EVOLVE FIRST QUARTER 2016
FUTURE CITIES PAGE 6
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ABOUT US WSP and Parsons Brinckerhoff have combined and are now one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consulting firms. Together we provide services to transform the built environment and restore the natural environment, and our expertise ranges from environmental remediation to urban planning, from engineering iconic buildings to designing sustainable transport networks, and from developing the energy sources of the future to enabling new ways of extracting essential resources. We have approximately 32,000 employees, including engineers, technicians, scientists, architects, planners, surveyors, program and construction management professionals, and various environmental experts. We are based in more than 500 offices across 40 countries worldwide.
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THE ONLY WAY IS UP
FUTURE CITIES THE MELBOURNE 08 | REMODELLING SKYLINE
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DIGITAL DISRUPTION IN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INDUSTRY
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AVIGATING THE COMPLEXITY N OF URBAN PRECINCTS
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SOFTWARE TO SUPPORT URBAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING
NEWS STORIES
IMPROVING THE LIGHT RAIL JOURNEY – WITHOUT ADDED EXPENSE
COLLABORATION 22 | GLOBAL MEET THE TO INFRASTRUCTURE DEMANDS OF QATAR
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THE ONLY WAY IS UP We are proud to be changing the shape of our skylines in cities across the globe, from the mega-towers in high-rise cities in the USA, China and the Middle East to the historically more modest, lower-rise horizon across Europe, South Africa and here at home.
PETRONAS TOWERS
SHANGHAI TOWER SUZHOU ZHONGNAN CENTER SUZHOU, CHINA
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
452m 88 floors
SHANGHAI, CHINA
632m 128 floors
GUANGZHOU CTF FINANCE CENTER
729m 137 floors
GUANGZHOU, CHINA
WUHAN GREENLAND CENTER WUHAN, CHINA
636m 125 floors
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530m 111 floors ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER NEW YORK, US
546m 94 floors
432 PARK AVENUE NEW YORK, USA
426m 85 floors
ADNOC HQ
THE SHARD
PREMIER TOWER
ABU DHABI, UAE
LONDON, UK
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
342m 76 floors
306m 84 floors
215m 68 floors
111 WEST 57TH STREET
SALESFORCE TOWER
NEW YORK, USA
SAN FRANCISCO, USA
426m 77 floors
326m 61 floors
56 LEONARD NEW YORK, USA
250m 57 floors
ONE BLACKFRIARS LONDON, UK
170m 50 floors
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FUTURE CITIES
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We live in a time of rapid transition and unprecedented disruption and our cities are at the heart of much of this change. Successive generations have added and subtracted to our urban spaces. Many of these spaces are only just withstanding the strain of our increased populations and modern lifestyles. Our Future Cites will be our existing cities transformed where we take more from our assets to create responsive, dynamic urban centres that better respond to community need and to technological and environmental change. Here we look at the best of our current urban design focused on resilience, sustainability and accessibility, and on combining vertical and horizontal infrastructure. From tall slender or curvaceous high-rise towers in Melbourne, to integrated urban precincts in Sydney, we have teams of multidisciplinary specialists inspired by the possibilities of creating liveable cities that support present needs and anticipate future trends
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RE-MODELLING THE MELBOURNE SKYLINE To create future-ready cities, structural and civil engineers must continually challenge what’s been done before. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Director Mark Hennessy looks at the four high-rise trends remodelling our city skylines and the shift towards integrated vertical and horizontal living.
Driven by our expanding population, city-building is reaching new heights in Australia. In Melbourne, our fastest growing city, the CBD population is now 550% greater than it was in 2001 and there are 33 new buildings over 200 metres currently under construction or proposed. The Melbourne skyline is an example of the rising Asian influence in our cities and the shift towards integrated vertical and horizontal living. ‘As structural and civil engineers, we once looked to cities like New York as centres of excellence for high-rise, but now eastern countries are ahead in terms of the scale and volume of their tall buildings,’ WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Director Mark Hennessy says. With 32 high-rise buildings over 150m already completed and another 33 new buildings under construction or proposed, Melbourne now holds most of Australia’s tall buildings. Meanwhile, its residential developments are matching the style and pace of Asian high-rise projects, in a shift away from low-density sprawl to high-rise and high-density developments around transport modes and collective amenities.
But Mark points out that the city’s potential to rival Hong Kong or Shanghai for vertical living is limited, with flight paths restricting building heights and planning rules limiting development density. ‘WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is working on 22 of the 33 new building projects in the city, with most design solutions pushing the boundaries to maximise return on investment within Australia’s industry restrictions,’ Mark says.
HE IDENTIFIES FOUR MAJOR TRENDS IN THE RE-MODELLING OF THE MELBOURNE SKYLINE: 1. TALL AND SLENDER Developers seek to create slender buildings to maximise the yield of small inner-city blocks, but this brings with it special structural challenges. This requires engineers to design sophisticated solutions to mitigate wind movement and the perception of motion, and to stabilise the structure.
Article author Mark Hennessy Director WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Structures
The urbanisation of Melbourne has contributed to the significant growth in slenderness ratios. Before the current residential ‘boom years’, towers in the city were almost all for commercial use, generally where the building height was no more than five times the building’s width. The Rialto Towers, built in 1986, was an exception with a height (slenderness ratio) of just over seven times its width. ‘Today, we are working on many towers with slenderness ratios where height is 11 to 12 times the tower’s width and in two instances in excess of 15 times the width. While this is at the upper end of slenderness for Melbourne and Australia, it is not even close to the ratios our New York counterparts are working on,’ Mark says. Due for completion in 2018, New York’s 111 West 57th Street building will have a world record slenderness of 1:24, which is essentially a height 24 times the building’s width. Back in Melbourne, Premier Tower was originally designed to be over 300m high with a slenderness ratio of 15, but planning constraints have restricted it to the approved height of 249m with a height 12.5 times its width. ‘Our role on this high-profile project involved optimising the core and stability system, including using linked mega columns, and developing a buildable solution for the columns at the perimeter and how they transition to suit the variable curved form of the façade,’ Mark says.
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Right: Aurora, 224-252 La Trobe Street Melbourne. Image courtesy UEM Sunrise Berhad
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2. MAXIMISING SITE YIELDS In keeping with current world trends, Australia is rapidly increasing its urbanised population. According to Mark, it is alleged that in pockets of Melbourne high-rise apartments are being built at four times the maximum densities permitted in some of the world’s most crowded cities, such as Hong Kong, New York and Tokyo. ‘For residential developments to be viable in these highly sought after locations, where site acquisition costs have escalated over the past five to 10 years, the need to maximise the saleable real estate (yield) is often a key financial driver for the developments,’ he says. ‘Recently, these yields have come under serious attack from new government planning controls. Tower Melbourne is an example where, if it were subject to the new plot ratio limits, it would realise less than half of the yield it has prior approval for.’
3. I NTEGRATING WITH TRANSPORT NODES Most of the new buildings in Melbourne are residential, catering for people wanting apartment-style living within or close to the CBD and with easy access to public transport. This trend is not limited to Melbourne. Around Australia, people are keen to spend more time living, rather than commuting to and from work. Aurora at 250 LaTrobe Street is an example, located above and adjacent to the Melbourne Central train station. ‘In our role as structural engineer for this project, we carefully considered all the interfaces with the existing station from a structural performance perspective, and also how to construct the new tower in and around a live operating transport hub,’ Mark explains. ‘A very positive outcome was our development of a pad footing solution in place of a more traditional piled footing solution. Our challenge was to ensure the footings of the new 88-level tower did not adversely affect the existing operational station box structure.’
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4. COMMUNITY MATTERS Along with environmental impacts, developers are increasingly called on to consider the social impact of their projects and incorporate community aspects, such as playgrounds and public art works. ‘High-rise projects are catalysts for urban renewal, bringing life back into our cities with new spaces, amenities and streetscapes,’ Mark says. ‘Apartment towers are also being designed as vertical communities, where more community spaces are increasingly incorporated within the towers themselves. For example, in the Aurora building, 3.8 square metres of community space is planned per apartment, compared to 2.5 square metres per apartment in Tower Melbourne.’
32 BUILDINGS HIGHER THAN 150M (COMPLETE OR TOPPED OUT) 33 NEW BUILDINGS OVER 200M UNDER CONSTRUCTION 22 NEW BUILDINGS WITH WSP | PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF INVOLVED MELBOURNE CBD POPULATION 550% GREATER THAN IN 2001
INTO THE FUTURE WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is looking to new horizons as our Australian city skylines are being re-modelled by population growth, as well as Asian investors and developers with an appetite for high-rise projects. In cities like Sydney, and its satellite cities such as Parramatta and Homebush, the transformation is imminent. ‘We’ve invested over 15 years in helping make Melbourne one of the world’s most liveable global high-rise cities and our structures team is more than ready for the next challenge,’ Mark says. ‘We have horizontal expertise (such as in public transport), vertical expertise in tall buildings, and global experience – from New York to London to Shanghai.’ In the global shift towards integrated vertical and horizontal living, companies like WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff play an essential role in creating liveable, futureready cities
Left: Aurora, 224-252 La Trobe Street Melbourne. Image courtesy UEM Sunrise Berhad
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DIGITAL DISRUPTION IN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INDUSTRY It is predicted that digital disruption will displace almost half of all Australian jobs over the next two decades. Compared to the retail and unskilled labour markets, the professional services industry has been less exposed to digital disruption. This is mainly due to the industry being driven by a highly-skilled workforce, but this advantage will not protect the industry indefinitely.
Article author
Challenges are beginning to emerge from evolving social, economic and technological landscapes, with digital disruption changing not only how we do business, but who we do it with, and also the very nature of our business.
The RBA’s Chief Information Officer Sarv Girn describes digital disruption as resulting in fundamentally better alternatives for solving problems, in a cheaper, faster and/ or more convenient way, with technology playing a key enabling role.
To remain relevant, organisations must have a vision for the future and embrace proactive adaptation.
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WHAT’S ALL THE DISRUPTION ABOUT? Historically, disruptive paradigm shifts have occurred infrequently, but this is no longer the case thanks to globalisation, the internet, and the increasing role technology plays in our everyday lives. These modern phenomena have created a state of perpetual revolution, with digital disruption drastically changing how organisations operate and communicate internally, as well as how they engage with their customers and clients.
Peter Enright Civil Engineer
In recent times, the professional services industry has seen an increasingly rapid uptake of digital technology and innovative practices. However, it is yet to experience the revolutionary impact of digital disruption at full force. While digital disruption can facilitate positive change in societies, business and economies, such rapid change can also pose challenges.
INTERNAL BUSINESS EFFICIENCY
EMBRACING NEW WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS
REMAINING COMPETITIVE IN EVOLVING MARKETS
Digital technology can facilitate improvements in labour productivity and resource efficiency. Companies that effectively adopt emerging technology gain a competitive advantage, especially if business processes are adapted to take advantage of new technological capabilities.
New business models can disrupt existing market relationships and increase competition, while existing business models can be undermined by advances in communication technology, service delivery systems, and regulatory change.
Evolving markets will undergo geographical expansion facilitated by improved connectivity, ease of communication, and the relaxation of trade barriers. Clients will increasingly demand the application of cutting-edge technology to deliver innovative solutions, and new markets for entirely new services will also emerge as a result of societal and economic change driven by digital disruption.
Embracing new technology isn’t just about buying the latest IT hardware or software. It is important to maximise the benefits of adopting new technology by knowing about it early, understanding its potential and how it can be implemented, and appreciating the risks associated with it. Then, if it fits into your overall business strategy, adopt it.
To maintain relevance and a competitive edge, organisations must be prepared to embrace new ways of doing business. This includes being aware of and respecting, rather than dismissing, digital disruptors that threaten existing business models, such as Uber and AirBnB.
Developing an adaptable organisation means designing delegation of authority The adoption of new technology is most processes that will empower leaders with effective when it is supported by the the capacity to act quickly and respond simplification and streamlining of business decisively to new threats in the digital processes. Opportunities for automating landscape. It can also require a degree repetitive and time-consuming processes of self-disruption to adopt alternative through the use of technology should be business and procurement models that identified. Employees should spend most of are better suited to meet market demands their time using their skills to deliver projects and attract the best talent. and engaging face-to-face with clients, with Implementing effective change less time spent navigating red-tape and management as an ongoing process procedural paperwork. during digital disruption will also help Ensuring business management systems have compatibility and accessibility built-in is also important. Websites should be mobile and tablet friendly, while remote access should be provided and duplication minimised. Cloud computing and storage can improve workflow flexibility, accessibility of content, and time and resource management.
organisations to maintain a positive culture and emerge with a dedicated workforce alongside a new operating model or organisational structure.
Alongside new markets come new competitors and as market competition increases service differentiation will be critical. A competitive edge will be found through: • dedicated and well-resourced internal innovation teams that can seize opportunities for research and development to meet emerging market demand for new products and services; • the ability to communicate and build relationships with clients and to deliver services remotely using digital technology, especially to the growing professional services market in Asia; • being at the forefront of emerging technology to maintain a competitive advantage over cheaper local professional service providers; and • harnessing brand management to influence market perceptions and foster a reputation as an industry leader providing high quality, cutting-edge services. 13
‘AS MUCH AS DIGITAL DISRUPTION IS ABOUT THE UTILISATION OF TECHNOLOGY, IT IS ALSO ABOUT HOW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CAN CHANGE SOCIAL AND BUSINESS INTERACTIONS.’
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SOCIETAL VALUES Digital disruption is often accompanied by a tectonic shift in the values that underpin a society. These values are the prism through which products and services are perceived. While new technology is often shaped by these values, disruptive technology redefines them. Impending shifts in societal values will influence not only the demand for different services, but the way in which these services are delivered, and how the workforce interacts with the workplace. While some industries may not experience direct disruption to any great extent, the increasing integration of digital technology in mainstream society will be a catalyst for change in many organisations. In this context, adopting a corporate brand that reflects a commitment to social values will be an increasingly important part of positively influencing public perception, and attracting like-minded clients and employees. A keen awareness of market priorities will also be vital, as neglecting to take account of changes in what the market perceives as important, can lead to new forms of business interaction being dismissed as providing an inferior customer experience. Wearable technology and powerful smartphones are already changing our daily habits in a multitude of ways. This technological integration is extending to the workplace, and will extend the workplace itself. Teleworking can provide workforce flexibility and positively influence staff morale, motivation and productivity. Companies that embrace this trend will be an employer of choice, and will benefit through reductions in staff turnover, absenteeism and staffing costs. The adoption of teleworking and the popularity of online retail will also influence urban design and transportation systems, as digital disruption revolutionises the distribution of the workforce and consumers. Professional services organisations will need to anticipate these changes and foster the expertise and vision necessary for delivering the projects of the future.
FOSTERING A SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE The offshoring of work presents a unique challenge to the local mentoring and development of junior staff and therefore to the future sustainability of a local professional services workforce. While this form of digital disruption disproportionately impacts young professionals, these same individuals will play a key role in the process of adaptation to digital disruption. Compared to the incumbent workforce, young professionals typically have a more intuitive understanding of digital technology, are versed in the existing technological landscape, and can be aware of emerging social and technological trends before they become widespread. To promote workforce sustainability, and avoid degenerating into a topheavy organisation with stranded intellectual assets, organisations should consider prioritising skills and workforce development over a comparison of unit rates when determining the most efficient set of delivery methods.
A VISION FOR THE FUTURE To rise to these challenges and remain relevant, professional service organisations must approach adaptation with proactive vision, rather than reactionary defensiveness. As much as digital disruption is about the utilisation of technology, it is also about how digital technology can change social and business interactions. As with all decisions based on an uncertain future, proactive adaption is also accompanied by risk. The cost of implementing changes can be clear, but it can be difficult to anticipate the potential benefits, and even more difficult to quantify them. Therefore, industry leaders must have a calculated but healthy appetite for risk if they are to successfully embrace adaptation. Although it poses challenges, digital disruption also creates opportunity. The most proactive organisations will foster a vision of the future, strategize, and leverage their existing strengths and market relationships to seize opportunities for adaptation. It is these future-focused organisations that will consolidate their position as industry leaders
University of Sydney Associate Professor Kai Riemer, defines digital disruption as:
‘CHANGES ENABLED BY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES THAT OCCUR AT A PACE AND MAGNITUDE THAT DISRUPT ESTABLISHED WAYS OF VALUE CREATION, SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, DOING BUSINESS AND MORE GENERALLY OUR THINKING.’
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NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITY OF URBAN PRECINCTS Article author Richard Palmer Associate Director Sustainability
Australia has a strong drive to create more liveable, sustainable and resilient cities. In urban precincts across the country, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is supporting the design and delivery of future-ready cities through our expanded capability across vertical and horizontal infrastructure. Our current city-shaping projects in New South Wales include the Bays Precinct, Edmondson Park Town Centre, North Eveleigh West and South Eveleigh Urban Renewal, Central to Bays Traffic Modelling, Newcastle Urban Transformation, Parramatta Square, Parramatta Light Rail, Sydney Metro, Sydney Light Rail and the Waterloo Precinct. Much of this project work aligns with the state government’s investment in our cities and their vision for the future.
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KEEPING OUR CITIES GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE Faced with substantial challenges to our environmental, social and economic systems, our urban world is being forced to adapt at speed and our cities are at the forefront of this required change. Our cities face urgent priorities in the face of an increasing urban dweller base and the competition for global investment. These priorities include mitigating and being resilient to the effects of climate change, delivering prosperity, supporting biodiversity, reducing resource consumption and enabling human health.
Today, urban renewal plays an increasingly strategic role in planning policy for development, housing and infrastructure. This was evident at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21), where climate talks and the agreement reached received unprecedented support from civic and administrative city leaders across the globe. In the area of urban renewal, precincts provide a rare combination of commercial, technical and social attributes that can balance social and environmental requirements with the need to maintain a prosperous and competitive cityscape.
To create precincts that will power our future cities, planners, designers and engineers must first successfully navigate the complexity of integrating vertical and horizontal infrastructure, where buildings are seamlessly integrated with transport and utilities.
Above: Central to Eveleigh: Redfern high-density housing. Image courtesy of UrbanGrowth NSW Right: Sky train bridge, Sydney Metro Northwest. Image courtesy of Impregilo Salini Joint Venure (ISJV) and TfNSW
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KNOWING WHAT A CITY NEEDS
INTEGRATING OUR APPROACH TO CITIES
We understand a lot about what our cities need for a successful future.
The transformation of our cities demands an integrated approach to urban renewal in focused development precincts, to allow for the complementary development of property, public domain, utilities and transport infrastructure.
We know we need to increase the density of our cities and support them with multi-modal public transit systems. This will provide better commercial outcomes by increasing land value and, if done well, can qualitatively improve housing through increased accessibility and an improved public amenity. We know ecological systems and biodiversity are critical to both amenity and resilience, and that high-quality green space and a renewed urban habitat can support ecological, social and economic outcomes.
Visionary thinking is required across the project lifecycle, to inform feasibility, planning, design, construction, operation and end-of-life across a wide range of asset classes. Planning reform, equitable housing policy, and innovative value-capture models for infrastructure project finance will support our move to the connected, amenable and resilient cities of the future
We know we cannot rely on fossil fuels forever or continue to deplete nonrenewable resources. Transitioning to a zero-carbon economy is vital, while abundant recycled water is central to mitigating climate-related heatwaves and to supporting urban amenity. We know that development, transit, amenity, public space, water, biodiversity, carbon, energy, investment, politics and planning policy are intricately linked. Managing the complexity of all these issues requires integration of our services to a degree that has not been necessary – until now.
A VISION FOR SYDNEY The NSW State Government’s vision for Sydney is of a strong global city that’s also a great place to live. This will be achieved through: • a competitive economy with world-class services and transport • housing choices that meet our needs and lifestyles • strong, healthy and well connected communities, and • a sustainable, resilient city with a balanced approach to the use of land and resources, where the natural environment is valued and protected. Adapted from A Plan for Growing Sydney, 2015
Left: Central to Eveleigh: rail corridor towards the city. Image courtesy of UrbanGrowth NSW
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IMPROVING THE LIGHT RAIL JOURNEY – WITHOUT ADDED EXPENSE The challenge of moving people quickly around our increasingly congested cities brings light rail firmly back into the spotlight. As well as the evident placemaking opportunities, here is a transport mode that rates highly with our commuters for its speed and comfort. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is at the forefront of innovation – making the light rail journey both fast, safe and comfortable.
Article author
Sydney’s light rail network stretches over 12 kilometres and carries 4.5 million commuters each year. The latest addition to the network – the Inner West Extension (IWE) – opened in 2014. A new light rail fleet was launched in 2015; the Urbos 3, made by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). In total, 12 new light rail vehicles (LRV) would be deployed to service the entire network – six in 2015, and another six in 2016.
The recommended speed profile was implemented across the IWE and resulted in real time savings for commuters.
Over a period of three months, the team tested existing limits and standards – challenging the status quo and international standards. A new set of rules for setting speeds was proposed based on the full potential of the existing rail asset. A final speed profile was then developed, taking into account the constraints along the route.
We proposed a number of ways to improve efficiency, including minimising Introducing the modern LRV provided speed changes between stops to improve the opportunity to further improve the passenger comfort. Speed increases were customer experience by optimising the also made possible with amendments speed profile. Transport for New South to the speed boards alone; no major Wales engaged WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff infrastructure modifications or costs to investigate ways of optimising the were required. rail system to improve journey time and passenger comfort, without major capital expenditure.
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Mark Xerri Perway Design Engineer, Rail, and Permanent Way Institute Young Achiever 2015
At the time of our investigation, no comprehensive light rail standards existed for NSW. The project documented potential speed standards and guidelines for light rail that could inform future developments. The investigation showed that real, meaningful improvements to the public transport network can be made through challenging existing standards and conventions. The rules and guidelines will ensure a consistent approach across the existing network and will inform future improvements
Above: WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Permanent Way Design Engineer, Mark Xerri, won the 2015 Permanent Way Institute Young Achiever award for his technical paper, ‘Extracting Operational Efficiency from an Existing Rail Asset’. Mr Xerri was central to the Speed Review – his paper provides a unique insight into lightrail in New South Wales. Image courtesy of Australian Railway Association - 2015 – Australasian Rail Industry Awards
THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT REAL, MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK CAN BE MADE THROUGH CHALLENGING EXISTING STANDARDS AND CONVENTIONS.
Top: LRV heading west along Hay Street outside the Capital Square stop
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GLOBAL COLLABORATION TO MEET THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEMANDS OF QATAR Article author Kate Borg Senior Project Manager Transport
Doha, the capital city of the State of Qatar, has seen tremendous growth in the past five years and this growth is projected to continue into the future. With the majority of the country’s population residing there, the city is also Qatar’s economic hub. In 2022, Doha will host the world’s most recognised sporting event, the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Ashghal, the Public Works Authority of Qatar, is working overtime to prepare the city for its projected growth and its duties as a global host city. One of Ashghal’s major projects is the Qatar Expressway, which will provide vital transportation links across Qatar connecting key cities, towns and villages with high-quality national freeways and urban arterial routes. This nationwide road infrastructure scheme aims to improve the way people and places are connected. It will deliver 40 major projects including over 900 km of new roads and an array of underpasses, flyovers and multi-level interchanges to enable free-flowing traffic and improved journey times.
Ashghal is responsible for the design, construction, delivery and maintenance of all expressways and major roads that cater to current and future traffic demands in Qatar. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff was engaged to provide detailed design services for road infrastructure including complex structural interchange elements for the Qatar Expressway Programme in the south of Doha. Our services include design for highways, structures, drainage, utilities, traffic planning, intelligent transport systems, design review, construction supervision, and quality assurance. We have established a project office in Doha, Qatar to deliver this project, with the assistance of design teams based in our Australian and Philippine offices providing technical leadership and the detailed design.
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff visualisation design of urban arterial project in its final configuration.
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HERE ARE SOME OF THE FEATURES OF OUR CURRENT WORK ON THIS SIGNIFICANT CITY-SHAPING PROJECT. HIGHWAY DESIGN AND BRIDGE DESIGN
WORLD-CLASS INTELLIGENT THE BENEFITS OF GLOBAL TRANSPORT SYSTEMS (ITS) COLLABORATION
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff has transferred its superior knowledge of highway and bridge project design in Australia, to this project in Qatar. The project team coordinates all civil engineering disciplines to achieve the design of complex road interchanges, intersection design and road widening in areas that have restrictive land boundaries.
WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff has applied state-of-the-art intelligent transport systems for the project. These systems will provide incident management and detection as well as travel time information to drivers to improve the overall journey. The variable message signs will be hi-tech digital screens.
The rectilinear geometry of the road design is facilitated by the addition of a number of bridge and underpass structures. The design of bridges as part of the highway design has assisted with spanning existing intersections to avoid disruption to current traffic movements as well as providing additional width for traffic lanes. Pedestrian movements in and around the highway infrastructure has been considered. A number of pedestrian bridges have been designed to span the full width of the freeway. This will allow for movements between housing estates to avoid any residential areas from becoming land locked due to the development of the urban freeways and arterials.
THIS NATIONWIDE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE SCHEME AIMS TO IMPROVE THE WAY PEOPLE AND PLACES ARE CONNECTED.
We have established a management office for the project in Doha, Qatar. This office deals mainly with client-facing responsibilities. Making the most of global time zones and expertise, we delivered the design from offices located in Melbourne, Brisbane, Manila and Kuwait City. The Australian offices were responsible for the delivery of the civil, structural and ITS design. Sharing the delivery of design across the globe brought our international teams closer together. Project success relies on strong communication skills between international project teams and required the use of resourceful methods to hold meetings with satellite offices around the globe. To this end, our teams are wellversed in Skype, VC and teleconferencing meetings to deliver a multi-billion dollar project. This global collaboration allowed us to draw on international resources to provide technical advice without the need for associated travel costs.
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SOFTWARE TO SUPPORT URBAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING As water and wastewater utility owners, designers and planners work to control capital costs and to optimise the maintenance of existing assets, new technologies such as optioneering software solutions offer a level of automated analysis that outstrips the capacity of traditional tools. Here we speak to Logan City Council’s Logan Water Infrastructure Alliance* team members Grant Gabriel from WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and Matt Pollard, Senior Planning Engineer to understand how this technology can help to shape urban infrastructure and capital investment planning.
T ELL US HOW YOU’RE USING THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY ON THE LOGAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT? The Alliance team has recently used Optimizer™ on the Slacks Creek Trunk wastewater network. This cloudbased software solution analysed water distribution and wastewater collection systems during the capital works phase of the project. This kind of advanced planning technology, is being used more and more as results demonstrate that they can contribute to cost-saving particularly when cities and townships are looking at optimising water distribution and wastewater collection systems.
S O HOW DID OPTIMIZER™ WORK IN PRACTICE? In the case of the Slacks Creek Trunk wastewater network, we evaluated a number of criteria including pipe rehabilitation, inflow and infiltration management, and capacity enhancement. The software was particularly useful in this case as Slacks Creek is a highly complex network with capacity constraints and a number of possible solutions appeared to be viable. We evaluated tens of thousands of possible solutions that took account of life-cycle cost, hydraulic performance, energy, and water quality. The system also allowed us to drill down in some detail - for example we were able to identify a number of low-cost cross connections that would allow us to retain the existing network capacity and assets. In this way
* The Alliance partners include Logan City Council, Downer, Cardno and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff
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Article Author: Grant Gabriel Senior Water Supply Engineer
we were able to settle on a solution that provides superior levels of wet-weather containment performance across the network at a fraction of the traditional capital cost.
WHAT OVERALL PLANNING BENEFITS AND FUTURE POTENTIAL DO YOU SEE? The software supports planning decisions that meet community, environmental and regulatory standards in a way that is cost-effective and transparent. There are clear time and cost management advantages which allow local authorities to reinvest in other community projects. Optimizer™ allows for analysis of existing assets to determine whether it is more cost-effective to rehabilitate existing assets or abandon and replace them with new infrastructure based on considerations of asset condition, existing deficiencies and projected future growth. Optimisation technologies allow for a greater range of potential scenario combinations to be looked at; the risk management exercise is streamlined and there’s significantly less time spent on examining options. Optimizer™ technology and other computational intelligence systems are increasingly being used to help minimise the potential impacts of water restrictions and flooding, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and assess the benefits of investing in green infrastructure compared to traditional grey infrastructure improvements.
“The Slacks Creek catchment suffers from frequent and high volume sewer overflows in wet weather that causes risk to human health, and adversely impacts the environment and public amenity. Traditional approaches to solving these problems would involve a significant effort with no guarantee of obtaining an optimal solution in terms of performance or cost. The use of the Optimizer™ enabled thousands of potential solutions to be assessed in a very short time frame and provided Council’s senior executives with the confidence that the proposed solution would eliminate the risk while delivering the lowest cost for the community.”
Optimatics is one of the world’s leading providers of infrastructure planning software that enables water and wastewater utilities around the globe to reduce costs while ensuring optimal performance. Built upon research from the University of Adelaide and with nearly 20 years of commercial industry application, Optimizer™ software is a powerful industry tool that analyses hundreds of planning options across multiple asset types, determining the best plan to reduce capital, operating and energy costs, while meeting organisational planning objectives. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is a preferred partner with Optimatics.
Matt Pollard, Senior Planning Engineer – Logan Water Infrastructure Alliance
Above: Sewerage pump station in construction
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NEWS
MOONLIGHT OVER SOUTH KOREA Our New Zealand based Senior Lighting Designer, Jonathan Nistor was one of a small number of global lighting specialists invited to attend and present at the ‘International Symposium for Architectural Lighting’ in South Korea late last year. The event was held at the leading Architectural Research Institute at Yeungnam University in Daegu, South Korea. 26
The symposium featured presentations on current industry trends. Jonathan’s presentation provoked some healthy debate as he challenged the current industry reliance on LED lighting and discussed some of the technical issues that require mitigation by lighting designers. During the symposium workshops, students had the opportunity to problemsolve and complete concept designs for a number of lighting challenges presented by Jonathan and his industry colleagues. Jonathan’s group was asked to design a lighting scheme for a worker’s cottage in a historic village on the University’s campus. The students considered the architecture of the building and took account of the social status of the former inhabitants. The final design solution focused on the theme of mid-summer-moonlight with students using subtle and sensitive lighting sources combining candles, traditional rice-paper and light, to form a representation of a typical family occasion.
Article author Jonathan Nistor Senior Lighting Designer
Jonathan has found that this trip and subsequent client work in China has had an impact on how he ‘he weaves cultural nuances into his design.’ The moonlight motif used in the worker’s cottage also provided a great example of what Jonathan believes is a ‘future trend towards lighting being an integral part of the urban landscape with a stronger focus on design, culture and architecture rather than on lighting fixtures.’
Above left: Midsummer Moonlight – Jonathan’s group Above: The team hand-sketched and created bespoke objects onsite Top right: Jonathan and his team at the end of the workshop Right: One of the other projects - Miki Matsushita’s Group (Japan)
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NEWS
BURGOS WIND PROJECT – A FIRST-IN-SCHEME AND FUNDING SUCCESS The multiple award-winning Burgos wind project is the largest wind farm in the Philippines. We have worked alongside its developer, Energy Development Corporation (EDC) since 2009 and are currently completing our project handover. We were engaged by EDC as Technical Advisors during tendering for three separate contractors; to build the wind farm, an electrical substation, and a 42 km transmission line connecting the wind farm to the local electricity network. Development milestones The wind farm was developed in two concurrent phases, the first consisted of 29 three MW wind turbines and the second of 21 wind turbines, providing a total of 50 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 150 MW. The Burgos wind farm is the largest development of its kind in the Philippines and was the first wind project nominated for the Philippine Government’s feed-in-tariff incentive scheme.
Key staff A team of talented people from our global offices played key roles in this project. Melbourne-based Andrew Kerley led our Technical Advisor services between 2009 and 2013, and acted as interim project manager in the early phases of the construction works. Mel Birkinshaw from our Manila office has acted as Employer’s Representative since construction works commenced and coordinated contractors up to the commissioning of the wind farm in late 2014
Article author Andrew Kerley Engineering Manager, Wind
PROJECT ACCOLADES
The project, which secured US$315m financing from foreign and local banks, has won numerous industry awards, including: • 2014 Asia-Pacific Renewable Deal of the Year from Project Finance International. • 2014 Asia Wind Deal of the Year from Infrastructure Journal Global of EuroMoney. • 2014 Asia Pacific Deal of the Year from Trade Finance Magazine. • 2014 Best Deal from Global Trade Review. • 2014 Top Ten Global Deals of the Year – Bes EDC Backed Green Deal from Trade and Export Finance. • 2015 Asia Projects of the Year from Power Engineering International. • 2015 PFI Asia Best Practices Citation from Project Finance International – Asia Infrastructure Projects
Above: Burgos Wind Project, Illocos Norte, Philippines. Sun breaking through clouds at the Burgos wind project
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Left: Sunset over the Burgos wind project Images courtesy of EDC
STRETCHING OUR RAP
We recently launched our latest Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) based on the tenets of Relationships, Respect and Opportunities. As a ‘stretch’ RAP we have set measurable targets for how we: • continue building our regional relationships • create greater cultural awareness and respect • facilitate greater opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations, communities and business. We are fortunate to have the ongoing leadership and mentoring of our RAP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee. This inspiring group keeps us on track as we work together towards reconciliation and our vision for a sustainable, vibrant and connected future for all Australians. As part of our commitment to creating pre-employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students, we support the Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer Schools (IAESS) run in Perth and Sydney every January. This year in Perth, Liz Pattison, Hamish McKay and Julia Carpenter took part in the Industry Networking sessions and the Graduation Ceremony. In Sydney, Jacob Hyland, himself a 2008 Summer School graduate, represented our company as the MC for the Communities session and the networking evening that followed
Top: Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2016-2018 Above: Former Summer School graduate and current graduate civil engineer Jacob Hyland
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NEWS
GLOBAL EXPERTS IN TOWN TURNING HISTORIC CITIES – LIKE LONDON – INTO FUTURE-READY CITIES In October 2015, our Global Director of Property & Buildings Tom Smith presented at the Property Congress, held on the Gold Coast, Australia. Tom spoke about the redevelopment of London Bridge Station, where we were lead design consultant. ‘We drew upon our expertise to address many complex challenges faced during the redevelopment of this important transport interchange. The redeveloped London Bridge Station is now a vibrant gateway from the South-East and a hub for global visitors,’ says Mr Smith.
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For Alan’s assessment click here
Hear Richard’s thoughts on the rating tool
WE’VE ROAD-TESTED THE NEW GREEN STAR DESIGN AND AS BUILT RATING TOOL
Our Sustainability team has road-tested the Green Buildings Council of Australia’s Green Star – Design and As Built tool, which assesses the sustainability performance of the design and construction of buildings. Associate Directors for Sustainability Alan Davis and Richard Palmer joined a number of industry experts and their clients, to support the development of the new tool. Alan assessed and compared the cost of using the new tool vs the legacy tool, using a 6 Star Green Star project. He said: ‘It is a clear story, 6 Star is achievable at the same cost.’ Richard summarised his thoughts on the new rating tool seeing its key advantages as being greater flexibility for building type and a more streamlined process: ‘There are no extra difficulties, it’s about getting to grips with the tools and getting out there and starting to use it.’ For further information on the new rating tool visit the GBCA website or contact Alan or Richard
ANGLES ON THE AUSTRALIAN TALL TOWER MARKET In October 2015, the world’s leading architects, engineers and developers gathered in New York City for the Council of Tall Building and Urban Habitat Conference. As the preeminent high-rise engineering consultancy in the world, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff had representatives there from around the world – including Australia. Director Mark Hennessy presented ‘Angles on the Australian tall tower market’ a summary of the important projects we are currently involved in. Not traditionally seen as a high-rise centre of excellence, Australia (and Melbourne in particular) is a prime example of the growing Asian influence in high-rise developments in our cities. With one of the developed world’s fastest growing populations and more skyscrapers per person than any other country (with population greater than 5 million) Australia is pioneering new designs and methodologies to maximise the opportunities of high-rise living. See Re-modelling the Melbourne skyline on page 8. 31
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