S&Z were chosen to reposition several utilities to allow the tunnel to enter and exit without obstruction from pipelines, conduits, and services. These included watermains, major power and gas mains, and services.
General manager Jim Pound says the company worked for several different contractors and were required to liaise directly with the various infrastructure companies to ensure their individual requirements and outcomes were met.
“After we successfully delivered 300 mm diameter steel gas main across Lower Plenty Rd and up the Greensborough Highway, we were then asked to install a bank of six large bore HV electrical conduits for another contractor,” says Pound.
The gas and power bores were delivered during night works and with restricted hours. This provided an additional challenge to install long strings of conduit and steel pipes within the tight time frames.
Pound says the horizontal direction drilling of steel pipes that don’t have the flexibility of PE pipes is difficult and trying to protect the lining of the gas pipe brought complex measures and procedures.
“In the end the Gas Authority were very happy with the outcome and have a much better level of comfort regarding HDD installation of steel gas mains,” he says.
The realignment of a watermain and water service followed which were all delivered without any issues.
On each section of the project, and for each different contractor or authority, environmental protection measures and procedures were required to protect parks and waterways and manage the drilling waste appropriately.
As with every project S&Z deliver, safety was also a major priority, working on major roads with heavy vehicles and during night hours.
“The best outcome for us is a project delivered – safely, on time, without incident, to our client’s satisfaction. This was certainly the case on all these projects,” says Pound.
S&Z Australia specialise in trenchless pipeline and conduit installations and are experienced at helping deliver large infrastructure projects as well as small to medium projects.
Should a project require pipes or conduits to be installed without the interruption caused by open excavation, please contact S&Z Australia.
For more information visit S&Z Australia’s website.