydney) Contract period: 29 July 2017 - 27 August 2018 Contract value: $593,770 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

RHOMBERG RAIL AUSTRALIA Project: track works (Thornton) Contract period: 8 July 2017 - 10 December 2018 Contract value: $1.03 million Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

Project: track works (Parramatta) Contract period: 29 July 2017 - 4 September 2019 Contract value: $1.44 million Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

TAYLOR RAIL AUSTRALIA Project: track works (Unanderra) Contract period: 8 July 2017 - 27 August 2018 Contract value: $627,308 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

JOHN HOLLAND Project: track works (Parramatta) Contract period: 11 May 2017 - 10 December 2018 Contract value: $516,120 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

TAYLOR RAIL AUSTRALIA

RHOMBERG RAIL AUSTRALIA

Project: track works (Unanderra) Contract period: 26 August 2017 - 26 August 2018 Contract value: $191,726 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

Project: track works (Thornton) Contract period: 29 July 2017 - 27 August 2018 Contract value: $212,316 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

50 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017

JOHN HOLLAND

JOHN HOLLAND LAING O’ROURKE AUSTRALIA CONSTRUCTIONS Project: track works (North Sydney) Contract period: 1 July 2017 - 3 September 2018 Contract value: $921,787 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

LAING O’ROURKE AUSTRALIA CONSTRUCTIONS Project: track works (North Sydney) Contract period: 8 July 2017 - 27 August 2018 Contract value: $526,325 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

RHOMBERG RAIL AUSTRALIA Project: track works (Thornton) Contract period: 29 July 2017 12 November 2018 Contract value: $428,900 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

Project: track works (Parramatta) Contract period: 1 July 2017 - 3 September 2019 Contract value: $658,354 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

JOHN HOLLAND Project: track works (Parramatta) Contract period: 8 July 2017 - 9 July 2018 Contract value: $166,829 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

JOHN HOLLAND Project: track works (Parramatta) Contract period: 15 July 2017 - 10 December 2018 Contract value: $416,426 Issuing agency: Sydney Trains and NSW Trains

JACOBS GROUP Project: geospatial surveys, laser scanning survey for CADD model Contract period: 10 July 2017 - 31 October 2017 Contract value: $278,245 Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

State infrastructure report: NSW + PACIFIC HIGHWAY UPGRADE PARSONS ROAD TO OURIMBAH STREET AT LISAROW

TENDERS ALERT

BOLIVIA HILL UPGRADE Details: tenders are invited from contractors prequalified under the national prequalification system for civil (road and bridge) construction contracts at roadworks category R3 or higher, bridgeworks B4 or higher and financial level F50 or higher for the Bolivia Hill upgrade - realignment of the New England Highway at Bolivia Hill.

The contract is for the construction of roadworks, bridgeworks and associated activities for the upgrade of approximately two kilometres of the New England Highway (HW9) at Bolivia Hill. The project includes construction of a 320-metre-long bridge, and to straighten out bends in the steepest section of the highway.

Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services Contact: Ric Church - 02 6640 1082 or boliviahillupgrade@rms.nsw.gov.au Closing date and time: 1 November 2017, 2.30pm

CAMDEN BICENTENNIAL EQUESTRIAN PARK MAIN ARENA CIVIL WORKS Details: detailed works include the construction of bulk earthworks, civil works, arena pavement, perimeter fence, sleeper wall, pop up irrigation system including all required electronics and associated water supply works.

Contract period: works to be completed by 28 February 2018.

Issuing agency: Camden Council Contact: Anita Winter - 02 4645 5108 or quotes@camden.nsw.gov.au Closing date and time: 1 November, 3pm

M1 WEAKLEYS DRIVE INTERSECTION UPGRADE Details: The project involves the replacement of the existing roundabout with a signalised intersection, and includes the following features a traffic light controlled intersection with two through lanes on all approaches, and additional turning lanes on all approaches including two right-turn lanes from the M1 Pacific Motorway to increase traffic flow turning right into John Renshaw Drive Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services Contact: Jason Clements - 0429 043 549 or jason.clements@rms.nsw.gov.au Closing date and time: 3 November 2017, 2.30pm

WOOLGOOLGA TO BALLINA RIGID PAVEMENTS SECTIONS 3-4 AND 10 Details: Suitably qualified contractors are invited to tender on the construction of remaining rigid pavements works for the Woolgoolga to Ballina project.

Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services Contact: Michael Heathwood - 0418 259 759 or michael.heathwood@pacificcomplete.com.au Closing date and time: 27 November 2017, 2.30pm

DIARY

November 12-15 | Corrosion & Prevention 2017 International Convention Centre, Sydney The annual Australasian Corrosion Association conference is a four-day gathering of world experts on corrosion mitigation. This will be a premium networking event as well as a source for the latest information concerning corrosion mitigation. www.conference.corrosion.com.au

Details: registrations of interest (ROI) are invited from organisations wishing to compete for shortlisting to tender for the proposed contract for the construction of the Pacific Highway upgrade, Parsons Road to Ourimbah Street at Lisarow.

The project involves upgrading 1.6 kilometres of the Pacific Highway to a four-lane divided urban arterial road standard between Parsons Road and Ourimbah Street at Lisarow. The project includes the following features: ++ a new road bridge over the Main North Line that replaces the existing bridge; ++ new signalised intersections at Railway Crescent and Tuggerah Street and an upgrade to the existing signalised intersection at The Ridgeway; and ++ local road upgrade works in The Ridgeway, Tuggerah Street, MacDonalds Road, Railway Crescent, Dora Street and Lisarow Station access connecting to the new highway works.

Issuing agency: Roads and Maritime Services Contact: Daryl Fidge - 02 4394 6220 or daryl.fidge@rms.nsw.gov.au Closing date and time: 8 November 2017, 2.30pm

November 28-29 | 8th Annual Victorian Major Projects Conference Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre More than 200 senior level executives from public and private sectors will convene to hear presentations on major projects and infrastructure plans such as Infrastructure Victoria’s 30-year Strategy, Development Victoria’s Urban Renewal Projects, the Metro Tunnel Project and the Victorian Planning Authority’s East Werribee Employment Precinct. www.viconference.com.au

November 20-21 | 2017 Australian Infrastructure Summit QT Canberra An important aim of the Australian Infrastructure Summit is to foster delegate interaction and debate on keynote issues that are prominent in the civil contraction sector. These will include: infrastructure investment; industrial relations; technology; national rights and responsibilities and contract law. The highly prestigious National Earth Awards will once again recognise excellence in civil construction. www.nationalsummitandearthawards2017.com.au

April 30 - May 2, 2018 | CORE 2018 International Convention Centre, Sydney The RTSA’s biennial Conference on Railway Excellence (CORE) has firmly established itself in recent years as the premier technical event in the Australasian rail conference market, with a reputation for high quality papers covering a wide range of rail engineering, operations, planning and management topics. www.core2018.org

November 20-23 | Bioenergy 2017 Dockside, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney Bioenergy Australia is keen to see commercial growth in the industry that takes advantage of bioenergy’s unique potential - from reliable, dispatchable electricity through to advanced biofuels and new regional industries. The conference, with the theme ‘Bioenergy - the reliable renewable’ - will seek to enhance commercial outcomes for industry and for research. www.bioenergyaustralia.org/pages/bioenergy-australia-2017.html

November 27-30, 2018 | bauma China 2018 Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China bauma China is Asia’s largest and most important event for the construction industry. It attracts international buyers - a fact that guarantees a high return on your investment as well as sustainable success. Today, the show is both a platform for product presentations and a grand industry party for communication, cooperation and continued growth. www.bauma-china.com

Daily news updates at www.insideconstruction.com.au

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 INSIDE CONSTRUCTION 51

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