Precautionary inspection of stormwater assets led local council to discover ageing systems before they became an issue.
Sunshine Coast Council partnered with specialists in pipeline infrastructure Interflow to reline a culvert directing run-off from the Sunshine Motorway to the Mooloolaba Canal.
Located at Amarina Avenue, the existing culvert was constructed in 1975 and, during a recent routine inspection, the council found the integrity of the culvert was significantly compromised.
Failure of the culvert would have presented a significant risk to the physical safety of road users and potential outages to telecommunications, electrical and water services.
Interflow employed innovative solution to extend the culvert’s life for 50 years without impacting the downstream environment.
“Without routine inspection, it can be difficult for councils to prioritise their work and identify stormwater assets in the direst need of repair,” Sunshine Coast Council Division 4 Councillor Joe Natoli explained.
Attempting to keep community disruption to a minimum, Interflow proposed a custom-built, glass-reinforced (GRP) liner to renew the structure.
“We are committed to identifying the most effective and efficient stormwater solutions that address our current concerns, whilst also accounting for the growing and changing needs of future generations,” said Mr Natoli.
Interflow Business Development Manager on the project John Phillips commended the company on its bespoke approach.
“Eliminating the need for excavation meant that no trees or vegetation would need to be removed and the impact on commuters using the road above would be minimised.”
“This is a huge win for the environment and the community,” he said.
Interflow’s trenchless solution offered a 25 per cent reduction in the costs of excavating and replacing the culvert.
Mr Natoli said that proactive asset management acts as a form of insurance against unforeseen events such as structural damage to roads and negative impacts to public safety.
For more information visit the Interflow website.