Trenchless Australasia June 2020 by Prime Creative Media

ISSUE 63 | JUNE 2020 THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALASIAN SOCIETY FOR TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY

BORING THE MAIN EVENT Queensland’s king of rock | KOR makes an impact in southeast Queensland Vermeer sets a rock-solid standard | An impulse to use 3D GPR technology Maxibor drills to success with HDD methodology

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Editor’s letter EDITORIAL

Chloe Jenkins cjenkins@gs-press.com.au David Convery dconvery@gs-press.com.au Sophie Venz svenz@gs-press.com.au BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Nick Lovering nlovering@gs-press.com.au Lyndsie Clark lclark@gs-press.com.au Michael Usic music@gs-press.com.au DESIGN

Jonathan Concannon jconcannon@gs-press.com.au Ryo Takara rtakara@gs-press.com.au PUBLISHER

Annie Ferguson aferguson@gs-press.com.au EDITORIAL BOARD Mike Stokes Reliability Delivery Manager, South East Water Robert Loncar Lead Civil Engineer, Sydney Water Tim Lancaster Partner, Alta Consulting

PUBLISHER

Great Southern Press ACN 005 716 825 (ABN 28 096 872 004) Level 15, 461 Bourke Street Melbourne VIC 3000 +61 03 9248 5100 query@trenchless-australasia.com www.trenchless-australasia.com ISSN 1832-0562

Trenchless Australasia is audited by the Audited Media Association of Australia. Average net distribution is 3,483 for the period ending September 2019. 4 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

Chloe Jenkins

ince the production of the March edition of Trenchless Australasia, the world has changed significantly. At the time, COVID-19 had not yet been labelled a pandemic and we were all still working in office, keeping a close watch on the news coverage of the coronavirus. By mid-March, recommendations for social distancing were in place and restrictions were settling into effect as the serious nature of the global event became real to the nation. Since then, I’ve had the Australian Government’s message drilled into my mind: stay home. Four reasons to travel: shopping for essentials; receiving or giving medical care; attending work or education, where it cannot be done from home; and exercise. Those who can’t complete vital work from home have been deemed essential services. It soon became clear my original concept of what essential services needed to continue running was short-sighted. Those in customer service keep the stores running – both online and physical – so the public can shop for essentials; those that work for councils keep public spaces maintained for the public to go out and exercise safely; and those who work in the infrastructure sector maintain and repair essential assets so the public has safe and continued access to necessities like water and gas services. I am proud to have witnessed the way our trenchless professionals have adapted to the new circumstances, working hard to balance the safety of their teams with the delivery of works that keep our communities running. In addition to increased use of personal protective equipment and practising working at social distance, companies have embraced technology and become more innovative. To protect employees delivering on-street works, companies have organised letter drops requesting people contact a hotline rather than approaching the teams onsite. To keep engaged and open to customers, manufacturers and distributors are offering digital meetings, online training and demonstrations that meet all social distancing rules. I’ve also seen a number of trenchless companies and institutions taking the initiative to offer avenues for upskilling to current employees as well as those new to the industry, to ensure those on standby will be more than

ready to jump back in as restrictions begin to ease. Furthermore, there have been positive indications from the Australasian infrastructure industry, with planning taking place to boost project development post-pandemic. I recently attended Water New Zealand’s ‘Infrastructure delivery during COVID recovery’ webinar, addressing the need to take a strategic and integrated approach to water management by supporting targeted investment decisions, a stronger focus on strategy implementation and long-term planning. Key focuses of works during the recovery phase include considering the social and economic impact of COVID-19; embedding cultural and environmental objectives into project planning; and social procurement strategies, among other things. Infrastructure New Zealand has said there is big support for investment in the renewal of water infrastructure through shovel-ready projects that will improve and maintain quality of service while introducing short-term stimulus to restart the economy. Meanwhile, independent infrastructure advisor Infrastructure Australia has continued to build on its Infrastructure Priority List, a constantly evolving report providing a comprehensive roadmap of the priority infrastructure investments Australia needs over the next 15 years. High priority projects include the expansion of the Sydney Metro and the North East Link projects, which will see tunnelling and associated trenchless works take place, with construction slated to begin in 2021. One of the high priority initiatives includes the national water strategy, which aims to improve the resilience of Australia’s water systems to meet population growth, agricultural demand and combat issues caused by climate change. With all of these projects and initiatives essential and continuing to develop, I think this perfectly reflects the nature of the Australasian industry: adaptable and tough, maintaining progress and offering an optimistic outlook during challenging circumstances. Chloe Jenkins Head of Production cjenkins@gs-press.com.au

Contents ISSUE 63 JUNE 2020 NEWS

Applications open for ISTT Fellows program 12 News in brief 14 UNDER NEW SOUTH WALES

Construction benefits no-dig sector in NSW 18 Boring precision for Adept Civil in NSW 19 COVID-19

Boring through a pandemic 20 Interflow manages essential employee safety 22 Staying positive in lockdown 24 HDD

ELB Equipment offers top quality service 28 Maxibor drills to success with HDD 30 Vermeer sets a rock-solid standard for HDD 34 TRACTO-TECHNIK provides Queensland’s latest king of rock 36 PROJECTS

Logan City Council completes complex project with HDD 38 Regional reline project continues its success 40 INTERNATIONAL PROJECT

Primus Line puts water under the bridge in Vietnam 42 REHABILITATION

Aussie Trenchless leaves no project in the trenches 44 Smart Lock keeps the road open 46 Melbourne Water completes rehab early 47 Allpipe Technologies providing the pipeline solution 48 GPR

An impulse to use 3D GPR technology 51 MICROTUNNELLING COVER STORY

Bothar delivers another successful Victorian project – page 54 Bothar microtunnelling works will help supply water to Melbourne Water’s largest catchment. Cover image: The MTBM used for the project was from Bothar Herrenknecht fleet. Image courtesy of Bothar.

Rob Carr progresses sewer below quiet CBD 52 Bothar delivers another successful Victorian project 54 Edge Underground evolves with the industry 56 D.J. Mac Cormick hits the right notes in Townsville 58 NON-DESTRUCTIVE EXCAVATION

DCS enhances profile with new addition 60 Rangedale keeps the job in-house 61

This magazine is the official journal of the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology (ASTT) and is distributed to members and other interested parties throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific. It is also available on subscription.

KOR makes an impact in southeast Queensland 62

The publishers welcome editorial contributions from interested parties. However, neither the publishers nor the ASTT accept responsibility for the content of these contributions and the views contained therein are not necessarily the views of the publishers or the ASTT. Neither the publishers nor the ASTT accept responsibility for any claims made by advertisers. All communications should be directed to the publishers.

Aqua Assets has fluid industry intelligence 63

Unless explicitly stated otherwise in writing, by providing editorial material to Great Southern Press (GSP), including text and images, you are providing permission for that material to be subsequently used by GSP, whole or in part, edited or unchanged, alone or in combination with other material in any publication or format in print or online or howsoever distributed, whether produced by GSP and its agents and associates or another party to whom GSP has provided permission.

TRAINING

REGULARS

Letter from the editor 4 From the President 6 From the ASTT Secretary 8 Councillor reports 10 ASTT Corporate Members 66 Advertisers’ index 68 JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 5

From the President Chris Frangos

elcome to the second edition of Trenchless Australasia for 2020 – what a year it has been! We started the year with the tragedy of bushfires and just when we started to enter a recovery and re-building phase, the whole world was turned on its head with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our thoughts go out to all the families that have been directly impacted by the pandemic, both in health and economically through the loss of employment. Normally, my report covers the various promotional activities the ASTT has planned for the year. As it stands at the moment, all planned events have been deferred until greater clarity is available from our health authorities around mass meetings of people and travel restrictions, both between states and overseas. Activities that have been affected include:

• •

•

THE AUSTRALASIAN SOCIETY FOR TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY

ABN 43 893 870 966 18 Frinton Place Greenwood, WA 6024 www.astt.com.au jeffpace@astt.com.au President: Chris Frangos Secretary: Jeff Pace Vice President: Ben Crosby COUNCILLORS

Western Australia: Trevor Gosatti Queensland: Ben Crosby New South Wales: Sudipta Basu Victoria: Chris Frangos South Australia: Adam Russo New Zealand: Blair Telfer Northern Territory: Vacant Tasmania: Vacant

6 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

• •

Trenchless Forums planned for March/April – cancelled Trenchless Forums planned for October/November – planning now on hold The Water NZ Trenchless Stream – if to proceed, will most likely be attended by NZ locals only The Demo Day – postponed until 2022 The ISTT conference in Kuala Lumpur later in the year – overseas travel unlikely to be possible.

On a positive note, the ASTT AGM was rescheduled from a face-to-face meeting and instead was held on Zoom. The ASTT decided to sign up to a Zoom account after the start of the pandemic and for the first time in its history ran the AGM with participants from all over Australia and two in New Zealand. We are now planning to undertake more meetings using this platform in the future. A normal AGM agenda was covered and following the annual election cycle, all existing councillors and office bearers were re-elected

for a further 12 months, apart from New South Wales. In NSW there was a councillor change and I would like to thank Sudipta Basu for his first year of service as a councillor. I would also like to welcome Matthew Boyle as the incoming councillor for NSW. At a strategic planning meeting earlier in the year, an initiative to modify the ASTT constitution to allow councillor vacancies to be filled by nomination was put to the members for comment. Following the necessary consultation period, the comments received were incorporated and this change was voted on at the AGM, which I am pleased to announce was approved. Two nominations were received from Sudipta Basu and Justin Shepherd and the ASTT council approved both nominations at the AGM. I am pleased to welcome both Sudipta and Stuart to the ASTT council for 2020. It is exciting to have such a talented team of people on board this year and I am confident that we will achieve a great deal. The 2020 action plan to deliver the initiatives outlined in the Strategic Plan is in place and the ASTT council will be meeting shortly to implement the highest priority actions. The implementation phase will require the involvement of many of our members in working groups and sub-committees. I invite you all to participate wherever you can. As we emerge from the pandemic and restrictions are relaxed, the feasibility of events will be reviewed and we will work closely with our events partner Great Southern Press to bring you events either in the form of webinars or small face to face events. Stay tuned for updates and stay safe!

Chris Frangos ASTT President chris@astt.com.au

From the ASTT Secretary Jeff Pace Coronavirus The past months have been extremely trying for most of us. I am sure the Coronavirus outbreak is impacting everyone in some way and in every aspect of your lives, so it will come as no surprise that so far a few of our upcoming events and supported events have been postponed as a result. These include our Annual General Meeting (AGM) that was to be held in Melbourne on 6 April 2020 at the Radisson on Flagstaff Gardens, and we have also had to cancel the technical forums that were scheduled for Sydney and Melbourne. I urge everyone to take the utmost care of themselves and one another during these uncertain and unprecedented times. Despite these unprecedented issues, it is business as usual for the ASTT and as soon as we can, we will be reintroducing our popular forums. 2020 AGM As stated above, this year’s 28th combined Council and AGM was scheduled to be held in Melbourne on 6 April 2020. As a result of the coronavirus, we decided to defer this meeting and look for an alternative method to hold the meeting electronically. To this end, all members were advised of this intention on 12 March 2020 through Trenchless Australasia e-news. At the time of writing this report, the meeting was rescheduled to be held on 30 April 2020 through the video conferencing computer package Zoom. All members were advised of the meeting date, time and agenda on 6 April 2020 by email. The actual AGM was successfully held and the minutes from this meeting are now available through the ASTT website at www.astt.com.au/ trenchless-technology-in-australia-and-newzealand/links/agm-minutes/ ASTT constitution changes All members were invited to review the suggested amendment to the ASTT Constitution and to advise me of any issues or concerns by March 20, 2020. Feedback was positive and there was a minor amendment added to the clause. This amended clause was presented to the AGM and passed unanimously.

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The new approved amendment now reads: (j) If the number of persons appointed as Councillors is less than 8, then the President subject to Council endorsement may appoint interim Councillors to backfill the shortfall. These individuals will only hold this office until the next scheduled election. These individuals can come from any State or Country. The updated constitution can now be viewed on the ASTT website, at www.astt.com.au/about_astt/constitution/ ASTT council update Following the AGM on 30 April, your council representatives are shown in the table above. Also as a result of constitution amendment 7(j) being approved, two interim councillors, namely Sudipta Basu and Justin Shepherd, were endorsed by Council for the next 12 months, meaning we have the number of councillors up to eight, allowing us the additional resources necessary to progress the actions outlined in the strategic plan. 2020 ISTT No-Dig Award The call for this year’s No-Dig Award 2020 is open now! The closing date is 15 August 2020 (GMT+10). Entries must be submitted online from the ISTT website at www.istt.com/index/submit-no-dig Note: the category ‘Project’ and ‘New machine’ are limited to ISTT (affiliated society) members having a corporate membership. In case of a team submission, at least one of the team members must hold an ISTT corporate membership. The award ceremony will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Tuesday 17 November 2020 during International No-Dig Kuala Lumpur/Trenchless Asia. For more details or questions, please contact info@istt.com Membership Value – NUCA-TAG-R now available Just a reminder to all members that we now have approval to gain access to the online version of TAG-R, a new web-based tool for identifying trenchless construction methods

New South Wales

Matthew Boyle

South Australia

New Zealand

Blair Telfer

Tasmania Vacant

Northern Territory

Vacant

Victoria

Chris Frangos

Western Australia

Trevor Gosatti

Queensland Ben Crosby

Adam Russo

that are suitable for a particular set of project attributes (e.g., diameter, length, depth of cover, geological and hydro-geological conditions, allowable pipe materials, etc.). TAG-R Online is a fully automated web-based decision support system for the selection of underground utility construction methods, primarily with trenchless technology. Some of the features of TAG-R Online include a detailed method database of more than 80 technologies capable of installing, replacing and rehabilitating underground utilities, capable of evaluating sanitary, storm and combined sewers (gravity and force mains), water mains, laterals and manholes using commonly available project data and provides the user with technically viable construction methods which can address their specific project needs. To access this site, visit www.astt.com.au/ membership/members_only/ Access is only available to members, therefore you will need to contact me and I will provide you the secure login and password information. Members directory A reminder to all members to review the information listed about you and your company on the ASTT website. To view, go to the Members Directory area of the ASTT website at www.astt.com.au/membership/members_ directory/ If any changes are required, please send the changes to me and I will amend. Jeff Pace ASTT Secretary jeffpace@astt.com.au

ASTT COUNCILLOR REPORTS

Western Australia Trevor Gosatti Australia has continued to work hard and face any challenges that are presented. In doing so, a major milestone has been reached at the Forrestfield-Airport Link project – tunnelling is now complete. The second TBM broke through at the Bayswater dive structure at the end of April after 900 days of tunnelling, following the first TBM which broke through nine weeks earlier. This project achievement – and the project in entirety – is a key reminder of the role trenchless construction projects will play in WA’s COVID-19 economic recovery.

South Australia Adam Russo The last few months have seen the trenchless sector continue to grow throughout the state of South Australia with many ongoing works continuing during the COVID-19 pandemic and a plethora of tenders being released for future trenchless construction. Through March and April, regional councils employed contractors for horizontal directional drilling work and the rehabilitation of sewer and wastewater pipelines. Currently, more tenders are being released for trenchless road upgrades and maintenance works, including hydro excavation, stormwater relining and CCTV inspection. Despite the challenges being faced, the trenchless industry will continue to thrive as best it can in these unprecedented times.

Queensland Ben Crosby The last quarter in the trenchless industry remains busy on both a national and international level with clients continuing to rehabilitate and install new utility infrastructure, despite the new COVID-19 world. Our Queensland Trenchless Networking and Presentation Seminars are going well; however, unfortunately, due to COVID-19 the seminars have been placed on hold. The next Networking and Presentation Night will be held once group gathering restrictions have been lifted. We have two presentations locked in, sponsored and ready to go; Pezzimenti Tunnelbore on culvert rehabilitation via pipejacking and Strabag on the longest pipejacking drive in Asia: 1,550 m x ID 2,000 mm. Contact me if you are interested in speaking, sponsoring or attending one of these presentations in the near future. Additionally, if you are interested in joining the ASTT as a corporate or individual member, again please contact me to discuss and gain more information. The benefits are impressive and the access to the network makes it a very worthwhile proposition.

New South Wales Sudipta Basu As the new ASTT financial year begins, I welcome Matthew Boyle to take over from me as the newly elected Councillor for NSW. With his experience in the trenchless industry, I have no doubt he will be a highly effective Councillor. I wish him all the best. I will now continue as a Councillor but in a different role. This role will involve activities common to the society in general, such as the implementation of the strategic plan and others as those evolve. The role will also provide support to the State Council as needed.

New Zealand Blair Telfer Incredible how the world can be turned upside down in such a short space of time. I do extend my hopes and thoughts to you all and trust that you have managed to successfully navigate yourselves, family and businesses through these unprecedented times. As has been said on many occasions ‘through adversity comes strength’ and knowing the nature of the workplace we work in, I am confident of the resilience of our industry to come back from this event stronger, with good learnings, from these harsh times. It is the nature of our industry that we are agile, innovative and problem solvers. These are the traits that we will need to rebuild ourselves. There is still a lot of uncertainty in what the future will bring, but I urge you all to be positive and we will collectively come through this. Stay well, stay safe, Kia Kaha, stay strong.

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ASTT NEWS

Applications open for ISTT Fellows program The ISTT Board has created the ISTT Fellow membership grade, with applications now open for ISTT Members.

or an International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) Member to apply (or to be considered) to become an ISTT Fellow, the member must meet the following criteria:

•

Have been an ISTT member (or worked for a company holding an ISTT Corporate Membership) for a cumulative total of at least 15 years (gaps in membership are permitted and membership can either have been through an ISTT Member Society or as an International Member in the case that there was/is no ISTT Society). Have registered for and attended at least 12 International No Dig Conferences (exhibition only or one day registrations are not counted as full attendance). Had a minimum of five technical papers included in ISTT Conference Proceedings.

An ISTT Member wishing to be considered an ISTT Fellow should submit an application

to ISTT Executive Director Peter Smeallie at smeallie@istt.com by 30 June 2020 providing:

• • •

•

Name, address, email address, phone number. Half- to one-page biosketch. A list of the years of ISTT membership with Affiliated Society name, category of membership (i.e., as an individual or under a corporate membership), and corporate membership name if pertinent. A list of the ISTT International No Dig Conferences attended as a full registered participant. Citation information for the papers published in ISTT Conference Proceedings. A list of the years of services and position with Affiliated Society.

Once the ISTT has verified the data submitted, the candidate’s name will be considered by a special review committee. Applications that are sent forward by the review committee will then be examined by the ISTT Executive Subcommittee before the final decision is made.

The granting of Fellow status is based on significant accomplishments in the field of trenchless technology as demonstrated, for example, by work experience, by publications, by inventions, by technology advancements or by mentoring of individuals. The special review committee is also empowered to make its own nominations for ISTT Fellow in special cases where an individual has made notable technical and/or professional contributions to the ISTT over a long period of time but does not meet specific aspects of the standard eligibility criteria. When approved, the individual will be entitled to refer to themselves as ‘ISTT Fellow’ or ‘Fellow of the International Society for Trenchless Technology’ and will receive a certificate confirming their status as ISTT Fellow. The ISTT Fellow designation is a continuing recognition but to retain the ISTT Fellow designation, the person in question must remain an ISTT member in good standing either as an individual member or under a Corporate Membership. Once an ISTT Fellow status has lapsed, the individual will still be able to list the former status as ISTT Fellow with the years the status was held. To apply to be reinstated as an ISTT Fellow, a letter requesting a re-evaluation should be submitted to the ISTT Executive Director.

For more information visit www.istt.com

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Bucher Municipal releases new machinery Bucher Municipal’s brand new FlexLine®360 vacuum body has arrived at its Melbourne premises and is part of the FlexLine range, which has multipurpose abilities suited for private household work, water companies and industrial clients. With the scope to clean blocked service lines and drains, complete preventative and emergency cleaning of sewer mains, empty and clean septic tanks and clean tanks and oil separators, Bucher Municipal said it could not be happier to have the latest version of the machinery arrive. “This innovative, state-of-the-art product delivers high payloads and class leading manoeuvrability. Stay tuned to see our finished product soon!” the company announced on social media. The machinery’s movable partition provides a variable tank size and a flexibility of applications and volume, meaning operators do not need to know how much water and sludge they need to take before commencing the application. This flexibility allows users to solve most tasks with fewer axles, resulting in less maintenance on the chassis and lower operating costs.

Sydney Metro tenders open The tender process has commenced to build almost 50 km of new metro railway tunnels for the Sydney Metro West project. The New South Wales Government has called for expressions of interest for the project’s first two major infrastructure packages, being the delivery of twin tunnels between Westmead to Sydney Olympic Park and from Sydney Olympic Park to The Bays. The contracts will require tunnellers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, concrete workers, truck drivers, labourers and security guards. These new tunnels will contribute thousands of new jobs to the anticipated 10,000 direct jobs and 70,000 indirect jobs the Sydney Metro West project. Overall, the Sydney Metro West project will deliver a new underground driverless metro railway from Westmead to the city. This metro will both double the rail capacity of the corridor and cut travel times down to around 20 minutes between Parramatta and the city. The first of four mega tunnel boring machines are expected to be in the ground before the end of 2022.

HDD keeps Melbourne disruption-free S&Z Australia has used horizontal directional drilling (HDD) to ensure minimal disruption on a major infrastructure project in Melbourne, Victoria. A large water main was installed by HDD to allow one of Melbourne’s busiest city streets to be free of major disruption. S&Z Australia Business Development Manager Jim Pound expressed his gratitude for the contractors assisting with the success of the project. “Thank you to Adept Civil Group for the opportunity to successfully deliver the trenchless section of this major project,” he says.

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VMT provides equipment and trenchless site support With Sydney Metro, the largest public transport project in Australia, now being extended to cover the city and southwestern districts of Sydney, the current work program involves five TBMs working concurrently across the tunnel route. Other sections of the tunnelling works – mainly for the cavern construction – involve the use of 13 roadheader machines along with seven rockbolter rigs. VMT has been supporting the project by providing equipment and site support for the TBMs, roadheaders and rockbolters with a variety of navigation systems. This includes systems for each of the tunnelling system types as well as its segment documentation system, as well as support by VMT’s TUnIS Navigation Office software. Additionally, VMT introduced its TUnIS.mono.cam for the first time, which was specifically designed for the navigation of double shield TBMs. Being the first use of the new system, Sydney Metro was happy to witness its effectiveness as well as receiving VMT’s overall support.

City West Water makes major leadership changes Maree Lang has been appointed the new Managing Director of City West Water (CWW) following a national recruitment process, with Amanda Smith appointed General Manager of Infrastructure and Delivery shortly after. After working with CWW in senior leadership roles for the past three years, Ms Lang has been acting in the Managing Director role since November 2019. In this role, Ms Lang continued to lead the organisation to successfully deliver essential services to more than one million Melbourne residents and industrial and commercial customers including hospitals, and sport and entertainment precincts. Ms Lang says she is thrilled to be formally stepping into the Managing Director role after her time at CWW showed her the organisation’s commitment to the diverse communities it services across Melbourne’s CBD and rapidly growing western suburbs. Ms Smith has been acting in the role of General Manager of Infrastructure and Delivery for the past six months to help ensure CWW’s ongoing ability to provide essential services to customers and the community. With 12 years behind her at CWW in various management roles, Ms Smith has been a vital asset to maintaining strong relationships with delivery partners. Ms Lang announced the news of Ms Smith’s appointment and acknowledged her significant contribution to both the business and local community. “Ms Smith is passionate about the water sector with a strong focus on people, leadership and safety and her leadership in this role will provide much needed continuity as we continue to build for the future.” In the role, Ms Smith will continue to lead CWW’s operations, maintenance and capital delivery functions in one of the fastest growing regions in Melbourne.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Lendlease and Auscom collaborate Auscom QLD Director Chris Douglas — who leads the team in civil construction, directional drilling, vacuum extraction, rodding, roping, hauling, copper, asbestos removal and splicing of optic fibre — said working on the nbn™ rollout with Lendlease has been an extremely rewarding experience for himself and the entire team. “Being able to demonstrate a diversity in skills and experience has enabled us to be a great fit to partner with the Lendlease Telco team in the delivery of the network across the serviceability program,” he said. Auscom is one of Lendlease’s key service partners in the delivery of the nbn™ network, with Lendlease saying they value and appreciate their work practices, high standard of quality and the teams ‘can do’ attitude. Lendlease Program Manager David McFadden added the serviceability program has been challenging on many levels but knowing the team can rely on Auscom as a partner to resolve issues in the field has enabled the delivery of a successful result.

WaterNSW CEO resigns after a monumental term In 2014, Mr Harris was CEO of both State Water Corporation and Sydney Catchment Authority and was instrumental in the successful merger of the two organisations, resulting in the creation of WaterNSW. Now, after six years as WaterNSW CEO, Mr Harris says he has been reflecting on the right time to transition the leadership of WaterNSW for its next era and to take on his own next challenge. “I believe now is the window for transitioning the leadership, ahead of the development of the next three-year Strategic Plan and as the reforms to the NSW Government owned water sector enter the next phase,” said Mr Harris, adding it has been an honour and a privilege to lead the organisation from its inception right through to significant improvements in water quality and operations for the state. WaterNSW Chair of the Board Anne McDonald says Mr Harris’ passion, commitment and contribution to the management of its water resources will continue to be recognised for decades to come, and that he should be very proud of his legacy to the NSW water sector. WaterNSW Executive Andrew George – who is a civil and environmental engineer – has been appointed Acting CEO.

HDI Lucas calls on TRACTO-TECHNIK tools HDI Lucas announced it has received two new TRACTO-TECHNIK GRUNDORAM dynamic ramming hammers, with the tools on their way to site for the installation of 52 inch (1,320 mm) and 16 inch (406 mm) casings for two rock crossings. The pneumatically driven GRUNDORAM ramming machines provide thrust forces up to 40,000 kN and are applicable in all kinds of soil types, with the exception of muddy areas, swamps and compact, non-displaceable soil for a variety of applications. The most common GRUNDORAM application is the horizontal installation of steel pipes up to nominal diameter 4,000 mm underneath streets, railway tracks and rivers up to 80 m length without pressing abutments, while the horizontal rammers can also be used for vertical applications to support horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and dynamic pipe renewal. HDI Lucas is a subsidiary of Spiecapag Australia and is well known for its expertise in the HDD field.

AWA announces new CEO The Australian Water Association (AWA) National President and Chair Carmel Krogh OAM has announced a new CEO appointment. Corrine Cheeseman has been appointed as the association’s new CEO, with Ms Krogh saying she is pleased about the selection. “Corrine’s significant experience in the water industry, complemented by her work in recent years on transforming companies with data are a powerful combination,” says Ms Krogh. Beginning her career in Sydney Water’s water quality testing laboratories, Ms Cheeseman first joined AWA in 2004 as Education Manager before moving to the executive team as the Technical Programs’ National Manager. Currently, Ms Cheeseman is working with PwC as a senior leading in the data consulting practice. With 22 years of experience in the water industry, Ms Cheeseman says she is honoured and privileged to be appointed as CEO and to have the opportunity to lead AWA. “The association’s members, volunteers and staff are integral to the success of the association and I am looking forward to working closely with them to deliver Strategy’22 and beyond.” Ms Cheeseman takes over from Jonathan McKeown who stepped down as CEO in mid-May.

Do you have new you would like featured in Trenchless Australasia? Sumbit your stories to Journalist Sophie Venz at svens@gs-press.com.au

16 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

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UNDER NEW SOUTH WALES

Extended construction hours benefit no-dig sector in NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes MP announced the extension of construction hours throughout the state in early April 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

o support the New South Wales construction and development industry, Mr Stokes announced the NSW Government would continue doing everything it could to ensure as many people as possible kept their jobs while also remaining safe from the virus. As of 2 April, new rules introduced by the state government stipulate that construction sites, including trenchless ones, are allowed to operate on weekends and public holidays to keep the sector running. “The construction and development sectors, which make up almost 10 per cent of NSW’s economy, will be vital in keeping people in jobs and keeping investment flowing over the coming weeks and months,” says Mr Stokes. “In NSW there are almost 400,000 people employed in the property and construction industry and we are committed to doing everything we can to keep each of them in work, but most importantly, to keep them safe and healthy.” Keeping infrastructure professionals employed will play a vital role in not only making sure workers and their families stay afloat through the pandemic, but also in providing an economic boost. Social distancing measures remain in place The move allows workers to abide by social distancing rules while keeping construction projects progressing by allowing work to be spread across more days of the week, while also reducing significant losses to productivity and jobs. On 24 March 2020, the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 was amended to enable Mr Stokes to issue orders that override normal planning controls during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the health and safety of workers and the wider community. Now, the Environmental Planning and Assessment (COVID-19 Development – Construction Work Days) Order 2020 is in place and will continue until the COVID-19 pandemic

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A pipe string being moved into place for a trenchless construction project using HDD.

is over or the advice of NSW Health changes. The NSW Government says compliance with this order will be monitored and reviewed in case of any adverse impacts on the community or to public health. A flow on effect With the NSW Government’s legislation changes demonstrating its support for the continuation of infrastructure developments, the water sector remains positive its vital works will not be negatively affected either. As an essential service, the maintenance, operations and rehabilitation of water and wastewater pipes will also continue to take place alongside infrastructure developments, allowing for job security of water sector workers and reliable water services to the public. Accelerated planning for projects

To further support the construction industry, Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet announced on 24 April 2020 a new Planning System Acceleration Program. The first 24 projects to undergo the fasttracked assessment process as part of the NSW Government’s industry support will have the potential to deliver almost 9,500 new jobs and inject more than AU$7.54 billion into the state’s economy. “By fast-tracking assessments, we will keep people in jobs and keep the construction industry moving as we ride out the COVID-19 pandemic and set our sights on economic recovery,” says Ms Berejiklian.

For more information visit www.nsw.gov.au

UNDER NEW SOUTH WALES

Boring precision for Adept Civil in NSW Adept Civil Group is currently undertaking the construction of an important gravity sewer main at an industrial precinct in New South Wales.

dept Civil has continually proved itself as one of the most knowledgeable and reliable contractors on Australia’s east coast. Fully accredited and massively experienced in the delivery of major projects, the company specialises in the supply and installation of water and sewerage drainage pipelines, pump stations and associated services. In October 2019, Adept Civil was engaged by Longford Civil to carry out the boring works for the construction of a 4 km gravity sewer main to service the NEXUS Industrial Precinct in NSW. Located 10 km north of Albury, the site is zoned to support large or heavy industrial development and spans the Hume Freeway and the main Melbourne-Sydney rail corridor. The hub is an extremely busy area, with a

common user rail hub operating on site and businesses functioning at the location 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Longford was originally awarded the contract for works from the City of Albury. The scope of the project included a trenchless pipe installation of 1.6 km of glassfibre reinforced plastic (GRP) jacking pipe at a depth of up to 9 m and the construction of 38 sewer manholes, as well as the installation of 375 mm diameter ductile iron pipe for the open trench sections. For the boring operations, Adept Civil chose to use a Vermeer axis guided laser boring system, chosen because of the laser feature

that determines the line and grade of the bore, resulting in grade accuracy throughout the duration of the bore. The closed-circuit camera built into the drill head allows the operator to constantly monitor line and grade, while the vacuum excavation method removes spoils efficiently without the need for manual labour. Additionally, the system’s modular design can be configured and modified in several ways to match any constraints imposed by the job site. By employing a trenchless construction method for part of the project, operators have been able to protect the surrounding environment and cause less disruptions to businesses in the area. In particular, the trenchless portion of the project is taking place in close vicinity to a road with a significant and consistent level of traffic, so minimising disruption is extremely desirable. With an expected total project length of 8 months, Adept Civil anticipates works will be completed in the second third of 2020.

For more information visit www.adeptcivilgroup.com.au

Adept Civil Group specialise in Laser Guided Tunnel Boring. Bores that require accurate grades or through difficult ground. When accuracy and reliability are important contact Adept Civil Group. Telephone: (03) 9863 9530 Email: info@adeptcivilgroup.com www.adeptcivilgroup.com.au

JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 19

COVID-19

Boring through a pandemic by David Convery, Managing Editor, Great Southern Press

Businesses and industries throughout Australia are doing their best to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic and although underground construction works often qualify as ‘essential’, the sector is still facing its fair share of challenges.

eemingly overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way Australia, and the rest of the world, operated. Borders were closed, schools were shut down, public events postponed or cancelled and rules were put in place to make sure people stayed away from each other. Workers from every industry were sent away from offices to do their jobs at home, some were sent on early holidays, and the unlucky ones – of which there were unfortunately many – were left unemployed. The underground construction industry has been somewhat fortunate, as in many instances the work done within the sector is vital to maintaining a good standard of everyday life. For many trenchless companies, the challenge has been to work around all the issues COVID-19 presents, while maintaining the high quality of work necessary to keep underground infrastructure functioning. Strength in unity In early April 2020, construction unions united to form appropriate safety measures and guidelines amid the COVID-19 outbreak. A group of 11 unions sent a message to the building and construction industry to treat COVID-19 with the utmost importance by adhering to all recommended safety produces. The group comprised the Air Conditioning & Mechanical Contractors’ Association, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Civil Contractors Federation, Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union, Electrical Trades Union, Master Builders Victoria, Master Plumbers, National Electrical and Communications Association, Plumbing and Pipe Trades Employees Union, Property Council Victoria and the Urban Development Institute of Australia [Victoria]. The group stressed the need to follow guidelines including stipulating strict hygiene practices, social distancing and separation of workers on meal breaks as well as other

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Despite COVID-19, the Metro Tunnel project has reached some impressive milestones owed to trenchless construction being able to continue.

Trenchless construction has continued on essential projects, such as the Metro Tunnel in Melbourne.

measures to ensure sites can be remain safe and open. The unions say the guidelines have been developed in line with government recommendations and should be adhered dutifully by all employers and employees. As essential services, the group says it is critical all stakeholders of the building and construction industry work responsibility to ensure the protection of employers, workers and the broader community.

Government support With the COVID-19 pandemic causing chaotic economic conditions, Australian importers have been encouraged to consider the GST deferral scheme. The Australian Taxation Office offers a scheme for domestic importers whereby instead of paying GST on taxable imports upfront, they can defer payment until the first activity statement is lodged after the goods are imported.

COVID-19

To participate in the scheme, an importer must:

• • • • •

have an ABN be registered for GST lodge activity statements monthly and online make activity statements payments electronically comply with customs regulations.

Applications for the scheme can be completed online. Additionally, to further ensure construction continued as necessary, the New South Wales Government announced an extension of its work hours during the pandemic. The government says that from 2 April, weekday construction hours would apply in NSW to both weekends and public holidays. With the construction and development sector constituting approximately 10 per cent of the NSW economy and one in four people in NSW drawing their income from the industry, NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes says it was important to keep the work going. “[The NSW Government] is doing everything [they] can to keep as many people as possible in their jobs as well as keeping people safe and healthy in line with medical advice,” he says.

“The [construction and development sectors] will be vital in keeping people in jobs and keeping investment flowing into our state over the coming weeks and months. To help keep the industry moving, we’ve granted flexibility in construction hours to allow work to continue on construction sites whilst abiding with social distancing rules and without significant losses to productivity or jobs.” Remaining onsite While much of the world sits in limbo, many trenchless companies are continuing to work through the pandemic – including at major underground construction projects. In Western Australia, work on Perth’s METRONET continues, which will see the construction of two twin bored tunnels linking three new rail stations to the existing network. In the first half of May, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) completed its work, having spent more than 900 days underground tunnelling a total of 16 km across two tunnels. In Melbourne, construction on the Metro Tunnel Project continues as planned with a TBM having begun tunnelling in May while another TBM was approaching completion of another boring operation for the project. Also in Victoria, Melbourne Water is

continually able to deliver sewer upgrades as promised, including finishing a 7.2 km Maribyrnong River Main Sewer upgrade in April. Despite stage four restrictions enforced in New Zealand, McConnell Dowell continues its boring work on the Snells Algies wastewater pipeline and outfall project, having its TBM recommence its drive at the end of April. Operators on all these projects have indicated staff are both adhering to the latest relevant health measures and able to complete their work as necessary. With the shadow of COVID-19 likely to hang over the world for the foreseeable future, companies continue to engineer solutions to ensure work can continue on these essential projects.

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JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 21

COVID-19

Interflow manages essential employee safety While COVID-19 is forcing many Australians to stay home, plenty are still working in the field to ensure essential services such as water and wastewater continue to function. To meet these needs while ensuring employee safety, water infrastructure specialist Interflow has adapted its operations.

n the wake of the pandemic, operations at work sites have changed dramatically and essential service businesses have had to quickly adapt to restrictions and incorporate new methods, while guaranteeing customers and employees remain safe – and ensuring business continuity. As a lot of companies tackle this uncharted territory, Interflow has recognised that adaptability and communication are emerging as the best way forward. Interflow’s quick risk response Interflow Executive Manager Health and Safety Adrian Smith says the company reacted immediately when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in February 2020 and swiftly put enterprise risk management plans in place. “COVID-19 has created significant changes to the way we work,” says Mr Smith. “We’ve implemented a business continuity plan with five response teams to identify and resolve critical issues around workforce protection, supply chain stabilisation, customer engagement, operational lead and lag management and stress testing financials.” Interflow is using similar parameters within its current health and safety strategy, titled Harm 2 Zero (H2O), with the new response teams meeting twice a week to discuss any issues and actions that need to be taken. Mr Smith says the company’s executive team has become the nerve centre of its COVID-19 response. Employee safety steps in the field The additional safety and procedural policies that Interflow is implementing include social distancing, which involves rethinking the way crews work; reinforcing hygiene by providing COVID-19-appropriate level of PPE for workers; ensuring current signage across all sites; and providing teams the right information so they understand all new company procedures. “We’re currently developing a second communication pack for workers, with updated rules of engagement, and every week our Managing Director creates a video message to 22 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

To ensure services can continue to run for customers, Interflow workers are practicing social distancing even while onsite.

Interflow has altered its operations to ensure the safety of the community and its essential workers.

COVID-19

all employees,” says Mr Smith. “In this current situation, we are classed as essential and the most important thing is having our field teams across the details of what we are doing to manage this crisis.” Interflow says open communication has been key to the company’s response, with a focus on using appropriate channels to disseminate updates. The business also ensures information cascades to all frontline workers and any issues from work sites also filter back up to management. The company says an example of this success was demonstrated on a recent ACT project, when a client visited a site to talk with frontline workers and enquire about what Interflow has been doing during the pandemic. All workers onsite knew exactly what additional safety and procedural policies had been put in place and were able to provide the client a consistent message, highlighting that the pandemic response isn’t just a highlevel strategy but something that has been implemented throughout the entire business.

Interflow essential workers have begun wearing increased safety gear when working on site. Interflow Executive Manager Health and Safety Adrian Smith says the new safety measures and protocols have been well received.

Understanding the issue to respond in unity With a workforce spanning Australia and New Zealand, Interflow has also been keeping on top of all health and government changes both nationally and in specific regions to ensure the business remains compliant. Interflow says its aim is for these new safety procedures is to become routine as it anticipates the impact of COVID-19 will be felt for at least the next few months.

“Our clients see us as a valuable business partner – as an essential function to assist with their continuity,” says Mr Smith. “We’re here to solve our customers’ problems, we’re able to adapt, and our response to COVID-19 has allowed us to connect as one team quickly and efficiently.” Interflow will be conducting a postimplementation review once its operations return to normal. So far, the response has allowed the company to capture key information surrounding what has worked and what has not, which will provide vital learnings for the future.

For more information visit www.interflow.com.au

JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 23

COVID-19

Staying positive in lockdown During challenging times, the trenchless industry is continuing to stay positive and show great resolve. Here, a number of companies have contributed their good news, stories and activities to share with Trenchless Australasia reads.

Detection Services is keeping projects moving forward Although we are all separated by social distancing measures, we can still stay connected. Throughout this time of uncertainty, Detection Services is working hard to ensure continued support of its customers and the communities that depend on its essential services. Detection Services specialises in solutions and technologies for pipeline inspection, assessment, monitoring and water management. One of the many important areas of the company’s work is ‘patrolling the pipeline’ to inspect for leakage and other critical aspects of condition assessment. The work is varied and no one day is ever the same. Detection Services works on some of the most important pipelines using diverse programs across a range of locations and environments, often covering about 6–10 km per day, which certainly keeps staff fit. “While many of us work remotely, we stay connected to keep projects moving. Technology allows for cloud-based communication and collaboration tools to get work done from anywhere. We are proud to be part of those working remotely whose occupations and companies are deemed essential,” says Detection Services General Manager Chris Evans. “This includes all the front line medical and services personnel, police and safety officers, those distributing goods around the country and utility workers keeping the lights on and of course the water flowing. Right now, we are all in the same boat and the essential work goes on.”

Staff ‘patrolling the pipeline’ often cover 6–10 km per day.

Rhino Linings is primed for business

Rhino Linings has a number of containers ready to dispatch once restrictions ease.

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As we all know it hasn’t been plain sailing with COVID-19, but fortunately Rhino Linings Australasia has been manufacturing products for a few major defence and industrial projects. Commercial enquiries are still strong, with some companies taking advantage of the downtime to get much-needed renovations and repair work completed before getting back to “business as usual”, which hopefully won’t be too far away. Rhino Linings also has containers of product awaiting dispatch to Asia that were unfortunately stuck in Australia during the sudden lockdown, so the company looks forward to freeing up some of the factory once that gets shipped. Rhino Linings has also been trialling new primers that will enhance the application process of the company’s spray on linings, so stay tuned for further updates. Most of all, Rhino Linings wishes everyone well and a huge bounce back to more positive times once this all passes.

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COVID-19

STG Global introduces the Suppressor cannon truck STG Global would like to introduce The Suppressor – a misting cannon truck to deep clean and decontaminate public spaces. It is perfect for buildings and shop fronts, schools, parks, airport and bus terminals, construction sites, sports venues, airports or any large open public space. STG’s safe and certifiable disinfectant is loaded into the

onboard tank and distributed by way of high-powered fan for up to 100 m of coverage. STG is currently offering a free deep cleaning for councils across Victoria in June 2020. Parties interested can call the company on 1300 998 784 or email at sales@stgglobal.net

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Total Drain Cleaning expands its team against the odds In an unstable economy with the COVID-19 pandemic causing Australia to see one of the highest unemployment rates in its history, Total Drain Cleaning (TDC) has defied the odds by continually expanding its team. By investing in its fleet and operators, TDC has continued to create jobs during this uncertain time.

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, TDC has experienced a 15 per cent growth in its team members, including the employment of more operators, additional HR staff and WHSEQ staff. TDC looks forward to expanding further and fostering an environment of opportunity and growth for its team.

Tiger Fluids is still hard at work

Tiger Fluids onsite next to a Gold Coast beach.

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Although some working conditions have changed and restrictions are in place, Tiger Fluids is still thankful to be able to get out and work in the Queensland sunshine. This image was taken by the company during a recent mud engineering visit to a Global Directional Drilling campaign located on the beach on the Gold Coast. A beautiful day, great waves and definitely not a bad place to work! Interested parties can get in touch with Tiger Fluids via Manager Rhys Clarke at rhys.clarke@tigerfluids.com

COVID-19

Drainchem partners with Warthog to help distribute PPE The manufacturer of Warthog Sewer Nozzles based in Colorado, USA, recently used its international connections to procure 20,000 face masks, 450 medical suits and thousands of face shields from its partners in China to distribute to local hospitals and frontline health care specialists in the region.

In addition to the thousands of donated PPE, the manufacturer also raised nearly $20,000 to donate to the ongoing effort of health care networks. Drainchem is a proud dealer of Warthog Nozzles located at 49 Industrial Ave, Kunda Park QLD 4556, Australia.

Part of the manufacturing process at Warthog Sewer Nozzles.

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HDD

The BRP Industries team onsite with the Ditch Witch AT30 Directional Drill, supplied by ELB Equipment.

ELB Equipment offers top quality service Long-time customer BRP Industries, operator of numerous Ditch Witch AT30 direction drills, says the service it receives from ELB Equipment is unmatched.

RP Industries offers a range of specialised solutions and credits the Ditch Witch AT30 directional drill, which it purchased from ELB Equipment, to its ongoing drilling success. BRP Industries Owner and Director Brad Phillips says the company used to operate a JT20 but, once more rock work projects became available, the team wanted something more versatile – such as the all-terrain drill. Fit for any terrain Mr Phillips purchased BRP Industries’ first AT30 four years ago due to its capabilities in any ground condition, allowing the company to work all over Australia. “The 30’s are good for anywhere, from the sand we drill in Western Australia to the bluestone rock we drill in Canberra,” says Mr Phillips. “Currently, we’re drilling in basalt at the moment in Nerang on the Gold Coast.”

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“It’s the right technology that suits the work that we do.” Mr Phillips says BRP Industries continually has all three drills in use for a range of NBN, power, water and gas projects all over the country. Due to the small footprint of the machine, Mr Phillips says its quick to set up, get the work done and then quick to pack up, making the compact drill suitable for all kinds of work. “The ground can change quickly from hard rock and soft rock in a matter of metres, so the all-terrain system allows you to always keep going.” A competitive market When choosing a supplier, Mr Phillips says the initial decision to use ELB Equipment was because other competitors did not have the right technology. “The Ditch Witch technology was superior for

what we were doing as opposed to other things that were on the market,” says Mr Phillips. Now, BRP Industries continues using ELB Equipment not only for its supply of forefront technology, but its impeccable service. “The service is unmatched with anything that we do,” says Mr Phillips. “The guys who are specialised in this equipment, you give them a call and they are more than happy to help. They will talk the guys down on the field through it or, alternatively to that, they’ll get a crew out as soon as possible to fix the equipment.” Mr Phillips says ELB Equipment is always there to supply technical knowledge of the machine and supply any additional things BRP Industries may need for the drill.

For more information visit www.elbquip.com

Latest news

25 September 2019

Metro Tunnel TBM breakthrough The first section of Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel is now complete with the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) breaking through.

FREE Stay up to date with the latest industry news The Trenchless Australasia e-newsletter is a FREE fortnightly news service that covers tenders, contract awards, project updates, policy updates, company news, and ASTT announcements. Keep up to date with this carefully curated selection of industry stories.

How to subscribe To sign up for the Trenchless Australasia e-newsletter, visit www.trenchless-australasia.com, call 03 9248 5100 or email subscribe@gs-press.com.au

www.trenchless-australasia.com A Great Southern Press publication

HDD

Two Maxibor personnel busy on site at a horizontal directional drilling job.

Maxibor drills to success with HDD By developing and implementing a strong design and drilling methodology for HDD projects requiring maxi-rigs, Maxibor can ensure project success for even the most complex bores.

sset owners are increasingly using more complex horizontal directional drilling (HDD) solutions to meet their infrastructure replacement and new installation needs. With increased length, diameter and depth of bores, the importance of having the right expertise applied at the bore design and drilling methodology development stages has become more critical. Risk mitigation and opportunity optimisation must be achieved for all key stakeholders in the project to guarantee a successful installation and the broader objectives of the project.

developed within an integrated discipline framework, with the design and methodology development processes requiring a wide range of engineering, HDD operations and commercial knowledge to achieve successful installation. The key steps in Maxibor’s integrated discipline framework:

• •

•

• Maxibor’s methodology Maxibor National Business Development Manager David Turner says Maxibor applies a procedure for each project that adapts accepted practices and then focuses on specifically solving the project issues through engineered design. “Maxibor’s HDD design and methodology development processes are highly iterative for the more complex bores,” says Mr Turner. “Each step in the design process feeds back to the previous parameters which causes an evolution in the design to get to a point that provides a pipeline installation solution which considers safety in design, constructability through engineering application and ultimately usable infrastructure.” Mr Turner says Maxibor’s approach is 30 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

• •

•

Pre-planning – project objectives. Build of initial bore plan – design profile, preliminary hole, casing design. Torque, drag and hydraulics – friction factor analysis, maximum loads, maximum torque, pipe buckling. Rig and equipment specification – rigs, pipes, pumps, cleaning systems. Case wearing – will profile cause excessive wear? Bore hole trajectory – objectives to minimise tortuosity, target size, ellipse or collision analysis, survey and program design, target, anti-collision. Bore hole stability – fracture gradient analysis, collapse, rock mechanics, clay inhibition, swab and surge pressures, geotechnical investigation. Product pipe design – formation type, collapse pressures, tensile loading, floatation devices, safety factors, rig limitations, pipe wall force, coating type selection. Bore hole assembly design – drilling

•

tendency, bending stress state, hole size evaluation, torque reduction tools, vibration, tooling layouts, bore hole assembly (BHA) analysis, stabiliser placement. Fluids and hydraulics – hole cleaning, density, rheology, flow rate and regime, maximum rate of penetration (ROP), pullback capacity, back reaming, fracture gradients, drag monitoring, drill pipe rotation speeds, BHA design, bit selection, cuttings volume, fluid volume displacement, lubricity, inhibition. Torque and drag – friction factors, sliding limits, pick up and slack off, buckling analysis, casing wall force, fatigue endurance, yield stress, tension, rig limits. Risk and opportunity – operational risks, corporate risks, opportunities, risk sharing.

The extent of factors to consider highlights the range of knowledge required to achieve a fit for purpose design and a drilling methodology. In its development, Maxibor was able to draw upon its extensive internal experience of installing complex pipeline projects and its network of industry specialists, which have further facilitated the build of its internal knowledge bank. This pool of knowledge can be applied to each

HDD

project and provide significant confidence to clients that Maxibor’s procedures will be successful. Achieving desired outcomes for clients Maxibor frequently puts forward alternative design solutions to clients to help achieve better outcomes and has applied its integrated design and drilling methodology development process to more complex projects, demonstrating the benefits of the disciplined and cooperative approach. Mr Turner says by investing Maxibor’s expertise and resources to undertake this additional work in the bidding stages, it helps clients have an achievable project. An early design initiative of Maxibor on a recently completed Logan Water project was to combine two shorter bores into a 1.32 km bore, which reduced the cost to the client, impact on the local vegetation and noise and dust to nearby residents. This outcome was achieved through a complete understanding of the project objectives before commencement of the detailed design and drilling methodology development activities. Mr Turner says good communication with the client and other key stakeholders is essential to ensure all HDD activity on a project is aligned with the objectives and needs of other parties.

“Our clients are increasingly appreciating the extent of our knowledge and our willingness to share that knowledge to help achieve better outcomes,” says Mr Turner. “If less informed decisions are made by clients, significant variations can arise. This is not necessarily to the benefit of the overall trenchless industry as it makes the infrastructure sector more reticent to use trenchless solutions.” The risks of complex projects One of the major risks on the more complex HDD projects is ‘frac out’. Maxibor’s engineering design process considers fracture gradient modelling as a way of predicting the annular drilling fluid pressure compared to the ability of the formation to resist a crack or fracture forming from the annular drilling fluid pressure. There are several factors that influence this calculation, including bore hole diameter; borehole depth of cover; drill pipe diameter; drilling fluid composition; drilling fluid flow rates; formation cohesion and plasticity; and formation ground water. Maxibor says there are two principal models that are generally applied in the HDD industry to evaluate the fracture point – the overburden density model and the DELFT model. While

Maxibor’s AA660 Rig is used on projects at all hours of the day, including at night.

02 4966 5583 www.maxibor.com.au admin@maxibor.com.au Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter

» Quality and collaborative HDD design and construct services » Expertise to advise at the right time in the project delivery cycle » Gas, water and sewer, rail, road, power, telecommunications, mining, residential development and renewables » Maxi-rigs capable of long and wide diameter bores in hard rock and difficult conditions » Build a future we all look forward to.

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING HDD SPECIALIST Maxibor is using its network of experience to deliver better project outcomes to asset owners and principal contractors alike

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HDD

both models each have their place, it is important that the mechanics of the complex models are fully understood since it is not a matter of simply plugging in numbers. Therefore, while both models are usually considered, Maxibor notes that several university thesis studies have examined the DELFT model and generally conclude it overestimates the fracture resistance pressure of the formation by 100–150 per cent of the predicted pressures in more sandy type soils. Such soils are common in many of the near surface HDD bores in Australia and operators must question the application of a model that is more suited to heavy plastic clay. Since the model itself is robust and the formulas readily available online, it is more often than not incorrectly selected and applied to the wrong soil types. Real world testing shows the DELFT model is more accurate in more homogenous and highly plastic formations, so understanding the limitations of each of the technical modelling options is vital in making the right design and methodology decisions. Another area where Maxibor is endeavouring to bring better practice to the trenchless industry is rock hardness measurement. Most geotechnical investigations utilise the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests to assess rock strength. However, UCS tests are not considered to accurately reflect in-situ conditions experienced by the HDD drill head for the following reasons:

•

UCS being unconfined does not apply or attempt to replicate the in situ confining pressures the rock mass experienced. UCS testing is greatly dependent on sample orientation when the rock is anisotropic. UCS tests often fail along existing defect planes within the rock which will therefore under-estimate rock strength.

Maxibor says UCS tests are therefore inherently subjective and highly dependent on the mode of failure and not necessarily representative of the actual intact rock strength. Instead, Maxibor considers that Hoek Triaxial testing is much more representative of the in situ ground conditions that are experienced during HDD operations. Mr Turner says at a commercial level, Maxibor is supportive of assisting the industry to move to a ROP measure to determine commercial impacts on its maxi-rig projects. “The traditional rock hardness measure is only one factor that affects the penetration 32 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

By collaborating with stakeholders and involved parties on the Logan HDD project, Maxibor could achieve the optimal outcome.

Maxibor utilised its thorough drilling methodology on an HDD project in Logan.

rate. Other factors such as brittleness in situ fracturing, void, grain size, grain cementation all affect the drillability of the formation, while changes in formation along the bore alignment will also have an impact. “We believe the fairest and most optimum way to apply the ROP measure is to consider average penetration rates amortised over the entire length of a bore as they account for the variable nature of the rock and other conditions,” says Mr Turner. However, rock hardness is not relevant to a significant proportion of the drilling operations such as site setup, casing installation, pipe welding, trenching and pit construction. The share risk for drilling operations is, therefore, best applied where geotechnical conditions largely dictate the speed of operations, namely pilot hole drilling and reaming passes. “Under this option, the average penetration rates are measured for the pilot hole to reaming stages of the bore construction,” says Mr Turner. “Our detailed build-up of the drilling methodology and construction schedule provides a very sound basis for determining the expected average time to complete the works though these stages of the project. “The ROP measure provides the option of developing a risk share between the parties. Under such an arrangement, the client would receive a benefit should the ROP be better than expected. Additionally, use of the ROP measure also

overcomes the need to obtain further core drilling samples to test the strength of the rock. Vertical core samples at even 50 m intervals will not necessarily be representative of the rock along the horizontal of the bore hole in between core samples; therefore, ROP measures will provide a much better indication of the drillability of the bore. Comprehensive risk analysis Maxibor has also compiled a comprehensive risk analysis for HDD operations that provides a point of reference to consider the risks associated with each project and identifies good practice actions that can be taken to mitigate those risks. The risk analysis is relatable to the design and drilling methodology as well as broader operational areas around labour, plant, materials and HSEQ and corporate risks and opportunities. Mr Turner says this process makes both Maxibor and the client much more informed about the project. As a knowledge sharing business, Maxibor is more than happy to discuss its design and drilling methodology development processes and related risk and opportunity activities with those interested. Contact Mr Turner on 0499 375 511 or david.turner@maxibor.com.au.

For more information visit www.maxibor.com.au

Grow your business with Trenchless Australasia First published in 2004, Trenchless Australasia is the leading trade publication for the trenchless technology industry in Australia and New Zealand. Distributed to 3,480+ no-dig professionals quarterly, including key decision makers at Tier 1 contractors and asset owners, promoting your business in Trenchless Australasia is the ideal way to win contracts, make sales, and grow your business. Position your company as a market leader with advertising in Trenchless Australasia. Book today to receive complimentary editorial and design services.

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HDD

Vermeer sets a rock-solid standard for HDD HTD Australia is an HDD business, based in southeast Queensland, that provides underground drilling services to sole traders, councils, government organisations, utility providers and construction companies of all sizes. To complete its work successfully, HTD Australia relies on Vermeer’s machinery.

TD understands that having access to the right horizontal directional drilling (HDD) equipment is crucial to achieving successful outcomes on its projects. With a specialty in trenchless techniques for the installation of conduits and pipelines beneath paths, driveways, roads, rails, airport runways and congested or environmentally sensitive areas, HTD says it ensures this success by using Vermeer’s HDD machinery. Extensive services providing calls for an extensive fleet HTD’s services include the installation of utilities – such as gas mains, water mains, recycled mains, rising sewer mains and stormwater – as well as electrical and communications conduits, and HTD Australia Project Engineer Andrew Smith saying its expertise is in the delivery of technically challenging projects that require precise drilling. “Our in-house team ensures all works are scoped, coordinated and planned professionally through site meetings and walkovers, with the capability to provide engineered bore designs, construction methodologies and associated project documentation,” says Mr Smith. “HTD’s directional drilling capabilities include the installation of single, multiple and 34 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

on-grade utility services for projects ranging from smaller pathways to significant underboring crossings up to 800 mm in diameter, in all ground conditions.” HTD Australia prides itself on maintaining its plant and equipment to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of its projects, with numerous Vermeer machines included in its fleet. Mr Smith says HTD has purchased four horizontal directional drills from Vermeer – a D6x6, D20x22 Series II, D36x50 Series II and a D36x50DR Series II – and considers several Vermeer vacuum excavator trucks, locators and mud pumps as an essential part of their fleet. “Vermeer equipment offers several benefits over any alternatives considered, including the reliability and engineering of the products, and the assurance that if the plant is properly maintained it will operate as intended,” says Mr Smith. A partner in pipeline projects Mr Smith say HTD used its Vermeer D36x50 Series II HDD rig, built to perform a wide range of medium diameter, moderate-to-long distance utility installations, on a recent project. The Queensland project involved the collective installation of six electrical and communications conduits, ranging 110–140 mm,

for 70 m to upgrade the utility services for the development and operation of the Gold Coast Sporting Precinct. “The delivery of this project required HTD to drill through siltstone rock, design bore profiles detailing the depth and chainage of the drill, and meet stringent technical and safety specifications,” says Mr Smith. Vermeer says its Series II line has now been superseded by the latest, next-generation S3 range, which features more power, increased speed, versatility and precise control. Additionally, the D40x55 S3 horizontal directional drill, which features 40,000 lb (177.9 kN) of thrust/pullback and 5,500 ft-lb (7457 Nm) of rotational torque, is a 10 per cent increase in thrust and rotation on its predecessor and will help maximise productivity. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

A Queensland-based company, HTD has been using its Vermeer machinery across the state. HTD says it uses Vermeer equipment to achieve successful outcomes on its projects. HTD Australia Project Engineer Andrew Smith says its expertise is in the delivery of technically challenging projects that require precise drilling By using the Vermeer HDD drill in Brisbane, Queensland, HTD could minimise its construction footprint and limit disruption to the public. HTD has purchased four horizontal directional drills from Vermeer to use on its projects.

HDD

The D40x55 S3 also features a carriage speed of 57.3 m/min – seven per cent faster than the D36x50 Series II – which will help contractors install more linear feet per day. With a 104 dB(A) guaranteed sound power level and an operator ear rating of 82.9 dB(A) [in-cab rating of 75.7 dB(A)], the D40x55 S3 is also significantly quieter – contributing to a quieter working environment with less community disturbance and easier communication among crews. Mr Smith says by using the smaller footprint of the Vermeer D20x22 Series II HDD on a project for Brisbane City Council, HTD could minimise its construction footprint, protect existing gardens and historical sensitivities and limit disruption to pedestrian traffic. “This project involved the construction of 17 bores, installing 700 m of 180 mm irrigation and 90 mm water main collectively to upgrade the Brisbane City Botanical Garden’s water infrastructure,” says Mr Smith. A true multi-use machine with the ability to work in varying soil conditions including solid rock, the D20x22 Series II has 20,000 lb

HTD specialises in vacuum excavation and under road drilling.

(89kN) of thrust/pullback, which provides the performance needed to complete a wide range of bores. The strength of relationships Mr Smith says having a strong relationship with suppliers such as Vermeer is equally as important to the success of the business as its clients are. “HTD Australia has had a strong relationship with Vermeer for the past 15 years, visiting the

US factory in Pella, Iowa, multiple times,” says Mr Smith. “This has allowed HTD to gain a better understanding of how to run and maintain our HDD equipment and plant, and appreciation for the work that goes into Vermeer machines. “Having reliable suppliers that consistently produce high-quality products and offer a supportive after-sales service allows HTD to maintain the high quality and effective service our clients expect.”

For more information visit www.vermeer.com.au

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HDD

The Auscom team with their new TRACTO-TECHNIK machinery.

Queensland’s latest king of rock TRACTO-TECHNIK’s high-quality equipment and service is why it continues to be the first choice for underground construction around Australia, including for leading telecommunications infrastructure installer Auscom Queensland.

or more than a decade, Auscom Queensland has been one of the most trusted construction companies in southeast Queensland, with thousands of successfully completed projects credited to its name. Based on the Sunshine Coast, the familyrun business employs more than 40 staff and ensures all its projects are completed with the utmost professionalism using quality equipment and materials. Auscom Director Chris Douglas has more than 20 years of industry experience and with the company heavily involved in the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Queensland, he knows top quality machinery is imperative to completing this kind of work in a satisfactory and timely manner. Recently, the company engaged TRACTOTECHNIK for the use of its products and were immediately impressed. “I decided to go with TRACTO-TECHNIK after nine months of research and feedback within the industry and overseas. Reliability, useability and efficiency were the key factors,” says Mr Douglas. “We have not had any previous experience 36 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

with TRACTO-TECHNIK before, but we had only ever heard of good reports about them. All other manufactures were considered, and it was one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make.” GRUNDORILL 18ACS Auscom has employed TRACTO-TECHNIK’s GRUNDODRILL 18ACS for some of its works, including on a major project for Telstra in Gympie, Queensland. The machine is characterised by its ideal power ratio, rods for every purpose with fast exchange and cableguided drilling capabilities. Mr Douglas says the machine was chosen to assist with drill shots taking place predominantly in rock. “GRUNDODRILL 18ACS was chosen specifically for this project due to the nature of the ground being so inconsistent with rock. The rugged terrain and the required depths and alignments have also been challenging at times; however, the GRUNDODRILL has seemed to efficiently work through to achieve a successful outcome every time,” he says. “It is also drilling multiple conduits in rock

Auscom Director Chris Douglas with TRACTO-TECHNIK Australia Sales Manager Daniel Toms in front of the GRUNDODRILL 18ACS.

HDD

Open day rescheduled TRACTO-TECHNIK’s Open Day at its facility in Luscombe, Queensland – originally planned for May – has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be rescheduled to a later date when possible. over distances around 200 m and up to 18 m deep, but the overall experience has been very supportive, as well as pleasant and hassle free.” With a desire for the machine to stand out from the pack in looks, Mr Douglas employed Gold Coast Wraps to help design a reflective wrap for the machine. “We are so happy with it – they did a fantastic job. On sunrise and sunset, the machine reflects in the sunlight which makes it extra cool looking and super impressive,” he says. “I know I am biased, but I think we have one of the best looking drills and set up in the country. The GRUNDODRILL 18ACS is named by TRACTO-TECHNIK as the ‘King of Rock’ – so we crowned it the Rock King.” Mr Douglas says TRACTO-TECHNIK has impressed him in several ways, including

The Auscom team being introduced to the controls of the GRUNDODRILL 18ACS.

machinery and customer service. “The fact that we could minimise our footprint on jobsites and keep the logistics to a two truck and two man crew was also unique for a rock drill of this size,” he says. “TRACTO TECHNIK has been very welcoming, supportive and genuine, which is important, and it is also very much appreciated with mutual satisfaction.” Auscom’s new GRUNDODRILL 18ACS is put to work in the field.

For more information visit www.tracto-technik.com.au

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JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 37

PROJECTS

Aerial view of the pipe, extending more than 1.32 km from Greenbank to Flagstone in Logan, Queensland.

Logan City Council completes complex project with HDD Logan City Council has completed the longest underground drilling program in the Queensland city’s history by using HDD to drill through challenging geological conditions.

he horizontal directional drill (HDD) was part of a larger project between Greenbank and Flagstone Central that will initially service two new residential developments in Greenbank and North Maclean. The council used HDD to lay pipes for more than 1.3 km from Greenbank to Flagstone to connect to a wastewater facility, with the new section of infrastructure comprising part of the 20 km of the Greater Flagstone trunk wastewater pipelines and four new pump stations. An important step for the community The original time frame for the project was approximately five months; however, the project took nine months to complete due to harder than anticipated geological conditions. Despite the slight delay, the project was able to reap multiple benefits for the community by allowing the transport of wastewater from homes and businesses in Greater Flagstone to the wastewater treatment plant at the Cedar Grove Environmental Centre. Now, the Cedar Grove Environmental Centre and its related infrastructure can provide the capacity to manage wastewater flows from the growing communities in the region.

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Maxibor was responsible for the HDD installation of the polyethylene high stress crack resistant pipe, supplied by Iplex.

PROJECTS

A history-making project In addition to completing the longest HDD in the city to date, the council says its project saw polyethylene high stress crack resistant (PE-HSCR) pipe material used for a wastewater sewer rising main project for the first time in Australia. Logan City Council Water Partnership Manager Mark Vaughan says the PE-HSCR material provides considerable improvement in material behaviour compared with previous HDPE materials. “As there is a resin in the pipe material, it seals up any cracks caused by dragging of the pipe against the abrasive sandstone walls of the drill hole,” says Mr Vaughan, adding the expected design life for these pipes is 100 years. Logan City Council says the project was also the first in Australia to use an underground magnetics walkover locating system. As conventional tracking devices can only monitor the pipe to a depth of 20 m – and the drilled pipe was up to 54 m deep – alternative technology was required. “The magnetics walkover locating system was a contractor-led initiative, as it can track the buried pipe up to 110 m depth,” says Mr Vaughan.

Maxibor installing the pipe, which was supplied by Iplex.

Utilising contractors and local construction The large project required the work of seven contractors, with peak construction seeing nine work fronts with a total of approximately 80 people. Maxibor were one of these contractors and were responsible for the HDD pipe installation. Iplex supplied the PE-HSCR pipe, while local people and local businesses were also provided with additional employment and business during the construction. An easy choice in trenchless Logan City Council chose to use the trenchless method of HDD due to its lessened

cost and environmental impact. “Installing HDD instead of open trench pipeline improved the hydraulics of the sewerage rising main through undulating ground, which will reduce pumping costs and provide an improved value for money over the design life of the infrastructure,” says Mr Vaughan. Mr Vaughan says the offer value for money, minimal environmental impact by not disturbing waterways and reduced vegetation clearing through a koala sensitive habitat is why the council chose HDD as the trenchless method. Due to these benefits, the project’s success and improved hydraulics, the Logan City Council plans to use trenchless technology where possible in the future.

For more information visit www.logan.qld.gov.au

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JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 39

PROJECTS

Regional reline project continues its success Bundaberg Regional Council’s current relining tender has covered a two-year contract with the second year already demonstrating great successes, allowing the council to put plans in place for a future five-year plan.

he major sewer relining maintenance project is taking place underneath main roads in the southeast Queensland region, with most pipes being relined in the current program 50 to 70 years old with “at risk” conditions. Currently in the second year of its two-year contract, the tender was released in 2018 through LG Tender Box with the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Organisation of Councils (WBBROC), which has six member councils. Five of the six member councils participated in the second round of the relining program, enabling the bulk power of a larger organisation and reducing the financial impact on the community. Fraser Coast Regional Council managed the contract on behalf of all WBBROC members. Trenchless wins for customer satisfaction Bundaberg Regional Council Network Program Coordinator Water Services Branch Geoff Tansley says that since trenchless methods have a considerably lower impact on residents, property owners and other services, a much higher customer satisfaction is achieved compared to open excavation. “Providing the buried asset has not deteriorated or collapsed to a point where a liner cannot be pulled through or it would burst due to sharp fragments and edges with the host pipe, relining existing pipes is more financially viable than excavation,” says Mr Tansley. “As there is no excavation normally required, the process removes risks involved with working in excavations.” Mr Tansley says any excavation of the region’s sewers – some being more than 6 m in depth – would be onerous, expensive and risky in addition to the significant reinstatement effort that would be required. However, trenchless construction can mitigate these risks and result in overall lower operational costs. Ultimately, Mr Tansley says the Bundaberg Regional Council chose a trenchless construction

40 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

Bundaberg Regional Council contracted AARO for the relining of the major sewer pipes, while Relining Solutions worked on the smaller ones.

method due to customer relations and satisfaction, financial stability achieved through reduced delivery cost and ongoing operational costs as well as a lengthy design life. More trenchless considerations Although relining was chosen as the primary solution, the council also considered implementing the pipe bursting technique as a rehabilitation option for sewer mains that have partially collapsed and are preventing insertion of liners. However, Mr Tansley says this process would end up needing open excavation and modification to reinstate the connection, therefore pipe bursting was discounted as an option due to these requirements and additional costs. “In these cases, the areas that had collapsed and were preventing the liner installation were excavated and patched sufficiently enough to enable renewal with either GRP or PVC liners,” says Mr Tansley. Bundaberg Regional council has also used pipe jacking and line boring in previous works to install new sewers or upgrade existing mains, particularly under existing roads; however, this method has seen limited results in the past due to an inability to maintain gradient and pipes

failing due to tension stress. Reaping the rewards with minimal disruption By implementing relining as the trenchless solution, the project can ensure the continuity of essential services to the Bundaberg region without significant impact on the asset’s delivery as it is being renewed. If open excavation had been chosen, interruption to services such as sewer and road transport would expose workers to risks from buried services such as electrical cabling and gas mains while also creating a significant impact and disturbance on the environment. “Sewer renewal through relining is financially sustainable, as it is often the most cost and time effective renewal method, especially for deep pipe and those with access constraints,” says Mr Tansley. Utilising state-wide contractors The large diameter sewers – those 375 mm in diameter and larger – are being relined using an iMPREG cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) system by AARO Group, a Perth-based company with a depot located in Currumbin Waters. The iMPREG liner system, which has a design

PROJECTS

The AARO team uses new trenchless systems and technology to complete the council’s rehabilitation project.

life of 100 years, is an ultraviolet light cured glassfibre reinforced plastic (GRP) liner that is cured after being pulled in place and inflated using compressed air. Mr Tansley says AARO Group has a crew of eight onsite undertaking the jet cleaning, CCTV and installation work. In addition to the relining workers, AARO Group also sourced a local traffic control company who are providing an additional four-person team to safely manage traffic and pedestrian guidance. The smaller sewer mains, up to and including

300 mm, are being renewed by Queensland based company Relining Solutions and using an AM-LINER II, which is a continuous length of polyvinyl chloride pipe and has a design life of 50 years. The bulk reels are steamed to soften the liner, cut to length and transferred to smaller reels to facilitate ease of handling and installation. At the individual jobsite, the liner is again steamed to become more pliable and then winched through the host pipe where it is inflated with pressurised steam. After a short period of time that allows the liner to fully expand into the host pipe, the pressure is increased and monitored to verify the liner is air tight and within specification. After achieving the required heat soak period and pressure test, the steam supply is transitioned to compressed air and the steam is slowly purged while maintaining pressure to allow the liner to cool in place and become a new PVC pipe. Future plans The current program was originally planned to be completed in May 2020, although it is now slightly behind its initial timeline due to

issues with transportation of materials and equipment caused by COVID-19 health and safety measures. Despite these delays, the Bundaberg Regional Council says new plans are already in place for future work. “The next round of the WBBROC sewer relining program is expected to be a three-year tender and should be advertised later this year,” says Mr Tansley. Mr Tansley says the council’s water services department has also established an associated program of proactive cleaning, survey and condition assessing for the region’s entire sewerage system to identify and quantify any defects in the network. “The information gained from this survey will be used to identify, cost and establish a rolling program of relining work for the future.” Mr Tansley says the council will continue to implement trenchless renewal methods. “As trenchless renewal methods are constantly being developed and improved, we will continue to review the emerging technologies and modify existing ones to suit our application.”

For more information visit www.bundaberg.qld.gov.au

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JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 41

INTERNATIONAL PROJECT

Water under the bridge in Vietnam The Primus Line® system proved the ideal method of pipeline rehabilitation for a steel water main located underneath and inside three bridges in Vietnam.

he Van Don district in the north-east of Vietnam belongs to the province Quang Ninh, located approximately 150 km east of Hanoi. The province is home to Ha Long Bay, a World Heritage site with 1,969 islands. In this sensitive landscape, network operator Quang Ninh Water Company (QUAWACO) operates a DN 300 steel water main located underneath and inside a bridge construction to supply Van Don Island with drinking water. The three bridges have individual lengths of 410 m, 170 m and 270 m. The steel pipes were originally installed in 2002 with the construction of the bridges, while corrosion and water quality security induced the water network operator to undertake preventative maintenance. The goal of the renovation works was to elongate the life span of the pipes and secure the water supply. Due to its difficult access and a desire to quickly upgrade the existing pipe, the Primus Line® system was the preferred method.

42 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

As the first deployment of the Primus Line system in Vietnam, the liner’s use was the idea of QUAWACO’s Chairman Nguyen Van Thanh, who was first introduced to the trenchless rehabilitation technology at Vietwater 2018 where he met Primus Line’s Australian representative. At the time, the Australian Water Association and Vietnam Water Association had begun a twinning program and Vietwater was a central platform for knowledge sharing. In order to install the Primus Line system, only a small investment in the necessary tools was required. Additionally, a Primus Line instructor performed a local training for the contractor in two working days and, during the same week, the contractor renovated the first bridge under this instructor’s supervision. QUAWACO proactively manage the water supply in its region and has reduced the nonrevenue water rate below 18 per cent over the past couple of years.

Two of the three rehabilitated bridge sectors from a bird’s eye view.

The process To begin, the host pipe was CCTV inspected to assess its condition, and this inspection revealed several areas where incorrect welding seams were protruding into the cross-section of the pipe. The individual pipe shots were butt-

The end fittings are equipped with DIN flanges PN 10.

INTERNATION PROJECT

welded and, due to the complex accessibility of the steel pipe underneath the bridges and inside a box girder, the contractor’s team removed the welding seams manually. The contractor performed mechanical cleaning of the host pipe using scrappers and rubber pigs as the 840 m of liner was delivered pre-folded into U-shape on timber transport reels directly to the site. The contractor mounted a pulling wire to the start of the liner and connected it to a rotation joint and subsequently to the cable of a pulling winch, allowing the liner installation to take less than one hour for each section. Afterwards, it was re-rounded with compressed air before the contractor’s installation team finally mounted the end fittings equipped with DIN flanges PN 10. The renovated section was successfully pressuretested using potable water with 9 bar and the pipe was reintegrated into the network using HDPE pipe shots. The whole renovation was completed after three weeks and extended the asset’s life by 50 years, therefore securing both the water quality and supply.

e ibl

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pe pi

The Primus Liner was delivered on timber transport reels directly to the site.

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Ben d

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Trenchless rehabilitation of water mains and sewer rising mains

Inner Layer: Media-specific based on PE or TPU

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Cost savings of up to 40% compared to sliplining Installation speeds of up to 10 metres per minute Up to 2,500 metres per pull Small pits, minor installation footprint Maximum capacity (low wall thickness of 6 mm for PN 16) Increase operating pressure independently of host pipe Avoid cost for disposal of asbestos cement mains cts proje n 20 stalled AS/NZS 4020 : 2005 certified a h t e Mor ssfully in e succ tralia! Aus in Raedlinger Primus Line Pty Ltd Mr Heiko Manzke Level 6, 8 Spring Street Sydney, NSW 2000 · Australia

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www.primusline.com JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 43

REHABILITATION

The corrugated steel pipes at the Ravenshoe project were in terrible condition.

Aussie Trenchless leaves no project in the trenches As trenchless technology continues its upward trajectory as a go-to methodology for the installation of underground infrastructure, Aussie Trenchless maintains its position as an industry pioneer. The company’s spiral relining products go from strength to strength with the company’s home base of Australia supplying both the local and global market.

ussie Trenchless’ flagship – and most popular – product is a close fitting structural spiral ribbed PVC trenchless pipe lining system known as the SRP EXP. Used for circular sewer and stormwater gravity mains, the method has seen an increased popularity both in Australasia and abroad thanks to its versatility and ease of use. By installing SRP EXP, asset operators can extend the service life of sewer and stormwater systems by more than 50 years. The product is designed to fit standard size access chambers but is also ideal for tight spaces and locations with bad access. As the installation process is unaffected by running infiltration and does not need bypass pumping, it is well suited to water applications, particularly as it also enhances the hydraulic characteristics of the rehabilitated asset. The product is available for asset profiles from DN 150 to DN 1200, with such range allowing it to become a standout product to the market. 44 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

Aussie Trenchless Director Chris Meredith says he has seen significant growth in the implementation of this trenchless solution all around the world and particularly here in Australia, where it has been implemented in several locations. A standout product in action Recently, the spiral lining system was used to rehabilitate corrugated steel stormwater pipes for the Tablelands Regional Council in Queensland at the Ravenshoe Project. As the pipes – which were each 750 mm in diameter and 33 m long – were in what was described as a ‘horrific’ condition, the contractor decided the only feasible application was Aussie Trenchless’ spiral lining. With other methodologies, the risk of collapsing the walls could possibly result in a need to dig up the road. As it was the only road providing residents access to their properties, this would have caused major concern and delay

with the digging requiring in at least one week of work. By implementing the Aussie Trenchless solution, the contractors completed a size for size rehabilitation that had minimal risk of collapsing the existing pipe walls. At the conclusion of the project, the contracted engineer was extremely pleased with the final result and signed it off with no hesitation. Mr Meredith says this project is just one example of how customers are starting to take advantage of the product, with the company receiving lots of market feedback indicating it’s one of the most financially viable and efficient systems available. “Like all efficient trenchless methods, the spiral lining system helps ensure the works’ aboveground footprint is minimised as much as possible, which includes the land and environment itself, as well as the day-to-day lives of the public in surrounding areas,” says Mr Meredith.

REHABILITATION

“Other systems need two separate winding machines to install a range of profile to suit pipes from DN 150 to DN 1200. SRP EXP has been designed with one winding machine that installs all sizes of expanding profile for pipes from DN 150 to DN 1200 meaning there is no need for multiple winding machines.” More than a one-hit wonder While the SRP EXP is at the forefront of Aussie Trenchless’ offerings to the market, the company’s Hot Sleeve Jacket is a product that remains popular among customers by inducing a speedy resign cure during patch and seal lining activities. The Hot Sleeve is a tight-fitting heating jacket that is secured over a patch inflatable packer to reduce ambient cure period without reducing its life, with operators finding it saves up to 60 per cent in crew times. Aussie Trenchless has also caught the industry’s attention with its Pipe Segment Technology (PST) – a man entry lining system using transparent polypropylene lining panels for the rehabilitation of gravity sewer mains. Both easy to build and fast to implement, PST lining panels are made of polypropylene material which provides a smooth surface with excellent hydraulic performance characteristics.

Using Aussie Trenchless’s spiral lining system helped prevent collapse of the existing pipe walls.

About Aussie Trenchless Founded in 2014, Aussie Trenchless offers a range of unique products to the trenchless industry in Australia and internationally. In addition to SRP EXP and PST, it has the exclusive rights to distribute and sell HYDRAPULSE in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the HOT SLEEVE heating jacket for accelerated resin curing on patch lining and ‘T’ seal spot repairs. For more information visit www.aussietrenchless.com

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An expandable tight fitting liner No issues with high infiltration Negotiates displacements and slight bends Small site foot print Smooth to work with and install SRP EXP pipe is made from factory produced PVC profile strip Profile is supplied on large steel drums which are collapsible for easy reuse The minimal wastage is recyclable For DN150 to DN1200 pipe lines Mechanical installation – no chemical curing or steam heating Easily removed if site issues encountered Lead Free PVC formulation +61 418 691 989 6/58 Box Road, Taren Point NSW 2229 Australia enquiries@aussietrenchless.com

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JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 45

REHABILITATION

A series of five Smart Locks were placed throughout the pipe to complete the New Zealand project.

Smart Lock keeps the road open The Smart Lock team is continually proving its ability to adapt and modify its working arrangements to succeed in a changing landscape.

n the busy intersection of Peel Street in Gisborne, New Zealand where the bridge crossing the Taruheru River begins, a large section of DN 525 sewer pipe was missing. This had caused a substantial void underneath the road’s surface, which would cause great risk if left unnoticed. The council required a product that could urgently seal the void and return the strength and structural integrity back to the pipe, with minimal disruption occurring to the roads and the local community. Smart Lock was chosen to achieve this goal, as the installation of its solution only required access to the manhole, allowing the bridge to remain open. A local job Smart Lock, working with Reline NZ, installed five Smart Lock’s, which were placed in a series in the pipe. Once confident that the sewer retic was fully sealed, structurally sound and back to its working order, the steel road plates were removed, the void filled and road surface reinstated. 46 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

Numerous local council representatives, governments and road agencies attended the site to observe the project. Smart Lock is proud to have worked with Reline NZ and is thrilled to have the company as one of its new partners. Revolutionising the Australasian industry Smart Lock is a company comprised of industry experts who understand that, when it comes to pipes and point repairs, a trenchless approach is a minimally invasive and costeffective solution. Smart Lock is a ‘no cure’ point repair system that leverages mechanical and fiberglass technology to help make trenchless repairs affordable, easy and accessible. The innovative solution makes repairing pipes easy with its three-step system: load, lock and leave, with installation complete in only 30 minutes. This particular project demonstrates the structural strength and integrity of the Smart Lock and the versatility of the product being laid in series through an extended void.

Video footage of the damaged pipe that Smart Lock and Reline NZ worked together to ensure was back in working order.

For more information visit www.smartlockgroup.com

REHABILITATION

Melbourne Water completes rehab early Works have finished ahead of schedule to upgrade one of the Melbourne Water network main sewers, which transports about 24 million litres of wastewater each day to the Western Treatment Plant.

he AU$35 million project saw a 7.2 km stretch of the Maribyrnong River Main Sewer upgraded to ensure residents of Avondale Heights, Essendon West and Aberfeldie continue to receive a secure and reliable sewage service for decades to come. The upgrade works included relining the inside of the existing sewer with new plastic sleeving, rehabilitating more than 70 ageing and damaged manholes as well as decommissioning others that were no longer needed. Environmental protection through trenchless Most of the project work was carried out around the existing sewer manholes – which were typically located in parkland – as well as some local streets and private properties. By using the trenchless technology of relining, Melbourne Water could ensure the important cultural and environmental values of the local area were protected. Melbourne Water Project Manager Tom Ryan says the focus of the project was now on reinstating areas affected by the work activities, in accordance with plans approved by Council and Parks Victoria – including planting more than 10,000 native trees, shrubs and grasses in the local region to build on and compliment other revegetation works undertaken by its project partners. “We will be leaving a lasting legacy by enhancing the environment and amenity of the local area through native plantings,” says Mr Ryan.

Essential project partnerships Mr Ryan praised the project’s delivery partners CPB and Black & Veatch Joint Venture for the ability to complete the works well before the mid-2020 deadline. “We did this by having a number of crews working in multiple locations at the same time, which allowed us to complete the works more quickly and efficiently,” says Mr Ryan. Melbourne Water worked closely with several agencies and groups to deliver the project including Moonee Valley City Council, Parks Victoria, Wurundjeri Land Council, Friends of Maribyrnong Valley and Friends of Steele Creek.

“We could not have completed this important sewer upgrade without these strong partnerships,” he says. “We also thank local residents and businesses for their patience and understanding throughout the upgrade works, which began in mid-2018.” Melbourne Water staff now continue to deliver vital projects while adhering to the latest government health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Melbourne Water ensures best practices for protecting the occupational health of both staff and the community will continue to be maintained.

For more information visit www.melbournewater.com.au

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JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 47

REHABILITATION

Allpipe Technologies installs QUICKLOCK systems throughout Western Australia.

Allpipe Technologies providing the pipeline solution On a recent project in Western Australia, proactive CCTV inspections by Allpipe Technologies prevented a sink hole on a busy main road.

s a leading CCTV pipe inspection and pipeline rehabilitation company in Western Australia, Allpipe Technologies is no stranger to conducting underground asset audits by using the latest technology and methods to deliver tangible value for municipalities, authorities and private companies. For such organisations, awareness and maintenance of underground assets has seen increased importance as it is not only vital to maintain an optimum level of service, but 48 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

also to reduce the risk of disruption as much as possible. With the support of SECA – a leading Australian supplier of equipment for the cleaning, inspection and rehabilitation of sewers and drains – Allpipe Technologies has been promoting and installing more than 1,000 QUICKLOCK systems throughout WA in the last year. A cost-effective repair Allpipe Technologies recently assisted with

inspection services for the City of Subiaco, a suburb located in Perth. The suburb manages more than 100 km of pipeline, representing significant value for both the city and the thousands of residents and businesses within its boundaries. On 10 March 2020, Allpipe Technologies deployed its CCTV inspection team to survey a stormwater pipe located on a main road in one of the busiest intersections in Perth – which presented a void in the pipeline under the road reserve.

REHABILITATION

By using QUICKLOCK, Allpipe Technologies was able to avoid an environmental disaster in Western Australia.

Allpipe Technologies Business Development Manager Morgan Caffrey says the inspection showed a visible void that if left unnoticed, would cause the potential for a sink hole and environmental impact or disaster would be imminent. “Subiaco City Council engineers investigated various rehabilitation methods presented by Allpipe Technologies and decided that the QUICKLOCK was the most suitable to repair the defect in the most cost-effective way,” says Mr Caffrey. “The QUICKLOCK is fast to install and has Australian approvals including a life expectancy in excess of 50 years.” The following morning, Allpipe Technologies had already installed the DN 300 QUICKLOCK with minimal disruption and traffic flowing as normal. 50 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

A dedicated pipeline rehabilitation team The Allpipe Technologies team is trained by SECA to install the QUICKLOCK, ensuring a quality service and product every time. Allpipe Technologies is ISO accredited in quality, safety and environment, a tier one contractor for the Water Corporation and a member of the Civil Contractors Federation. Dedicated to safety and employee development, all crews have experience working at heights, confined space entry, gas test atmospheres, first aid and traffic management to ensure project delivery that clients can always trust.

Allpipe Technologies utilises the latest technology and methods to deliver tangible value for its customers.

For more information visit www.allpipetechnologies.com.au

GPR

An impulse to use 3D GPR technology ImpulseRadar provides an overview of the 3D GPR data management process, highlighting benefits and improvements compared to 2D systems.

deploy to the field for data collection; even with the best planning, a real-world project could contain data that is less than optimal,” he says. Mr Johansson advises that when dealing with the data volumes from a modern 3D GPR array system, it is advisable to get rid of problematic data as early as possible.

Data import and pre-processing Before loading data into processing software, the quality control and quality assurance of the data is essential, with users needing practical tools to support the proper selection and management of quality data imports. “Given the reliance on accurate positioning data, a key element in the data import process is the clean-up of the geometry – the positioning – associated with the raw data files,” says Mr Johansson. As processing radar data takes up a large portion of computer memory and can slow operations down, the cleaning up of data can save not only memory space, but also significant time compared to loading a large amount of compromised data. Mr Johansson says despite best efforts though, there may be occasions when there are gaps or areas not covered by radar data. “In such instances, the software must offer some ability to fill such gaps or empty spaces by either interpolating data from adjacent points, or by applying regularisation. Regardless of the theoretical function employed, if the empty spaces are too big, no software can fix it, and those areas will be useless for interpretation,” he says.

he 3D ground penetrating radar (GPR) systems offer users a higher level of confidence when interpreting results. The density of collected data means a single pass is all that is required to obtain the high-quality 3D information of the line surveyed. ImpulseRadar Chief Technical Officer Bernth Johansson says, combined with the synchronisation of accurate positional data, each survey line, or ‘swath’, can be precisely aligned to adjacent swaths, optimising the data gathering process for efficient subsurface mapping. “Those new to 3D GPR systems – or arrays, as they’re commonly known – may think that array data means more of the same thing. While this is partly true, there are other details, which, if considered, may ease the data management process through its different stages,” says Mr Johansson. 3D GPR data positioning ImpulseRadar explains positioning is one of the most significant talking points concerning the collection of 3D GPR data, as the use of high precision RTK-GPS is the most convenient and efficient positioning method and therefore takes preference over the use of total stations. “However, this convenience becomes ineffective in areas where the signal is interrupted, such as by tree cover, tall buildings, or other overhead obstacles,” says Mr Johansson. “Ultimately, it is the survey environment itself that determines the positioning method to use. In context, only RTK-fix is sufficient, and any loss of fix will cause extra work in data management.” When using GPR data, it is sometimes possible to salvage a project with poor positioning; however, if it is a large project with a high percentage of positioning errors, Mr Johansson says it may be more economical to re-survey with better positioning. “If you don’t have adequate control over the positioning process, it makes little sense to

Migration and post-processing When using 2D GPR data, those familiar with the system understand that buried features and objects produce reflections in the radar data. Operators learn to recognise such hyperbolic shapes, which helps them mark out the position of utility lines and other targets. Contrarily, with 3D GPR data, these hyperbolic anomalies are collapsed into points through a known velocity and a mathematical algorithm using a technique called “migration”. Mr Johansson says the migration procedure excels in visualising targets in the top view as, when working with interpretation, it is the view most utilised. “However, there is no deep expertise needed

for applying it correctly when using modern and interactive software like ImpulseRadar’s Condor system because the process is simple, swift and intuitive,” he says. By following a few simple guidelines, operators can see resulting data that is significantly more straightforward to interpret than ordinary 2D GPR data, therefore eliminating the ambiguities. The task of interpretation “Interpretation is the most time-consuming step in managing 3D GPR data and a real bottleneck for operators, where the right choice of processing software can make a considerable difference,” says Mr Johansson. Although the most common when it comes to interpreting 3D GPR data, Mr Johansson says top views are not that useful for the precise picking of target depths. Instead, their strength lies in giving the user an overview and the perception of the target layouts. “Having 3D data at hand provides a user with the ability to view any 2D cut in that data volume. If those cuts are made properly, then picking a target in the 2D view – combined with views and picks in the top view – makes the process more accurate,” he says. In a complex project where a screen can quickly become cluttered and confusing, the software must support an effective workflow and practical tools must be easily accessible for navigating through the data to manage the views and the interpretation features. ImpulseRadar technology Condor is the latest 3D GPR processing and visualisation software designed to support the ImpulseRadar Raptor 3D GPR solution. Due to a streamlined data management process, the operator does not need to be a processing data expert to be capable of using it, says ImpulseRadar Director of Business Development Brian Wright. “The combination of a cutting-edge 3D GPR array solution like Raptor and modern 3D processing software such as Condor removes many of the ambiguities often faced by users of simpler 2D systems, as well as conventional 3D GPR systems,” says Mr Wright. “The dense and high-quality data capabilities of Raptor, combined with the speed of data acquisition and data management and processing, makes it possible to efficiently view the subsurface from any direction and thereby secure a reliable interpretation from which to make informed decisions.”

For more information visit www.impulseradar.se JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 51

MICROTUNNELLING

Monitoring the location of the MTBM.

Lonsdale sewer progresses below quiet CBD Rob Carr is continuing work on a vital sewer upgrade in Melbourne’s CBD that will deliver wastewater services to a rapidly expanding inner-city population. Although the coronavirus pandemic has severely lowered foot and car traffic in the region as of late, operations continue at a strong pace on this essential work site.

he Lonsdale Street Sewer Upgrade is the second stage of a four-stage strategy to install a secondary 900 m long sewer line under Lonsdale Street. Rob Carr was appointed by Melbourne utility City West Water (CWW) in June 2019, and – in association with design partner SMEC – has been diligently working to deliver the DN 1400 glassfibre reinforced plastic (GRP) sewer line in the heart of the city. Rob Carr successfully launched the microtunnel boring machine (MTBM) from its 23 m deep launch shaft on William Street in February 2020 after completing weeks of excavation activities. The tunnel will be completed in two shots of 550 m and 350 m respectively, with a 1,500 mm outside diameter GRP to be used. As of late April 2020, Rob Carr had tunnelled approximately 350 m through the first drive, with operations underway 24 hours a day, six days per week. Rob Carr Construction Manager Andrew Scarr says as with any tunnelling job there have been challenges, but the team was continually able to work its way through. “We were below the water table at all points, but the permeability of the ground is quite low,

52 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

A bird’s-eye view of the sewer with 300 m installed.

so we turn on the pump twice per day at the launch shaft to keep the water down,” he says. “At about 300 m we came into some river rock, or river pebbles – like an old riverbed. It had high inflow so that was a challenge for the operators.” Tunnelling during a pandemic The shadow of the COVID-19 has hung over much of 2020 so far, with many operations hardly continuing in a fashion that could be described as ‘business as usual’. However, the work goes on for Rob Carr on Lonsdale Street, albeit without the hustle and bustle usually expected in a dense urban area such as Melbourne’s CBD. Mr Scarr says after the solving some minor logistical issues with workers coming in from interstate, the surrounding noise, or lack thereof, in the project’s location was the biggest difference from when works began. “It’s significantly quieter, like a ghost town,” he says. “Often it’s more like a quiet Saturday afternoon than a weekday with how few people For more information visit www.robcarr.com.au

Rob Carr extended the rails to make way for the new sewer line.

and how traffic is around.” Rob Carr and CWW have been adhering to all coronavirus prevention guidelines onsite, including having ample supplies of hand sanitiser, putting up relevant signage and practicing social distancing. Through it all, Mr Scarr says the team’s performance has been first rate. “Everyone is working well together and CWW is always on hand to help where they can, particularly with the challenges presented by COVID-19. “We are still on track to complete the project in 2020.”

Excellence in tunneling for water, wastewater and energy infrastructure. With a focus on safety, innovation and collaborative delivery over the last 30 years, Rob Carr has achieved outstanding outcomes in water, wastewater and energy infrastructure projects in both Australia and overseas. Rob Carr is part of Soletanche Bachy a world leader in foundation and soil technologies and subsidiary of VINCI, a global player in construction across more than 100 countries. With outstanding capabilities to manage the complexities of any project, Rob Carr has the people, knowledge and experience to deliver success.

robcarr.com.au

MICROTUNNELLING

Bothar Microtunnelling Supervisor Alex Blayden inside the machine used for the project.

Bothar delivers another successful Victorian project At the base of O’Shannassy Reservoir in East Warburton, Victoria, Bothar Boring & Tunnelling Australia has been kept busy using a microtunnel boring machine to make way for a new watermain that will supply Melbourne Water’s largest catchment, the Silvan Reservoir.

he new main is replacing the pipe that is still in operation and, once up and running, will supply more than 20 per cent of Melbourne’s water. Using a trenchless solution was a priority for Melbourne Water as the alignment of the new water main was through a peak in the catchment area. With the area also environmentally sensitive alongside a large population of protected flora and fauna, mitigating damage from significant excavation was vital.

554 kNm, a permanent torque of 424 kNm and is fitted with four drive motors, making it the perfect selection for this particularly challenging project. During the bore, the MTBM jacked through more than 250 MPa basalt ground conditions via a DN 1800 RCJP, supplied by the John Holland-KBR Joint Venture. Bothar , which is believed to own the largest global fleet of Herrenknecht MTBM’s, shipped this particular machine in from Kuwait, where it had completed its most recent project.

A global fleet To complete the project, Bothar used one of the many microtunnel boring machines (MTBM) in its fleet: the Herrenknecht AVN1800-TB M2150 fitted with a DA2225 extension kit that gives the machine an outside diameter of 2,225 mm. The machine has a maximum torque of

Planning is the key to success Bothar commented that the project was successfully completed on time and on budget which is a testament to the continual commitment of the Bothar team involved. The total length of the drive was 425 m with more than half of that distance in 250 MPa basalt; this proved a significant challenge to the

54 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

An aerial view of the O’Shannassy Reservoir where the bore took place to make way for a new watermain.

MICROTUNNELLING

project as the disc cutters needed to be changed approximately every 6 to 9 m. To overcome this, Bothar monitored the machines parameters and kept it within its optimum tunnelling conditions with regular interventions to change the cutting disks. Bothar also worked very closely with Baroid to mix the optimum face slurry and annular lubricating mud for the ground conditions encountered. The bentonite product was mixed meticulously and then pumped into the face at pressures that allowed for optimum operation, jacking forces and cutter longevity. Additionally, Bothar explained the remote site meant there was no telephone reception, so the project’s logistics needed to be precisely timed and planned. To do so, communication was managed with satellite phones, UFD radios and through forward planning programming and management. Teamwork makes the dream work Bothar Boring Australia’s General Manager David King says not only did the project present challenges in the extreme geological conditions, but the exit target was also to be within a very tight tolerance as the MTBM was required to exit within an existing structure. “Thankfully, the drive throughout was well

Bothar is pleased with the success of the project, which it credits to the safe, hard work of the team.

within these tolerances rendering the drive a complete success,” says Mr King. “The integrated efforts of all Bothar staff worked safely and seamlessly - even with the additional challenges thrown up by COVID-19 to ensure the safe and successful completion of this project. We commend every one of our team involved for their hardworking efforts. They went above and beyond the call of duty.” Bothar Boring worked collaboratively with the John Holland-KBR Joint Venture and client Melbourne Water to successfully complete the project.

The Bothar Boring team onsite as the MTBM broke through the challenging bore.

For more information visit www.botharboring.com

• • • • • • •

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...Building the world beneath you... WWW.BOTHARBORING.COM

(07) 3907 0777

INFO@BOTHARBORING.COM

JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 55

MICROTUNNELLING

Edge Underground understands that innovation and flexibility is what can ensure the best outcomes on difficult projects.

Edge Underground evolves with the industry Through the use of trenchless technologies like microtunnelling, Edge Underground ensures its workers on job sites are exposed to reduced risk thanks to flexibility and innovation.

lthough microtunnelling is still a relatively new technology, it is continuously involving as its methods are improved, making it a more reliable means of installing pipelines on time and in budget. However, to ensure the technology continues to evolve, Edge Underground Managing Director Stuart Harrison says contractors and subcontractors need to be open to taking a flexible approach on projects to produce the best possible outcome. A modern technology “Developed in Japan in the 1970s, microtunnelling is still considered a new technology that is continuing to evolve as machinery and techniques continue to be improved,” says Mr Harrison. 56 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

“This means it is new enough for engineers to be wary of it – especially if they have never used it before – but also old enough for current practices and procedures to be established. “I see our industry as in its infancy – even though it’s been around for almost 50 years – because when it was first developed, the methodology wasn’t consistent and only got it right some of the time. “But we’ve evolved a lot since then, and little by little the methodology has been improved to the capabilities of some of the best microtunnelling machines on the market today which can consistently achieve accuracies of ±10 mm.” Mr Harrison says the industry is still evolving and he believes the growth over the next ten years will be big and exciting.

Working with a flexible contractor that is open to new ideas helped Edge Underground find success at this Melbourne-based project.

MICROTUNNELLING

An evolving industry Mr Harrison says the evolution of the industry in the coming years will rely on a host of different factors including products and design, not solely on the improvement of equipment or work practices. “It’s about pulling it all together to make a package that is truly competitive, and a true alternative to open cut,” he says. “Before we even start a job, we’re trying to help companies eliminate risk. At the end of the day, when you get risk wrong, that’s when budgets get destroyed. So, whenever you can find a situation where you can reduce risk, you get a more accurate way of knowing what the final cost will be. “That is a critical part of our industry moving forward; whenever we get the opportunity to create a methodology that reduces risk, we can create outcomes that everyone’s looking for.” Edge Underground offers a piece of the puzzle Edge Underground understands it’s not always easy to get engineers and contractors unfamiliar with microtunnelling on board with

the method, but finding ways to improve and reduce jobsite risk requires everyone to be open to a flexible work approach. “We’re a piece of a puzzle on a jobsite, and we offer a very specialised service to deliver a pipeline from A to B accurately in a very wide range of ground conditions,” says Mr Harrison. “As a company, Edge Underground will take on even the hardest jobs that no other microtunnelling contractor is willing to touch, and in doing this we will look for the best and most economical way of completing the project in the provided time frame and budget. “Sometimes this means finding an unconventional way of doing things, especially when there are challenging conditions, but everyone needs to be open to giving it a go.” An innovative solution This flexible approach has allowed Edge Underground to complete projects in difficult conditions and challenging time frames when other subcontractors may not.

“In one instance, we completed a 300 m PVC sewer pipeline installation in Maribyrnong in Melbourne’s inner west, which had to be completed in a tight access area near existing infrastructure, but also needed to be completed in a short time frame,” says Mr Harrison. “There was such as tight time frame to complete the project that it would’ve been difficult to put shoring into place without taking longer than specified. “When this happens, working with a flexible contractor that is open to new ideas is a great benefit to finding a solution to get the job done. “We worked on this project with Eden Drainage, and working together we were able to come up with a solution; we essentially shotcreted the tight access shafts, allowing us to complete the job in the specified time.” Mr Harrison says that having everyone on board to come up with a flexible and innovative approach to the job – rather than simply going with the conventional, preconceived idea – is what ensured the successful outcome.

For more information visit www.edgeunderground.co

G U IDE D BORIN G S PE C IA L IS TS

WHERE ACCURACY MATTERS WHERE ACCURACY MATTERS

GUIDED BORING SPECIALISTS www.keyhole-pipeline.com.au

GUIDED BORING SPECIALISTS ABOUT US

Find out more about keyhole pipeline installation

OUR SERVICES

ABOUT US

Edge Underground is a precision microtunnelling • Microtunnelling contractor that operates in Australia and the USA. • Pipe Jacking With a focus on innovative technology and expertise, • Thrust Underground and enhances the EdgeEdge Underground is designs a precision microtunnelling contractor thatBoring operates in • Laser BoringEdge performance trenchless Australia and theof USA. With aequipment. focus on innovative technology andTunnel expertise,

Underground designs and enhances the performance of trenchless equipment.

OUR SERVICES • Microtunnelling • Pipe Jacking • Thrust Boring • Laser Tunnel Boring

( JAC 0458K000 ED 009 * stuart@edgeunderground.co 8 www.edgeunderground.co 0458 000 009 ( 1300 5 2 2 5 3 3 *

stuart@edgeunderground.co

www.edgeunderground.co

JUNE 2020 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA 57

MICROTUNNELLING

The MTBM used by D.J. Mac Cormick on the Haughton Pipeline Duplication Project.

D.J. Mac Cormick hits the right notes in Townsville Using its extensive knowledge and experience in tunnelling and pipe installation, D.J. Mac Cormick Contractors successfully completed works for an integral water pipeline in north Queensland.

he Haughton Pipeline Duplication Project (HPDP) involved the duplication of a 36.5 km pipeline from the Haughton Pump Station to the Ross River Dam in order to provide a bulk raw water supply the area. The alignment of the DN 1800 GRP pipeline included crossing beneath state-controlled Flinders Highway and a Queensland Rail (QR) rail corridor, which required D.J. Mac Cormick Contractors to install a 120 m long 2.5 m outside diameter enveloper pipe using the trenchless pipejacking method. Before works began, several authority approvals and permits were acquired, including a QR Wayleave, compliance the QR’s civil engineering requirements and Department of Transport and Main Roads permits. Detailed temporary design was undertaken for launch shaft shoring, thrust block, the concrete pad and entrance wall, as well as the receival shaft design for microtunnel boring machine removal, while the jacking system employed was capable of up to a 850 t safe jacking load. A Herrenknecht tunnelling system was selected to undertake the project with a mixed

58 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

cutting wheel chosen based on the expected ground conditions that ranged from stiff sand and clay to granodiorite rock. The subsequent 120 m drive length was completed in 11 days at a depth of a maximum 2.5–3 below surface to top of pipe, followed by the grouting of annulus outside of the pipe. Additionally, pre, during and post surface settlement monitoring was undertaken with maximum of 2 mm desettlement under the highway and railway. Spoil removal monitoring works were also undertaken on each pipe as the construction advanced to ensure no excessive excavation occurred and the 2.1 m internal diameter concrete jacking pipes were supplied by Humes. An air pressure test was conducted at the

A detailed design was completed for the launch pit.

conclusion of the installation to certify the line to proper sewer standards and a detailed survey of the pipe post-construction found no defects.

About D.J. Mac Cormick Contractors D.J. Mac Cormick Contractors has tunnelling offices across Australia and more than 40 years of industry experience. The company will work in any location around the country and offers a complete range of engineering and construction services across the tunnelling, civil construction, resources and utility sectors. For more information visit www.djmaccormickcontractors.com.au

Connect with Trenchless Australasia on social media Join the growing network of professionals that connect through social media. These platforms have become a place to network, discuss industry developments, and look for the latest job opportunities. Don’t miss your opportunity to stay closely connected to your colleagues and build your career through social networking.

How to connect Visit the links below to connect with Trenchless Australasia on social media. LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/showcase/trenchless-australasia Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrenchlessOz Twitter: www.twitter.com/TrenchlessOz

www.trenchless-australasia.com A Great Southern Press publication

NON-DESTRUCTIVE EXCAVATION

DCS Manufacturing is bringing the new Longo 3000 series to the Australasian market in August 2020.

DCS enhances profile with new addition DCS Manufacturing is now providing the new Longo 3000 series throughout Australasia thanks to is partnership with Longo.

ongo has been a leading company in the advanced engineering industry for more than 10 years, with expertise in manufacturing vehicles for the environment. Due to an emphasis on the research, design and technological solutions, Longo quickly gained a leading position in the global market. With DCS establishing itself as one of Australia’s leading designers and manufacturers of high-quality hydro excavation, vacuum loading and drain cleaning trucks, a new partnership between the two companies has allowed specialised, customer tailored equipment and solutions to hit the Australasian market. A new addition to the fleet Longo’s machinery is designed and manufactured for simplicity of operation and ease of maintenance, incorporating advanced safety systems with DCS’ supply of Longo units already being purchased by companies all over the country. DCS says the most popular unit so far has been the Longo 5000 Series – a combination

high velocity jetting system with vacuum recovery. In March 2020, the first Longo 5000 Combination Unit in Australia was delivered to Glen Eira City Council in Victoria, where the DCS team demonstrated how impressive and productive the system is. Now, arriving in August 2020 will be the Longo 3000 Series, a mini combination high velocity jetting system with vacuum recovery. Designed for difficult to service drains The Longo 3000 is a smaller version of the Longo 5000, which will cater well for smaller industrial jobs. With a compact system design, the Longo 3000 can service difficult drains in restricted areas that are not accessible with larger truck mounted systems. The new system can be controlled via a remote or manually and has a debris collector body of 3500 L and a water capacity of 2500 L, as well as a side storage compartment. With a top-end vacuum pump, hydro pump and horse reel, the Longo 3000 Combination

For more information visit www.dcsmanufacturing.com.au 60 TRENCHLESS AUSTRALASIA JUNE 2020

A clear view of the compact system, designed for difficult to service drains.

System is ideal for the cleaning and maintenance of storm water and sewer lines. About DCS Manufacturing Established in 1993 to service the storm water and sewer cleaning industry, DCS Manufacturing’s specialised systems have long been supported with an extensive range of accessories and spare parts. DCS additionally carries a huge inventory of support equipment and speciality nozzles to cover a wide range of cleaning tasks, from basic pipe cleaning through to tree root and concrete removal. With a passion for research and development, DCS continues growing as a leader in product innovation. Its philosophy is to build long term relationships with customers by delivering quality products, the right advice and the best outcomes.

NON-DESTRUCTIVE EXCAVATION

Keeping the job in-house Rangedale was recently engaged to carry out an emergency sewer repair in Melbourne ’s Metro. Using its own in-house specialised equipment and project team, Rangedale provided a full turnkey repair from start to finish.

he repair job – located in Hoddle Street, East Melbourne – comprised the removal of a troublesome JUG I/S connection, where a retic sewer connects directly into another retic sewer at a higher level and without a manhole. The existing JUG was cast iron and heavily calcified, which reduced the diameter and resulted in a high risk of sewer surcharge. The

solution was to eliminate the JUG connection by installing a new sewer manhole completely. Safety first To install the manhole, the excavation needed to be 6.3 m deep and located in the middle of the two northbound centre lanes of Hoddle Street. The installation of the new manhole and excavation posed many challenges owed to the high traffic location. Due to high risk challenges faced in the project, Rangedale engaged all stakeholders to address each challenge to ensure safe execution of the project. This included consultations with VicRoads to build traffic management plans and diversions to accommodate peak traffic conditions of up to approximately 3,000 vehicles. During the excavation Rangedale encountered unfavourable ground conditions requiring the break out of rock impacting project program. Despite Rangedale encountering these challenges, the excavation was completed and the new manhole built while under full live sewer conditions. The team worked around the clock from start to finish to complete the excavation, rebuild and

A Rangedale worker busy on site.

restore the road in less than a week, ensuring minimal impact on the community, road users, the asset and all stakeholders. In-house resources As the Rangedale Group of Companies is vertically integrated, completion of the entire project was possible using in-house resources at short notice. These resources included Asset Survey Solutions, Rangedale Saw Cutting Services, Rangedale Drainage for hydro excavation, Rangedale Civil to carry out the excavation and manhole building, Rangedale Asphalt Services to complete the final road all under RTM Traffic Solutions expertise in traffic management. Rangedale says the emergency repair was a huge success and credits the positive outcome to a great effort by all involved.

For more information visit www.rangedale.com

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NON-DESTRUCTIVE EXCAVATION

KOR has opened a new branch in SEQ where it now provides the region with a wide range of units, including Cappellotto machinery.

KOR makes an impact in southeast Queensland In 2018, KOR opened a Queensland branch located strategically in Yatala, halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. This physical presence in Queensland allows KOR to facilitate new sales inquiries, customer handover, unit training and spare parts stock.

ith southeast Queensland (SEQ) becoming a major growth hub for Australia, supporting new and existing clients in the region is of upmost importance to KOR, as demonstrated through the investment in the company’s facilities. Branching across the country KOR National Sales Manager Chris Masterson says that as the majority of the KOR team have a contracting background and experience, they understand the importance of service and support having spare parts as well as modern state-of-the-art equipment across multiple states. “Having the Yatala facility as a part of the KOR branch network, along with our Perth facility and headquarters in Mulgrave, Victoria, gives our customers the flexibility to quickly access our unit range,” says Mr Masterson. Mr Masterson adds KOR is quickly becoming the nation’s preferred supplier as a one-stopshop for equipment sales, parts and accessories, technical and engineering support and equipment servicing with the “added benefit of

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unit availability accessible in every branch.” KOR’s customer commitment is made clear through its investment in a branch network and particularly its new Queensland presence, with Mr Masterson saying it is promising to see businesses in the SEQ region investing in a range of high quality units designed for varying applications. With a full range of KEG and Duebre nozzles available out of the branch and a variety of available units – including the drain and sewer cleaning combination and recycling units; hydro excavation units; liquid tankers; and industrial wet and dry vacuum units – KOR offers Queensland the products customers require to tackle almost any application. Additional nozzle support KOR’s partners in KEG and Duebre offer Australian drain cleaners a full range of nozzles, with KOR holding a complete inventory of nozzles available for demonstration onsite to show the success prior to any commitment. KOR will also bench-test a customer’s current equipment and nozzles to see the efficiency

of pressure at the nozzle with mobile testing equipment. Displaying the view of the nozzle in a clear tube allows customers to see why KEG nozzles will improve performance and lower costs. KOR says using nozzles and specialist tools for work in pipes and culverts up to a 2 m diameter increases a user’s efficiency when combined with standard jetting equipment. The KEG range also includes high performance root cutting tools, large diameter profile cleaners, twin nozzle assemblies for wide culverts and a nozzle with an HD camera built in to a 95 per cent efficient cleaning nozzle. This allows for cleaning verification in a single pass when cleaning the drain, with the video then sent wirelessly once the line is complete to any device through KEG’s mobile app. This eliminates the need for a camera truck to verify a clean, making the clean and verification significantly less costly. KOR says it is open for unit demonstrations at any of its branches, including the use and testing of nozzles. KOR offers the industry the equipment solutions to get the job done.

TRAINING

CCTV pipeline inspection training taking place in New South Wales.

Aqua Assets has fluid industry intelligence Aqua Assets has established itself as a major contracting and training organisation with a proven ability to meet strict schedules, quality standards and budget considerations when delivering a wide range of industrial services, including high pressure water jet cleaning, vacuum loading, CCTV conduit inspections, pipeline repair and trenchless rehabilitation technology.

stablished by industry experts with decades of experience across a full spectrum of commercial, mechanical services and industrial projects Aqua Assets is often sought after for its wastewater management expertise. Aqua Assets provides an Australia wide service delivering to clients wherever and whenever there is a need. With its growing workforce, adequate financial resources and quality equipment Aqua Assets presents itself as an extremely competitive contractor to the wastewater industry. The company employs more than 80 onsite personnel, all of whom are trained in all facets of the organisation and pride themselves on providing a professional service. Aqua Assets’ staff are able to complete the works in accordance with client requirements and timeframes, while ensuring all workplace health, safety and environmental regulations are strictly adhered to. The company has a large fleet of units that include ultra high pressure water jetting, vacuum loading, dual purpose combination jet/vacuum trucks, a range of CCTV units capable of surveying from 50 mm to culvert and pipeline repair vehicles. Aqua Assets provides pipeline repair and lining services as a post inspection service

repairing structural breaches that have been identified by its CCTV service. The company also offers a non-destructive digging capability to protect essential services during excavation. Proving its versatility within the industry, Aqua Assets also provide services relating to cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining, pipe bursting, directional drilling, manhole rehabilitation, wastewater plant cleaning, process and disposal and more – all while maintaining an intense focus on having personnel that are well trained and aware of their safety and health obligations toward their work and the surrounding public. Asset training Asset Training is a subsidiary of Aqua Assets and has been a registered training organisation (RTO) since 2006. Specialising in wastewater management and industrial maintenance service training throughout Australia, Asset Training is based out of a Newcastle training centre, but its trainers will travel all throughout Australia. The training centre is fully equipped to provide training in CCTV pipeline inspection, work safely at heights, high pressure water

Aqua Assets workers completing pipeline remediation works.

jetting (ultra-high), vacuum loading, drain cleaning, first aid, CPR, confined space and much more. Asset Training recently added Australia’s first online high-pressure water jetting refresher course, which provides an overall refresher and verification of competency for a qualified high-pressure water jetting operator. With the inclusion of new courses to its scope, the company is focusing on the industry with a goal of becoming Australia’s primary RTO in the areas of wastewater management, industrial maintenance and cleaning. Asset Training’s staff are all experienced and passionate about their work, bringing a wealth of industry knowledge and enthusiasm to every level of training they provide. Both this competency and passion have not gone unnoticed, with the company winning the Hunter Safety Award for ‘Best WHS Training Course’ for its high pressure water jetting training. Asset Training has also developed bridging courses for the holders of the high pressure water jetting skill sets to acquire drain cleaning and vacuum loading skill sets in one day.

For more information visit www.aquaassets.com.au

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EVENTS Australasia Stormwater 2020 26–28 August 2020 Tauranga, New Zealand stormwaterconference.org.nz Water New Zealand Conference and Expo 16–18 September 2020 Hamilton, New Zealand www.waternzconference.org.nz Drillfest 2020 7–8 October 2020 Toowoomba, Queensland www.adia.com.au/events/event/ drillfest-2020 Victorian Water Industry Operations Conference & Exhibition 25–26 November 2020 Bendigo, Victoria wioaconferences.org.au/vic-2020 No-Dig Down Under 2021 5–8 October 2021 Sydney, New South Wales www.nodigdownunder.com International No-Dig Moscow 8–10 September 2020 Moscow, Russia www.nodig-moscow.ru China International Trenchless Technology Conference 26–28 September 2020 Shandong, China www.cstt.org.cn NASTT No-Dig North 19–21 October 2020 Calgary, Canada www.nodignorth.ca Trenchless Asia 2020 & 38th International No Dig 17–18 November 2020 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia www.trenchlessasia.com No-Dig Turkey 2020 3–4 December 2020 Istanbul, Turkey www.nodigturkey.com No-Dig Live 23–25 March 2021 Peterborough, UK www.nodiglive.co.uk

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Oceania Damage Prevention Conference 18–20 November 2020 Gold Coast, Queensland www.oceaniadpc.com The second edition of the Oceania Damage Prevention Conference (ODPC) will be held later this year on the Gold Coast. The 2020 event will examine the different initiatives in development across the Oceania region, along with the best practices across the globe in damage prevention. Over the three day conference program, attendees will join colleagues from around the world to learn about effectively implementing safer measures in their communities. The inaugural conference delivered international education and understanding on damage and injury prevention, showcasing Australian initiatives to the rest of world and demonstrating the thinking and commitment to damage prevention from other countries, with event organisers expecting to exceed this standard in 2020.

Water New Zealand Conference and Expo 16–18 November 2020 Claudelands Arena www.waternzconference.org.nz The Water New Zealand Annual Conference & Expo will be returning to Hamilton on 16–18 September 2020. The Conference & Expo is a hub of excitement for water professionals, newcomers and industry experts alike. Attendees will hear from a range of industry professionals and gain an insight into both the challenges and innovations making an impact on the sector. This is the largest and broadest conference of its kind in New Zealand, covering all aspects of water from technology to management. Attracting more than 1000 water professionals from New Zealand and abroad each year, it is a great place to network and meet new people. The technical conference program is incredibly diverse and not only covers drinking water and wastewater, but climate change, international experiences, resilience and more! The major conference features include keynote speakers, a trade exhibition with more than 188 exhibitor stands and a gala dinner. Water New Zealand will update attendees on any changes to the schedule if necessary while New Zealand moves through the COVID-19 alert system.

Drillfest 2020 7–8 October 2020 Royal Toowoomba Showgrounds, Toowoomba www.adia.com.au/events/event/drillfest-2020 Organised by the Australian Drilling Association Industry, Drillfest is a two day conference focused on increasing skills and knowledge, aimed at drill crew and supervisors in the workforce. The 2020 edition of Drillfest will include indoor and outdoor exhibition areas, talks from industry experts and multiple networking events to ensure participants can learn from both the conference sessions and one another. The presentation sessions will take place in the room right next door to the indoor exhibitors, ensuring all participants can enjoy an easy transition from one area to the other and not miss out on any vital information or exhibition stands. At the time of writing, Drillfest is scheduled to go ahead in October; however, due to COVID-19, this is subject to change.

No-Dig Down Under 2021 5–8 October 2021 Sydney, New South Wales www.nodigdownunder.com It’s time to save the date for No-Dig Down Under 2021 – the southern hemisphere’s only large-scale conference and exhibition dedicated to trenchless technology will be returning to Sydney in October next year. Organised in partnership with the ASTT, No-Dig Down Under has grown over the years to become the second largest no-dig technology event in the world, and is now considered a ‘must-attend’ for all industry professionals. With a focus on building sustainable futures, attendees can attend training courses and conference sessions to learn from the industry’s brightest, as well as explore a packed 4,500 m2 exhibition hall to network and see the sector’s best technology. Along with this, networking and socialising will take place at sponsored social events, including the Official Exhibition Opening, Networking Reception and the prestigious ASTT Gala Dinner and Awards Evening.