Bitu-mill use Leica 3D excavator systems and survey equipment.
PROJECT
PRECISION
WHEN BITU-MILL WERE TASKED WITH CUTTING SURFACES FOR THE NORTHCONNEX AND PACIFIC HIGHWAY THE COMPANY TURNED TO C R KENNEDY FOR THE LATEST AUTOMATED INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY.
T
he NorthConnex is one of Sydney’s largest infrastructure projects, involving the construction of twin nine-kilometre tunnels connecting the M1 and the M2 motorways. As more than half of the tunnels are 60 metres deep into the ground, the project produced unfavourable ground conditions for planning and shaping ground surfaces. When Bitu-mill was given the task of cutting out the road in the tunnels, the company knew ground conditions called
C R Kennedy are the exclusive Australian Leica distributor. 38
ROADS SEPTEMBER 2019
for an intelligent system to ensure accurate cutting and avoid delays. Bitu-mill required an automated milling system for the job so looked to its long-term supplier C R Kennedy. The Leica iCON PAVE was Bitu-mill’s machine control system of choice, following the successful use of other Leica products. C R Kennedy are the exclusive distributor for Swiss company Leica Geosystems in Australia and provided Bitu-mill with iCON PAVE. It also supplies a range of technological equipment for the surveying, construction, mining, mapping and wider geospatial industries. Bitu-mill Senior Surveyor Tague O’Callaghan was tasked with setting up the profiling machines. “The level of service and attention to detail with C R Kennedy and the good working relationship they have with our surveying department was a good sign for us to keep using the products they supply,” Mr. O’Callaghan says. “We find it makes sense to have one brand of equipment across the company and the service provided by the Leica technology,
we believe, is market leading.” Bitu-mill use Leica 3D excavator systems and survey equipment, which are similar to the 3D milling control system and keeps consistency of controls for the operators. The Leica iCON PAVE is a 3D milling system which allows the operator to control the cutting depth of a milling machine with either GPS or total station control through a dedicated onboard machine computer. Mr. O’Callaghan says the Leica iCON PAVE helps to control the milling machines to achieve the optimum cut for the road. “Essentially, the control system manages the levels on a project and betters the accuracies when you input the correct data,” he says. For each project, an authoritative body, such as the Victorian Department of Transport, will set specific tolerances to restrict certain measurements such as the length, width and depth of the road. “The Leica iCON PAVE is able to cut within about five millimetres of tolerances, enabling us to confidently meet requirements and increase the quality of our projects,” Mr. O’Callaghan says.
