A specialist water sector advisory and consulting practice, Voeu delivers commercial advice and improvement projects for infrastructure owners, operators, and delivery providers.
Municipal Works Australia opens conference registration
The 29th National Municipal Works & Engineering Conference 2023 will be held on 23 and 24 March in Bendigo, and is open to all operators in the municipal work sector.
iMPREG celebrates UV Liner installation success in the UK
iMPREG has helped complete the task of installing an ultraviolet liner in the United Kingdom.
Watercare tunnelling underway for 2023
Watercare tunnelling projects are already well underway for 2023 in Auckland, with progress being made in Warkworth, and the Central Interceptor project.
IDS brings GPR performance to the deepest level
IDS GeoRadar’s Stream DP is the new compact GPR array solution for the highest depth performance in 3D utility mapping.
Central Interceptor hits pre-Christmas milestone
Watercare’s tunnel boring machine for the Central Interceptor project in New Zealand has completed its undersea crossing of Manukau Harbour.
Innovative maintenance hole tool arrives in Australia and New Zealand
Pipe Core has introduced another innovative product to Australasia which saves time, effort and money when releasing maintenance hole access covers.
Watercare kicking off $20 m wastewater upgrade
After the storm: what the floods have taught us
The feedback from water managers around recent flood events has been characterised by shock and awe.
Interflow after the storm
Interflow has acknowledged that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to the flooding crisis once again impacting Australians.
Smart Lock hosting live demonstration day
The pipeline rehabilitation and repair system supplier is hosting an open day in Melbourne today and tomorrow.
View the latest trenchless technology tenders
Trenchless Australasia has teamed up with Australian Tenders to bring readers the latest trenchless tenders.
YVW completes Doreen to Diamond Creek Sewerage Project
Yarra Valley Water (YVW) has completed a $34 million project to upgrade the sewer network to support Melbourne’s fast-growing northern suburbs.
Microtunnelling contract awarded for pipeline duplication
Due to the difficult ground conditions and high traffic volumes, Wellington Water said trenchless tunnelling was the preferred method for installation.
View the latest trenchless technology tenders
Trenchless Australasia has teamed up with Australian Tenders to bring readers the latest trenchless tenders.
View the latest trenchless technology tenders
Domestic wastewater pipeline renewals 2021/22
Issued by: Gisborne District Council
Closing Date: 10 December 2021
Location: New Zealand
Description: The request for proposal is an invitation to suitably qualified suppliers to submit a proposal for the renewal of existing domestic wastewater pipeline (trenchless).
Horizontal directional drilling to provide services to Horsham Nature Play Park
Issued by: Horsham Rural City Council
Closing Date: 10 December 2021
Location: Victoria
Description: Horsham Rural City Council invites you to provide a quotation for the installation of horizontal directional bore for the water, electrical and waste services for the Horsham Nature Play Park.
Sewer and stormwater mains lining
Issued by: Hunter Water Corporation
Closing Date: 16 December 2021
Location: New South Wales
Description: The work under this contract includes, but is not limited to, the rehabilitation of gravity sewer and stormwater mains by the installation of lining systems to restore structural integrity, prevent infiltration and exfiltration, eliminate root ingress and/or restore the hydraulic capacity of the mains.
The gravity sewer mains to be rehabilitated will be from a nominal diameter of 150 mm up to a maximum of 600 mm. The stormwater mains to be rehabilitated will be from a nominal diameter of 750 mm up to a maximum of 1050 mm.
Big Rivers Region, Central Arnhem Road, provision of water bore drilling services
Issued by: Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics
Closing Date: 15 December 2021
Location: Northern Territory
Description: A general outline of the work to be carried out under the contract comprises of drilling and casing of two new road construction water bores on Central Arnhem Road for prioritised upgrade works at Mountain Valley and Mainoru.
Pipeline duplication contract administration, inspection and verification services
Issued by: Townsville City Council
Closing Date: 15 December 2021
Location: Queensland
Description: RRD2DWTP Pipeline Duplication Contract Administration, Inspection and Verification Services
Country South Water Retic Renewal Program
Issued by: Water Corporation
Closing Date: 15 December 2021
Location: Western Australia
Description: Water Corporation is inviting organisations with suitable experience, capability and capacity to submit a Bid for our Country South Water Reticulation Renewals Package for sites in Narrogin and Wagin, Western Australia. The scope of work requires the supply and installation of DN100/DN150 Series 2 PN16 PVC-M water reticulation main and associated works.
Panel of providers for stormwater CCTV
Issued by: Hobart City Council
Closing Date: 08 December 2021
Location: Tasmania
Description: Panel of providers for closed circuit television (CCTV) inspection and cleaning of stormwater infrastructure.
Each fortnight, the Trenchless Australasia e-newsletter includes a list of tenders relevant to no-dig contractors, suppliers and manufacturers.
The information is provided by Australian Tenders, which is renowned for being an Australia-wide locally owned and operated tender notification service.
Australian Tenders is also offering readers of Trenchless Australasia three months free on their subscription plans.
Email support@australiantenders.com.au for more information.
For more tender information visit the Australian Tenders website.
View the latest trenchless technology tenders
Trenchless Australasia has teamed up with Australian Tenders to bring readers the latest trenchless tenders.
The power of Picote Solutions tools and equipment
Pipe Core is now an official reseller of Picote Solutions’ equipment after demonstrated success on difficult jobs around the world.
Interflow celebrates 85 years
Throughout its history, Interflow has pioneered technologies and renewal methods that have been well received for their innovation.
The company was founded in 1936 by Harold ‘Bill’ Weaver, whose mission it was to support the growth of budding communities along the east coast of Australia.
Weaver and his original team at Interflow constructed water, sewerage and drainage systems for developing towns, earning him a reputation as a change maker.
His ability to identify gaps in the market and develop services to meet the needs of his customers allowed him to expand the company’s operations across the country.
Since the 30s, Interflow has been generation-led and family owned, with leadership handed down from father to son now over three generations
From proactive asset management to emergency repairs, the company is dedicated to developing bespoke solutions that satisfy its customers’ needs: robust, sustainable pipeline infrastructure that will service the growing requirements of the community for generations to come.
As early as the 1990s, interflow pioneered the use of trenchless technology to improve efficiency, reduce costs and minimise impact to the environment and community.
In 1991 – 30 years ago – the company signed its first 20-year exclusivity deal with partners in innovation Rib Loc.
Together, the companies provided hundreds of local councils and water authorities with industry-leading pipeline infrastructure services, restoring assets for an expected period of 50 years.
The companies continue to share a working relationship today.
Today, managing director and Bill Weaver’s grandson, Geoff Weaver, is responsible for the company’s operations, establishing an international foothold in New Zealand, and negotiating two twenty-year exclusive Australasian licenses for spirally wound rehabilitation products.
At 85 years, Interflow is Australia’s largest provider of Trenchless pipeline solutions, establishing itself as the preferred delivery partner within Australian markets.
Geoff Weaver said the company’s ongoing success has been guided by the core values laid out by his grandfather.
“My grandfather’s ethos was simple. He was committed to challenging the status quo and finding new and better ways to do things,” he said.
“Each generation of leadership has been responsible for refining these methods and developing new technologies to further improve the experience of our customers and communities.”
Interflow now employs over 600 people across Australasia, and the company continues to expand the range of services it provides.
“As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we look forward to the next 85 years of supporting our customers and uplifting communities with pipeline infrastructure solutions for generations to come,” Weaver added.
For more information visit the Interflow website.
View the latest trenchless technology tenders
Trenchless Australasia has teamed up with Australian Tenders to bring readers the latest trenchless tenders.
Interflow takes home excellence
The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia Queensland (IPWEAQ) represents persons involved in managing, maintaining and operating local government and public works infrastructure and services to the community.
Interflow was recognised alongside Sunshine Coast Council’s Stormwater Assets Team for its work on the Renewal of the Amarina Culvert project.
Sunshine Coast Council’s stormwater management asset team found a large reinforced concrete box culvert in Amarina Avenue, Mooloolaba, in urgent need of renewal during a routine culvert inspection.
Constructed in 1975, the culvert passes under a busy district street, taking run-off from the Sunshine Motorway to the Mooloolaba Canal.
Interflow proposed a solution using imported custom designed and manufactured glass reinforced plastic box sections, designed to carry all loading without reducing flow carrying capacity.
These box sections are corrosion resistant in marine conditions and could be safely and reliably installed.
Interflow successfully completed the project 12 days after mobilising to site.
A spokesperson for Interflow said the company achieved an amazing feat and was proud of everyone who contributed to the project’s realisation.
For more information visit the Interflow website.
Region Review: NSW rolls on through COVID storm
Western Sydney Airport Metro approved
Tunnel boring machines are expected in the ground by the end of 2023 after the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport project received planning approval from the NSW Government in July 2021. Major construction is scheduled to commence in the coming months, with tunnelling contracts awarded by the end of the year.
A total of 23 km of driverless metro will service western Sydney and the new Western Sydney International Airport between St Marys Station and the future Western Sydney Aerotropolis in Bringelly. The new railway line will become the transport spine for Greater Western Sydney, connecting communities and travellers with the new Western Sydney International Airport.
The railway line is expected to transport up to 7,740 passengers each hour in each direction and it is anticipated the new infrastructure could take 110,000 vehicles off local roads each day, significantly reducing traffic congestion. The project will support 14,000 jobs, including 250 apprentices.
Byron Bay undertakes $1.4m network upgrade
Major upgrades to the region’s stormwater drainage network commenced on Monday 9 August. The Byron Shire Council has provided a $1.4 million grant from the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program to upgrade Byron Bay’s stormwater drainage network, which covers across Lighthouse Road, Paterson Street and Kipling Street.
“We are very excited to be delivering these critical works, which include the construction of kerb and gutter and underground stormwater drainage on Lighthouse Road,” says Byron Shire Council Director of Infrastructure Services Phil Holloway.
These works will reduce stormwater runoff that currently impacts Clarkes Beach, mitigating the impact to the environment. Mr Holloway says that once upgraded, the stormwater network will capture, detain and that runoff from the roads and surrounding properties.
The works are expected to take four months to complete.
Planning approval granted for potential desalination plant and pipeline
In August, the New South Wales Government approved Hunter Water‘s plans for a desalination plant at Belmont as a drought response measure, with the project to include pipeline installed under the ocean floor using trenchless technology as far as 1 km offshore.
The plans are a reaction to water storage levels in the Lower Hunter, which recently reached its lowest point in nearly 40 years. The plant is designed to produce up to 30 million L of drinking water per day in response to drought.
This follows in the wake of the most recent drought of 2019-2020, which saw the introduction of water restrictions for the first time in decades. The Hunter Water team worked closely with the NSW Government, key stakeholders, and the local community, and planning approval was issued yesterday by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
The desalination plant, once constructed, will receive direct ocean seawater intake by piping seawater from 1 km offshore.
The intake structure would be installed at a depth of approximately 20 m, extending 5 m above the ocean floor, and the pipeline will be installed under the ocean floor via a trenchless tunnelling method.
Hunter Water Managing Director Darren Cleary says desalination is one of the few water supply options that is not dependent on rainfall. This would mean that with the construction of a plant, Hunter Water could continue to supply communities irrespective of changes in weather or climate.
While the likelihood of having to construct the plant is low, it was imperative that Hunter Water sought planning approval, should it need to build in the near future.
“Planning approval for the Belmont desalination plant gives us an additional tool to help close our supply gap during periods of drought, providing Hunter Water with the capacity to provide up to an additional 30 million L of water each day,” says Mr Cleary.
Hunter Water says the project approval was supported by comprehensive environmental impact investigations, which evaluated the potential impacts that could be mitigated through detailed design and delivery. These assessments found that a trenchless method would have the least significant impact on marine life, while the intake would also be designed to reduce the chance of marine life being drawn into the pipeline.
Construction of the desalination plant could take three years.
Australia’s longest road tunnel canvassed
In May, the NSW Government announced it was investigating the possibility of constructing an 11 km tunnel through the Blue Mountains. The project would connect two proposed tunnels into a longer tunnel as part of the Greater Western Highway upgrade between Katoomba and Lithgow.
NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole says linking the two tunnels already determined for Blackheath and Mount Victoria would deliver a more reliable connection through the Blue Mountains.
“The NSW Government knows how important this upgrade is to the people who use the Great Western Highway every day and in improving connections between Sydney and the Central West, which is why we committed $2.5 billion to deliver a once-in-a-generation upgrade to this key corridor,” he says.
“As part of this upgrade, we’ve already committed to a 4.5 km tunnel to bypass Blackheath and a 4 km tunnel underneath Victoria Pass, one of the steepest roads in NSW. We’re now investigating connecting those two proposed tunnels into one longer tunnel.
“This would be a history-making project, delivering Australia’s longest road tunnel and
allow motorists to avoid all the current pinch points from Blackheath in the east to Little Hartley on the western side of Victoria Pass. It will also mean less disruption for local residents and businesses during construction and a smoother, safer journey for those travelling underneath Blackheath and Mount Victoria as well as those travelling above.”
The government says construction on the Great Western Highway Upgrade is expected to start at Medlow Bath in 2022, with the full upgrade expected to be completed within 8 to 10 years.
Harbour project deemed national priority
In June, the proposal for a second Sydney Harbour tunnel listed as a national priority project by Infrastructure Australia. The Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade was added to the Infrastructure Priority List as a Priority Project, with the proposal from the NSW Government involving the construction of a 6.5 km twin three-lane motorway from the Rozelle Interchange to the Warringah Freeway near North Sydney.
The Warringah Freeway between the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Willoughby Road would also be upgraded. Infrastructure Australia Chief Executive Romilly Madew says constructing the new tunnel would be beneficial economically and for the community.
“The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel are critical transport links – carrying more than 250,000 vehicles each weekday as people travel into the CBD and through to other parts of the city,” she says.
“By 2031, this is expected to increase to 300,000 as Sydney’s population grows. Without an additional harbour crossing, we expect there to be additional traffic and delays around the Sydney CBD.
Apart from impacting community access to school, work and other essential services, our 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit found that if not addressed, congestion on this part of the road network could cost the NSW economy more than $780,000 per day by 2031.
“The business case developed by the NSW Government demonstrates a wide range of benefits for both drivers and public transport users, including significant travel time savings and improvements in travel time reliability.”
Return for construction
Restrictions on the Victorian construction industry eased from 11.59pm on Monday, 4 October with a Construction Sector Roadmap setting a way forward for the sector to operate inline with Chief Health Officer directions.
Ahead of the curve
The team at Aussie Trenchless is passionate about progressing future infrastructure opportunities and accomplishing superior outcomes. Headquartered in New South Wales, Director Chris Meredith and the team are committed to pioneering state-of-the-art solutions and furthering businesses in the trenchless industry.
Founded in 2014, the company offers a range of unique products in Australia and internationally. Mr Meredith is something of an industry mogul, with 40 years in utilities and having pioneered the development of several well-known rehabilitation methods through decades of contracting.
Throughout his years in the industry, Mr Meredith has seen significant growth in the implementation of trenchless solutions in Australia and abroad. He and his team offer practical advice to infrastructure owners and contractors on a variety of underground pipeline rehabilitation techniques.
Importantly, they offer hands-on service for industry contractors backed by years of expertise. They have developed multiple complementary technologies for underground service installation.
PST
Pipe segment technology (PST) is one solution for pipe rehabilitation that is easy to build and fast to install. It is specifically designed for traversable trunk sewers and stormwater culverts.
Pipe lining technologies have the capacity to substantially increase the service life of pipes, and this method is ideal for man entry pipeline rehabilitation for gravity sewer mains. Installation can take place in low flow conditions, and the technology has low capital costs and a small site footprint.
PST lining panels are made of polypropylene material, providing a smooth surface with effective hydraulic performance capacities. Significantly, PST is semi-transparent, mitigating risk and removing guesswork during the completion of gap grouting works.
PST panels are lightweight, easy to install, and ideal for positioning in tight locations, with the product suitable for all pipe types, including round, ovoid and box culverts. Segment pipe rehabilitation technologies are recommended for sewers with complicated and nonstandard shapes.
Lining segments reflect the shape of the host pipe and therefore can be both circular and non-circular. Lining of access chambers can also be achieved using PST segments.
The ring stiffness of PST can be enhanced or altered by attaching circumferential bars, making the product suitable for installing in deep sewers. PST is a nimble segmental lining system with a grouted annulus gap, versatile in tight access locations.
A static design is completed to verify conformance of the PST lining structure in these types of applications. The technology does not require advanced installation machinery and has been used to rehabilitate deteriorated stormwater and sewer culverts.
For more information visit the Aussie Trenchless website.
Watercare projects pick up
Watercare’s projects have picked up across Auckland City, with works resuming on the NZD$1.2 billion (AUD $1.14 billion) Central Interceptor wastewater project.
Work came grinding to a halt after Auckland was placed under level 4 restrictions last month, under which only minimal work involving the two Central Interceptor tunnel boring machines (TBMs) were allowed to continue to prevent sinking and damage.
Water executive program director Shayne Cunis said the team is enthusiastic to be ramping up work again.
“We had only just launched our main TBM Hiwa-i-te-Rangi before we went into level 4, and there was significant work required to complete on-site assembly as she progressed forward,” said Cunis.
“We have managed to keep her inching forward at a minimum rate, and, as of the end of alert level 4, we have installed 18 of the 9008 concrete rings of the Central Interceptor.”
Cunis said that anyone who is not essential onsite will still be working from home.
“As we move into alert level 3, we will increase our production to target rates over the coming weeks, while ensuring we are looking after our team’s health, safety and wellbeing as the majority of them return to work.
“We have enhanced COVID-19 management protocols which include mask wearing, maintaining strict work bubbles, carrying out daily temperature checks for all site staff, and disinfecting all overalls every day.”
Works are also picking up in the second stage of the Papakura Water Treatment Plant, which will provide up to 12 million litres a day from Hays Creek Dam when it is completed early next year.
Works will also proceed on the new Mairangi Bay wastewater pump station, Clevedon’s new water and wastewater network, the replacement of the Huia 1 water main, where works are underway in Mt Albert and the Pukekohe Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade.
For more information visit the Watercare website.
SECA unveils world-first electric water jetter
SECA has renewed its commitment to a low-carbon future through its latest offering to the Australian market – the world’s first emissions-free high-pressure water jetting system.