NZ Contractor 1805

NEW ZEALAND’S CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

CONTRACTOR

INSIDE:

44 Regulars

Highlights / Features

4 Editorial

14 Civil Contractors NZ

6 Upfront

Annual stakeholders’ function in Wellington last month.

8 Contractors’ Diary

18 N ational Excavator Operator Competition Battle of the buckets 2018 coverage and photos.

16 On the cover

28 R oad Infrastructure Management Forum

56 Classic Machines 60 Contractor Recruitment 63 Innovations 66 Civil Contractors NZ update 66 Advertisers index

A focus on roading data from RIMS 2018, a two day event at the Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre.

34 N ew highway to replace Manawatu Gorge NZTA finally reveals its long awaited preferred option for a new section of SH3.

40 C hallenges in choosing alternative route

Comment

through Manawatu Gorge

50 Peter Silcock CCNZ 51 Hays Recruiting

What do you do with a gorge road and 75 bridges?

ON THE COVER Early last year Kato Works confirmed that it had acquired the business interests of IHI Construction Machinery, which now comes under the KATO name worldwide.

See page 16

44 T echnical: Thinking outside the box

52 Jonathan Bhana-Thomson Heavy Haulage Association 54 Stuart Robertson and Sam McCutcheon Kensington Swan

14

Spiral Drillers Civil has earned a reputation for tackling difficult piling work.

18

34 MAYL 2018 3

CONTRACTOR

EDITORIAL

Roads and politics – never dull You have to admire the confidence of the government on talking long-term land transport plans (page 10) when it doesn’t know how it’s going to get past the next election, which is only 2.5 years away.

With short three year terms and no upper house, this country swings like a moody teenager between political ideologies. The current government’s posturing on public transport (actually subsidised, profit-making private transport in this country) and ‘climate change’, puts a worrying chill down the spines of Kiwi businesses, particularly if they are involved in road making and heavy transport.

Peter Dunne noted recently that the PM worryingly often evinces an “earnest naiveté”. He was referring to her description of a new petrol excise (after a no new taxes election promise) as a ‘duty’ and not a ‘tax’. At least any increase in fuel excise duty (by between nine and 12 cents a litre over three years), and an increase in road user charges paid by diesel and heavy vehicles, will go towards local road improvements and maintenance, and road safety.

The hardline climate change anti-Kiwi-oil stance just doesn’t make sense for a tiny country down in the bottom of the world that depends so much on petroleum products (see page 6). As a modern, but very isolated, island nation we are totally dependent on air links and aviation fuel.

The PM’s perception of her neutral carbon [dioxide] ambition as her ‘generation’s nuclear [weapon] moment’ is a romantic view of our past (1980s) when the Lange government took a stance against nuclear armed US warships (not nuclear energy) visiting our shores. I remember it as a confusing shambles at the time, and even Lange admitted that. No other country followed us, and all it did was sour our trading relationship with the US for many decades while the Aussies, who know when to keep their mouth shut, benefited.

As for Kiwi oil, it is ironic that our plans for a nuclear power station on the Kaipara Harbour, which were well advanced in the 1970s, were shelved for a decade after oil and gas energy reserves were discovered in Taranaki. These nuclear plans were not abandoned until 1987, as this country benefited from cheap natural gas and ‘sweet’ oil exports, and still does to a large degree. However, these energy reserves will not last much longer.

To change the subject to roading, we feature the future alternative route through the Manawatu Gorge big time in this issue. Consultant David McGonigal (p40) raised an interesting question during his presentation at the RIMS roading forum this year: What do you do with an old gorge road and 75 bridges?

Our business profile also slots into our technical section as contributor Richard Silcock looks at Auckland-based Spiral Drillers Civil, which has earned a reputation for tackling difficult piling work.

Andrew Hannah’s father Brian founded the business back in 1971. “My father saw an opportunity and very quickly progressed from drilling offal holes to drilling holes for house and building piles, which after all is just an offal hole filled with concrete instead of shit and sheep guts,” says Andrew, who took over the business in 2010 along with his business partner and co-owner of the business, Jon Faber. “Our aim has always been to be the best specialist piling company in New Zealand.”

Skill shortages and recruitment are major issues for our industry so please note our new Contractor Recruitment section starting on page 60. If you are looking at moving jobs, this is a regular section now that you will appreciate.

And if you are looking for skilled people, then this is an ideal opportunty to find the right person amongst our nationwide readership. Phone sales executive, David Fitzgerald on 021 165 3920.

PUBLISHER Contrafed Publishing Co Ltd Suite 2.1, 93 Dominion Road, Mt Eden, Auckland PO Box 112357, Penrose, Auckland 1642 Phone: +64 9 636 5715 Fax: +64 9 636 5716 www.contrafed.co.nz EDITORIAL MANAGER Alan Titchall DDI: 09 636 5712 Mobile: 027 405 0338 Email: alan@contrafed.co.nz GENERAL MANAGER David Penny DDI: 09 636 5710 Mobile: 021 190 4078 Email: david@contrafed.co.nz REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Mary Searle Bell, Richard Campbell, Hugh de Lacy, Richard Silcock.

ADVERTISING / SALES Charles Fairbairn DDI: 09 636 5724 Mobile: 021 411 890 Email: charles@contrafed.co.nz David Fitzgerald Mobile: 021 165 3920 Email: DavidF@contrafed.co.nz ADMIN / SUBSCRIPTIONS DDI: 09 636 5715 Email: admin@contrafed.co.nz PRODUCTION Design: TMA Design, 09 636 5713 Printing: PMP MAXUM

Contributions welcome Please contact the editor before sending them in.

Articles in Contractor are copyright and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the shareholding organisations.

www.linkedin.com/NZcontractor @NZContractormag nz contractor magazine nz contractor magazine @nzcontractormagazine

Alan Titchall, Editorial Manager As relevant today (if not more so) as it was when it first appeared a decade ago.

Republished with the kind permission of Tom Scott.

The official magazine of Civil Contractors NZ www.civilcontractors.co.nz The Aggregate & Quarry Association www.aqa.org.nz The New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association www.hha.org.nz The Crane Association of New Zealand www.cranes.org.nz Rural Contractors New Zealand www.ruralcontractors.org.nz The Ready Mixed Concrete Association www.nzrmca.org.nz Connexis www.connexis.org.nz

ISSN 0110-1382 4 www.contractormag.co.nz

CONTRACTOR

UPFRONT

The reality of our dependence on Kiwi oil and gas in this country Whether it’s machinery, land transport (light and heavy), aviation, asphalt, lubrication, and even PPE clothing, petroleum products are widely used in this country and will continue to be for decades.

But unless more oil is continued to be discovered over the next decade, asphalt (bitumen), composed almost entirely of petroleum, and other oil-based products will become more expensive and force up the cost of roading maintenance and construction.

In addtion, many petroleum by-products are used in cosmetic creams and pharmaceuticals., while most plastics come from petroleum derivatives that are used in the manufacture of clothing, computers, monitors, and many other things. Without new petroleum discoveries these will be more expensive to buy if they have a “Made in New Zealand” element.

All Kiwi petroleum – containing crude oil, condensate (light oil), natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) ¬ produced each year is equivalent to about 15 million barrels. This is an infinitesimal amount compared to global production of about 35 billion barrels annually.

All our petroleum currently comes from the Taranaki region where natural gas is an essential feedstock for many industries, such as the Methanex NZ methanol plants, which earn hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign exchange each year, and the Ballance Agri-Nutrients ammonia urea plant, which provides essential fertiliser for the country’s agriculture. Without this facility, more fertiliser would have to be imported at further cost.

Natural gas (considered globally a very ‘clean’ energy) also supports

6 www.contractormag.co.nz

a range of other economic activities such as industrial furnaces, milk drying, timber processing steel production and various domestic uses from Whangarei to Wellington. There is limited LPG distribution in the South Island but no reticulated natural gas (until it is discovered off the South Island coast in the future maybe).

New Zealand's self-sufficiency in oil is slightly less than 30 percent, with the rest coming from imports.

At present a little less than 15 million barrels of crude and condensate is produced here, while about 40 million barrels of crude oil is imported – mainly from the Middle East or Asia and refined at the Marsden Point Refinery where “heavy” crudes containing high levels of sulphur are refined. This is more difficult and costly to refine than the “sweet” Kiwi oil that is exported, primarily to the East Coast of Australia and Sinagpore, and fetches better prices on international markets.

Still, the Kiwi upstream oil and gas sector contributes about $2.5 billion annually to this country’s coffers, but this will keep decreasing as production, particularly from offshore fields continues to plunge.

But four of the five offshore fields – the Maari-Mania and Tui oil fields, plus the Maui and Kupe gas fields – are in the last years of their economic lives.

So unless more discoveries are made in the next few years, our country will be losing foreign exchange earnings annually and will bear the cost of increasing imported crude oil from regions that don’t necssarily have the same ‘environmental risk’ standards we have.

By Neil Ritchie, energy writer.

UPFRONT

CONTRACTOR

Gough Cat apprentice takes out international award Competing against the best from Australia, Indonesia, and the United States, Gough Cat’s Marty Turek has won the Caterpillar Top Apprentice of the Year award, in a competition held in Melbourne.

Marty, working from Gough Cat’s Rotorua branch but based in Tauranga, defeated five other entrants from Cat dealers, two from Australia, two from the United States and one from Indonesia.

The companies represented were Gough Cat, William Adams and Hasting Deering (Australia), Trakindo (Indonesia), and Western States Equipment and Foley Equipment (USA).

Based over three days, the competition included a 10-minute formal presentation, a knowledge assessment that included a 50-question test paper on basic mechanical knowledge, and a ‘Skills Olympics’ where six work stations were set up with equipment ranging from the 249D compact track loader to a Tier4 Interim C9.3.

“It was an extremely challenging three days.

Some of the machines we had to work on in the competition we do not see in our day-to-day experience.

“Aspects, such as the formal presentation, certainly take you out of your comfort zone.

We were presenting to a powerful group from Caterpillar, including the Head of Global Learning – definitely not something you experience in your daily working life.”

It was for his formal presentation ‘The Future of Hydraulic Systems’ that Marty was awarded top marks. He was runner-up in the Skills Olympics.

Aged 30, Marty is a relative latecomer to the MITO New Zealand heavy diesel technician apprenticeship programme.

“The first phase of my working life was in the hospitality industry, firstly in New Zealand, then overseas including London and also Valencia

Richard Reilly

New ACA chief executive officer Marty Turek who won the Caterpillar Top Apprentice of the Year award, is pictured with Kylie Martin, Apprentice and Online Training Advisor – Gough Group.

Marty Turek has won the Caterpillar Top Apprentice of the Year award, in a competition held in Melbourne. when it was hosting the America’s Cup. I then spent three and a half years in the Army, and whereas that was great general experience, I wanted to learn a specific skill.

“I did three months’ work experience with Gough Cat in Wellington before taking on the apprenticeship in New Plymouth and, during that training, was lucky enough to work in a range of locations including Stockton, Wellington, Masterton and Palmerston North. I only moved to Tauranga late last year as my partner Natalie has a job with Ballance in their head office.”

For his success, Marty wins a two-week trip to Caterpillar head office in Peoria, Illinois, plus VIP tours associated with Caterpillar in that country.

The Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) appointed Richard Reilly to the role of chief executive.

Based in Melbourne, he was previously chief of the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers for over six years. He also spent nine years at professional services firm Deloitte in the Global Investment and Innovation Incentive group, delivering tax services to clients.

“Corrosion is an enormous cost to the national economy,” he says. “I’m looking forward to working with members to help address this challenge and ensure that the association continues to meet the needs of its members and of the industry through training, membership, communication and governance.”

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MAYL 2018 7

CONTRACTOR

UPFRONT

UPNEXT with Pacifecon Name Location

Estimated $$ value

Estimated start date

Water treatment Otago $17m Late 2018 plant Marina

Upper $16m South Island

Early 2018

Civil works for subdivision

Auckland

Mid 2018

$12m

Roads – safety Waikato $11m Late 2018 improvements

Civil works for Wellington $10m Late 2018 retirement village Pacifecon currently holds information on over 4000 civil projects with a combined value of over $53 billion. If you would like more information on these projects, or realise that a subscription to the Pacifecon building intelligence service would be a useful way to increase your market share and productivity, go to www.pacifecon.co.nz, or phone 09 445 0345. Inclusion of a project does not mean it will proceed to the scale and timeframe indicated above. It is, however, the best available picture at the time.

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Fuel tax invites anger The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union says the government's proposal to increase fuel levies breaks Jacinda Ardern's promise of “no new taxes” and the widening of the Regional Transport Fund (paid for by petrol taxes) to include funding for cycleways and trams is a “dumb idea”.

“The plan to increase fuel taxes by 10-12 cents per litre means the Prime Minister is breaking her very clear pre-election promise of ‘no new taxes’," says Taxpayers’ Union executive director Jordan Williams.

“Fuel tax is particularly harmful because of its regressive nature – the people it hurts most are poorer families living in fringe suburbs. This will ultimately mean less food on the table.

“Aucklanders will be whacked twice over, with today’s fuel tax announcement applying on top of the proposed regional fuel tax.

“And as if fuel tax hikes didn’t sting enough, the government is going to be using the revenue to fund cycleways and trams, at the same time they’re slashing funding for highways.

“In other words, drivers are paying more to receive less.”

$2.5 million cycle project Emmetts Civil Construction has been awarded the contract to design and build the $2.5 million Upokongaro to Whanganui cycleway, which includes a new bridge over the Whanganui River.

B Bullocks is doing the earthworks and off-road cycleway construction and Holmes Consulting will design the bridge. The project started this month and is expected to be completed by March 2019, and will take the Mountains to the Sea cycleway on a new route between Upokongaro and the city. Geotechnical work on the bridge site was carried out late last year.

That section currently runs along the eastern side of the river but has been officially closed since 2015 due to safety concerns as it does not provide cyclists with an alternative to cycling on the road.

When the bridge is complete, the cycleway will cross the Whanganui River south of Upokongaro and run off the main road along the western side off the river until the 50 kilometre speed limit at Aramoho.

Half of the projected $2.54 million cost will be funded by the NZTA, and $600,000 comes from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment with Whanganui ratepayers picking up the balance.

Geotechnical work on the bridge site was carried out late last year.

Crane Association of New Zealand Conference & Trade Show The Crane Association of New Zealand extends a warm invitation to you to attend the 2018 CANZ Conference and trade show. It is being held at the Grand Millennium Hotel, Auckland from 18th – 20th July 2018.

Please find enclosed a comprehensive conference brochure, a registration form and an accommodation request. Please take the time to read through the information and should you have any queries contact the Association.

We look forward to seeing you in Auckland in July.

CONTRACTORS’ DIARY 2018 Date

Event & Venue

Contact

2018 23-25 May

Water New Zealand Stormwater Conference, Queenstown

www.stormwaterconference.org.nz/

20-22 Jun

IPWEA NZ Annual Conference, Rotorua Energy Events Centre

www.ipweanz2018.co.nz

17-20 July

AQA/IOQ Anniversary Conference, Claudelands Event Centre, Hamilton

bit.ly/AQA_IOQAnnConference

18-20 Jul

2018 Crane Conference, Grand Millennium Hotel, Auckland

www.cranes.org.nz/2018-crane-conference

1-4 Aug

Civil Contractors NZ Annual Conference 2018, Hamilton

www.ccnzconference.co.nz/

19-21 Sep

Water NZ Conference, Hamilton

www.waternzconference.org.nz/

27-30 Nov

Bauma China 2018, The Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC)

www.bauma-china.com/

Please send any contributions for Contractors’ Diary to alan@contrafed.co.nz, or phone 09 636 5710

8 www.contractormag.co.nz

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CONTRACTOR

UPFRONT

Government Policy Statement for land transport In March the government released its 2018 Draft Policy Statement on Land Transport – a brief summary.

This draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) provides a long-term strategic overview for land transport priorities going forward.

It indicates where funding from the National Land Transport Fund will be allocated, with revenue for the fund expected to increase over the next 10 years.

This is based on the government’s expected increases on fuel excise tax, road user charges and motor vehicle registration. It is further supplemented by $1.5 billion from local government.* The statement sets out a number of underlying themes – these being: road safety, a mode-neutral approach to planning and investment, incorporating technology and innovation into design and delivery, caring for the environment, and integrating urban centres with transport planning.

Funding is allocated over 12 main activities: walking and cycling (a 248 percent increase over three years), regional road improvements (96 percent increase over three years), road safety (81 percent increase over three years), public transport (46 percent increase over three years), local road improvements (42 percent increase over three years), investment management (31 percent increase over three years to allow for new planning by the Transport Agency and local councils), local road maintenance (22 percent increase over three years), state highway maintenance (18 percent increase over three years), road policing (14 percent increase over three years), rapid transport ($4 billion over 10 years), transitional rail (to be decided), and state highway improvements (an 11 percent decrease over three years).

Walking and cycling, regional road improvement, road safety and public transport are given the highest funding priority with the Labour coalition government saying it wants to drive down road fatalities and encourage more low emission forms of mobility such as the provision of more walking and cycle-ways and more efficient public transport.

Investment in transport modes that “give good value for money” are also seen as a priority ie, rapid transport.

Underpinning this is the government’s desire to support a mind-set that will move commuters from using single occupancy private vehicles to what it calls more efficient, low cost modes of travel like public transport and ‘active’ travel modes such as cycling. (Good luck – Ed.) Under road safety and road improvement, the statement focuses on delivering a new road safety strategy and signals a greater emphasis on improving high risk regional roads and increasing speed management.

However, improvements to state highways see a decrease of 11 percent in funding over three years. This decrease it is stated: “Is to allow for the government’s transport priorities in safety, public transport (including rail) and walking and cycling to proceed.”** In a link to the government’s environmental commitments under the Paris Agreement and the benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, the policy outlines a commitment to support a shift to lower emission forms of transport such as electric vehicles and low emission forms of public transport.

In recognising the need to support new urban housing developments, centres of work and education, and improving productivity potential in the regions, the policy outlines the need for integrating and creating a transport network that reduces commuter travel distances and benefits the wider community. In other words the planning for such networks needs to be done in tandem with such developments.

10 www.contractormag.co.nz

In an interesting objective, that of incorporating technology and innovation into design and delivery of land transport investment, the policy sets out its expectations of the NZ Transport Agency under several key points: • Identify, test, integrate and implement physical and digital solutions to improve the land transport system, • make necessary, timely and cost-effective enhancements to information, analytical and modelling systems, • collect, maintain and publish accurate, reliable and open data, • lead the development of open data protocols.

The policy goes on to say the government is keen to advance rail as a key mode of transport, however it is not in a position to commit funding until the current review of rail is completed.

It does however support investment in more urban passenger rail services where there is high-density housing, areas of employment and in the main metropolitan areas. It also signals it wants to trial more inter-regional rail commuter services.

Auckland is singled out for special consideration under the policy with plans to accelerate, in collaboration with the council, the delivery of a rapid transit network, and to ‘unlock’ urban development opportunities, encourage cycling and walking and provide improvements in safety, access and the environment.

In the regions the policy outlines making intersections and ‘highrisk’ roads safer, improving public transport and developing/improving routes that are critical to linking growing/production areas with distribution/consumer areas.

A number of regions have been identified in the policy as “needing early investment” and are singled out for priority. They are: Northland, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawkes Bay, Manawatu/Wanganui and the West Coast.

The draft GPS proposes an expenditure target of $3.7 billion for the 2018/19 year and allocates $12.65 billion over the next three years.

Public participation in the form of submissions closes May 2, with the adopted policy ratified by the end of June. Due to the ‘scale of change’ a second-stage GPS is expected to be released next year. *Consideration is being given to increase petrol tax by 3–4 cents per litre each year for the next three years starting around September this year, and road user charges increased by a similar amount over the same period. **NZTA will announce a new state highway investment programme once it has been through its decision-making process and procedures and consulted with local councils.

The view from the opposition As National Party spokesperson for transport Judith Collins says the government's "obsession with light rail" in Auckland threatens regional roading projects.

“Roads from Northland right through to Ashburton are being reviewed while the government attempts to divert billions of dollars to pet light rail projects," she says.

Last year the government abandoned the Auckland East-West Link – a $1.85 billion project that would have connected State Highway 20 at Onehunga and SH1 at Mt Wellington, with a four-lane highway.

However, the Transport Ministry is on record as claiming Collins' concerns were ill-founded, as the NZTA has advised it that funding for road upgrades cannot be redirected into rail.

"The Mill Road Corridor upgrade is an Auckland Transport project and planning is continuing. The Labour-led government has not altered any existing roading projects except Auckland's East-West link and officials are working to identify a lower-cost, better-value option.

"It important to note that the other 'highway projects' referred to in National's petition do not exist. They were election campaign promises made by National in August and never costed or funded.

"To suggest the government isn't going ahead with projects that don't exist is misleading. And to suggest non-existing funding be diverted into rail is nonsensical."

MP for Bay of Plenty Todd Muller and MP for Coromandel Scott Simpson have called for the Katikati to Tauranga four-lane Road of National Significance to proceed as planned under National.

Roading projects under ‘review’ or yet to be confirmed include: The upgrade of the Redoubt-Mill Road corridor from Manukau and Flat Bush to Papakura and Drury; the extension of the Waikato Expressway from Cambridge to the foot of the Kaimai Range, and from Cambridge to Tirau; the continuous four lane extension of the Northern Motorway from Warkworth to Whangarei; the Tauranga to Katikati Road project as a continuous four lane State Highway with wide lanes and safety measures; the four-laning of the Napier to Hastings Expressway; the Otaki to north of Levin expressway road project; the Christchurch Northern Motorway between Belfast and Pegasus; and the construction of a four-lane State Highway 1 link between Christchurch and Ashburton.

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www.ijobsite.org.nz MAYL 2018 11

CONTRACTOR

UPFRONT

Recruiting youth success in Auckland A media campaign attracted 4500 young Aucklanders into the construction and infrastructure sector where they have started jobs, education and training.

The industry-led ‘Build Auckland’ campaign was facilitated by the ratepayer-funded Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) and finished in September last year.

It offered 16 to 24-year-olds the chance to win four weeks’ paid work experience through a social media competition.

Says Pam Ford, ATEED’s acting general manager business: “There’s no better way to connect with young people than to have them share their real-life experiences with each other, becoming advocates for the sector and dispelling outdated perceptions.”

Hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to the campaign with minority ethnicity cultures and females well represented among these new industry recruits and students.

This outstanding result wouldn’t have been possible without the industry working together collectively, says Pam. Campaign partner Fletcher Building used learnings from the campaign to help develop its online job hunting and application platform, SwitchUp, designed to help young people transition from school or unemployment to the workforce.

“One of the main appeals of both SwitchUp and the Build Auckland campaign is the focus on video content to promote opportunities in the sector as opposed to the traditional wordy job descriptions, which allows young people to visualise themselves in roles and can take the fear out of applying for a job,” says Simon Valentine, Fletcher Talent Acquisition manager.

ATEED is also supporting employers in the construction and infrastructure industry through its partnership with central government agencies, construction sector stakeholders and industry training organisations in the CBD Jobs and Skills Hub. The Hub, based in the Wynyard Quarter Innovation Precinct, has placed more than 150 people into employment – largely at city centre construction sites – since it launched a year ago. Almost half of those employed were under 25 years old and mostly with Polynesian and Maori heritage.

Introducing Ross Ross Leslie is the new Central Regional manager who took over recently from Stu Gardner. He is pictured at this year’s National Exacavator Operators Competition with CCZN chief Peter Silcock.

Celebrating 20 years of dTIMS IDS – Infrastructure Decision Support is an industry driven organisation owned by IPWEA New Zealand and is the sole licence distributor for the Deighton Total Infrastructure Management System (dTIMS) network performance modelling software owned by Deighton Associates.

The off-the-shelf software application is designed for multi-year programming of road works and has been used here for the past two decades.

In conjunction with Deighton, IDS is preparing a two-day premier training and regional networking industry event it calls the dTIMS New Zealand Peer Exchange.

IDS services and support and the dTIMS modelling tool are available to every local council in New Zealand, regardless of their size or resources and IDS says everyone is welcome.

Training on the second day features insights from visiting Canadian experts from Deighton and IDS promises participants will “see the latest dTIMS features and IDS offerings that push the envelope on asset management.

“Learn how far we’ve come and where our industry is headed, and what Deighton and IDS are planning and developing next to revolutionise the industry.”

The training event ends with a 20-year celebration dinner jointly sponsored by Deighton and IDS. The event takes place May 8-9, at Cliftons, Wellington, and costs $550 for training on Day 2.

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UPFRONT

Above: (from left) Colin Calteaux, chair CCNZ Otago branch (and father of Troy Calteaux who won the CablePrice NZ Number One Excavator award this year – page 19); Gareth Bruce, chair CCNZ Canterbury/Westland branch; and Gary Richardson, CCNZ executive council.

Stakeholder get-together Stormy weather didn’t deter a good turnout to the Civil Contractors NZ annual stakeholders’ function in Wellington last month.

Above: Tuning into CCNZ chief Peter Silcock’s (above left) report on the association’s upcoming projects, and a message from president Brian Warren (above right) that had a note of ‘concern’ with the direction the government is taking transport.

Right: Something to smile about, Judith Collins talking with Brian Warren.

Far right: Nicki O’Sullivan, Central & Capital regional manager Hynds Pipes; and Dave Burns, chair CCNZ Bay of Plenty.

14 www.contractormag.co.nz

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CONTRACTOR

ON THE COVER

Kato rebrand underway Early last year Kato Works confirmed that it had acquired the business interests of IHI Construction Machinery, which now comes under the KATO name worldwide.

WITH THE RECENT RELEASE of a new 1.2 tonne excavator to the New

Zealand market, distributor Youngman Richardson & Co Ltd has taken the opportunity to announce a rebrand for the other existing 9 IHI models which will now also sport the KATO yellow livery.

“The IHI brand has always been highly regarded and sales of IHI products in this country has exceeded all expectations in recent years,” says Youngman Richardson & Co Ltd National Sales director, Phil Fairfield.

“We can assure all our customers that the quality of the product on offer will not change. Attention to detail and innovative

16 www.contractormag.co.nz

new features are what our customers can expect in the future and the new KATO HD12VXE excavator lives up to that promise,” says Phil.

The new concept KATO HD12VXE is a mini excavator, which has been designed to be small enough to pass through a door that is no more than 90cm wide. With movable tracks and blade to allow greater flexibility and with a quick change from wide to narrow mode, it is the smallest front radius mini excavator in its class.

Its 1180kg weight is ideal for transport on trucks in the 3.5 tonne category. Initial interest suggests that the HD12VXE

“Attention to detail and innovative new features are what our customers can expect in the future and the new KATO HD12VXE excavator lives up to that promise.�

will be very popular and provide extraordinary value with both contractors and hire companies.

The remaining line-up includes the 1.7 tonne zero tail swing KATO HD17VXE model, which features industry leading digging depth, dump height, reach and break-out force. Power and speed of excavation are assured when working in confined spaces.

Likewise the KATO HD19VXT is just perfect for operating in rough and narrow places. The variable gauge undercarriage offers high operating stability and versatility. A 4-post canopy Roll Over Protection Structure (ROPS) is standard across these three models and the ROPS can be lowered on the HD12VXE so that the diggers can be stored in a smaller space.

Thanks to the reduced tail swing on the 3 tonne KATO HD30VXE and HD35VXE excavators, it is possible to perform digging and loading operations in total safety near to walls or other tight spaces. They lead the way in their class with the option of either a full cab or a 4 post ROPS canopy.

This is also the case for the KATO HD55VXE excavator.

This model really does the business when it comes to civil construction, drainage and landscaping applications. And its multiple bucket options make it perfect for the hire industry.

Youngman Richardson & Co Ltd is acknowledged for its unprecedented level of after sales support which IHI owners have come to expect. Purpose built mobile service utes have been specifically fitted out to handle planned and unplanned maintenance across all equipment.

Established in 1895, Kato Works is a leading construction machinery company. It is currently in the process of deploying measures to reach the global market, develop highly competitive products and expand its line-up.

A key element of this strategy has been the acquisition of IHI which was acknowledged as having strengths that are a good fit for the future development of the KATO brand.

For more information on the new KATO mini excavators contact Youngman Richardson & Co Ltd, 09 443 2436 or for South Island enquiries, 03 341 6923. l

MAY 2018 17

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NEOC

CONTRACTOR

Battle of the buckets 2018 It doesn’t matter how skilled you are with an excavator because nerves and luck play an important part in deciding the winners of the annual battle of the nation’s best digger operators.

THE ANNUAL Civil Contractors NZ National Excavator Operator Competition is held in March each year on a site located in the contractors’ corner in the southeast of the Fieldays site at Manfield Park, Feilding.

This year it was wet and windy, but the show went on as usual, with the sticky competition site drying up by the afternoon of the first day.

The sun rarely made a breakthrough over the two days, but at least the cloud cover and a brisk wind kept down the fierce heat that normally features over this two-day event at the Manawatu Fieldays.

Beating the champ Steve Galbraith, of Galbraith Earthmovers, was the Defending Champion, having won the national competition two years in a row.

He was aiming for his third consecutive win to match the current record holder Brian Hoffman, who has held the triple win title since 2014.

To hold on to his trophy Steve was competing against 10 other operators who had won their regional branch competitions around the country, including a number of veteran competitors – such as Craig Crowley of Crowley Excavators and the eventual trophy winner, Troy Calteaux from Otago.

Steve came third in what was a very tough competition and the much respected ‘gentleman’ of the competition has resigned from any more regional competitions and committed to being a judge in the 2019 NEOC.

Steve Galbraith, the past champ for 2016 and 2017.

MAY 2018 19

CONTRACTOR

NEOC

The competition tasks The main course, this year, involved 11 competitors completing 12 to 15 activities in 60 minutes, based on excavation exercises.

Competitors all used the same machines – an Hitachi 13 tonne Zaxis 130-5b excavator for the main course and an Hitachi mini digger for the One Day Job. The main site requires competitors to pitch their skills in a variety of traditional competition tasks that include the crowd-pleasing pouring a cup of tea from the end of a bucket; slam dunking a basketball down a Hynds pipe; popping a cork from a bottle of bubbles; and (a first) peeling a watermelon.

The main course tasks also involve a realistic ‘emergency scenario designed to test contestant’s first aid skills and emergency response’. This year they had to respond to finding a severed hand while moving an excavator onto a truck.

New among the tasks this year was the watermelon peeling and the Manawatu branch went to some effort to make an attachment for the excavator bucket that could hold a household peeler.

One of the first contestants, veteran Craig Crowley representing Bay of Plenty, proved it could be done (pictured). Others, weren’t so lucky, breaking their peelers before completing the task and exploding watermelon in all directions.

Looking for a severed hand, Jaden Field, Wellington, takes his turn at the first aid task.

Our top digger operator Troy Calteaux’s second attempt at the National Excavator Operator Competition paid off for the Otago representative who lives in Milton and works for Andrew Haulage in Balclutha.

The bearded big boy from the South cleaned up overall to take the trophy to the South Island for the first time in many years.

Troy was presented with the ‘CablePrice NZ Number One Excavator’ award at the CCNZ industry ceremony held on the last night after the competition.

Troy has been with Balclutha-based Andrew Haulage for eight years and manages the forestry roading for Rayonier in the Otago region. He works alongside his father, Colin, and brother Kieran. This was his second time in the competition after he was placed fourth in the 2016 competition.

20 www.contractormag.co.nz

Overall champ of the event, Troy Calteaux from Otago and his wife Heather.

Proudly

fuelling the

Z People Awards We understand that there are literally thousands of talented Kiwis working away behind the scenes to improve the country’s infrastructure, which is why we sponsor the Z People Awards. Enough about us though - here’s to this year’s finalists.

Congratulations, from all the team at Z.

CONTRACTOR

NEOC

Jim Beamsley, Manawatu, at the mini digger task.

Troy Calteaux on his One Day Job.

Getting them early Off to one side of the competition area is the ‘CablePrice Mini Digger’ operated by Alistair McIntyre. Here contestants are judged on how well they brief and relate to kids operating a 1.7 tonne Hitachi mini excavator.

Contractor mag’s One Day Job The ‘One Day Job’ event, sponsored by this magazine, involves a ‘real industry’ project using a five-tonne digger.

The task is equivalent to a full-day task, but must be completed in just 60 minutes and must be scoped, priced and planned by the competitor. Judging is based on an interview about costs and materials and the actual completion of the task.

This year competitors had to build a loading ramp on a farm after first scoping, designing and pricing the job.

The One Day Job judging James Lux, chief judge of the One Day Job, put his hand up for the role after assisting with the judging of it last year.

This part of the competition is not represented at the regional level of the nationwide competition so can be difficult for excavator operators working for large companies on large projects who don’t get the opportunity to design and price jobs, or even work a mini digger.

However, this part of the competition is designed to bring out the skills of job costing, quoting and completing.

The task was to design, cost and build a loading ramp for a farmer. Contestants worked out their paperwork and sat down with two judges with their proposed design. Most, says James, had their paperwork and scheduling right.

However, this year had a special challenge – a contract variation was hidden in the scheduling and costing. This was in the ‘service infrastructure’ that for every job, large or small, has to be determined before you accidentally dig up a power line or water pipe.

James says such ‘variations’ crop up regularly in day-to-day working situations and it can be expensive for a contractor if they don’t do their due diligence at the planning and scheduling stage and look for hidden obstacles.

22 www.contractormag.co.nz

The One Day Job required contestants to explain their design and costs to two judges. James Lux (left), chief judge of the One Day Job.

“We expected each contestant to approach First Gas and dial beforeUdig [both next door to the NEOC competitors’ marquee] to identify service standards.

“Only two contestants did this, which was disappointing.

“Had they done that they would have learnt there was a cable located where the task needed to be completed and it called for a contract ‘variation’ to include the cost of working around it.

“This variation represented 20 percent of the scoring out of 100, so it was a lot of points lost.

“Contestants also could have asked me if there were any service issues and I would have directed them to the right people. No one did this.”

These days James, who won all three sections of the competition twice (the trophy, the One Day Job and the Good Bastard Award) is content to judge.

Typical of all the judges, he takes time off work to help out on what is a two-week project to manage the NEOC. He works with Splice Construction in the Waikato, which supports his choice to help out both nationally and regionally.

“I have to say though, it’s hard, tiring work, but I will be back next year to judge – they are a great bunch of people here every year.”

The winner Representing the Hawkes Bay, Dan Mephan, won the Contractor magazine One Day Job award for the best planning and construction of a dirt farm ramp.

Right: One Day Job winner Dan Mepham representing Hawkes Bay.

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CONTRACTOR

NEOC

Humes Good Bastard Jim Beamsley from the Manawatu.

Everyone likes a good bastard For the second year in a row, a Manawatu region representative has been named as the country’s second best excavator operator, as Palmerston North man Jim Beamsley proved his excavator skills. Last year the second-place winner was Palmerston North man Sam Scott.

Jim, who works for Central Demolition and was competing for the first time, was not only awarded CablePrice NZ’s second place award but was also awarded the Humes’ Good Bastard Award for having the right attitude during the two-day event.

The Good Bastard Award, is an accolade often said to be as valuable as the trophy itself – as everyone wants to work with a ‘good bastard’.

Jim has worked at Central Demolition for the past three years and helped on the AA Centre project on Broadway in Palmerston North.

Competition manager Tricia Logan says Jim was an outstanding operator as the field was particularly strong this year and it was an extremely tight finish between the top winners.

“It is also unusual for a first time competitor to get a placing, let alone win two awards.

“Jim performed extremely well. All the competitors demonstrated a very high level of skill, knowledge and excellence and are at the very top of their game.”

CCNZ chief Peter Silcock agreed.

“Overall, it was a fantastic competition with such great skill from all competitors that scores across the competition had to be triple checked to get our top three competitors. These guys are a credit to the civil construction industry and what can be achieved with a career in the industry.”

24 www.contractormag.co.nz

Chief NEOC judge Ben Hodgson (centre), has a lot to do other than just scoring.

Intense judging required The NEOC competition grounds take a good week to set up, thanks to local volunteers who give up their jobs and free time to design and prepare the site. The team of officials and helpers get together on a regular basis from the beginning of the year.

Three judges watched over each of the two competitors on the main course at any one time. If the number of competitors is uneven, a judge will step in and compete against a lone contestant.

The Fieldays celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and the NEOC celebrated its 24th year.

Chief judge Ben Hodgson was the first winner of the national competition and remembers the early days of the competition well.

“Back then it was very competitive. Protests were common against everything from the performance of individual machines to scale of the task props.

“These days there’s a lot more comradeship amongst contestants and respect that each has won their regional competition.

“That is not to say the judging has got any easier.

“You have to be on your toes and give every contestant full attention.

It’s hard work. You can’t afford to miss anything.

“Plus the judges are involved in preparing the grounds after each dual competition, changing couplings and providing advice to operators.

“As chief judge I watch over the judges on the main competition site and there’s a lot going on, so scoring during the tasks is critical.”

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MAY 2018 25

CONTRACTOR

NEOC

Keeping up the competition commentary over the two-day event is long time master of ceremonies – Neil (turbo tonsils) Ritchie.

BBQ lunch is on the way.

Humes is one of many sponsors the event relies on.

Thanks to the sponsors

The catering

The competition is organised by the Manawatu Branch of Civil Contractors NZ. As the competition organiser, CCNZ is indebted to national supporters: platinum sponsor, CablePrice; gold sponsor, Connexis, plus: Humes, Z, Hirepool, First Gas, Doherty Couplers and Attachments, beforeUdig, Attach2 Equipment, Earthworm, and Contractor magazine.

“These sponsors, plus the fantastic dedication and work of the CCNZ Manawatu Branch make the national competition possible each year,” says CCNZ chief Peter Silcock.

“The association also thanks all the local sponsors and supporters who help put the regional competitions together.”

The event could not happen without the volunteers who keep the competitors, their supporters and competition judges well fed and watered over the two-day event.

The awards night Every year the awards night moves up a peg in presentation, thanks largely to the competition manager, Tricia Logan, who put her skills to good effect with great table layouts and a slick presentation during the Saturday evening.

Dressed up for the awards night Clockwise from above left: Craig Crowley, Neisha Brooking, and Brandon Crowley from Crowley Excavators in the Bay of Plenty; Brendon and Aimee Ferguson (Southland); Jaden Field (Wellington) and Sandi-Lee Fenwick; and Jim Beamsley (Manawatu) and Lee Nahona.

26 www.contractormag.co.nz

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CONTRACTOR

RIMS

A focus on roading data By all accounts the 2018 Road Infrastructure Management Forum (RIMs) was a great success with around 180 delegates attending the two-day event that was held at the Palmerston North Conference and Function Centre. Richard Silcock was there.

PHOTOS: EMMA MCCARTHY PHOTOGRAPHY

Always an opportunity to share a light moment at this intense, two-day road engineering conference.

28 www.contractormag.co.nz

SPLIT OVER TWO days (March 21 & 22), day one

of this intense road engineering conference largely covered the importance of securing and collecting quality asset data and, once it had been obtained, how to best use it successfully to make informed and effective management decisions in relation to publicly owned road and pavement assets.

Thirteen speakers tackled the subject and covered a gambit of topics ranging from establishing a knowledge hub; why quality data is important; getting the data in the hands of the decision makers; benchmarking; unsealed roads management; innovative fleet management solutions; using dTIMS as an assessment tool; and, digital engineering in the modern world.

Dawn Inglis from Road Efficiency Group (REG) was one of the presenters on this

subject with the group’s latest report (her presentation will feature in the June issue).

Phillipa O’Shea of Downer NZ in a presentation entitled, ‘You can pick your friends but not your family’, described the process that Downer has developed to identify pavement classification and how to relate and associate one to another on different networks, with the resulting classification ‘families’ providing a ‘deterioration’ forecast.

Some presentations took a look at the future and what some are saying could be a transport ‘evolution’. Tim Herbert from the Ministry of Transport provided his view on the future of transport and how, in his opinion, improved public transport will replace 90 percent of the cars in our future cities.

Twelve break-out groups, or ‘Rapid Downloads’ as they were termed, came

What they mean: ALIM – Asset Lifestyle Information Management

NZUAG – NZ Utilities Advisory Group

BIM – Building Information Modelling/Management

RAMMS – Road Assessment & Maintenance

CAD – Computer Aided Design

Management

CAR – Corridor Access Request

RIMS – Roading Infrastructure Management Support

IDS – Infrastructure Decision Support

SUBMITICA – Interface to RAMMS

IPWEA – Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia

TTM – Temporary Traffic Management

Above: Twelve break-out groups, or ‘Rapid Downloads’ came together and honed in on various technical themes.

Left: David Hutchinson from Downer NZ in full flight.

MAY 2018 29

CONTRACTOR

RIMS

1.

2.

3.

4.

1. J onathan Bhana-Thomson, chief executive, NZ Heavy Haulage representing a major road user.

2. Phillipa O’Shea, winner of the 2018 Innovation Award, and Theuns Henning from Auckland University (Infrastructure Asset Management).

The award is sponsored by IDS, and the prize was $1000 along with a plaque and certificate for her presentation.

3. David Langford, New Plymouth District Council and Gary Porteous from Opus.

4. Time to network.

30 www.contractormag.co.nz

together and honed in on subjects such as asset deterioration modelling; monitoring in ‘real-time’ road serviceability and maintenance requirements; taking the guess work out of tender weightings; and, the latest functionalities now available for users of RAMM. Other topics included information on collecting structure data when carrying out field inspections using modern technology; analysing and reporting spatial condition data for roads and footpaths; advances in infrastructure asset management; and, using GPS and 3D scanning instead of point-to-point surveying in road construction.

That evening attendees were entertained at the Forum Dinner by MC Pio Terei who kept things lively with his usual jovial banter of jokes and witty observations, and after-dinner speaker and consultant Alicia McKay gave a thought-provoking address on the social, economic and demographic changes that are

happening here and around the world, entitled ‘Shrinking, aging and leaving’.

The winner of the Innovation Award, sponsored by IDS, was announced with Phillipa O’Shea taking away a cheque for $1000 along with a plaque and certificate for her presentation.

Additional awards for Best Presentation were also made with winners Dawn Inglis (Road Efficiency Group), Tracy Bell (Timaru District Council), Greg Arnold (Road Science) and David Langford (New Plymouth District Council) each taking home a cheque for $250.

Day two saw delegates break into three main streams with each covering a number of in-depth presentations and conversations on corridor management, optimised decision making, and procurement and performance monitoring.

Tracy Bell from the Timaru District Council provided some insight into how the end user (the public) of our roads and footpaths judges

CONTRACTOR

RIMS

1. Richard Martin from NZIHT is among the trade stands every year.

2. T racey Bell, Timaru District Council, and Brett North from Wellington City Council.

3. G reg Arnold, Road Science and Theuns Henning from Auckland University (Infrastructure Asset Management).

4. D awn Inglis of the Road Efficiency Group making her presentation on the work REG is doing on data quality control for local authority road decision making.

32 www.contractormag.co.nz

the success or otherwise of maintenance and reinstatement work.

“It’s all about perception of the top layer,” she says.

“It’s whether the asphalt, chip seal or concrete is visually pleasing and provides a smooth surface. They are not concerned with the important work that has gone on beneath the surface.

“Most complaints from the public are around the visual aesthetics of a pavement, whether it is rough, uneven, coarse-chip or noisy, no matter if it is a section of a road or a footpath.”

She said contractors needed to be mindful of this with perhaps more consideration given to the finishing, and councils needed to improve communicating their reinstatement criteria with less ambiguity.

Some lively Q&As wound up the sessions and the day came to a close with a keynote presentation on ‘Infrastructure in 2027: Dad – I’ll probably never drive a car’, by Warner Cowin, who, like Tim Herbert the day before,

looked at the future and the introduction of driverless autonomous vehicles and a shift to more automation over the coming decade.

Some of the delegates spoken to by Contractor said they took away some good information and ideas. Several complained of presenters using difficult to read and comprehend Powerpoint slides, which contained a lot of information but were not suitable for audience readability from a distance.

The trade hall, with the various sponsors’ stands was well attended especially at the tea and lunch breaks.

Judging by the networking and conversations around the tables and stands this was an opportunity to cement professional relationships and seek further information from some of the speakers.

Key sponsors for the Forum were IDS, RAMM, the NZ Utilities Advisory Group, Road Efficiency Group, WSP-Opus, Waugh, NZTA and Chorus.

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CONTRACTOR

PROJECT

New highway

to replace Gorge route Since the closure of SH3 through the Manawatu Gorge due to large slips the local councils, businesses and road users have waited somewhat impatiently for a replacement route to be announced. The new route has been greeted with both optimism and frustration. Richard Silcock reports.

Aerial view looking east towards the Manawatu Gorge and now closed highway.

It is envisaged the new alignment will start near the car park (middle left), cross the river, and railway line on the left bank before skirting the hillside and moving up and through the wind farm at the top of the ridge line.

34 www.contractormag.co.nz

IN MID-MARCH the New Zealand Transport Agency finally revealed its long-awaited preferred option for a new section of SH3 to replace the Manawatu Gorge route which has been closed to traffic since April last year due to massive slips.

This closure effectively resulted in the Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa/ Tararua regions being cut-off from each other.

It forced road users to travel the alternative, narrow, steep and windy Pahiatua Track or Saddle Road routes which were never intended to carry heavy traffic volumes and are themselves prone to closures.

The Transport Agency’s director of

regional relationships, Emma Speight says that following thorough investigation and extensive consultation, Option 3 of the four shortlisted options under consideration (refer Contractor Dec/Jan 2018) had been selected as the safest and most resilient route.

This option would see a new bridge and a new section of highway constructed from the Te Apiti wind farm viewing carpark on the western (Palmerston North) side of the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges across to Woodville on the eastern side of the ranges.

It will be a ‘greenfields’ alignment well to the north of the gorge and will cross over the Ruahine Range which provides greater

ground stability conditions than the gorge route which is on the Tararua Range side of the river.

In making the decision, the agency says it selected this option because it also best balances the cost and the combined needs of the local communities, businesses and road users.

“It will re-establish key strategic transport and freight links that support the needs of the people and economies of central New Zealand,” says Emma.

This new section of SH3, which it is estimated will cost between $350 and $450 million to construct, will be 12.4 kilometres long and pass through the Te Apiti wind farm.

It will take four years to complete once all the preparatory work has been finalised.

“A detailed business case for the new route is being worked on,” says Emma. “The next step will be to develop the design to a sufficient level of detail to support applications for the required approvals and we anticipate being ready to start construction in early 2020 with completion by 2024.”

This new section of highway will have an average incline gradient of 5.8 percent, with a maximum of eight percent (similar to Wellington’s Ngaraunga Gorge).

This is well below the alternative Saddle Road, which has a gradient of 16 percent in places and has been undergoing fairly extensive upgrading and maintenance at a cost of near $10 million. This has included constructing five passing bays, patching shoulders, and widening and resealing in an effort to cater for the additional traffic now having to use it as the main east-west route.

This has entailed nearly 71,000 square metres of new paving, and 66,089 cubic metres of soil cut-to-waste and 38,502 cubic metres of cut-to-fill.

Stringfellows Contracting is carrying out this upgrade and Higgins the maintenance work for the Tararua District Council which is responsible for the road. It is expected this work will be completed by the middle of this month.

Compared to the gorge, travel times on the new route are expected to be reduced by up to three or four minutes and could save up to 20 minutes when compared to the alternative Saddle Road and Pahiatua routes.

The announcement of the new route has been largely welcomed by local councils, businesses in the region and the local communities.

“The ongoing instability (and huge slips

The indicative new route, Gorge route and the Saddle Road are shown in this overlay.

Compared to the gorge, travel times on the new route are expected to be reduced by up to three or four minutes and could save up to 20 minutes when compared to the alternative Saddle Road and Pahiatua routes.

MAY 2018 35

CONTRACTOR

PROJECT

Widening and repaving of the alternative Saddle Road has caused some traffic delays from time to time.

Heavy trucks using the alternative routes have caused some degradation of the road surface which is requiring ongoing maintenance.

across the highway) of the gorge route, which ultimately led to its closure has caused huge disruption for the region,” says Tararua District mayor, Tracey Collis.

“A new route has been a matter of priority for local councils and it is pleasing to have worked so constructively with the Transport Agency to reach a decision that addresses both the immediate issue and the longer term strategic issues for the region.”

Shopkeepers in Woodville along with transport operators, while delighted with the news, are disappointed it is going to take so long to construct.

“Six years is a long time for a community 36 www.contractormag.co.nz

which relies on people coming through the town for their trade,” says Woodville shop manager Sera Williams. “We have definitely noticed a huge difference in the amount of traffic [not] coming through the town since the gorge was closed.”

Likewise transport operator, Glenn Carroll says he is not looking forward to another six years of having to use the alternative routes, as his trucks move between the Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay up to six times a day.

“The Saddle is often closed [for ongoing maintenance] and going via Pahiatua is a pain in the neck as it adds to [travel] time and also costs significantly more.”

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CONTRACTOR

PROJECT

Paving a section of the Saddle Road using hot-mix asphalt.

Maintenance work has required closure at narrow sections of the secondary alternative routes from time to time.

38 www.contractormag.co.nz

Wairarapa MP, Alistair Scott concurred, saying in a statement in a local paper that the decision to go ahead with Option 3 is a good one, but that the six-year wait would “continue to frustrate the region”.

“There’s going to be opportunities lost because of the disconnection between east and west,” he says.

“It does seem like a bloody long time, and it always takes longer than expected!”

In making the announcement on the new route, Emma Speight said the agency is also committed to advancing investigations for a regional freight ring-road which stakeholders see as a critical part of the package for unlocking regional and economic development across the region.

Horizons Regional Council chair, Bruce Gordon says that progressing a regional freight ring-road ‘in parallel’ with the new highway would be a significant step forward for the region.

“It would connect key freight hubs and bring significant improvements to freight

and passenger vehicle movements through the hub of the Manawatu by improving travel times and lowering costs,” says Bruce in a statement to local media.

The slips that resulted in the Manawatu Gorge highway being closed in April last year saw 15,000 cubic metres of rock and earth straddle the highway and crash into the Manawatu River far below. Following extensive geotechnical investigations the road was deemed too dangerous for road crews and equipment to operate safely in an effort to clear the highway as the cliff faces were highly unstable and showed continual movement and cracking.

While perhaps not the most ‘creative’ solution in finding an alternative to the gorge route (there were several ideas floated, ranging in cost of up to $2.5 billion and encompassing ideas such as a viaduct set above and along the river bed, a tunnel, or a deep box cut through the gorge), it does offer a solution at minimal cost and provide a more direct route, albeit in six years’ time.

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CONTRACTOR

PROJECT

What do you do with a gorge road and 75 bridges?

Consultant David McGonigal provided an overview at RIMS 2018 of the significant infrastructure challenges in choosing a new route design alternative to the closed Manawatu Gorge.

Paving a section of the Saddle Road using hot-mix asphalt.

40 www.contractormag.co.nz

SH3 CARRIES SOME 7500 vehicles a day and is a national route providing access between the Manawatu and Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa regions.

Not only is it important from a national perspective but it’s also relied on significantly as a regional route. Many of the businesses in Tararua and the Palmerston North area rely on it and there’s a significant amount of commuting that takes place between the Tararua district and the Palmerston North area.

So the big question is – why do we need a replacement? Ever since the route was

formed back in the 1800s, it has been susceptible to slips. I would say in the last three to four years, slips have become more prevalent. Because of ongoing instability the gorge has been closed since April last year.

This has impacted significantly on businesses, communities and road users, especially freight operators.

The cost of the closure has been estimated at around $700,000 per week which is quite significant. This is essentially made up of extra fuel costs and travel time costs. When the gorge is closed approximately 60 percent

of the traffic has to use the Saddle Road and the remaining traffic the Pahiatua Track. Neither route has been designed, or is appropriate, to carry the state highway traffic and certainly the volumes that we have. The Saddle Road has gradients up to 16 percent so you can imagine the impact that has on trucks doing 10 kilometres per hour for some distance.

There’s also the social issues of traffic having to use residential roads through Ashhurst with noise, particularly during the night when the trucks go through.

So the overall conclusion is that the gorge is no longer a viable option in terms of a long-term and safe route for SH3. So we commenced preparing a detailed business case to identify an alternative to the gorge.

In August last year GHD was appointed as the lead consultant to prepare a detailed business case. Essentially it followed a fairly standard process. The first part of a detailed business case is to understand the problems and the benefits of solving those problems.

Suffice that we didn’t spend too long determining the problem – as it was quite clear. We started in August last year and went through a process of identifying a long list of options, public engagement then took place through October and then we refined the long list to a shortlist assessment during November.

The final part is being worked through at the moment and we will have a detailed business case completed in the next couple of weeks [by end of March 2018].

Essentially we identified 18 different options. The historic nature of the issues in the gorge meant there had been many people sitting in their armchairs in the evening trying to come up with solutions for the gorge over the years. So one of the key

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things that we wanted to do from the outset was to ensure that we captured all these ideas, no matter how imaginative, and put them through the assessment process.

Options included a viaduct right down the middle of the Manawatu River, but it didn’t rank well against the assessment criteria, particularly with environmental issues. Tunnels were the first thing people talked about with any issues in the gorge.

We looked at two tunnels. The first was a long tunnel but there were cost and environmental issues. So we looked at a short tunnel.

Another suggested option was just to go straight up and over 300 metres, known as the deep box cut – with the emphasis on deep – to achieve the gradients required. The amount of fill that would be created would be enough to raise Palmerston North by about two metres.

From the long list we then identified four sure shortlist options to look at in more detail.

One to the north was designed to avoid the wind farm [the large Te Apiti Wind Farm is located on 700 hectares on the south side of the Manawatu Gorge]. Another was to widen the Saddle Road.

The geology of the gorge is quite different north and south, and the rock is much harder on the south side so it is much more difficult construction territory, so the north was one of the short options with good gradients – but went through the wind farm.

In the long list there were multiple options to the south. So what we did was we combined the best of all those options because each of those options seemed to have one issue that was a problem.

So we combined all the southern options to come up with what we felt was the best option. >>

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MAY 2018 41

CONTRACTOR

PROJECT

Geologist checking rock and ground formations along the proposed new route.

The geology of the gorge is quite different north and south, and the rock is much harder on the south side so it is much more difficult construction territory, so the north was one of the short options with good gradients – but went through the wind farm.

42 www.contractormag.co.nz

The challenge with this one is that to achieve gradients the road became quite long.

We assessed the shortlist options against three categories and objectives – environmental, social, costs and ‘implementability’.

The final preferred option has the lowest overall gradient of an average of 5.8 percent and is the most resilient. Some southern options had the main Wellington fault line running through the area.

The final option also has the lowest overall cost, is the easiest and quickest to construct and performs best against the social and environmental criteria.

Most of the road is on a hill and there will be two lanes plus a crawling lane. It’s possible on the flat on the top the road will be just two lanes.

This option ties back into existing SH3 with a new bridge across the Manawatu River and the railway line. It will then wind its way up a hill and will go between two wind turbines, across the top and head back down to Woodville.

As far as projects go it is certainly going to be a bit of a challenge with construction and the impact of the wind farms, which will be affected significantly with some of the turbines moved along with realigning their underground cabling.

The next stage is where we’ve got the procurement process to go through and consenting property acquisition and then the detail design that we expect to take up to 24 months.

Construction is about four years if everything runs in sequence – that gives us a total of six years. Obviously we will be looking at ways to run things in parallel and hope to reduce that time.

One of the other big challenges is what do you do with the existing gorge, as applying the normal revocation process might not be appropriate.

We have up to 75 bridges in the gorge – if anyone wants a bridge? So there’s going to be a lot of ongoing discussion on what to do with the existing gorge.

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CONTRACTOR

TECHNICAL

Thinking outside the box Since 1971 Auckland-based Spiral Drillers Civil has earned a reputation for tackling some difficult piling work. Richard Silcock profiles the company and finds out why it has been so successful.

“AS CLICHÉD AS it may sound, I attribute the success of the business to maintaining a high standard of work, finding a solution for our clients and thinking outside the box when it comes to difficult jobs,” says Andrew Hannah, co-owner and managing director of Spiral Drillers Civil.

Andrew’s father Brian founded the business back in 1971, primarily to provide a service for local farmers in South Auckland and North Waikato who required offal holes to be excavated.

“My father saw an opportunity and very quickly progressed from drilling offal holes to drilling holes for house and building piles, which after all is just an offal hole filled with concrete instead of shit and sheep guts,” says Andrew.

“I took over the business in 2010 along with my business partner and the other co-owner of the business, Jon Faber, who has a background in civil engineering project work. Our aim has always been to be the best specialist piling company in New Zealand.”

Spiral Drillers’ bread and butter work revolves around piling and all its permutations, including concrete piles, driven piles, screw piles, sheet piling and micro piles for clients all around greater Auckland and the Waikato region.

“Our core business is essentially for large commercial projects and we do a substantial amount of work in difficult situations where there is restricted access and/or not much headroom. But we do work for domestic customers as well, particularly at difficult sites such as where there is a sloping section or a steep bank,” he says. “While most modern homes these days are built on a concrete pad, with flat sections becoming increasingly more difficult to find around Auckland, people are building on these difficult sites, often to gain a view, so we see a good future for house piling going forward.

“Ninety percent of our work is around greater Auckland and the northern part of the Waikato, however from time to time we travel out of the area. For example, we recently did some work in Wellington and in the South Island drilling methane wells at landfills.

44 www.contractormag.co.nz

Inserting a steel reinforcing cage into the drilled hole with concrete being pumped in for one of the International Hotel foundations.

MAY 2018 45

CONTRACTOR

TECHNICAL

For the power pylon job the drill rig base frame was carried to the site by helicopter prior to airlifting the rig into place.

Opposite page: Sheet piling for a future petrol station using a 55 tonne crane, a 30 tonne excavator and drilling rig.

46 www.contractormag.co.nz

The company operates from its office and base in Pukekohe, South Auckland where it has a fully equipped workshop for maintaining, adapting and manufacturing specialist equipment.

“With our range of equipment we can drill almost any natural material including Waitemata sandstone, Parnell grit, greywacke and basalt rock.

“We have the usual standard, fixed-mast piling rigs and through some adaptations we have made to some of the rigs we are able to drill up to four-metre diameter holes for access shafts for micro tunnelling companies.

“We also have a variety of ‘micro-rigs’ which have been designed to allow access in tight, height restrictive areas and these can be further adapted to work around on-site obstacles,” says Andrew. “One of these rigs, which only weighs a mere 900 kilograms can drill a hole 450mm in diameter to a depth of 12 metres under a head height of only 2.2 metres.”

Asked about some of their most recent and unusual projects, Andrew cites the work they are doing for the refurbishment and repiling of the International Hotel in Princes Street, Auckland.

“We have been subcontracted by Dominion

Contractors to carry out this work which requires a 450mm pile drilled to a depth of 21.2 metres. Straightforward in itself, but the problem was the head height, with the basement and levels one, two and three only having a 2.2-metre head space. Fortunately level four had a head height of 3.6 metres which was sufficient for us to install our rig and drill down using a series of ‘kelly-bar’ extensions. We were working nine metres above ground level and had to extensively prop up various floors beneath to avoid a collapse.”

Another project Spiral Drillers Civil is currently working on for North Power and Top Energy involves drilling four, 1.2-metre diameter, four-metre deep pile holes for power transmission pylons at a site near Kaeo in Northland.

“As the site is in extremely steep inaccessible bush-clad country our solution was to modify a stand-alone rig that can be dismantled and helicoptered to the site and reassembled at each drilling location,” says Andrew. “Lifting the rig mast, which weighs 1180 kilograms, into the rig base is a pretty tricky operation and requires a very skilful pilot and no wind. Once the foundation holes are drilled, the helicopter lifts the pylons into

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CONTRACTOR

TECHNICAL

Above: Helicopter lifting part of drilling rig mast into position.

Top right: Andrew Hannah (left) and Jon Faber, co-owners of Spiral Drillers Civil.

Middle right: Constructing a steel retaining wall on a domestic property in Campbells Bay, Auckland. Due to the nature of the site the 11-metre beams for the wall were welded together on site, drilled and concreted in place.

Right: A Spiral Drillers TC7 rig drilling 15-metre deep pile holes in a confined space of only 2.4 metres high.

48 www.contractormag.co.nz

Drilling foundations and installing steel reinforcing cages for a 12-metre deep retaining wall at a property on Bluff Hill, Napier.

place and the holes are backfilled with concrete.

“As the pylon foundations are on separate ridges there is a fair amount of tramping required by our guys to get to each site so they have to be pretty fit.”

Staff safety is an important component of how the team work and each project is measured by a formal risk assessment and task analysis procedure before any work commences.

“The well-being of our employees comes first and no deadline or project requirement will ever come before our people’s safety,” says Andrew.

Looking ahead, Andrew says they see more and more work coming their way from the seismic strengthening of older buildings.

“With the new regulations and the need to upgrade buildings, particularly the older ones that are not up to ‘code standards’, owners will need to get seismic strengthening work done to bring them up to standard, able to withstand moderate earthquakes and meet their insurer’s requirements – so I see continuing opportunities there.

“We see this as a further phase in the development of the business, providing a wider range of services and undoubtedly employing more staff,” he says.

Spiral Drillers Civil currently has a full-time staff of 39.

Andrew says they all regularly attend training sessions and industry conferences to keep abreast of changes in the technology, which he says is again another reason for their success, as is the ‘one big happy family’ work atmosphere they have created.

Putting it another way,” says Andrew, “we know each other well and we know the drill.”

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www.waikatoaucklandcranes.co.nz MAY 2018 49

CONTRACTOR

COMMENT

New GPS changes the game for everyone PETER SILCOCK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CCNZ

THE NZTA IS THE largest single client for civil contractors,

spending $4 billion per year from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF), influencing another $1.5 billion of local government spending, and investing another $0.5 billion of Crown funds.

When government signals a change to how that much money will be spent it has massive impacts across the industry from tier 1 contractors through to some of our smallest companies.

The release of the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport signals a quantum shift.

While the industry will welcome the additional $500 million per annum to be invested by 2020/21, how that money will be invested requires a step change from contractors and the agency.

The new GPS focuses on the much publicised shift from investment in new four lane state highways to safety improvements, rail and light rail and regional and local road improvements and maintenance.

Transport GPS Strategic Direction Past 2018 Draft Economic Growth and Productivity Safety Road Safety Access (including economic and social opportunities, choice and resilience) Value for Money Environment

Value for Money

With over $2 billion proposed as the upper range of funding on public transport, rapid transit, walking, cycling and transitional rail by 2020/21, contracting companies need to be looking at how they can realign their capability and capacity to do this work.

We need to start now to plan how we will use our resources and people and how we will access the people from offshore with the skills needed to deliver this work.

Over the next three years (2018/19 to 2020/21) the proposed upper funding levels in the activity classes related to local and regional road improvements and maintenance increase by $300 million or 25 percent overall per annum. This will be welcome news to the regions that have seen the state of their roads deteriorate over the past few years. Adding in the historical 50 percent local government funding, we will see up to $600 million spent on our local and regional roads. With

debt caps and rate payer resistance to rates rises the big question is where will local government get its additional $300 million per annum share?

The issue of Funding Assistance Rates which are set by the NZ Transport Agency (not by the GPS) is mentioned in the GPS Q&A sheet. It says that the new priorities “create an expectation for greater expenditure from activities where local government is required to provide a share. The NZTA is considering how to support the government’s new priorities.”

It will be interesting to see where this consideration gets to but adjusting the Funding Assistance Rate is not the only option. The GPS also flags that the new Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) can be used to: • provide a top-up of local share for projects that will receive funding from the NLTF, but where local councils are financially constrained • bring forward projects which are not priorities for NLTF investment, but are strategically important to a region’s productivity potential • fund projects outside of the scope for NLTF investment, but which contribute to the objectives sought through the PGF and are aligned with the region’s transport strategy.

The biggest concern is that the change of direction outlined in the GPS potentially creates a two year gap in our construction pipeline between the completion of the large state highway projects and getting the new public transport projects up and running.

It is very concerning that no new projects of any size, except for the Manawatu Gorge replacement, have progressed over the past eight months and it will take years before construction on the proposed new public transport projects begin.

We have highlighted this issue with Minister Twyford and the critical need to retain our construction capacity and capability to deliver our future infrastructure programme.

He has listened and has undertaken to ask the NZTA to identify any construction ready jobs that clearly meet the priorities of the draft GPS that could be brought forward to fill the gap.

Our message is that the civil construction industry is adaptable and innovative and can deliver on this change of focus provided there is continuity of work during the transition.

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50 www.contractormag.co.nz

COMMENT

CONTRACTOR

Whose responsibility is upskilling?

HAYS RECRUITING

EMPLOYEES ARE NOW more likely to judge a potential job role

on how well it will position them for career longevity.

As the rate of technological change accelerates and the challenge to stay employable by keeping our skills relevant intensifies, candidates want to secure their futures through on-the-job training.

That is one of the key findings from research carried out

by Hays amongst 1253 professionals. To test attitudes to skill building, we also surveyed 951 employers.

A massive 96 percent of the professionals surveyed consider upskilling as ‘important’ or ‘very important’, 84 percent would not consider a role that lacked skills development and nearly half (47 percent) wouldn’t join an organisation that didn’t offer formal training opportunities.

For some, not receiving time off to attend seminars or conferences (34 percent), a lack of coaching (27 percent) or mentorships (24 percent) and not providing time off for university or technical school studies (18 percent) are additional turn offs.

Plus, 64 percent said they were more likely to join and stay with an organisation that uses the latest technology.

In the book, The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in the Age of Longevity, London School of Economics professors Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott suggest our careers may now span 60 to 70 years, making constant learning and upskilling critical to our economic and personal wellbeing.

Meanwhile a report by Deloitte, Careers and Learning, ‘Real time, all the time’, suggests the half-life of learned skills is falling rapidly while the longer working life of people means “the concept of career is being shaken to its core”.

“In the past, employee learning was to gain skills for a career; now, the career itself is a journey of learning,” the report authors said.

The question is: Who should be responsible for keeping people upskilled? Individuals or employers?

Interestingly, 77 percent of the employers we surveyed said they were more likely to shortlist a qualified candidate who regularly upskills and 59 percent actively encourage employees to become self-directed learners.

What’s more, in today’s world of work employers can quickly identify potential candidates who are continuous learners.

Should employers rely on workers to acquire the skills they want? Given that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is reshaping how every industry and profession operates via digital transformation and technologies, do employees have the resources and knowledge to develop the skills employers want them to have?

People today are working with technology that didn’t exist two or three years ago, yet our survey found only 35 percent were even aware of the latest technology and digital trends relevant to their job or industry.

Furthermore, PwC’s 2017 Digital IQ Survey found that only 52 percent of organisations consider their digital skills as “strong” – a big drop from 67 percent in the 2016 results. The annual research also found almost half of employers needed to upskill their existing staff in current and emerging technology.

The solution The answer for organisations is probably a combination of hiring in active learners while also upskilling existing employees.

Professor Gratton suggests government should also play a role by ‘schooling’ people throughout their lives, but employers must drive skill building at work and help employees understand their options to skill up no matter their age or career stage.

If you’re not sure where to start, Marc Burrage of Hays Recruiting, shares good advice in his blog: Conduct a skills assessment before making your training decisions.

Yet according to our survey, just 18 percent of employers conduct a skills assessment before deciding on what training to offer each employee while 36 percent do so only for select staff. Clearly there’s a void to fill here to ensure training benefits both an organisation and individual employees.

With candidates looking to join organisations that provide upskilling as part of the job, the message is clear: partner with your employees to promote their career longevity for mutual benefit.

MAY 2018 51

CONTRACTOR

COMMENT

Impact of the new political environment for road transport JONATHAN BHANA-THOMSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NZ HEAVY HAULAGE ASSOCIATION

THE LABOUR-LED coalition has already brought in a number

of changes in direction in policy compared to the previous National government, and nowhere is this more obvious than with the transport area.

While the manifestos of the parties leading up to last year’s election gave some indication of the likely direction, there have been a number of distinct policy releases that have given more weight to this. Particularly the recent release of the GPS, the Government Policy Statement for Land Transport, the draft of which is being consulted on.

The GPS is the document that guides investment in land transport by providing a 10-year strategic view of how the government of the day prioritises things in the transport network, and why. For the Labour-led coalition this includes stated focus of improving the land transport network by prioritising safety, access, environment and value for money.

Compare this to the GPS of the previous government where the focus was on economic growth and productivity, road safety, and value for money. In particular the seven Roads of National Significance were the most visible evidence of investment in productive capacity, but there were also targeted improvements to enable bridges to carry heavier freight vehicles, and more general funding for improvements to regional networks.

The GPS for 2018-2028 once finalised, will influence the decisions on how money from the National Land Transport Fund (the Fund) will be invested across areas such as state highways and public transport.

This amounts to around $4 billion of money from the Fund each year. The GPS also provides signals for spending of a further $1.5 billion each year on land transport through local government investment and a further $0.5 billion a year of government investment.

Safety is a key element in GPS 2018, and particular aspects

52 www.contractormag.co.nz

mentioned include safety improvements on state highways and local roads through speed management, while there will be increased investment in off-road for cyclists and pedestrians.

Access is the second main area of focus, particularly in urban areas as well as the provinces (supported through Shane Jones’ Provincial Growth Fund), while existing routes are safe, efficient and minimise greenhouse gas emissions. In urban areas the push will be to reduce travel by private motor car and towards public transport, walking and cycling.

In addition to these key areas of strategic priorities are the supporting areas of gaining value for money and being aware of the environmental impact of the transport system.

In more concrete terms, initiatives that are expected to be seen include: • The development of a new road safety strategy and action plan over the next 12 to 18 months.

• The installation of median and side barriers to prevent head-on crashes and the installation of roundabouts or speed management devices at intersections. In addition, for vulnerable users installing segregated facilities, markings or raised platforms at roundabouts, traffic signals, and pedestrian facilities.

• Upgrading of level crossings for safety.

• Investment in public transport – especially mass transit.

• Providing extra capacity on existing routes to respond to changes in freight movements, population growth and tourist numbers.

• I nvestigations into funding for alternative transport modes, such as rail and coastal shipping.

The real changes which will influence the projects funded are seen in the funding directed to the different activity areas – the major ones as follows (the higher range figures used):

• P ublic Transport – rising from $530 million in 2018 to $830 million in 2028.

• Mass Transit – rising from $340 million in 2018 to $1090 million in 2021.

• L ocal Road Improvements – rising from $230 million in 2018 to $520 million in 2022.

• S tate Highway Maintenance – rising from $700 million in 2018 to $850 million in 2028.

• L oad Road Maintenance – rising from $720 million in 2018 to $840 million in 2028.

• S tate Highway Improvements – decreasing from $1550 million to $500 million in 2028.

From this it can be inferred that the building of new State Highway capacity roads will be on the wane over the next 10 years, while at least there should be better maintenance of the current roading network.

Aside from the GPS, in other announcements the Minister of Transport, Phil Twyford has proposed to increase fuel excise duty by between nine and 12 cents a litre over three years. This includes an equivalent increase in road user charges paid by diesel and heavy vehicles.

Twyford says that this will go toward a 42 percent increase in spending on local road improvements, a 96 percent increase in spending on regional roads and a 22 percent increase in local road maintenance along with an 81 percent increase in road safety and demand management.

Meanwhile, Julie Anne Genter (Associate Minister of Transport) has recently announced that the government will

investigate setting a target of zero road deaths, in addition to the development of a new road safety strategy (completed in September 2019 for implementation in 2020).

She also said: “The government has proposed a significant boost in funding to improve local and regional roads right around the country. This will have a particular focus on proven safety treatments, like median and side barriers. We’re also considering a significant funding boost to deliver safe walking and cycling infrastructure in our towns and cities.”

Finally, the future of the upper North Island ports, including whether Ports of Auckland should be relocated, will be considered as part of a wider transport and logistics strategy, Associate Minister of Transport Shane Jones advised when announcing the development of a comprehensive Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy.

In terms of the status of current and proposed projects, there is uncertainty around some, for example, the EastWest project on the chopping block, the Otaki to Levin Expressway apparently given the okay, while the status of the long-awaited Mt Messenger bypass is not known.

For the oversize sector of the transport industry we see challenges with a number of the proposals and ideas that the coalition government has proposed, namely the safety projects which may result in capacity restrictions on freight routes, the design of any centre-road median barriers, the increase in road user charges, and the outcomes of the investment in alternative transport corridors such as for rail.

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MAY 2018 53

CONTRACTOR

LEGAL COMMENT

Contractors’ right(s) to terminate for non-payment STUART ROBERTSON, PARTNER, AND SAM McCUTCHEON, SOLICITOR, KENSINGTON SWAN’S CONSTRUCTION TEAM

THE COURT OF APPEAL has recently released its judgment in

Termination for non-payment

Custom Street Hotel Ltd v Plus Construction NZ Ltd [2017] NZCA 36. This has clarified the contractor’s right to terminate an NZS 3910 contract where there has been failure to pay by the principal.

The disputes between Custom Street and Plus Contracting were the subject of adjudications and then an arbitration.

The arbitral award was appealed, on points of law, to the High Court. The High Court judgment was subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal. We have previously written two separate articles discussing certain aspects of the High Court decision: • The relationship between a contractor’s right to suspend work under the Construction Contracts Act 2002 and the right to suspend under NZS 3910 (Right to suspend left dangling – October 2016); and • The application of the Contractual Remedies Act 1979 to termination for non-payment under NZS 3910 (Who’s heard of the Contractual Remedies Act 1979? – November 2016).

The Court of Appeal has recently released its judgment, finding in the contractor’s favour on all points. This article focuses on when a contractor will have a right to terminate following non-payment by a principal.

One question every contractor should be asking if they are not receiving payment is “When am I entitled to terminate this contract?”.This was one of the questions on appeal in Custom Street and the Court of Appeal has set out two separate options to terminate in that circumstance: • under clause 14 of NZS 3910 (the relevant provisions are the same in both the 2003 and 2013 editions of NZS 3910); or • under the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017 (CCL Act) (which has now superseded the Contractual Remedies Act 1979).

Overall this is good news for contractors. We discuss each of the grounds for termination below but also note that we have some reservations around whether the CCL Act will apply in circumstances where NZS 3910 already provides a remedy.

Summary of events Custom Street was the principal under a NZS 3910:2003 contract with Plus Construction. Plus was experiencing significant delays in its work and had ceased work completely by 23 July 2014. A series of disputes were referred by Plus to adjudication under the CCA. The result of one determination was to render ‘time at large’, meaning Plus had a reasonable time to complete the contract works.

The engineer subsequently certified that Plus had either abandoned the contract or was persistently, flagrantly, or wilfully neglecting to carry out its contractual obligations.

Plus did not remedy these defaults and Custom Street moved to terminate the contract. Plus issued a notice of default under clause 14.3.3 before Custom Street could terminate, asserting Custom Street was in default by failing to pay amounts owing to Plus. Plus issued a notice requiring the engineer to suspend the whole of the contract works before the 10 working days under clause 14.3.3 had expired, and purported to terminate the contract before the engineer had ordered a suspension.

Plus proceeded to arbitration, the result of which was appealed to the High Court on five points of law. The High Court found in Plus’ favour on all points and subsequently Custom Street was granted leave to appeal four of those points to the Court of Appeal.

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Termination under clause 14.3.3 In Custom Street, Plus terminated the contract under clause 14.3.3. The literal wording of clause 14.3.3 provides that if the non-payment has not been remedied within 10 working days of the contractor providing notice (of non-payment), the contractor may require the engineer to suspend the whole of the contract works, and that: Following such suspension the Contractor shall be entitled without prejudice to any other rights and remedies to terminate the Contract by giving notice in writing to the Principal. (emphasis ours) Plus sent an email requiring the engineer to suspend the contract works but the engineer did not issue a suspension notice as the works had already been suspended for other reasons.

The arbitrator found that the suspension was merely a procedural step and not a prerequisite to termination and the fact that an engineer may have not suspended the contract works should not rob the contractor of the right they would otherwise have to terminate the contract. Although the High Court took a different approach to termination (see below), the Court of Appeal largely affirmed the arbitrator’s approach.

The Court of Appeal adopted what, in our view, is a strained interpretation of clause 14.3.3; ignoring the words ‘Following such suspension’ (being of the whole of the contract works) and finding that upon expiry of the 10 working day period a contractor has two independent rights; a right to suspend the contract works, and a separate right to terminate the contract.

The problem with this finding is that it goes against the clear reading of the clause. Rightly or wrongly clause 14.3.3 expressly states that suspension of the whole of the contract works by the engineer is a prerequisite to termination. There is no ambiguity in these words and the Court’s decision

to simply ignore them in the circumstances goes against freedom of contract.

This is a positive finding for contractors who can now move to terminate a contract immediately upon the expiry of the 10 working day period. However, due to the reservations we have noted above, we recommend that that you separately request a suspension before terminating. If the NZ Standards committee were reviewing NZS 3910 in the future, we would encourage it to also address clause 14.3.3.

Termination under the CCL Act Although it was not expressly raised in argument, the High Court held that Plus was entitled to terminate under the Contractual Remedies Act 1979. The Contractual Remedies Act has since been superseded by the CCL Act although the effect of the relevant provisions has not been changed. We refer to the current CCL Act for the purposes of discussion in this article.

The remedies under the CCL Act are intended to apply where a contract is silent on the effect of a particular breach and a remedy for it. We discussed the High Court’s reasoning in our earlier article, Who’s heard of the Contractual Remedies Act 1979? (Contractor November 2016) and queried whether the CRA should apply to non-payment given NZS 3910 adequately covers this position.

While we still have reservations on this issue, the Court of Appeal expressly confirmed that in circumstances of non-payment under NZS 3910 a contractor will have a right

to cancel under both the CCL Act and separately under the contract. In reaching this finding there was no detailed discussion on the interface between the CCL Act and the provisions of NZS 3910 and we are of the view that this is an area that warrants further consideration in the future.

Positive outcome for contractors Despite the concerns over the legal merits of the judgment, the outcome is nothing but positive for contractors. Where a principal has failed to pay amounts due a contractor now has two separate options to terminate, either: • under clause 14.3.3 where payment has not been received within the 10 working day notice period under clause 14.3.3 (regardless of whether suspension has been instructed by the engineer); and • under the CCL Act where there has been misrepresentation, repudiation or material breach.

Although this is a beneficial judgment for contractors, given the complexities discussed above we recommend that you always seek legal advice before seeking to terminate a contract using either (or both) of NZS 3910 or the CCL Act. A wrongful termination will leave you open to a damages claim by the innocent party.

NB: The content of this article is not legal advice.

• Kensington Swan regularly provides comment on the construction industry on its blog, Site Visit. Check out www.nzconstructionblog.com to stay up to date.

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www.smart-dig.com MAY 2018 55

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Caterpillar D7 – The Early Years The iconic Caterpillar D7 has been in continuous production in various versions since 1935. They have fought in three major conflicts – WWII, Korea & Vietnam – and are a strong testament to a product that really was “built for it”. By Richard Campbell.

THE D7 OWES ITS origins to the Caterpillar Diesel Fifty which was introduced in 1933.

While only in production for two years, the design proved its viability and in 1935 an improved version with a new name was introduced, the RD-7 5E series, powered by a 76 horsepower Caterpillar D8800 four-cylinder diesel engine. Very few RD-7 5E machines were built before Caterpillar came out with another version of the machine, the RD-7 9G series.

Also powered by the D8800 engine, now rated at 80 flywheel horsepower, the RD-7 9G was available in narrow gauge (60”) or wide gauge (74”).

Caterpillar dropped the “RD” designation at machine number 9G6501 with the tractor now just becoming the D7.

Production ended in 1940 with more than 7000 machines manufactured.

World War 11 As America entered a war footing, a new version of the D7 was introduced, primarily intended for military service, 56 www.contractormag.co.nz

but a great many were also sold into commercial use.

This was the D7 7M series which was manufactured from 1940 through 1944.

Also powered by the D8800 engine, this had been uprated to 93 flywheel horsepower and the machine was only available in 74” gauge, Caterpillar having dropped the 60” option due to very low sales demand.

Some 8100 examples were manufactured before the model was supplanted in production by the improved D7 3T, D7 4T and D7 6T. Wartime D7s acquitted themselves very well and were used on all fronts, earning a respected reputation for ruggedness and reliability.

Post-war variants The D7 3T, D7 4T and D7 6T were introduced in mid-1944.

The machines incorporated several improvements that Caterpillar engineers had developed but were unable to introduce due to the necessity of maintaining production of the existing 7M for WWII requirements.

As the urgent demand for tractors subsided these improvements made their way into series production.

The D7 4T was built solely for the US Army while the D7 6T was built for the US Navy.

This enabled Caterpillar to fulfil military contracts that had been let but not completed.

Just over 7500 D7 4Ts were manufactured before the type was discontinued in 1948, and an unknown number of D7 6Ts. The fate of many of these military D7s is quite sad as many were pushed into vast pits of surplus equipment and buried while others were just driven into the jungle and left there, some with very few hours on the clock.

This wholesale “jettisoning” of unwanted equipment is what makes the D7 4T a somewhat rare type these days and the D7 6T even rarer.

There is hardly any difference between a D7 3T, 4T or 6T other than the optional external attachments applied to it.

1. ( Opposite page): The Great Grandaddy of the entire Caterpillar D7 range was the Diesel Fifty, first introduced in 1933 and only manufactured for two years.

This is a beautifully preserved example in a museum in the USA. Diesel Fiftys, because of their low production run, are quite rare.

PHOTO: ACMOC

2. This is a 1937 Caterpillar RD-7 9G series with a LeTourneau Model M Carryall in tow. Both tractor and scraper appear to be quite new and are working on a road building job. The real star of the show however is the Rome motor grader in the distance, an exceptionally rare machine!

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

3. Having a break on this subdivision job in the USA is a Caterpillar D7E powershift model fitted with a Cat 7S bulldozer. The powershift version was known as the 48A series and was produced from 1961 through 1970.

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PHOTO: INTERNET

4. Unfortunately of poor quality, this photo is of a Cat D7E 47A series, a direct drive model and is doubly interesting as the machine is fitted with a 7U dozer blade, and a cable-controlled one to boot. Although manufactured for the same time span as the powershift version, not nearly as many were built making photos of them quite rare.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

A highly successful variant Between 1944 and 1955, Caterpillar manufactured over 28,000 D7 3T models.

With the trusty Caterpillar D8800 engine initially providing 93 flywheel horsepower, this was increased to 108 flywheel horsepower around 1952.

One of the new features Caterpillar had introduced was a forward/reverse lever into the transmission, meaning the operator didn’t have to repeatedly shift gears all the time when changing direction.

Other improvements added along the way were Caterpillar’s famous oil clutch and a two-position front idler which better set the machine up for trailed or pushed attachments.

D7 3Ts can still be found doing occasional work some 60 years after the last one left the production line.

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The next step With the D8800 diesel engine now at the upper reaches of its development potential, Caterpillar introduced a new version of the D7 in 1955.

This was the legendary D7 17A series

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Into the 1960s

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1. S canned off a Kodak Ektachrome slide (hence the washed-out colour), we see a non-turbocharged Caterpillar D7 17A series tractor equipped with a Caterpillar No.25 cable control and Britstand 4C-10 cable scraper. Things aren’t nearly as bad as they look as the scraper has been intentionally tipped on its side to allow welding repairs and cutting-edge replacement.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

2. Caterpillar originally started out supplying machinery for agriculture and that is exactly what this turbocharged D7 17A series machine is used for. It has never worn a dozer blade in its (long) life. How to spot the difference between a turbo equipped and non-turbo 17A D7 you ask? Between the exhaust pipe and air cleaner intake on the hood is a raised cover and under there resides the turbocharger!

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

3. Very sharp factory photo of a 7M series D7 fully outfitted with a LaPlant-Choate R76R Trailbuilder angle blade and cable control. LaPlant-Choate had its own design which had an arched top to the frame and a tubular “headache bar” which carried the cable above the operator to the cable control unit.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

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(also known as the D7C).

This featured the all-new Caterpillar D339 four-cylinder diesel engine rated at 128 flywheel horsepower and incorporating all the better features of the previous 3T model including oil clutch, forward/reverse lever plus the addition of the newly developed hydraulic track adjusters, a great laboursaving device which most people take for granted these days.

Halfway through the machine’s extensive production term, Caterpillar made two crucial changes to the machine.

At serial number 17A11981, a turbocharger was added to the engine, boosting output to 140 flywheel horsepower and allowing the machine to work at higher altitudes without engine de-rating.

Caterpillar also fitted oil-cooled steering clutches and brakes which greatly extended the service life of these components.

Although Caterpillar did not change the serial number prefix of the new improved D7 17A, it did get a new designation of D7D. These later D7Ds have a distinctive engine note which sets them apart from all other D7s.

Production of the D7C/D7D had exceeded 19,000 machines when the last one came off the line in 1961.

Two new D7 models were introduced in 1961 – the D7E 47A series and D7E 48A series.

The difference between the two models was simple – the 47A was a direct drive machine with an oil clutch and the 48A had the newly developed Caterpillar threespeed powershift transmission.

Both utilised the turbocharged Caterpillar D339T diesel rated at 160 flywheel horsepower.

The engine output was increased to 180 flywheel horsepower during the machine’s production run.

Manufacturing span of the D7E was from 1961 to 1969 encompassing over 10,000 machines, and they are notable in being the last D7s solely manufactured in the USA. The post-1970 models D7F, D7G and upwards will be covered in a forthcoming article.

What to hang off your D7 Until 1946, Caterpillar did not manufacture any attachments for its track type tractors.

This task was left to the many different ancillary equipment manufacturers that supplied Caterpillar during this period with the three most notable being LeTourneau, LaPlant-Choate and Hyster.

These three companies manufactured everything you needed to bolt onto, hang off of, or pull behind your D7.

This all changed in 1946 when Caterpillar began to build its own attachments tailored to its own tractors with the exception of Hyster which still supplied the majority of logging winches to Caterpillar.

The New Zealand connection The story of the early Caterpillar D7 in New Zealand is also the story of New Zealand logging, roading, quarrying and the Public Works Department (later Ministry of Works).

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Many ex-wartime D7s were imported into New Zealand and served extensively throughout the country in government and private ownership.

D7 17As ruled every major skid site in the North Island for a great many years and can still be seen plying their trade in this work occasionally.

They are a very hard tractor to kill!

The number of early Cat D7s (1935-1970) imported into New Zealand would easily exceed 1500 units.

For the model collector There are models of earlier D7s available.

At around 1:160 there is the old Matchbox #8 which represents a non-turbo D7-17A. Its size and lack of detail really preclude it from the serious collector.

Regrettably there is nothing available in the more common 1:50 size.

In 1:35 we have two different kitsets, one from MiniArt and the other from Mirror.

Both represent the D7 7M and are excellent representations.

However, as with all kitsets, time and patience are absolutely essential to achieve a good result.

In 1:25 there are a couple of interesting models.

During the mid-1950s, US company Cruver produced a plastic D7 3T/7M (it’s difficult to tell) which is a darn nice model.

Nothing works, it just looks good, but it does have a fatal flaw in that some examples have warped over time due to the type of plastic used.

These can be found on Ebay for not too serious dollars.

The last is the NZG/Conrad D7 4T which has been issued a couple of times.

It comes with a LeTourneau CK-7 blade, double drum rear mounted PCU and military paint job.

What could have been a fantastic model due to its size is spoiled by shortcuts taken in design and manufacture.

The model has hideous tracks that no self-respecting D7 would have ever worn, a track frame that is far too long, poor engine detail and a badly functioning cable control that has too few sheaves.

Your author took to his example with a drill, saws and files plus a heap of replacement parts and turned it into a far more pleasing replica of the real thing.

4. The NZG/Conrad D7 to 1:25 scale could have been such a good model – but it isn’t!

Horrible tracks, a track frame that’s too long, lack of detail in the engine and a half-hearted representation of the LeTourneau blade setup all let it down. To top it all off, it’s also expensive!

PHOTO: BUFFALO ROAD IMPORTS

5. The author hated his NZG D7 so much he took to it with a vengeance.

After a total strip down, much sawing, fabrication, replacement of many bits, mild profanities and a repaint, here we have a passably accurate D7 7M with LeTourneau FD7 front PCU. A suitable blade and rear PCU will be added later (after I’ve made them).

Conversions like this are not for the faint-hearted.

PHOTO: AUTHOR

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RECRUITMENT

CIVIL SITE ENGINEER BUILD YOUR CAREER This well-established Civil Contractor operates across Canterbury. Working on site works, earthworks, driveways, and drainage. Due to its success an experienced Civil Site Engineer is sought.

As the experienced Civil Site Engineer, you’ll report to the Contracts Manager, lead and manage a number of site works crews to ensure that contracts are programmed and delivered to meet the client’s expectations.

You’ll have a strong background in civil construction, an NZCE, diploma or degree qualification in civil engineering is essential and knowledge in various aspects of civil.

A strong technical understanding and the ability to problem solve and work under pressure will see you succeed in this role. It’s also important that you have strong people management skills. Programming and scheduling as well as resource and material management and organisation is a skill that’s highly desirable.

With a pipeline of works, you’ll be moving in to a secure, exciting and challenging opportunity, offering a competitive package, vehicle and phone. You’ll be joining a forward thinking, supportive and collaborative working environment.

Contact Emma Stratton at emma.stratton@hays.net.nz or 03 3776 656.

hays.net.nz

PROJECT ENGINEER/SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER WORK ON VARIOUS WATER PROJECTS This multinational leading civil and infrastructure construction company have a great reputation for its design, construction and delivery of challenging projects. Due to its success and growth, a Project Engineer/Senior Project Engineer is sought to join the team.

As a Project Engineer/Senior Project Engineer, you’ll be reporting to the Project Manager and work on a range of projects including various waters projects. You’ll be working closely with the ground staff, utilising QA reports, working to the budget and project compliance reports in order to adhere to procedures.

hays.net.nz

60 www.contractormag.co.nz

An NZCE, diploma or degree qualification in civil or mechanical engineering, previous experience as a Project Engineer and strong knowledge within the industry are essential. You must be flexible with working in different locations and have a background in water, irrigation or horizontal.

This role will expose you to some of the largest water projects in New Zealand. You’ll be working in an exciting and challenging role where you’ll receive a competitive salary and opportunities to progress and develop your career.

Contact Emma Stratton at emma.stratton@hays.net.nz or 03 3776 656.

TO PLACE YOUR RECRUITMENT ADVERT HERE Contact David Fitzgerald +64 21 165 3920 DavidF@contrafed.co.nz

CIVIL PROJECT MANAGER SUCCESSFULLY DELIVER PROJECTS Dynamic and successful contractor.

This Christchurch based civil construction contractor is a successful business that work on earthworks, civil works and landscaping projects. Due to continuous growth, a Civil Project Manager is required to join and advance the team.

You’ll be dealing with day-to-day management of projects, including management of resources and materials, pricing and management of the jobs. You’ll possess the ability to think on your feet and problem solve whilst holding the knowledge of civil contracts.

You’ll hold an NZCE, diploma or degree in civil engineering, relevant experience across civil works (e.g. earthworks, drainage, utilities, and subdivisions), previous experience as a Project Manager as well as setting up sites and liaising with multiple subcontractors.

You’ll have a proven track record in running multiple contracts simultaneously and successfully by ensuring quality and compliance, with a focus on financial claims and budgeting. Strong communications skills and the ability to forecast and report monthly figures with a solid understanding of quantity surveying and estimating will be highly advantageous.

In return for this challenging role, you’ll receive a competitive salary, benefits package and full use of a vehicle. You’ll also be part of a proactive, dynamic and successful business.

Contact Emma Stratton at emma.stratton@hays.net.nz or 03 3776 656.

hays.net.nz

Specialist recruitment for the Civil Contracting Industry

M A G A Z I N E • • • •

Project Manager Project Engineer Quantity Surveyor Supervisor

• • • •

Construction Manager Site Engineer Estimator Foreperson

For advertising enquiries: David Fitzgerald Email: DavidF@contrafed.co.nz Mob: +64 21 165 3920

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MAY 2018 61

Canstaff is a specialised recruitment agency for New Zealand Construction, Engineering, Civil Construction, Logistics, and Manufacturing sectors. We provide quality recruitment solutions and staffing services to clients and candidates in the North and South Islands. We work with individuals and businesses at all levels, across all of the professional disciplines, and are in a prime position to focus on supplying experienced staff for key phases of project lifecycle; from design through to hand back.

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The civil construction department is managed by Lucy Stevenson. Lucy is a strong leader with international

experience sourcing white collar staff for some of the largest and well regarded engineering companies in Europe and New Zealand. She has a wide range of experience throughout the construction sector, specialising in civil construction and vertical and horizontal engineering, and has worked with all levels of clients and candidates; from graduate engineers, through to project managers Canstaff extends recruiting horizons far beyond traditional boundaries via local and worldwide recruitment as part of our commitment to seeing New Zealand businesses succeed through great people. We pride ourselves on locating “hard to find” skilled job seekers, from labourers through to white collar professionals and connect globally minded companies with a community of local and readyto-relocate overseas candidates.

We currently recruit and supply staff for the following positions (if what you require is not listed, please contact us and we will find a solution tailored for you via our extensive domestic and/or global network):

Lucy Stevenson manages the civil construction department

• Civil Construction Project Manager • Engineers (project, site, roading, traffic, geotechnical) • Site Supervisor • Operations Supervisor • HSE Manager • Civil Construction Driver • Civil Construction Foreman • Surveyor • Civil Construction Manager • Civil Construction Operator • Bridge Construction Staff • Civil Site Manager • Contracts Manager • Licensed Cadastral Surveyor • Road Construction Staff • Civil Infrastructure • HSQES Manager • CAD Technicians • Road Workers/Gangs Speak to Us+64 3 348 9810

INNOVATIONS

CONTRACTOR

Pacific Steel made here In a climate of uncertainty around standards compliance, Pacific Steel says it’s reassuring to know that the Seismic reinforcing range is not only made in New Zealand, it’s tested here as well.

“And it’s tested rigorously at our IANZ certified laboratory, then backed by independent third party ACRS accreditation.

“Test certificates are available for every batch of this high tensile, high ductility product. No wonder the trust the NZ construction industry has in Pacific Steel is as strong as its reinforcing.”

New Komatsu 50 tonne digger Komatsu has released a new 50-tonne class excavator, the PC490LC-11, featuring a Tier 4 Final-compliant low emission engine, and delivering increased production and lower fuel consumption.

Designed for heavy construction, quarrying and demolition applications, the PC490LC-11 has an operating weight of 48.7 tonnes and is powered by a Komatsu SAA6D125E-7 engine rated at 270 kilowatts.

Amber Rickard, Komatsu’s national business manager for construction says the PC490LC-11 replaces the 46.1 tonne PC450LC-8, which it significantly outperforms in key operating criteria.

“These include a larger maximum bucket size of 2.7 cubic metres, a 15 percent increase in lift capacity, and up to 13 percent greater production and 15 percent better fuel efficiency with its enhanced power mode,” she says.

“Not only does it have a new Komatsu Tier 4 Final-compliant low emission engine, which dramatically cuts emissions compared with Tier 3 and earlier engines, but our design engineers have greatly enhanced the hydraulic system for increased power and efficiency, and significantly beefed up the undercarriage, swing system and counterweight.

“The PC490LC-11 is also the only excavator in this size class with a closedcentre load-sensing system, for better fuel efficiency, improved fine control and simultaneous multiple functions.”

The new HD1500-8 haul truck Komatsu has released the HD1500-8 mechanical drive dump truck, a 142 metric tonne capacity hauler designed to reduce the cost per tonne through such features as highest payload in its class, faster cycle times, improved fuel efficiency, longer component life and enhanced maintainability.

It replaces Komatsu’s HD1500-7, introduced in 2008, and with more than 50 units operating in Australia working in mining applications across coal, gold and nickel.

“Our new HD1500-8 truck will further build on the success the HD1500-7 has had in Australia,” says Scott Harrington, Komatsu Australia’s national product manager for mining.

“It’s a completely new, redesigned truck, developed using principles developed by the Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table to ensure high standards of safety and harm minimisation.

“It will deliver our customers outstanding productivity due to its high payload and high engine power, enabling faster cycle times.

“We estimate it will provide a further six percent cost per tonne advantage compared with the HD1500-7, through reduced operating

costs due to component life improvements, improved fuel efficiency and better maintainability.”

Power comes from a 16 cylinder Komatsu SDA16V159-3 engine, based on the Cummins QSK50 Tier 2 diesel (also available with fuel-optimised calibration), rated at 1175 kW gross, a six percent increase in power over the 12-cylinder Komatsu SDA12V160 powering the HD1500-7.

“While this engine is new to the Australian imported HD1500-8, it’s been used across other Komatsu mining products, and is well-proven in the industry,” Scott adds.

MAY 2018 63

CONTRACTOR

INNOVATIONS

Far north grower turns to Fendt Northland farmer Ivan Stanisich does not lead what you would call an idle life. He has a herd of 215 milking cows and a 40 hectare avocado orchard. In his spare time he is developing another 37ha of avocados.

Ivan uses two Fendt 200 Series tractors on his property because they are big enough to power his implements and lift silage bales, but small enough to fit under avocado trees and between the rows.

The two Fendts are a 209P that he got 10 years ago and a 211P that he got last year.

The farm manager who runs the dairy side of the business now uses the older one, and Ivan has laid claim to the new one.

His property is 180 kilometres north of service centres in Whangarei and 27km north of Kaitaia. “Up here we are on our own, and I was looking for a tractor that is reliable, as downtime costs money.”

Ivan says Fendt is known for reliability and it is worth the extra penny he had such a good run with the 209P and he likes the Vario when it comes to quality and durability. transmission.

He bought the 211P when he needed another tractor to handle the More information: AGCO NZ manager Peter Scott at 272 708 027 or extra work created by the new orchard. He stuck with Fendt because Peter.Scott@agcocorp.com.

Kubota compact excavator Kubota’s KX033-4 compact, three-tonne excavator is the latest member of its KX series and replaces the KX91-3.

The machine shares many of the standard features that Kubota’s larger class machines have, including a larger cab, dash-controlled pre-sets for auxiliary circuits, and a standard hydraulic diverter valve.

“The KX033-4 is a breath of fresh air for the three to four-tonne compact excavator class,” says Kevin Hamilton, Kubota CE sales manager.

The KX033-4 is powered by a 24.8 gross horsepower Kubota direct injection Tier 4 Final certified engine, and the machine has a breakout force of 8138 pounds and a digging depth of 3.2 metres.

It also features a new control panel with five adjustable pre sets for precise flow control for the attachment and task at hand. The auxiliary hydraulic circuit is capable of a maximum oil flow of 60 litres to power a greater variety of auxiliary attachments.

Kubota is imported into New Zealand by C B Norwood Distributors.

New version of Komtrax Komatsu has released a new version of its Komtrax remote monitoring system, which it says is easier to use and more interactive for customers, allowing increased customisation, and collecting even more data from the latest Komatsu machines.

Komtrax uses satellite-based Information Communication Technology to provide constant monitoring of every machine, including operational conditions and status to help increase machine safety, productivity, uptime and availability – and reduce customers’ costs per tonne and per hour.

An important element of this new version is its new website interface, which is compatible with smartphones, tablets and computers, and which ensures users have access to information faster, and in a more easily understandable format.

Locating and getting to a machine has also been greatly simplified with a switch to Google Maps with the updated system, while trademark features, such as security capabilities, Night Lock and Calendar Lock remain.

64 www.contractormag.co.nz

INNOVATIONS

CONTRACTOR

JDoosan 40 tonne machine Kidd Contracting says it was the specs of the new Doosan DX380LC-6 that got its interest before buying a 40-50 tonne machine.

AB Equipment agreed to demo the machine and for Kidd Contracting operator Luke Bullock to put it through its paces.

At an operating weight of 40 tonnes, Doosan claims its DX380LC has performance specifications comparable to a 50-tonne excavator.

“It is nimbler which means it has the proven advantage of achieving higher productivity with superior cycle times. While this is the first model to reach New Zealand shores, more will certainly follow as word gets around about how well they perform.

“This is the case in Australia, where they have taken off big time. Being able to get

Two-year warranty on lift products Straightpoint is offering a two-year warranty as standard on its full range of load cells and other force measurement equipment.

The UK company has provided load cells around the world to ensure its loads are safe to lift, offload, pull or push for over 40 years and its products are currently being used within a wide range of industries, such as cranes and mining.

Customers could previously extend their warranty from one to two years if they completed a registration form upon purchase of a product, but the 24-month term is now honoured as standard across the catalogue of products, from the best-selling Radiolink plus load cell to its latest innovation, CableSafe, designed for measuring synthetic rope tension.

a fast, powerful machine at a price that is considerably cheaper than a 45 to 50-tonne machine is a no-brainer.”

The Sumitomo DX380LC-6 is used for bulk excavations by Kidd Contracting, and loading

and unloading dirt and clay onto trucks and trailers. The company also operates a Sumitomo 225 tonne excavator and several Bobcats.

For further information call 0800 303090.

Clever raft slab innovation Ground engineering specialists, Mainmark, resolved a major problem at a residential development in Christchurch by designing an engineered fill raft using its Terefil product.

It was the first time Terefil had been used to construct a raft slab, and it says it was an innovative and practical solution to the challenging on-site conditions.

Christchurch based builder, Offset Developments, had encountered a significant problem when laying the foundations for a 4-unit complex in Edgeware Road. A geotechnical report advised a raft was required under the slab to protect the site from possible subsidence, soil liquefaction or other potential issues, and a gravel raft was subsequently specified. However, as the water table was only 1.2 metres below the surface, the ground was simply too soft for the gravel to be compacted.

An alternative solution, which could

accommodate the shallow water table, and not delay construction, or add to the construction costs, needed to be found urgently.

Mainmark worked in consultation with Offset Developments’ engineers to address the complex situation and alleviate the impact of liquefaction by using Terefil to design a 900 millimetre raft.

Terefil, an advanced, structural lightweight polymer-modified cementitious-based filler, which is commonly used for underground void-filling, is ideal for constructing engineered fill platforms. It consists of a uniformly-distributed matrix of air bubbles generated by mixing cement slurry with stable, pre-formed hydrocarbon foam and is a smart alternative to costly, time-consuming gravel rafts or cement-stabilised crusts.

More information: www.mainmark.com/ products/terefil, or call 0800 873 835.

MAY 2018 65

CONTRACTOR

CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND

CCNZ update New Major Associate Member CCNZ welcomes Wacker Neuson as its newest Major Associate member.

• highlighted the need for stronger policing around driver detractions such as mobile phones.

For further information contact Peter Silcock 0800 692 376 or peter@civilcontractors.co.nz.

Transition is the challenge with new transport plan

National Surfacings Technical Group

CCNZ CEO, Peter Silcock, says the government’s transport priorities set out in the Draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport released in early April present both opportunities and challenges for CCNZ members.

The Draft signals a significant change with new state highway developments shelved in favour of investments in rail, light rail, more safety improvements and more road maintenance. CCNZ’s biggest concern right now is the level of infrastructure work over the next two or three years as we make that shift.

The new rail and light rail projects still need to go through the entire process of funding and financial approval, engineering and design, planning and consenting. So, while the government may be spending money, construction is at least two to three years away. CCNZ estimates this has created a $2 billion hole in our infrastructure pipeline.

We have asked the government to urgently look at this. We need some of the large shovel-ready projects that deliver on the objectives of the new GPS to be fast tracked. It is critical that we retain the capability and capacity we have built up so it’s there to deliver on the future work programme the GPS signals.

For further information contact Peter Silcock 0800 692 376 or peter@civilcontractors.co.nz.

Road worker safety Following CCNZ’s meeting with the Minister of Police, Hon Stuart Nash, and Associate Minister of Transport, Hon Julie Anne Genter, (reported last month) we have held meetings with the NZ Police and NZTA to further discuss how we can improve road worker safety.

A range of issues have been discussed and we have: • strongly supported the introduction of point to point speed monitoring • discussed how we can better design and manage TTM sites • highlighted the need to educate drivers about road work sites

NZTA in conjunction with CCNZ and the wider industry has set up a National Surfacings Technical Group. The objective of the group is to champion best practice for designing and constructing pavement surfaces. This will range from review of current specifications to promoting and supporting innovation.

The inaugural meeting took place on 27 March where the Terms of Reference were agreed, membership of the group was confirmed and a work plan was agreed upon. CCNZ Technical Manager Stacy Goldsworthy was appointed as vice chair.

If you want to know more please contact Stacy Goldsworthy on stacy@civilcontractors.co.nz.

Strong pipeline of work critical CCNZ CE, Peter Silcock, took part in a recent Radio NZ interview panel on Auckland’s infrastructure. He told listeners that playing catch up on Auckland’s infrastructure is not a new problem, but it needs a fresh approach. “Everybody needs to work together with a lot more ambition to make Auckland a better place to live.”

Peter said significant housing developments were popping up in areas that were not well served with public transport. He emphasised the need to better integrate residential, commercial, transport, three waters, energy and communications infrastructure to create a more liveable city.

Bill proposes contract labour changes If passed into law the Employment Relations (Triangular Relationships) Bill will have a major impact on contractors with collective agreements. The Bill essentially gives labour hire workers the right to be covered by the client’s collective agreement and to take personal grievances against the client if they feel aggrieved by the client’s actions.

Submissions on the Bill close on 11 May. CCNZ is working on a submission and is also assisting with information to inform Business NZ’s submissions.

ADVERT ISERS IN D EX AB Equipment 31 Allied Petroleum 53 Auckland Cranes 49 Cable 18 Canstaff 62 Contractor Recruitment 60-61 CB Norwood 47 CCNZ 50 Connexis 11, 27 Doherty Attachments 25

66 www.contractormag.co.nz

First Gas 25 Gough Cat 9 Heaney & Partners 41 Hirepool IFC, 23 Humes 23 Hynds 39 Oil Intel 33 OMC Power Equipment 12 Osborne Sales & Lease 43 Pacific Steel 37

Porter Hire 5 Real Steel 13 Smart Dig 55 Synergy Positioning 6 Transdiesel 15 TRS Tyre & Wheel OBC Youngman Richardson 7 Z 21

LAST WORD IN PICTURES Pre-PPE days in civil construction. Laying stormwater pipes in Evans Bay, Wellington late 1950s.

Photo: Evening Post (1865-2002), supplied by Alexander Turnbull Library.

TO THE

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