Future-proofing AUSTRALIA’S AGING INFRASTRUCTURE

As the population of Australia continues to grow, increasing pressure is placed on existing infrastructure assets. Maintaining or replacing aging infrastructure presents many challenges for councils, which must operate within tight budgets and limit the impact on communities and the environment. This is why employing non-invasive, economical asset repair and preservation solutions is critically important.

The core technologies Mainmark employs are Teretek®, Terefil® and Terefirm®.

Mainmark’s Russell Deller said, “Australia has a lot of aging infrastructure that is required to service increasing populations. I think it's becoming increasingly important to ensure that infrastructure assets are well-maintained and preserved.

“From removing trip hazards on footpaths to re-supporting and raising roads or bridges to re-levelling and re-supporting buildings or structures, Mainmark solutions have been successfully employed across numerous assets managed or owned by councils.”

Efficient Solutions For Community Needs

Repair, maintenance or decommissioning of infrastructure often requires road closures and lengthy community disruptions. This can prove challenging for local governments, who must manage the interests and concerns of their constituents.

The main benefit of Mainmark solutions is that they are of a non-invasive surgical nature compared to traditional methods, and the work can be completed quickly, meaning there’s less disruption to communities.

Maintaining infrastructure assets is crucial for public safety and can be an expensive process for local governments, especially as infrastructure ages and the cost of repairs increases.

If maintenance is deferred, repairs become more extensive and create a bigger drain on resources. Finding solutions to increase the lifespan of existing infrastructure and avoid complex reconstruction is an effective way to reduce budget demands.

For almost 30 years, Mainmark has developed and delivered advanced technologies for ground engineering and asset preservation, working with councils to provide void filling, ground improvement and re-levelling solutions.

“Our technologies have fast delivery and curing times, which means treated areas can be used immediately or without the delays experienced when using traditional repair or replacement methods,” Mr Deller said.

“Mainmark solutions are non-invasive. It means not having to rip up a section of roadway or generally avoiding excavation altogether. Works are often performed at night while everyone’s asleep.

“It’s not only less disruptive to the community, the speed in which these solutions can be completed ensure they are also significantly more cost-effective, which means taxpayer's money is being more wisely spent.”

Decommissioning Without Disruption

Recently, Mainmark was engaged by a local Council on the New South Wales North Coast to help safely decommission a stormwater pipe.

When the Council was upgrading its aging stormwater network, it found a reinforced concrete pipe running directly underneath a residential property. The Council sought to re-route the stormwater pipe outside the property's perimeter as part of the stormwater upgrade works.

The section of pipe beneath the home was 40m long x 375mm wide. As it was impossible to remove the pipe without demolishing the home, the pipe needed to be filled with a structural fill material before being abandoned to prevent future issues from occurring.

If the underground pipe were to deteriorate and collapse, the soil surrounding the pipe would shift, potentially leading to the formation of underground voids, in turn putting the home’s foundations at risk of subsidence. Mainmark was required to safely decommission the reinforced concrete stormwater pipe with a structurally sound and environmentally inert pipe fill solution.

Mainmark worked closely with the Council to arrange the necessary preliminary requirements, such as securing the pipe end plates and installing breathers and injection fittings before decommissioning.

Mainmark injected Terefil®, a proprietary lightweight cementitious grout, into the section of pipe that was to be abandoned. The grout was mixed to a specific density to ensure the designed mechanical properties were achieved.

Terefil® is a highly flowable cementitious material that can be easily pumped over very long distances, making it an ideal solution for the site. Terefil® contains a uniformly distributed polymer cell structure encapsulated by cementitious materials – creating an engineered, lightweight and strong product that is far more versatile than traditional bulk void fill materials.

The key features of Terefil®

• Can solve a wide variety of geotechnical challenges

• Creates a lightweight and strong concrete mix

• Easily pumped over very long distances

• Environmentally inert

• Low carbon footprint

• Less raw materials used, and needing to be transported to site

“The use of Terefil® allowed the Council to complete the pipe abandonment work without the need for expensive excavation or creating any disruption to the homeowner,” Mr Deller said. “The project was successfully completed in a single day and within the Council’s budget.”

Sustainable Infrastructure Maintenance

Local governments are also expected to act sustainably when carrying out maintenance or upgrade works by minimising impact on the surrounding environment and meeting wider climate goals.

Mainmark’s void filling, re-levelling and ground improvement solutions are all delivered via Mainmark's custom-built and automated equipment.

“Terefil®, for instance, is environmentally inert and has a low carbon footprint. It requires less raw material to be transported to site, reducing traffic congestion and fuel use,” Mr Deller said.

Leveraging low-impact, more sustainable technologies to repair or maintain infrastructure is one way councils can support a better quality of life in their locality.

Increasing populations will place greater demand on aging infrastructure and ensuring those assets are well maintained should be a high priority for councils.

To find out more go to https://mainmark.com/