AAPA member profile

ZEHRA KAYA HUESKER AUSTRALIA

Q. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AN AAPA MEMBER AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME AN AAPA MEMBER? A. I have been an active member for over three years. Having worked with AAPA member companies since 2013, I joined the organisation because it’s the ideal platform for innovation and collaboration in contributing to the industry.

Q. HOW DID YOU START YOUR CAREER IN THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY? A Having combined a BSc degree in Textile/ Materials Engineering with a specialisation in technical textiles for industrial applications such as construction, and a master’s degree in International Business, I was well placed to apply my technical skills in a commercial setting to drive the recognition and wider utilisation of new innovative technologies in road construction.

I first started working with the HUESKER Group in 2013 in the earlier stages of their entrance in the Australian market. In 2017, with the establishment of its Australian subsidiary through the acquisition of a local engineering firm, I joined HUESKER Australia.

Q. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE? A In my current role as the National Manager - Roads and Pavements for HUESKER Australia, I have been responsible for the implementation of highly engineered German HUESKER geosynthetic reinforcement technologies in the Australian context for more sustainable highperformance Roads and Airfield Pavements.

I am fortunate to be leading a dedicated team, overseeing all technical aspects of our operations, from design through to delivery on site, and co-operating closely with a wide range of infrastructure asset owners, consulting engineers, and construction contractors in finding and

Zehra Kaya, National Manager - Roads and Pavements for HUESKER Australia.

applying the right engineering solution. My position enables the significant role HUESKER plays in the industry as a worldleading solution partner to our clients, refining proven global practices based on the Australian requirements, and delivering project-specific engineering solutions such as HaTelit C™ , HaTelit XP™ and Fortrac™ highstrength reinforcement systems.

Q. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN THE INDUSTRY? A Adoption and wider utilisation of specialised German-engineered highperformance geosynthetic asphalt reinforcement solutions in Australia, field verification of superior performance across the country, and correct implementation in both design and construction of hundereds of projects. In general, this has been a contribution to the advancement of pavement engineering and construction, allowing longer-lasting roads and pavements and smarter utilisation of asset management funds, whilst considerably reducing the impact on the environment by using less of our limited resources. I have been very fortunate to have the support of the great team I have locally, our global team of experts, and of many fantastic professionals in the industry who share the same commitment.

Q. WHAT IS A RECENT CHANGE YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE INDUSTRY AND HOW ARE YOU/THE COMPANY PREPARED FOR THAT? A Very positively, the growing focus on recycled materials and circular economy. What has been driving HUESKER’s innovative engineered solutions over many decades has been the world’s declining resources despite increasing needs for more construction materials.

We have taken our sustainable innovation a few steps further with our new “HaTelit C™ eco” asphalt reinforcement solution we especially engineer from 100 per cent recycled polymers with the original polymer quality in our standard HaTelit C™ technology. When we use the “HaTelit C™ eco” asphalt reinforcement instead of the virgin HaTelit C™ reinforcement during the rehabilitation of about 7,000 square metres of the pavement, this saves about 5,500kg in CO2 and uses over 200,000 postconsumer water bottles whilst increasing pavement durability.

Q. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE? A I look forward to ensuring that HUESKER Australia’s presence as an industry-leading innovation and solution partner to the roads industry across Australia continues to grow. What we have achieved so far in Australia is only the beginning, and the future is exciting.

I also look forward to more prudent use of construction materials, reduction of CO2 emissions, and betterconnected safer communities through reliable infrastructure .