Rangedale has opened a depot in Epping, allowing the supplier to keep up with increased demand from clients in Melbourne’s north east.
North East Link program digs in to the new year
The North East Link Program (NELP) has started the new year by commencing construction on the project’s launch box in Watsonia.
View the latest trenchless technology tenders
Trenchless Australasia has teamed up with Australian Tenders to bring readers the latest trenchless tenders.
Rob Carr invaluable on South Melbourne sewer project
Microtunnelling contractor Rob Carr is the tunneller of choice in the Fulton Hogan Delplant Beca joint venture’s (FHDB) sewer works beneath the streets of South Melbourne on behalf of South East Water.
Knowledge is power in the trenchless industry
SECA has expanded the training it can provide from its training centre.
Conservation and expansion hand-in-hand in Victoria
As regional utilities make moves to fortify and expand their networks around the state, trenchless operators are overcoming challenging geology and preserving environments with expertise.
Ballarat sewer build uses microtunneling
Central Highlands Water’s Ballarat Sewer Build will commence stage 2 of its duplication in 2023 with microtunnelling beneath Humffray Street South.
WATCH: Microtunnelling contractor progresses on Melbourne installation
L&D Micro Tunnelling has released a video showing the progression of a trenchless installation in Melbourne.
M. Tucker & Sons secures installation rights for new liner
M. Tucker & Sons has continued its commitment to diversification of its trenchless capabilities, becoming the exclusive installer of Brandenburger’s BBS.8 maintenance hole liner in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
Edge Underground: microtunnelling through very hard rock
Installing pipelines via trenchless methods such as microtunnelling in areas where there has been volcanic activity presents a number of challenges.
Vic Water Awards win for Interflow and GWMWater
Collaboration on the design and construction of the record-breaking Mt Cole pipeline renewal landed Interflow and GWMWater the award for Infrastructure Project Innovation (Regional) at the AWA VIC Water Awards.
S&Z Australia drilling in Melbourne’s inner west
S&Z Australia is drilling through rock in Yarraville to install conduits for the new Western Hospital in Melbourne.
QDS supplying operators with quality HDD solutions
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) supplier Queensland Drilling Sales and Supplies (QDS) continues to provide Australian operators with industry-leading and dependable equipment.
AUSJET22 wraps up for now
Heavy rains this week did nothing to curb the enthusiasm on display at the first AUSJET22, hosted at the Melbourne show grounds.
Dandenong Ranges getting sewer network upgrade
Yarra Valley Water is currently installing 91 kms of a reticulated pressure sewer network in the Dandenong Ranges, a feat made possible only with the advent of trenchless technology.
HDD protecting native wildlife in Gippsland
Utilities company Gippsland Water is securing the water and wastewater future for the towns of Warragul and Drouin as part of the western ring main project.
AUSJET22 coming up next week
The inaugural AUSJET22 Exhibition and Conference is now only days away, taking place next week from 12 to 13 October at Melbourne Showgrounds.
New tech for Melbourne sewer inspection
With proactive maintenance of water infrastructure becoming more prominent in the industry, Melbourne is boosting its ability to assess its sewer pipelines with newly developed CCTV camera technology.
Interflow safeguarding pipes in South Yarra
Interflow’s South East Water crews are working hard to complete a pipe upgrade along Chapel Street.
S&Z Australia delivers Lethbridge Watermain
S&Z Australia has successfully installed over 2 kilometres of 280 mm PE water main in extremely hard rock to ensure an adequate water supply to the town the of Lethbridge in Victoria.
SRL shortlists industry heavyweights
Progress towards Melbourne’s suburban rail loop (SRL) is rolling ahead as the shortlist is announced for firms that will build the massive project.
Labourers needed for HDD specialists S&Z
Horizontal direction drilling (HDD) experts S&Z Australia are expanding its labouring team in Victoria.
Yarra Valley Water opens tender for HDD advisory
Yarra Valley Water is searching for an expert in trenchless construction to consult on the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) activities included in its Community Sewerage Program.
Vermeer D40x55DR HDD ‘ticks every box’ for Healesville Directional Drilling
Healesville Directional Drilling has been in operation for roughly 20 years, started by Pearson’s father and grandfather. He recently took the lead to continue the family legacy of working in drilling and underground excavation.
“We’ve always worked doing pole to pit work in the local Boronia area, but now we’ve got a big focus on larger projects across southeast and northeast Victoria, which gives us a steady flow of work. We have a contract with Downer installing underground power, and our larger projects vary between private companies and large Tier 1 contractors,” Pearson says.
To help support these larger HDD projects, Cameron recently purchased a Vermeer D40x55DR HDD, which he says he chose because of Vermeer Australia’s great reputation in the industry.
“I’ve always run a competitor product, and never had any issues, but it was all I knew because it’s what I used every day. One of my mentors I was doing some work with at the time was using Vermeer and never had a bad thing to say about the machinery,” he says.
“So, when the time came to upgrade, I decided to check out what Vermeer had to offer. Their package suited all our current needs, and we haven’t looked back.”
Pearson says the main thing that stands out with the D40x55DR is the versatility.
“The needs for our projects can change every week, from doing 63 mm diameter pipes one day to 350 mm the next, all in different locations and differing conditions, but this machine ticks every box, and I can use on the majority of our projects.”
“The size of the drill and the power of it is also a standout. It has great steering capabilities in rock or hard ground conditions, and being able to simply swap from rock to clay heads in a matter of minutes drastically reduces our downtime and increases our productivity on the job.”
The D40x55DR features dual rod technology that uses an inner rod to provide torque to the drill bit, while the outer rod offers steering capability and rotational torque for reaming. It has an operating weight of over 15 tonnes, power of 140 hp (104.4 kW), rotational torque of 7458 Nm and thrust to pullback force of 20 tonnes.
Pearson says the support of the Vermeer Australia team has been as exceptional as the machine, too.
“The team has been fantastic. They’re always on the other line if I have a query, I’ve never had an issue with parts supply, and their customer support on site has been great,” he says.
“I’d love to add a bigger Vermeer to my fleet one day when the work is there, a D60x90 HDD would be great, as I love working on big projects and operating larger machines. It’s definitely a goal I’ll be working towards and looking to Vermeer to support us on.”
For more information visit Vermeer’s website.
This article appeared in the August edition of Trenchless Australasia
Subscribe to Trenchless Australasia for the latest project and industry news.
PEF Commercial Finance is rising to the challenge of increasing interest rates
While PEF Commercial Finance offers a wide range of services, appreciating the importance of getting the deal secured for the client in a timely fashion and understanding the client’s needs are the first step they take.
TBM Community Day on Victoria’s Big Build
To celebrate the imminent launch of the Metro Tunnel Project’s first tunnel boring machine (TBM), Rail Projects Victoria and the Metro Tunnel Creative Program provided an on-site activation.