The most recent quarterly update for the trenchless technology industry in Australasia is now available to view online.
This edition showcases how Trenchless Australasia is staying current alongside industry developments, with a modern look and a digitally interactive edition for the ease of readers.
The June edition includes:
An article on New South Wales’ extended construction hours and the benefits to the no-dig sector.
A positive news feature, highlighting local trenchless businesses and contractors who are staying busy during COVID-19.
An overview of the City of Logan’s longest horizontal directional drilling bore.
And much more!
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The reaction of bentonite when mixed with water is what makes it an effective component of a drilling fluid, earning it the title of “miracle mud” throughout the industry.
However, in an article published on LinkedIn, Mr Bilton said bentonites are classified into several types – such as calcium, sodium and potassium – although sodium bentonite it the most common choice in the drilling industry.
“While they are composed of the same fundamental building blocks, calcium bentonite does not exhibit the same desirable properties as its sodium cousin,” said Mr Bilton.
“These major differences in swelling, suspension and thixotropy can affect your drilling fluid (mud) and the ‘functions of the drilling fluid’ which in turn can have a significant impact on and the overall success and profitability of your project.
“Untreated calcium bentonite is not suitable for drilling fluid, so it is typically treated (beneficiated) during the milling process by adding sodium carbonate (soda ash), long-chain synthetic polymers, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), starch or polyphosphates.”
Contrarily, Mr Bilton explains the structure and chemical composition of sodium bentonite means when the clay is mixed in water, the dry stacks of platelets begin to hydrate and swell as the water is attracted to both the negative clay surface and the positively charged ions in between the layers.
“As the individual platelets separate (disperse) in the water, their surface area and colloidal activity increases producing a viscous fluid that can suspend solids and seal up the bore/well bore,” said Mr Bilton.
“Sodium bentonite swells through a process of osmotic and crystalline swelling providing a 20-fold increase in volume. Calcium bentonite on the other hand undergoes crystalline swelling only resulting in a 2-fold increase in volume.
“Better swelling (hydration) means increased surface area and colloidal activity which translates into improve viscosity, better suspension capability, superior gel strengths, greater filtration control and higher yield.”
Mr Bilton said an intelligently designed and maintained drilling fluid is a critical component of a drilling operation and a good bentonite is often a critical component of that drilling fluid.
“When you consider all the functions of a drilling fluid, and how those functions impact the success or failure of the drilling operation, sodium bentonite outperforms all other products on the market.”
The initiative was developed in a bid to spread positivity and solidarity by uniting workers in the construction industry across digital platforms to share why they are staying at work.
Interflow said the select group of workers who have remained on the frontline to provide essential services have had to change their working procedures by incorporating social distancing, wearing advanced personal protective equipment and adopting stringent hygiene practices.
Interflow workers wearing advanced personal protective equipment.
“A cross industry initiative, #IStayAtWork was initiated to demonstrate solidarity among those essential workers who strive to keep their communities happy, healthy and hygienic,” said Interflow.
“The initiative inspired people to stay virtually connected using the hashtag and has been embraced by a myriad of frontline workers and essential service men and women, all united by one key motivation: to uplift and support their teams, peers and affected residents during this time.”
Interflow is one of the organisations spearheading this movement, with the company’s workers from Australia and New Zealand rallying together to share why they stay at work to provide essential services for their people, customers and communities.
Interflow Field Operations Manager Nick Roth said this initiative has really meant a lot to its team who are working in the field.
“Seeing photos of their colleagues from around the country embracing social distancing and adapting their workflows has acted as a great motivator and helped reinforce to our team that they’re not going through this alone,” said Mr Roth.
Social distancing restrictions are followed onsite.
Mr Roth added this commitment to serving customers’ communities extends from the crews in the field to the teams back in the office.
“Even our office staff have gotten involved.
“They may be working from home, but they’re still working hard to support our team in the field and to provide our customers with solutions for the life of the water network.”
The #IStayAyWork movement has already forged a sense of cohesion among essential workers in the construction field, demonstrating the power of positivity and staying connected during COVID-19.
When it comes to bund lining and waterproofing, many may find issues with moving concrete substrates, liquid seepage and EPA bunding regulations, or are looking to further protect floors, landings, car parks and concrete tanks.
To counteract these issues, Rhino Linings offers spray applied and seamless waterproofing membranes that eliminate potential weaknesses associated with other “joined” membrane products.
With the ability to bond to virtually any surface and the ability to transcend multiple substrates, Rhino Linings said the possibilities are endless.
“With Rhino Linings products being a premium sprayed-applied polyurethane or pure polyurea, there are many advantages versus other products,” said the company.
These advantages include the products flexibility as its polyurethanes and polyureas move with substrate and do not crack, warp or pool; the cost saving benefits, as costly down time is significantly reduced compared to sheet lining and high build paint products; and its instant curing ability, which allows the product to be sprayed at any angle to encompass the application entirely.
As the manufacturer of the application equipment and the product itself, Rhino Linings can provide answers to customers’ requirements regarding waterproofing, containment, protection from vehicular traffic, abrasion and corrosion.
Rhino Linings said its products are environmentally friendly, solvent free, contain no VOC’s and conform with stringent USA EPA regulations.
Select Rhino coating products have also been certified for use in potable water applications and are AQIS accepted.
As a leading CCTV pipe inspection and pipeline rehabilitation company in Western Australia, Allpipe Technologies is no stranger to conducting underground asset audits by using the latest technology and methods to deliver tangible value for municipalities, authorities and private companies.
For such organisations, awareness and maintenance of underground assets has seen increased importance as it is not only vital to maintain an optimum level of service, but also to reduce the risk of disruption as much as possible.
With the support of SECA – a leading Australian supplier of equipment for the cleaning, inspection and rehabilitation of sewers and drains – Allpipe Technologies has been promoting and installing more than 1,000 QUICKLOCK systems throughout WA in the last year.
Allpipe Technologies utilises the latest technology and methods to deliver tangible value for its customers.
A cost-effective repair
Allpipe Technologies recently assisted with inspection services for the City of Subiaco, a suburb located in Perth. The suburb manages more than 100 km of pipeline, representing significant value for both the city and the thousands of residents and businesses within its boundaries.
On 10 March 2020, Allpipe Technologies deployed its CCTV inspection team to survey a storm water pipe located on a main road in one of the busiest intersections in Perth – which presented a void in the pipeline under the road reserve.
Allpipe Technologies Business Development Manager Morgan Caffrey says the inspection showed a visible void that, if left unnoticed, would cause the potential for a sink hole and environmental impact or disaster would be imminent.
“Subiaco City Council engineers investigated various rehabilitation technologies presented by Allpipe Technologies and decided that the QUICKLOCK was the most suitable to repair the defect in the most cost-effective way,” says Mr Caffrey.
“The QUICKLOCK is fast to install and has Australian approvals including a life expectancy in excess of 50 years.”
The following morning, Allpipe Technologies had already installed the DN300 QUICKLOCK with minimal disruption and traffic flowing as normal.
By using QUICKLOCK, Allpipe Technologies was able to avoid an environmental disaster in Western Australia.
A dedicated pipeline rehabilitation team
The Allpipe Technologies team is trained by SECA to install the QUICKLOCK, ensuring a quality service and product every time.
Dedicated to safety and employee development, all crews have experience working at heights, confined space entry, gas test atmospheres, first aid and traffic management to ensure project delivery that clients can always trust.
This article was featured in the June 2020 edition of Trenchless Australasia. To view the magazine on your PC, Mac, tablet or mobile device, click here.
The major sewer relining maintenance project is taking place underneath main roads in the southeast Queensland region, with most pipes being relined in the current program 50 to 70 years old with “at risk” conditions.
Currently in the second year of its two-year contract, the tender was released in 2018 through LG Tender Box with the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Organisation of Councils (WBBROC), which has six member councils.
Five of the six member councils participated in the second round of the relining program, enabling the bulk power of a larger organisation and reducing the financial impact on the community. Fraser Coast Regional Council managed the contract on behalf of all WBBROC members.
Trenchless wins for customer satisfaction
Bundaberg Regional Council Network Program Coordinator Water Services Branch Geoff Tansley says that since trenchless methods have a considerably lower impact on residents, property owners and other services, a much higher customer satisfaction is achieved compared to open excavation.
“Providing the buried asset has not deteriorated or collapsed to a point where a liner cannot be pulled through or it would burst due to sharp fragments and edges with the host pipe, relining existing pipes is more financially viable than excavation,” says Mr Tansley.
“As there is no excavation normally required, the process removes risks involved with working in excavations.”
Mr Tansley says any excavation of the region’s sewers – some being more than 6 m in depth – would be onerous, expensive and risky in addition to the significant reinstate effort that would be required. However, trenchless construction can mitigate these risks and result in overall lower operational costs.
Ultimately, Mr Tansley says the Bundaberg Regional Council chose a trenchless construction method due to customer relations and satisfaction, financial stability achieved through reduced delivery cost and on-going operational costs as well as a length design life.
More trenchless considerations
Although relining was chosen as the primary solution, the council also considered implementing the pipe bursting technique as a rehabilitation option for sewer mains that have partially collapsed and are preventing insertion of liners.
However, Mr Tansley says this process would end up requiring open excavation and modification to reinstate the connection, therefore pipe bursting was discounted as an option due to these requirements and additional costs.
“In these cases, the areas that had collapsed and were preventing the liner installation were excavated and patched sufficiently enough to enable renewal with either GRP or PVC liners,” says Mr Tansley.
Bundaberg Regional council has also used pipe jacking and line boring in previous works to install new sewers or upgrade existing mains, particularly under existing roads; however, this method has seen limited results in the past due to an inability to maintain gradient and pipes failing due to tension stress.
Reaping the rewards with minimal disruption
By implementing relining as the trenchless solution, the project can ensure the continuity of essential services to the Bundaberg region without significant impact on the asset’s delivery as it is being renewed.
If open excavation had been chosen, interruption to services such as sewer and road transport would expose workers to risks from buried services such as electrical cabling and gas mains while also creating a significant impact and disturbance on the environment.
“Sewer renewal through relining is financially sustainable, as it is often the most cost and time effective renewal method, especially for deep pipe and those with access constrains,” says Mr Tansley.
Utilising state-wide contractors
The large diameter sewers – those 375 mm in diameter and larger – are being relined using an iMPREG cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) system by AARO Group, a Perth based company with a depot located in Currumbin Waters.
The iMPREG liner system, which has a design life of 100 years, is an ultraviolet light cured glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) liner that is cured after being pulled in place and inflated using compressed air.
Mr Tansley says AARO Group has a crew of eight onsite undertaking the jet cleaning, CCTV and installation work. In addition to the relining workers, AARO Group also sourced a local traffic control company who are providing an additional four-person team to safely manage traffic and pedestrian guidance.
The smaller sewer mains, up to and including 300 mm, are being renewed by Queensland based company Relining Solutions and using an AM-LINER II, which is a continuous length of polyvinyl chloride pipe and has a design life of 50 years.
Once on site and after achieving the required heat soak period and pressure test, the steam supply is transitioned to compressed air and the steam is slowly purged while maintaining pressure to allow the liner to cool in place and become a new PVC pipe.
When the liner has achieved the required heat soak period and pressure test, the steam supply is transitioned to compressed air and the steam is slowly purged while maintaining pressure allowing the liner to cool in place becoming a new PVC pipe.
The AARO team uses new trenchless systems and technology to complete the council’s rehabilitation project.
Future plans
The current program was originally planned to be completed in May 2020, although it is now slightly behind its initial timeline due to issues with transportation of materials and equipment caused by COVID-19 health and safety measures.
Despite these delays, the Bundaberg Regional Council says new plans are already in place for future work.
“The next round of the WBBROC sewer relining program is expected to be a three-year tender and should be advertised later this year,” says Mr Tansley.
Mr Tansley says the council’s water services department has also established an associated program of proactive cleaning, survey and condition assessing for the region’s entire sewerage system to identify and quantify any defects in the network.
“The information gained from this survey will be used to identify, cost and establish a rolling program of relining work for the future.”
Mr Tansley says the council will continue to implement trenchless renewal methods.
“As trenchless renewal methods are constantly being developed and improved and we will continue to review the emerging technologies and modify existing one to suit our application.”
This article was featured in the June 2020 edition of Trenchless Australasia. To view the magazine on your PC, Mac, tablet or mobile device, click here.
The JT2020 is regarded as one of Ditch Witch’s most popular drills, with its capabilities again on display when used by the local Queensland contractor to complete this project.
One Shot Directional Drilling Australia is a family owned company that specialises in HDD and underground boring services for the installation of conduits for water, gas, power and telecommunications.
The company services the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Tweed Shire and Sunshine Coast regions with more than 20 years of experience in the industry, it says it can guarantee quality services from health and safety standards right through to equipment maintenance and time restraints.
With rapidly changing and uncertain operating conditions in the infrastructure sector, asset owners are looking to ensure business continuity while simultaneously building resilience in their assets.
WSP said it has appointed Mr Maslen as the new National Technical Executive due to his focus on helping clients maximise the value of their infrastructure assets for communities and future generations.
Mr Maslen.
With more than 25 years of experience, Mr Maslen specialises in leading transformational strategic asset management projects and programs in accordance with the International Standard for Asset Management (ISO 55001).
Mr Maslen has worked for various government and private organisations spanning a range of sectors including transport, power and water.
Mr Maslen said, particularly during these unprecedented times, there’s an imperative for clients to adapt their investment and management priorities, as well as re-establishing working platforms in new ways.
“I’m passionate about helping our clients get a better understanding of their challenges, and craft holistic solutions to address these,” said Mr Maslen.
“My roles on the Asset Management Council (AUS) Body of Knowledge Thought Leadership Team, as a Certified Asset Management Assessor (CAMA) in ISO55000 through World Partners in Asset Management, and as a Foundation Editor for the Civil Engineers UK Asset Management Journal, allows me to approach challenges differently, by leveraging trends and industry best practice to deliver better outcomes for our communities.”
WSP National Executive of Strategic Asset Management Michael Van Doornik said the WSP Advisory Group delivers value by working in partnership with its clients to identify opportunities that maximise the service value of their assets by managing risk and maximising performance.
“We use a variety of skillsets and techniques from data analytics, geospatial mapping and augmented reality to provide deep insights to clients on their assets,” said Mr Doornik.
“Effective strategic asset management is integrated and cross-functional. WSP’s strength is in combining our strategic advisory capability with solid engineering expertise underpinned with a depth of understanding their assets and industry knowledge.”
The 9 km Mardi to Warnervale Pipeline is being delivered by joint venture (JV) partners Spiecapag and Seymour Whyte and, once completed, will enhance the water supply network for the entire region, in particular expanding the northern growth corridor.
Central Coast Council is investing more than $61 million in the pipeline and is being constructed with the use of trenchless technologies, due to the sensitive environmental areas in the region.
Council Director of Water and Sewer Jamie Loader said extensive planning and design activities had been undertaken in preparation for construction.
“Recent conditions including extreme weather events and water restrictions that have faced our community and indeed communities across our state and nation, bring into sharp focus how important water security and water resilience is for everyone,” he said.
“The Mardi to Warnervale Pipeline will ensure a stable long-term water supply to new and growing areas in the north of the region to support anticipated levels of growth and development we need to deliver as part of the Central Coast Regional Plan 2036.
“In addition, we will see an enhancement in bulk water transfers between ourselves and the Hunter which enables better planning for future water resourcing for both regions.”
The pipeline is expected to be commissioned in 2021.
At the end of April 2020, the final tunnel boring machine (TBM) drive was completed at Blues Point after tunnelling 885 m from Barangaroo, working at a depth of up to 40 m under Sydney Harbour.
Now the project is being extended to cover the city and southwestern districts of Sydney with the current work program involving five TBMs working concurrently across the tunnel route.
Other sections of the tunnelling works – mainly for the cavern construction – involve the use of 13 roadheader machines along with seven rockbolter rigs.
VMT has been supporting the project by providing equipment and site support for the TBMs, roadheaders and rockbolters with a variety of navigation systems.
This includes systems for each of the tunnelling system types as well as its segment documentation system (SDS), as well as support by VMT’s TUnIS Navigation Office software.
Additionally, VMT introduced its TUnIS.mono.cam for the first time, which was specifically designed for the navigation of double shield TBMs.
Being the first use of the new system, Sydney Metro was happy to witness its effectiveness as well as receiving VMT’s overall support.
Wollongong St – Drainage Easement Asset Renewal and Upgrade Issued by: Shell Harbour City Council Closing date: 9 June 2020 Location: New South Wales Description: Shellharbour City Council invites submissions from suitably qualified and experienced contractors for the construction of stormwater drainage upgrade and associated works at 15 Wollongong Street, Shellharbour.
District Wide 3 Water Connections Issued by: Tararua District Council Closing date: 10June 2020 Location: New Zealand Description: Tararua Alliance would be looking to have multiple approved contractors in this field to provide the community with options when looking to have three water service connections.
Stormwater Relining Project Issued by: Hinchinbrook Shire Council (HSC) Closing date: 10 June 2020 Location: Queensland Description: HSC is currently seeking tenders from suitably qualified contractors to undertake stormwater relining in various locations as described in more detail in Part 5 Scope of Works. Council has allocated funding to this project however the funding is limited and will not include any overages or additional works. A final scope will be agreed to upon awarding of contract.
TCDC Contract C19/06 Bond Road and SH26 Watermain Renewal Issued by: Thames-Coromandel District Council Closing date: 11 June 2020 Location: New Zealand Description: The contract works involves the replacement of existing and new watermains in Matatoki located south of Thames. The contract includes the supply all plant, labour, and materials required to install approximately 2,690 m of DN 180 PN10 PE100, plus all associated fittings, valves, road crossings, connections, testing and verification.
Elizabeth Street Foul Sewer Renewal Issued by: Invercargill City Council Closing date: 12 June 2020 Location: New Zealand Description: This contract is for the supply of all plant, labour and materials necessary for the renewal of 862 m of foul sewer mains and lateral connections on Elizabeth Street (Invercargill) between Bluff Highway (SH 1) and Elles Road. This includes all associated structures, fittings, fixtures and connections required to complete the works.
Provision of Drainage Maintenance Services Issued by: Yarra City Council Closing date: 12 June 2020 Location: Victoria Description: The contractor will be responsible for the care and maintenance of all Council Drainage Assets included in the contract to ensure that they are operating at the required level of service, and carry out maintenance works on the stormwater system within the City of Yarra. Preventative maintenance includes: pipe cleaning, CCTV inspections and reporting and waste disposal.
Issued by: Yarra Valley Water Closing date: 22 June 2020 Location: Victoria Description: In order to assess the performance of YVW’s assets, it is required to monitor the key hydraulic parameters associated with water and sewer networks. This project brief is to seek a suitably qualified contractor/contractors to provide monitoring services in YVW’s water and sewer networks.
Nagambie Sewer Pump Station Number 4 Conversion and Sewer Pipeline Rail Crossing Issued by: Goulburn Valley Water Closing date: 23 June 2020 Location: Victoria Description: Scope of works include the design and construct of the Nagambie SPS04 conversion and sewer pipeline rail crossing; upgrade of sewage pump station 04 (SPS04) in Nash Street through the installation of larger capacity submersible pumps and conversion of the dry well to a wet well; and completion of V/Line site access application and construction of a new sewer pipe under the VicTrack rail reserve.
Each fortnightly edition of 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 an extra three months on their subscription plans.
The company reported the new KOR machinery has already been used on its first job.
In a social media post, Allpipe Technologies Business Development Manager Morgan Caffrey said the team had a few days of training before using it on site.
“A great addition to the fleet and a proud moment in my career and a credit to the hardworking team at Allpipe Technologies,” said Mr Caffrey.
KOR is the exclusive distributor of Cappellotto, Europe’s largest manufacturer of sewer and drain cleaning equipment.
Allpipe Technologies said it will announce the machinery’s official launch with more information in the near future.
Latseal consists of silicate resin reinforced with a woven glass providing superior strength and thinner wall thickness than traditional glass felts, but it’s underpinned by two further advancements.
First, an error-proof, pre-packaged resin that improves the quality of the final cured product through dependable and repeatable mixing consistency, with an added environmental advantage including application controls to eliminate spillage or site mess.
Secondly, Latseal is installed using an innovative, patent-pending packer system to insert, inflate and install the seal.
This new packer design makes the installation process safer and a quantum step faster, saving time on site and costly rework.
Insituform’s first Latseal sealing truck modifications have taken place, with in-the-field training modules rolled out with crews and operators.
The company anticipates all Insituform crews will employ this technology nationwide within months.
HDI Lucas announced it had received two new TRACTO-TECHNIK GRUNDORAM dynamic ramming hammers, with the tools on their way to site for the installation of 52 inch (1,320 mm) and 16 inch (406 mm) casings for two rock crossings.
The pneumatically driven GRUNDORAM ramming machines provide thrust forces up to 40,000 kN and are applicable in all kinds of soil types, with the exception of muddy areas, swamps and compact, non-displaceable soil for a variety of applications.
The GRUNDORAM hammers ready to be delivered to site. Image courtesy of HDI Lucas.
The most common GRUNDORAM application is the horizontal installation of steel pipes up to nominal diameter 4,000 mm underneath streets, railway tracks and rivers up to 80 m length without pressing abutments, while the horizontal rammers can also be used for vertical applications to support horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and dynamic pipe renewal.
HDI Lucas is a subsidiary of Spiecapag Australia and is well known for its expertise in the HDD field.
While many Australians are staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic, those working in essential services like water and wastewater are out in the field ensuring community needs are met.
The site operations have changed dramatically in an effort to keep employees safe and ensure business continuity, and while a lot of companies are in uncharted territory as they deal with COVID-19, adaptability and communication have emerged as the best way forward.
Water infrastructure specialist Interflow has adapted its operations to ensure it can continue to help solve customers’ problems in the field while also taking the necessary steps to protect its people.
Interflow Executive Manager for Health Safety and Environment Adrian Smith explained the company was putting enterprise risk management plans in place for COVID-19 in February.
“COVID-19 has created significant changes to the way we work,” said Mr Smith.
“We’ve implemented a Business Continuity Plan with five response teams to identify and resolve critical issues around workforce protection, supply chain stabilisation, customer engagement, operational lead and lag management, and stress testing financials.”
By using similar parameters within its current health and safety strategy Harm 2 Zero (H2O), Interflow’s response teams meet twice a week to discuss any necessary issues and actions.
These additional safety and procedural policies include implementing social distancing; reinforcing hygiene as a top consideration; providing COVID-19 appropriate level of PPE for workers; ensuring up-to-date signage across all sites; and giving teams the right information so they are across all new company procedures.
“We’re currently developing a second communication pack for workers, with updated rules of engagement, and every week our Managing Director creates a video message to all employees,” said Mr Smith.
“In this current situation, we are classed as essential and the most important thing is having our field teams across the details of what we are doing to manage this crisis.”
Open communication has been key to Interflow’s response, with a focus on using appropriate channels to disseminate updates.
The business also ensures information not only cascades down to all frontline workers, but also any issues from work sites filter back up to management.
With a workforce spanning Australia and New Zealand, Interflow has also been keeping on top of all health and government changes on a national and regional level to ensure the business remains compliant.
“Our clients see us as a valuable business partner – as an essential function to assist with their continuity,” said Mr Smith.
“We’re here to solve our customers’ problems, we’re able to adapt, and our response to COVID-19 has allowed us to connect as one team quickly and efficiently.”
Interflow will conduct a post-implementation review once operations return to normal to capture key information of what worked and what didn’t, which will provide vital learnings for the future.
The 130 m, 600 t machine has spent more than 900 days tunnelling through varying and challenging conditions, including under Perth Airport and the Swan River.
Arriving at the Bayswater dive structure at the end of April, the TBM completed a total of 16 km for the project comprising twin bored tunnels of 8 km each, which will link three new rail stations at Forrestfield, Airport Central and Redcliffe to the existing network.
The breakthrough comes just nine weeks after the project’s other TBM arrived at the same location on 18 February 2020.
The end of tunnelling will bring a new phase for the project with the focus now shifted to tunnel fit-out and civil construction.
To date, 50 per cent of the first stage of the track slab has been constructed within the tunnels, while 35 per cent of TBM support pipes have been removed.
Track laying is expected to commence in July, subject to construction regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One tunnel boring machine (TBM) has begun tunnelling towards the southeastern suburbs while the assembly of another TBM is also nearing completion.
The construction works will now comprise 24/7 tunnelling in the direction of South Yarra with a tunnel boring support site at Edmund Herring Oval commencing its around the clock operations.
Metro Tunnel will simultaneously continue assembling the remaining TBM that is set to commencing tunnelling later this month.
The construction works in the area also include constructing the middle box, constructing the Anzac Station entrance and Peppercorn Lawn ground improvement works.
Rail Projects Victoria said the traffic impacts will include truck movements delivering concrete tunnel segments which will arrive at the Anzac Station site regularly via St Kilda Road.
There will also be increased truck traffic at the Peppercorn Lawn site via Boathouse Drive with traffic control in place to facilitate this truck access.
The project presented granite ground conditions, requiring the shafts to be drilled and blasted then bored using a 900 RCP.
Edge Underground Managing Director Stuart Harrison said the company looks at every job as achievable, no matter how challenging.
“It’s just a matter of finding a way and a means to complete that job successfully and achieve that outcome,” said Mr Harrison.
“We go out to a site and the way we look at it is the job needs to be done, so we’ll get it done.
“We go out there with a good attitude and with state-of-the-art equipment and understand the different aspects of a job and the complexities, and still find a way to get it done.”
Edge Underground is based in Victoria with an additional office in southeast Queensland.
Hydro excavation, underground services and directional drilling Issued by: Mackay Regional Council Closing date: 26 May 2020 Location: Queensland Description: Mackay Regional Council seeks tenders from experienced and resourced contractors who have the capacity to provide hydro excavation, potholing services, underground service location and under boring services on an as-required basis.
Sherriff Street, Underdale Road and stormwater upgrade Issued by: City of West Torrens Closing date: 29 May 2020 Location: South Australia Description: The City of West Torrens is seeking a civil contractor to undertake the works associated with the road and stormwater upgrade of Sherriff Street, Underdale.
Frimley Park water treatment plan and reservoir pipelines Issued by: Hastings District Council Closing date: 3 June 2020 Location: New Zealand Description: Tenders are requested for the above contract which involves the supply and installation of new pipework, valves and fittings associated with water supply pipework in Frimley Park, Frimley Road and Hapuku Street for the Hastings District Council.
CCTV investigation, clean and condition assessment of sewer mains and access Issued by: Tamworth Regional Council Closing date: 4 June 2020 Location: New South Wales Description: This tender involves CCTV inspection, cleaning and condition assessment of sewer mains and manholes as specified in the asset index and plans. The work under this contract is to be undertaken in Tamworth Regional Council area of operations.
Western Turner Syncline Phase 2 Stage 2 Project – Water Supply Issued by: Rio Tinto Limited Closing date: 14 June 2020 Location: Western Australia Description: The scope of work includes the fabrication, construction, handover (commissioning), and documentation for pipelines, tanks, pump stations, mechanical, electrical and controls equipment, associated concrete and steel structures and associated earthworks and civil works.
Each fortnightly edition of 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 an extra three months on their subscription plans.
For the past six months, Ms Smith has been acting in the role to help ensure CWW’s ongoing ability to provide essential services to customers and the community.
With 12 years behind her at CWW in various management roles, Ms Smith has been a vital asset to maintaining strong relationships with delivery partners.
CWW Managing Director Maree Lang announced the news and acknowledged Ms Smith’s significant contribution to both the business and local community.
“Ms Smith has been recognised as one of CWW’s high achieving leaders for many years and this appointment acknowledges and demonstrates our commitment to build and reward talent,” she said.
“Ms Smith is passionate about the water sector with a strong focus on people, leadership and safety and her leadership in this role will provide much needed continuity as we continue to build for the future.”
In the role, Ms Smith will continue to lead CWW’s operations, maintenance and capital delivery functions in one of the fastest growing regions in Melbourne.
Over the past year, Sydney Water’s frontline crews have worked to respond to the impact of drought that caused soil movement, leading to a contraction of pipes in the ground and an increase in damage to the network.
Recent rainfall brought on new challenges, triggering a landslip and eroding the Toongabbie Creek embankment in Wentworthville, near Parramatta.
Sydney Water Incident Site Manager John Daoud said crews attended the site immediately to investigate and found a wastewater carrier had been impacted by the erosion of the creek bank.
“We quickly mobilised our equipment onsite, set up a by-pass to protect the environment and connect with the existing wastewater while we worked to identify a permanent fix of the pipes,” said Mr Daoud.
“This is just a snapshot of what we do every day – while most people are in self-isolation, our work didn’t stop because of COVID-19.”
Additionally, Sydney Water said its crews are taking advantage of the quiet streets – particularly in Sydney’s CBD – to prioritise repair and upgrade projects, including replacing a number of valves that would be difficult to complete under normal circumstances of traffic and customer impacts.
Sydney Water Head of Program Delivery Mark Simister said network projects are also seizing the opportunity of the quieter streets during COVID-19 to do work which might normally be disruptive.
“We are being as agile as possible in the way we program our works so we can minimise the impacts of the projects to customers now and once lockdown restrictions are lifted,” said Mr Simister.
In 2014, Mr Harris was CEO of both State Water Corporation and Sydney Catchment Authority and was instrumental in the successful merger of the two organisations, resulting in the creation of WaterNSW.
After six years as CEO, Mr Harris said he has been reflecting on the right time to transition the leadership of WaterNSW for its next era and to take on his own next challenge.
“I believe now is the window for transitioning the leadership, ahead of the development of the next three-year Strategic Plan and as the reforms to the NSW Government owned water sector enter the next phase,” said Mr Harris.
Mr Harris said it has been an honour and a privilege to lead the organisation from its inception right through to significant improvements in water quality and operations for the state.
“I thank my team of passionate and committed individuals, the board, my contemporaries from elsewhere in the sector, and the NSW Government – I am proud of what we achieved together, and I leave a high performing organisation ready for its next phase,” said Mr Harris.
NSW Minister for Water, Property and Housing, the Hon Melinda Pavey MP thanked Mr Harris for a lengthy and significant contribution to the water sector.
WaterNSW Chair of the Board Anne McDonald added Mr Harris’ passion, commitment and contribution to the management of its water resources will continue to be recognised in future generations.
“He should be very proud of his legacy to the NSW water sector and we wish him all the best for the future,” said Ms McDonald.
WaterNSW Executive Andrew George – who is a civil and environmental engineer – has been appointed Acting CEO.
The company has partnered with a leading chemical solutions manufacturer to create a product that kills COVID-19 on surfaces in less than a minute.
By using its industrial cleaning trucks, Rangedale can sanitise large scale areas that are either known to be affected or possibly affected by the virus – where it is believed it could potentially live for up to 9 days.
There are multiple methods of application for the sanitisation solution, all of which contain and reduce the spread of the disease while still practicing social distancing measures.
Rangedale has an active workforce of 260 personnel with a large fleet of more than 45 industrial combination cleaning and jet washing units in addition to other assets.
The company is serving areas such as – but not limited to – construction sites, machinery, train stations, wharf terminals, carparks, supermarkets and more.
With business locations in Melbourne, Wangaratta and Sydney, Rangedale can ensure fast mobilisation if or when its industrial sanitation is required.
Over the weekend, Piper recommenced the drive from the intermediate shaft to the sea recovery trench.
Now, more than 750 m of the pending 2 km drive has been completed with cutting tool changes and other maintenance works being successfully undertaken in the shaft during less than favourable conditions.
McConnell Dowell wants to thank the Snells Algied project team for their hard work.
Even during the current level four lock down in New Zealand due to COVID-19, McConnell Dowell said the project team maintained world class safety standards while delivering the essential project.
