NZ Contractor 1607

NEW ZEALAND’S CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

The New Zealand Institute of Highway Technology Delivering valuable industry skills and training

INSIDE: In charge of transport – Fergus Gammie A Remarkable achievement in sealing at heights Pavement quality under NZTA review Supporting young dreams – racing sponsorship

J U LY 2 0 1 6 $ 8 . 9 5

DIRECTIONAL DRILLS THE BEST IN POWER AND EFFICIENCY

The Ditch Witch® JT30 Horizontal Directional Drill is your total drill solution. It offers up to 35 more horsepower than the competition and is the quietest drill in its class – all as a direct result of listening to our customers. We took feedback from years of experience in all types of job conditions and incorporated it into an innovative, industry-leading design.

You asked for it, and the JT30 delivers.

WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER.

Contact Ditch Witch New Zealand now on 0800 DWNZLTD l www.ditchwitchnz.com

CONTENTS CONTRACTOR

INSIDE: Regulars 2 Editorial 4 Upfront 6

Contractors’ Diary

16 On the Cover 52 Classic Machines 56 Motoring 58 Innovations 60 Civil Contractors NZ update 60 Advertisers’ Index

Comment 48 Peter Silcock CCNZ

49 Helen Brown / Arie Moore Kensington Swan

50 Tommy Parker NZTA

51 Janet Brothers Life Care Consultants

Training 42 Civil Trades: Meet the graduates

22 Highlights / Features 18 Profile – Fergus Gammie, New Zealand

Transport Agency

Fergus Gammie explains the meaning of ‘transport’ from his role as the Transport Agency’s new chief executive.

22 A Remarkable achievement One of the country’s highest roads was recently upgraded and extended by over 5 kilometres. Richard Silcock explains how this difficult project was achieved.

28 Supporting young dreams Alan Titchall looks at the relationship between an up-and-coming civil contractor and a young racing car driver with an eye on Bathurst.

34 RoNS – The issue of pavement quality

The third article in our series on the roading big picture focuses on a NZ Transport Agency commissioned report on big project pavement quality.

36 Quality right, no defects – An update

ON THE COVER The New Zealand Institute of Highway Technology (NZIHT) has become a valuable educational institution for this industry over the past two decades.

See page 16

The NZTA responds to the findings of the commissioned report on pavement quality and capital projects during the latter half of last year.

38 Asphalt preservation

As the quality of asphalt pavement dictates maintenance, repairs and costs, the use of third party preservation products is becoming more prevalent.

40 Government procurement – An assessment Caroline

Boot reviews attempts to incorporate sustainability into agency procurement practice.

44 History – A pub to remember them by Otago’s

Crown Range Road and its famous pub.

54 JULY 2016 3

CONTRACTOR EDITORIAL

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

Caveat emptor – or “Let the buyer beware” Some years ago I was passing through Shanghai on my way to Munich for a bauma preview event. Two items of shopping were on my modest list: new glasses (see above) and maybe a new phone. I’d heard a bargain could be had.

The glasses proved to be a success – at one third of the price I’d expect to pay here. If I’d bought locally, I’d also have had to wait two weeks for the glass to be ground in Sydney.

My Chinese glasses were created overnight.

My new phone, on the other hand, wasn’t as successful. It looked good; the box was sealed; the packaging was perfect; I even tested it – and it worked. But it was cheap. “We make them here”, I was told – which went some way to explaining the potential bargain.

So my dilemma: Was it too cheap? If a fake, was I prepared to waste the asking price, a price which would have been an absolute bargain if all had worked out OK. I think you know where this is going.

What I didn’t know until I got home is that the phone was a fake, hard-coded to only work in Chinese. A Smartphone that requires me to learn a new language isn’t very helpful, and so I quietly notched that up to experience. My pride was dented but nobody got hurt.

But what happens when the amount involved isn’t just a matter of a fake phone or knock-off brand-name luggage? What if national infrastructure is put at risk?

At what point is cheap too cheap? At what point should alarm bells ring?

Last year the NZ Transport Agency decided it was time to check out whether road pavement quality was being compromised. They wanted to know if cheap was too cheap.

In a report written by Chris Olsen Consulting, (see the article on page 34) the report has given NZTA food for thought. One of the findings is relevant here. “The D&C (Design & Construct) contracts struggled to produce quality pavements because the combination of less than optimum KPIs and a competitive market consistently produced thin, high risk, low cost pavements that sometimes appeared to compromise future lowest whole-of-life maintenance costs, coupled with a reluctance of project teams to make changes.”

In other words, when competition isn’t balanced with “best for project” Key Result Areas, lowest price isn’t the best outcome.

Sometimes cheap is too cheap. Sometimes cheap is OK. Sometimes it isn’t.

And then there’s the responsibility to ensure materials used are also fit for purpose.

If a product for a major project is bought from a low-cost source – who is responsible for that product meeting standards and being fit for purpose? The owner of the project, the project designer, the project builder, the New Zealand supplier of the product, the chain of overseas agents (on commission), the factory that makes it, or the lab that tests it?

Or is it simply a matter of “caveat emptor” and “you get what you pay for”?

Kevin Lawrence, Editor

GENERAL MANAGER & EDITOR Kevin Lawrence DDI: 09 636 5710 Mobile: 021 512 800 Email: kevin@contrafed.co.nz EDITORIAL MANAGER Alan Titchall DDI: 09 636 5712 Mobile: 027 405 0338 Email: alan@contrafed.co.nz REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Malcolm Abernethy, Mary Searle Bell, Richard Campbell, Hugh de Lacy, Cameron Officer, Richard Silcock, Chris Webb.

ADVERTISING / SALES Charles Fairbairn DDI: 09 636 5724 Mobile: 021 411 890 Email: charles@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 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 2 www.contractormag.co.nz

ALWAYS IN THE KNOW.

Anytime. Anywhere. Every Detail.

Your jobsites demand constant vigilance. Endless adjustments. Because conditions change with every load of dirt and each pass of a grader. Your goal is to make sure the next decision, and the one after that, is exactly on target. Ours is to provide the tools that make it possible.

With SITECH NZ on your side you have the comprehensive training, support and service across your job site you need across your mixed fleet.

Find out firsthand at the CCNZ Conference Booth 5 why more contractors partner with their local SITECH Technology Dealer and leverage Trimble construction technology. ÂŽ

http://www.ccnzconference.co.nz/

Your Construction Technology Provider SITECH NZ | info@SITECHnz.co.nz | 08004SITECH (0800 4748 324) www. SITECHnz.co.nz Š 2016 Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. TC-187 (06/16)

CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

Council roading collaboration catches on Local authority collaboration on roading projects has become the rage and now Northland has taken a lesson from councils in the South Island (see Contractor June 2016).

The Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA), an initiative of the four Northland councils and the NZ Transport Agency, starts this month.

However, the alliance is taking all the credit and says the idea developed over “several years”. All four councils and the NZ Transport Agency believe its establishment is the best way to make more headway with transportation and roading services.

Chairman of the Northland Regional Council Bill Shepherd says the collaboration is expected to deliver financial benefits of at least $18 million over 10 years. While road assets and budgets still remain under each council’s ownership – this is not a CCO model – and although existing levels of service will be delivered from day one, it will take some time for the additional benefits to accrue, say the councils.

Over 50 staff of the councils (the Far North District Council, Kaipara District Council, Whangarei District Council and the Northland Regional Council) and Transport Agency’s regional personnel will be working together within the Transportation Alliance some of whom will be co-located in Whangarei.

Meanwhile, Waikato councils have already jointly shaved about $350,000 off roading costs and now think there’s potential to save millions of dollars annually through even tighter cooperation.

As a result, the nine councils involved in the Waikato Road Asset Technical Accord (RATA) trial project have decided RATA will go fulltime to assist better spending decisions.

“The declared savings to date are really just the tip of the iceberg

in terms of the confidence being gained that the right investment decisions are being made through cooperation via RATA,” said Hauraki mayor John Tregidga, the chair of the Waikato Mayoral Forum’s RATA governance group.

RATA was set up in 2014 to trial ways of cutting the $160 million a year road maintenance bill faced by the participating councils.

In its first 18 months, RATA has generated $350,000 in initial savings and it’s now estimated between five and 10 percent of total costs could eventually be cut annually through efficiencies gained by working together.

“RATA has really made leaps and bounds in terms of knowledge sharing, overcoming skill shortages and working together to improve the management of road maintenance,” says Tregidga. “Establishing it for the long haul through a more permanent arrangement makes great financial sense if we can drive the sorts of savings being envisaged.

“And the New Zealand Transport Agency, which has previously provided funding for RATA, considers this model to be the national benchmark for best practice, with other regions starting to think along similar lines.”

The RATA unit will be based at Waipa District Council and led fulltime by Dawn Inglis, the current RATA project director.

RATA’s initial term will be for two years, with ongoing renewal options after that.

The nine participating councils in RATA are Waikato District Council, Hamilton City Council, Waipa District Council, Otorohanga District Council, Waitomo District Council, South Waikato District Council, Matamata Piako District Council, Hauraki District Council and Thames Coromandel District Council.

GEM Awards entries closing mid-July A reminder to those who are contracted to the Transport Agency that entries for the Going the Extra Mile (GEM) Awards are due by midday Friday July 15. The awards ceremony is being held on Thursday September 22.

Now in their fifth year, the GEM Awards are a way to celebrate contractors’ and consultants’ successes, and exhibit the outstanding examples of the diverse range of activities on the state highway network.

Through these awards, the agency acknowledges the commitment of its suppliers to its priorities and quality industry standards. Any

4 www.contractormag.co.nz

contractor or consultant who provided a service to the Transport Agency’s Highways and Network Operations group between January 2015 and April 2016 is eligible to enter.

There are two new categories this year that demonstrate innovation, and safety in design processes. There is also a Supreme Award, for the most outstanding performance in going the extra mile.

The other categories are customer care, connecting with our community, customer champion, keeping customers moving, protecting the environment, teaming up, and zero harm.

More information: www.nzta.govt.nz/gems.

The NZTA’s Spaghetti Western The $1.4 billion tunnels of the Waterview Connection, our biggest roading project and known as the ‘Spaghetti Western’, will open early next year.

The Well-Connected Alliance is currently fitting out the 2.4 kilometre long tunnels, each twice the length of the Auckland Harbour Bridge. After the fit-out work is completed, the number of workers will wind down to about 250 as they start testing. At the moment up to 1000 workers are on numerous sites around the project, which started in January 2012.

The tunnel work on the overall project has involved compacting 74,500 cubic metres of aggregate for backfill; laying almost five kilometres of drainage pipes; installing 104 flame traps; using 140,000

cubic metres of paint – black for the roof, white for the walls; and installing 4000 lights; 62 ventilation fans; 50 kilometres of cable trays to support wiring and equipment; 400 kilometres or 270 tonnes of cabling and wiring; CCTV cameras and signage; and five deluge storage tanks for fire control.

A NEW WINNING COMBINATION. Youngman Richardson and Co are now proud to exclusively distribute Selwood Pumps - established in 1946 and a market leader in vacuum assisted super silent mobile pumps. The perfect fit with Youngman Richardson & Co - a world-leading supplier of quality industrial equipment with a back-up service that’s the ‘best in the business’. Two of the best, just got better.

AUCKLAND HEAD OFFICE Phone: (+64) 09 443 2436 Email: sales@yrco.co.nz

SOUTH ISLAND OFFICE Phone: (+64) 03 341 6923 Email:saleschch@yrco.co.nz

YRCO.CO.NZ

SELWO PUMPS P OD AR SERVICE TS, PRODUC & T RANGE AVAILAB LE

SELWOOD www.selwoodpumps.com

JULY 2016 5

CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

Coastal Otago NOC awarded to Downer The Transport Agency has awarded Downer NZ a new seven-year Network Outcomes Contract (NOC) to manage the Coastal Otago State Highway network.

Downer has held the preceding hybrid State Highway maintenance contracts for the past 15 years, together with its services supplier, MWH. “The new $86 million contract starts this winter, from July 1,” says Ian Duncan, the Transport Agency’s Southern Business Unit manager.

“Contract tenure will be based upon Downer achieving a number of monthly and annual performance measures which evaluate the efficiency, responsiveness and quality of their work.”

The contract value of $86 million for the seven-year term is just over $12 million per year.

Downer’s Coastal Otago NOC team, led by Paul Jamison, is made up of around 45 staff from Downer, MWH, SouthRoads, McDonough, and Buxton Consulting. They will be based from Downer’s regional office in Green Island, Dunedin, with a secondary office in Oamaru and depots and machinery/storage yards in Balclutha, Tapanui, Lawrence, Milton, Middlemarch, Palmerston, Otematata, and Omarama.

“The Coastal Otago state highway network is one of the largest in the country, stretching from its northern extent at the Waitaki River to the Lindis Pass summit, inland to Raes Junction, and south to the boundary between Otago and Southland south of Waipahi,” says Ian.

Trimble gathering Registration is open for Trimble Dimensions 2016 User Conference, a three-day learn and network event being held at The Venetian in Las Vegas. Attendees will see first-hand how their industry peers use Trimble’s end-to-end technology and learn how new tools, processes and ideas can help make a positive impact on their business.

Conference highlights include: Over 450 educational sessions; more than 30 specialised tracks with many sessions qualifying for professional development hours; on-site product demonstrations showing the latest solutions and workflows; computer software training labs; and an expo showcasing new products, innovations and technical presentations.

For more information or to register visit: trimbledimensions.com.

Early bird registration is available until July 31, 2016.

Porter’s new state-of-the-art HQ Porter Group, New Zealand’s largest construction equipment sales and rental identity, has started the build of its state-ofthe-art global headquarters in Hamilton.

The completion date for the build is expected to be the end of this year.

The build coincides with Porter Group’s development of a large industrial estate in the northern end of Hamilton adjacent to the new expressway to Auckland. The estate has attracted companies such as Mainfreight, NZ Post and Colonial Motors.

“With Porter Group’s growth and expansion into other countries over the years, we felt the new headquarters needed to signify a global approach from the company rather than just our domestic headquarters,” says Porter’s director Robin Porter.

The design process has taken almost three years, sits on 200,000 square metres of land and incorporates a number of advanced technological and sustainable features.

“We have really worked hard with our designers to push the boundaries of sustainability. This site has been designed in accordance with four-star green rating standards,” says Robin.

A large atrium will be the centre focus of the building and will house global product that Porter Group distributes. The site will also incorporate what will be New Zealand’s largest parts warehouse dedicated to construction equipment parts.

This massive building covers approximately 8000 square metres and will house over $40 million of parts ready for distribution throughout Oceania and the South Pacific.

CONTRACTORS’ DIARY Date

Event & Venue

Contact

13-14 Jun 22-25 Jun 13-15 Jul 27-29 Jul 3-6 Aug 10-12 Aug 30 Oct-1 Nov 7-8 Nov

The Intelligent Infrastructure Summit IPWEA NZ Conference, Auckland Joint AQA/IoQ QuarryNZ Conference, Blenheim Crane Association Conference, Nelson Civil Contractors NZ Conference, Auckland Heavy Haulage Assoc Conference, Christchurch NZTA/NZIHT 17th Annual Conference, Dunedin NAMS Advanced Asset Management Forum, Wellington

www.conferenz.co.nz conferenceteam.co.nz/ipweanz2016 www.aqa.org.nz www.cranes.org.nz/conference www.ccnzconference.co.nz www.hha.org.nz www.nziht.co.nz/conferences-and-seminars www.nams.org.nz

Road Infrastructure Management Forum, Waipuna Hotel, Auckland

www.rims.org.nz/

2017 22-23 Mar

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

6 www.contractormag.co.nz

0% FINANCE® ON ALL CAT

COMPACT

MACHINES THIS IS AN OFFER NOT TO BE MISSED!*

Finance available on the following Cat machines: • Mini Excavators • Multi Terrain Loaders • Compact Track Loaders • Skid Steer Loaders • Compact Wheel Loaders Contact your local Machine Sales Representative today to find out how we can help you get started.

YOUR GOUGH CAT MACHINE SALES TEAM - BY REGION

*Terms and Conditions apply.

Northland Jimmy Brewin 021 860 074

East Cape, Hawkes Bay & Wairarapa Heath Stewart 029 247 3929

Auckland Bryce Mason 021 682 403 Waikato James West 029 299 8909

Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Scott Bonnington 029 200 8382 Canterbury Matt Holloway 029 208 0423

Rotorua & Bay of Plenty Shayne Kennedy 029 200 7270

Otago Brent Duncan 029 222 4682

Central North Island Paul Roche 021 954 376

Southland Pete Shaw 021 277 6597

Taranaki, Manawatu & Wellington Carl Southee 021 981 850

BUILT FOR IT.

™

Branches Nationwide | Phone 0800 93 39 39 | GoughCat.co.nz

CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

Concrete slabs seminars Concrete slabs on grade constitute a significant portion of total build costs for commercial buildings, and the quality of the floor can have major implications on the productivity and efficiency of the finished building. Consequently, optimising the design, layout and thickness of commercial concrete slabs on grade is essential.

The concrete association has been running seminars on this subject throughout the country and the last of them will be held at North Harbour on July 5; Auckland July 6; and Taupo July 7. To register or for more information call 09 536 5410 or email concrete@ bluepacificevents.com.

FH searches for new MD Fulton Hogan managing director Nick Miller is stepping down from the position after seven years.

Miller has been credited with positioning the company for a strong future in both New Zealand and Australia. Under his leadership the company has made significant progress on its journey to zero harm, doubled profitability, consolidated its Australasian and Pacific geographic footprint, whilst retaining its strong family ethos. The company is now searching for his replacement – both here and overseas. Miller will stay on as MD until March 2017 or until his successor has been appointed.

Brynderwyns over-cost The Brynderwyns project was debated in Parliament recently as it went $3 million over budget.

Pointing the bone is Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters who claims the Brynderwyns improvements continue to cost more each month, threatening other needed roading infrastructure projects in Northland.

“The government has yet to show where they put the $69 million, the amount they promised to spend on 10 new two-lane bridges – none of which have been built and only four are on the project books,” he says.

The Associate Minister of Transport Craig Foss says the blow-out so far – from $15.9 million to $18.9 million – resulted from ‘new information’ on geotech issues that weren’t allowed for in the initial planning and budget.

Green light for big works in Auckland Construction of the City Rail Link is officially underway as a catalyst for many millions of dollars in development around Auckland’s CBD. Back in January the government agreed to work with Auckland Council to bring forward a joint business plan for the CRL and formalise funding commitments from 2020, allowing construction to get underway. Details of the project are now being resolved, including how project risks around costs, construction and operation are addressed.

The 3.4 kilometre underground train line will run from Britomart station in downtown Auckland through the CBD to connect with the existing western line at Mt Eden station.

“With an estimated cost of around $2.5 billion, the CRL will be one of New Zealand’s largest-ever infrastructure projects,” says Transport Minister Simon Bridges. It is estimated the project will take five and a half years to build at a cost of $2.5 billion when inflated to 2024 costs.

8 www.contractormag.co.nz

HIP has a new home The Transport Agency’s Highway Information Portal (HIP) looks a little different now after all the information and pages on the HIP have been migrated to nzta.govt.nz to give it the same look and feel.

Previously, the HIP was run off a separate platform, but now has a new URL: www.nzta.govt.nz/roads-and-rail/highwaysinformation-portal/.

All previous HIP pages have been automatically redirected to the new HIP pages since the beginning of June.

Content and structure of the site is largely unchanged, says the agency, with the exception of SAP and TIO being moved into the Processes section. The Air Quality and Acoustics websites of the Environment and Urban Design team have also been incorporated into the new HIP. Make sure you check out the new ‘tools section’, which has many different calculators and tools that may be useful for you.

The agency also says it is in the process of reconfiguring all the maintenance, operations and renewals pages, so watch this space.

Feedback invited via hip.feedback@nzta.govt.nz or Monica Coulson, monica.coulson@nzta.govt.nz.

NZTA state highway plan The NZ Transport Agency’s state highway plan for 2016/17 is now available and group manager Highways and Network Operations Tommy Parker says the coming financial year is the second in the 2015-2018 National Land Transport Programme, therefore the priorities are to carry on with work-in-progress activities, planned maintenance and some new capital improvement projects.

The Transport Agency has $2.2 billion of revenue for its 2016/17 activities and $542 million is allocated to operations, maintenance and renewals for the coming year.

A large proportion of the capital improvements programme is already committed to a range of projects throughout the country.

Much of this is continuing the Roads of National Significance programme.

The state highway plan, with regional details, can be found on www.nzta.govt.nz/state-highway-plan.

Arrangement over melter aggregate The Transport Agency and NZ Steel have reached an arrangement over distribution of a percentage of the annual supply of the NZ Steel melter aggregate – an aggregate with good skid resistance properties.

National Pavements manager John Donbavand says NZ Steel’s melter chip offers significant benefits, and the agency is keen to maximise them by using it on those sites which require higher skid resistance.

“As there is a limited quantity of this chip that can be produced each year we have reached an arrangement with NZ Steel whereby we will specify those projects that will use this chip for the upcoming roading season,” says John.

The arrangement means that the agency will nominate those projects which are to receive melter chip, with NZ Steel then supplying the respective contractors with the aggregate.

UPFRONT CONTRACTOR

Tauranga sewage project stalled Tauranga’s $102 million Southern Pipeline sewage project has ended up in the High Court after it reached an unformed legal ‘paper’ road at Matapihi and was blocked by trustees of adjoining blocks of Maori-owned land.

The pipeline, which will carry human and industrial waste from the city’s southern suburbs through the middle of the largely Maori-owned peninsula, has been the target of long-standing opposition on cultural grounds.

The legal right of the council to use the unformed road as the route for the final leg of the pipeline from Matapihi Road to SH29, before it linked into the Te Maunga sewage treatment works, is at the heart of the dispute.

Council chief executive Garry Poole said the council was seeking a declaratory judgment at the High Court to determine ownership of the paper road.

The hearing took place in Hamilton last month with construction on hold pending the outcome of the court decision.

High Hazard Team workshops The WorkSafe High Hazard Unit team (HHU) has been holding workshops throughout the country on Certificates of Competence; oral examinations; continued professional development; and the New Health and Safety at Work Act. This is an opportunity to hear HHU inspectors and the New Zealand Mining Board of Examiners secretariat explain these important topics and to ask questions.

The workshops will contribute towards formal CPD and food will be available.

The dates for the remaining workshops (which are all held between 6pm and 8pm) are: Auckland, July 7, Copthorne Hotel, 150 Anzac Avenue; Westport, July 21, Westport RSA, 137 Palmerston Street; Dunedin, August 9, Scenic Hotel, 123 Princes Street; Invercargill, August 25, Ascot Park Hotel, Corner Tay Street and Racecourse Road; and Palmerston North, September 6, Copthorne Hotel, 110 Fitzherbert Street.

You can register for the workshops by emailing gina.matenga@worksafe.govt.nz.

Asphalt as you’ve never seen it before.

StreetPrint™ produces realistic brick, slate, stone and other effects on an asphalt base.

It gives you a cost effective, durable surface with low maintenance requirements, long lasting colour and chemical resistance.

To find out how StreetPrint™ can enhance your project, see www.streetprintnz.co.nz or call ASCO on 0508 222 002.

JULY 2016 9

CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

A Mikasa MVCT90E forward plate compactor from Youngman Richardson was auctioned for charity – KidsCan. Valued at $3000 it fetched over $4000 and was won by Hugh Johnstone.

Oh what a night!

The second Hynds Construction Awards gala dinner hosted by the Auckland branch of CCNZ attracted over 400 attendees; a 25 percent increase on the inaugural event.

Great catering, masterly staging by Te Radar and informal speeches made the evening a huge success for all parties involved, including the sponsors.

Having launched this award dinner last year, the Auckland branch has created a ‘not-to-be-missed’ happening for all the association’s members and suppliers.

Hynds Construction Awards Winners

1

2

Category A: Earth Stability Project: Fairclough Road EQC Slip Repair Category B: J & R Contracting Ltd Project: City Rail Link Services Relocation Category C: PipeWorks Project: Scarlock Avenue Culvert CIPP Lining Category D: Brian Perry Civil Project: FY16 Auckland International Airport Taxiway A1A Concrete Slab Replacement Category E: Fulton Hogan Project: Northern Winter Remote Hardstands Category F: Causeway Alliance Project: Causeway Upgrade Women in Construction: Pauline Nobbs Traffic Manager, Causeway Alliance

AB Equipment People Awards Outstanding Individual of the Year: Greg Wichman Project Director, McConnell Dowell Constructors Young Engineer of the Year: Brad Wallace Senior Project Engineer, CPB Contractors Young Contractor of the Year: Hugh Johnstone Managing Director, Johnstone Construction

10 www.contractormag.co.nz

1. Young Contractor of the Year was won by Hugh Johnstone, managing director Johnstone Construction.

2. Dave Jewell a judge, recieves a gift from MC Te Radar

VAUGHAN’S BRIDGE Site Project Name Project Owner Engineers Main Contractor

Long Bay, Auckland Vaughan’s Bridge Todd Property Novare Design HEB Structures

With the restricted nature of building suspended abutments, the Complete Reinforcing placing and technical teams collaborated to develop a methodology to prefabricate in only one section at our Auckland factory.

The prefabricated cages were 17m long 1.7m wide and 2m high.

The considerable amount of detail and planning that made up the prefabrication methodology for this structure was the result of our drafting, detailing and placing staff working closely with site management.

Under normal circumstances, it would have taken six men and a full-time crane two weeks to install both abutments. Complete Reinforcing’s prefabrication method achieved the same outcome with only four men and four hours of crane time.

Talk to us or send your tender documents to quotes@completereo.co.nz Auckland 09 271 7419 Christchurch 03 982 5053

Cromwell 03 445 4639 Nelson 021 588 944

For more information visit

completereinforcing.co.nz 4530

CONTRACTOR UPFRONT

Teeing up a fight

Contractors for Charity is the brainchild of Brad Flower of Downer (left).

He and Tony King of Fulton Hogan faced each other in the ring in 2012.

Contractors for Charity is a group of Northland firms giving back to their community through an annual boxing tournament and golf day, and, in doing so, improving the locals’ perception of the industry. BY MARY SEARLE BELL. IT ALL STARTED as a good way to get fit. Brad Flower, Downer Northland area manager, was a bit out of shape and was looking for a challenge that would motivate him to get to the gym. He’d seen a police charity boxing match and thought he’d challenge his rival over at Fulton Hogan to a few rounds in the ring – and then wondered if anyone would pay to watch?

Fulton Hogan construction manager and long-time mate Tony King liked the idea and readily agreed to the idea of a boxing tournament.

Both companies soon found willing fighters among their staff.

In no time at all, Contractors for Charity was set up, the thinking being that it was a great way for the local contracting industry to give back to the Northland community.

At the time Brad was chairman of the local branch of what was the Contractors’ Federation and fully appreciated the need to improve the public’s perception of the industry and its workers.

“You get lots of negativity in the press regarding contractors and we’re very aware our work is paid for with the ratepayers’ money,” explains Brad. “Although lots of contractors give back to their communities it’s often on the quiet; we wanted something a little more public.”

That first match was held back in 2012. Downer and Fulton Hogan each fronted up with 13 fighters and the event raised $50,000 for local charities.

The following year Transfield Services and United Civil Construction were invited to join the organisation, and since then things have continued to grow.

The tournament now includes boxers from supply firms such as Humes, as well as competitors from related industries such as building and concrete.

Brad says that by expanding the pool from where the fighters are sourced they have been able to tap into a wider range of sponsors. It’s also good for the longevity of the event as it can be quite expensive for the competitors and their companies when you add up the cost of training, gear and time off work (due to training commitments or injury).

Last year’s fight night drew a crowd of 900 to Northland’s 12 www.contractormag.co.nz

Kensington Stadium. This year’s event, scheduled for September 3, will be bigger than ever.

Brad says the 50 entries, which includes 13 female fighters, will be whittled down to 34, and he expects to lose a few more over the coming months to injury (training is very physically demanding). On the night there will be 14 or 15 fights.

This is no casual affair. Boxing is a tough sport and not one to dabble in without training and the necessary fitness. All fighters must go to an appropriate trainer and Joe Pitman, a well-known local boxing coach, will inspect each fighter during their training and give the nod as to whether they can fight at the event.

Joe is also responsible for pairing the combatants – as per the rules, opposing fighters must weigh within four kilograms of each other.

Organising the event is no small task, and over the past three years this has fallen to Kylie Wech from Downer. In addition to the fights, the event needs an MC, sound crew, videographer, St John staff, a doctor, judges and officials, event security, door staff, bar staff, caterers, waiters and volunteers.

The fight night uses 80 volunteers from local schools and community groups, with each volunteer receiving $100 for their chosen charity.

Contractors for Charity also runs a golf day. Realising that boxing is not everyone’s thing, they set up an annual event which enables contractors, suppliers, stakeholders and the local council to come together for a fun day out while raising money for a good cause.

Held at the end of the construction season, around 25 teams of four tee off for a fun day of Ambrose rules, networking and lots of prizes.

So far Contractors for Charity has donated over $124,000 to the Northland community.

Now in its fifth year and facing its biggest event yet, Brad’s idea to get himself fit has blossomed into an exciting vehicle for the industry to give back, and to give the locals a favourable impression of contractors.

CONFERENCE 2016 72 nd annual conference, 3-6 August 2016 SKYCITY Convention Centre, Auckland

SMART CONTRACTING

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Registration Information and Programme Updates available at: www.ccnzconference.co.nz

• Network opportunities to renew old relationships and build new ones • Participate in discussion forums • Celebrate success at the CCNZ/Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards formal dinner, plus the Z Awards lunch for the Z People Awards and Connexis Company Awards

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr Paul Wood

Ian Taylor

PLENARY AND CONCURRENT SESSIONS

conference partners

Cecilia Robinson

(Partners’ Programme Presenter)

Your opportunity to be enlightened by informative plenary and concurrent business sessions tailored to both small and larger firms.

Topics will include:

• Future Technology • Business Challenges • Procurement • Health and Safety • Technology • Project Delivery • Client Procurement Updates • Hirepool Award Presentations • Education to Careers • Legal • Civil Contractors New Zealand Technical Updates For further information on the Speakers including abstracts please visit the conference website

www.ccnzconference.co.nz

Conference Organisers, ForumPoint2 Conference Partners, 07 838 1098, paula@fp2.co.nz

CONTRACTOR OBITUARY

Passionate perfectionist Southland contractor GORDON HOFFMAN died on January 9, 2016 at the age of 86. A stalwart of his community, from an early age Gordon was fascinated by machinery, good with his hands and not afraid of hard work.

A self-made man, he began with nothing.

But he was ambitious. Born Andrew Gordon Hoffman in 1930, Gordon grew up in the shadow of the Depression. It was a time when people didn’t have much and consequently he learned to make do with what he had and would repair anything. His father had a mechanic shop and Gordon loved to build and fix things there – a passion that stayed with him all his life.

This magical combination of drive and can-do delivered Gordon a successful career in the contracting industry, however, things could have been quite different if he had been able to pursue his childhood dream of being a sign writer.

His son Grant told Contractor that Gordon was artistic and, as a child, would make detailed models of trucks and buses out of whatever he could find (including discarded gold leaf from his father’s work) and emblazon AG Hoffman on the side. However, when he left school he couldn’t get a job as a sign writer and instead began working for automotive parts retailer John Chambers as a parts man.

He was ideally suited to the role, having already, as a teenager, built his own car.

Based on an Austin 7, he would drive it to school – not only was he the only pupil with a car, some of the teachers didn’t even own one. He also bought and rebuilt motorbikes before trading them on.

He worked for John Chambers for a few years until, one day, Ross Grey came into the shop and said he wanted to go into business with him. The plan was to buy a dragline and undertake excavation work.

Gordon could see this was a great opportunity so resigned and took up a position with Southland Catchment Board purely to learn how to operate a dragline.

In Valerie Davidson’s book, No Degree for Experience she writes that after Gordon had been with the Catchment Board for six months his foreman heard that he had ordered his own dragline excavator so took a special trip out to site to sack him.

By this stage Gordon had learnt all he needed, so he and Ross formed a partnership and got their first job. They spent a year working in Hokonui before getting their next 14 www.contractormag.co.nz

contract at Scott’s Gap. Grant Hoffman says his father and Ross would between them do two shifts in one day – one sleeping in the ute while the other operated the machine, greasing it up before they switched places.

They had that dragline working 16 hours a day, and managed to pay it off in 18 months.

It wasn’t easy work. They were in very wet country and in those days tracks didn’t have cleats. This meant the machine would slide down the hill as they were working.

Their solution was to suspend the dragline from a winch.

A couple of years later the two parted ways amicably – Ross went back to Hokonui while Gordon stayed at Scott’s Gap for several years before undertaking farming development work in the Brydone/Mataura district.

Gordon had married in 1954 and the family wanted to move closer to town. He saw an opportunity in civil drainage work so in 1960 tendered and won a contract to undertake sewer/stormwater and water reticulation work for the Ministry of Works in Invercargill.

Grant says Gordon didn’t understand the design documents so employed an engineer to take care of that, nor did he know anything about drainage, so he employed a drainlayer to solve that particular problem!

“He had a tremendous knack for picking good people,” says Grant. “It was one of the secrets to his success. He treated his staff well – paid them well – and so they were loyal.”

Grant says that at one time the average employment service at AG Hoffman was 30 years (retirements are the main reason that statistic has dropped). Company accountant Russell Walker is still there though – he joined the business back in 1968.

Gordon himself retired in the early 1990s, his eldest and youngest sons, Grant and Dale, taking over the company. He always wanted to know what was going on though – the jobs, the machines, the people, says Grant.

“He never interfered, but it was his baby.”

Gordon’s passion for cars stayed with him his whole life. What began with building his own car in high school progressed to building a sports car in the 1950s. Based on an Austin 7, Grant says the quality was so high it looked like it was manufactured in a factory. He also fully restored five vintage cars – a 1918 and a 1924 Dodge coupe, a 1924 Buick and a 1930 Austin 7, all of which are still in the family, and a 1938 Morris that he sold, and which,

in an eerie coincidence, was driven past the cemetery during Gordon’s funeral.

Dale Hoffman says everything his father touched ended up better than before.

“People liked to buy his second-hand cars as they were in showroom condition when he sold them.

“He was a perfectionist – his gear was well maintained and his workshop spotless.”

During the heyday of AG Hoffman in the 1970s, the company employed 100 staff and had a large workshop. Dale says that machinery back then was not as reliable as it is now, and servicing by the supplier could takes weeks so Gordon preferred to do most of the maintenance in-house.

On top of his busy career and car hobby Gordon was very active in the community and held the position of chairman for a local business group, Rotary and the IHC, and served as an elder in his church. Naturally, he also served his local branch of the Contractors’ Federation, twice holding the post of chairman during his 30-year tenure on the committee.

Gordon is survived by his wife Margaret and their four children, Grant, twins Paul and Lynette, and Dale.

By Mary Searle Bell

OBITUARY CONTRACTOR

Another good bugger leaves us Otago contractor ROSS MENZIES lost his battle with cancer in mid-May, at the age of 68.

Described by close friend Kelvin Read as a hard worker and “real good bugger”, Ross was keen on big machines from boyhood, a passion that was to last a lifetime.

Born William Ross Menzies on March 2, 1948, Ross was the son of a bricklayer.

As soon as he could walk he was out with his father, climbing on machinery. Not one for school, he left as soon as he turned 15 (although he had wagged the prior few months because, as a fifth former, he was required to wear long trousers, something he refused to do).

Free from school, he began his career doing farm work where he ploughed paddocks with a steel-wheeled tractor.

Later work had him driving an old D2 Caterpillar tractor, with sacks over his knees and sugar bags on his feet to try and stay warm.

He had his first taste of roading work with Green and McCahill, where he operated dozers and scrapers during the construction of the Mt Cook Road.

In the early 1970s he headed to Australia

to work in the mines – the bigger the machine, the better. After nine years he returned to Dunedin and to Contract Cultivation where he undertook road construction and the like before joining Fulton Hogan for a 15 year stint running the excavation side of things for the company’s Dunedin branch.

His career then changed abruptly when he and his wife Judy bought the Waihola Tavern. They completely refurbished it, transforming it from a dodgy pub into one of the best in the region.

While running the pub he began dabbling in contracting again when railway workers recommended he buy machinery that would ride the rails. So he did. The contracting business grew (up to 30 staff at one point) so the pub was sold and Ross was back contracting full time under the name of Waihola Earthmoving.

He undertook subdivision work and built water races for Transpower’s hydropower stations. He also constructed a significant percentage of Otago’s rail trails – building a lot of the Clutha Gold Trail between Lawrence and Roxburgh. Work he thoroughly enjoyed.

Adding yet another string to his bow,

“He liked to tinker – if he could think of an idea of how to get something to work better, he’d get his welder out and get to it.”

Ross also started a fish shop in Waihola.

Fishermen from Taieri Mouth had been paying for beer in the pub with fish and he was getting too much to use in the pub’s restaurant. The solution: a top notch fish and chip shop – one that went on to win awards.

“He’d try anything,” says Kelvin. “He hated being idle – he worked right up to the very end.

“He liked to tinker – if he could think of an idea of how to get something to work better, he’d get his welder out and get to it.”

Ross became involved with the Otago branch of the Contractors’ Federation during Kelvin’s tenure as chairman about 12 to 15 years ago. He was enthusiastic about the local excavator operator competition and determined to make it an outstanding event. He began by getting it tied into the local A&P show and things progressed upwards from there.

“He got some real spark into it,” says Kelvin. “We now have six to eight mini diggers for the kids and at the beginning of each day there are huge queues of kids waiting for a turn. He wanted the event to have lots of action – everything had to go.

Go, go, go – that was him.”

That being said he was always keen for beer o’clock, says Kelvin. And he had that organised too, with a cold one ready for everyone who helped out.

“He was a real man’s man,” says Kelvin.

“Rough around the edges, but a top bloke.

He could turn his hand to anything, and he did. ‘Let’s just f***ing do it’ was his catchphrase.”

Kelvin also describes him as a real petrolhead. The two, along with other mates, had an annual trip to Australia to watch the V8s race and have attended every V8 race in New Zealand since it was founded. But Ross was interested in any type of motorsport – in his younger years he was right into jet boating, says Kelvin, and travelled the country to race.

Family was also important to Ross.

His wife Judy was originally married to his best mate who was tragically killed in an accident. Ross looked out for her after her husband’s death and the two fell in love and were married.

Ross raised his three stepsons, Brett, the late Dallas and Scott Leebody as his own and particularly enjoyed spending family time together at their holiday home in Central Otago.

By Mary Searle Bell JULY 2016 15

CONTRACTOR ON THE COVER

Matt Sanger

Delivering industry skills and training

The New Zealand Institute of Highway Technology (NZIHT) has become a valuable educational institution for this industry over the past two decades.

FOUNDED OVER 20 YEARS AGO , NZIHT is an organisation that specialises in the national and international delivery of skills and training across all sectors of the roading, engineering, civil construction and the oil and gas industries. NZIHT utilises a network of independent consultants who are experts in their respective fields.

A typical student profile is Matt Sanger from the New Plymouth District Council.

He finished year 13 at High School and has been studying the New Zealand Diploma in Engineering Civil for the past four 16 www.contractormag.co.nz

years with NZIHT. “It has been great to be able to study and work full time so that I can get engineering experience as well as a qualification,” says Matt.

“I am finishing the course this semester and it will allow me to work all around the world. Being in the engineering industry it allows me to be a part of building and maintaining the communities’ infrastructure and shaping the way we live.”

Matt chose NZIHT when he applied for a job at the New Plymouth District Council for the

role of an Engineering Cadet in Reticulation.

“One of the requirements of my new job was to study within the NZDE (Civil) programme and become qualified. My new employer directed me towards NZIHT, as its block course model had received some very positive comments in the past from council employees.”

Matt adds that he really loved the practical experience he received through the block courses.

“The fact that I get to mix with other students who are employed in different

“Relevant and measureable quality training, education and professional development are paramount for business growth, creating efficiencies and minimising risk.”

parts of the Civil Engineering industry has broadened my perception of how the industry works as a whole. It’s amazing to see how many different types of roles and specialisations are available in the Engineering field.”

NZIHT training and skill programmes NZIHT delivers formal qualifications, from certificate to post graduate level, across 30 locations across the country via a block course/cadetship model.

The organisation also offers a diverse range of over 200 targeted short courses for industry that reflect current practice and trends. NZIHT provides customised in-house training sessions should they be required as well.

The tertiary programmes have in-takes twice per year, with the next start date being this month (July 2016). The NZIHT block course delivery model is supported by industry across New Zealand providing access to quality tuition from NZIHT tutors.

NZIHT also organises events, conferences and seminars across multiple industries. It provides full management, coordination, planning and the running of the event to ensure it is successful and meets the delegates’ or attendees’ expectations.

“Relevant and measureable quality training, education and professional development are paramount for business growth, creating efficiencies and minimising risk,” says Glen West, NZIHT executive director.

“Training creates a resilient, wellinformed workforce and gives both the individual and employer a competitive advantage. Ensuring that your employees are trained to a high standard will guarantee your business’s position above your competitors.

“We are continuously introducing more courses and are developing additional programmes to widen the portfolio to

assist industry in capability building. Each year we see over 2700 people across New Zealand and off shore embark on upskilling and training with NZIHT – evidence of the value placed on professional development.

“We are introducing more courses than ever before and our portfolio is continually growing as we respond to industry need.

Our goal is to assist in the skill building of the current and future industry workforce to deliver quality, aid succession planning and career advancement.”

Richard Martin, NZIHT business development manager says that as valued stakeholders all Contractor readers are invited to discuss, explore and target their business training and professional development needs with the institute.

“We also have the ability to tailor make courses for you that can be delivered in house to teams. NZIHT remains committed and focused on outcomes to industry, employers and our communities.

“We also encourage you to make contact and explore your training needs with us. We are frequently introducing more courses and working with industries to develop training needed now and in the future to assist your capability building, increasing productivity, quality and employee retention.”

Meanwhile we asked Matt how the NZ Diploma in Civil Engineering has helped his career, and whether he would recommend NZIHT to others.

“I am employed as a Civil Engineering Cadet at the moment. I view the qualification as a fantastic starting point for entry into the Civil Engineering industry. I see the NZDE as a real stepping stone for greater things to come and increased opportunities to advance my career.

“Attending the NZDE block course study with NZIHT is a fantastic way to combine work experience with good theoretical knowledge. It is a brilliant way to work and study at the same time.”

Richard Martin

Glen West

If you need more advice or want to discuss options with NZIHT, contact:

NZIHT Head Office Contact us: www.nziht.co.nz Phone: 06 759 7065 Email: adim@nziht.co.nz

Business Development Manager Richard Martin: Richard@nziht.co.nz Phone: 06 759 7065 / 027 777 1338

Executive Director Glen West: Glen@nziht.co.nz Phone: 06 759 7065 NZIHT is a 100 percent owned subsidiary of The Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki.

•

JULY 2016 17

CONTRACTOR PROFILE

Fergus Gammie.

18 www.contractormag.co.nz

In charge of our transport Fergus Gammie explains the meaning of ‘transport’ from his role as the Transport Agency’s new chief executive. By RICHARD SILCOCK.

QUIETLY SPOKEN but confident perhaps best describes Fergus

Gammie, the new chief executive of the Transport Agency.

He took over the role in March this year, having moved back here from Australia. Since then he says has been reacquainting himself with the transport sector, meeting with key organisations and listening to staff at NZTA offices around the country.

He grew up in the Wairarapa, attended Rathkeale College and went on to Victoria University in Wellington, graduating with a BA. He also attended Henley Management College, completing a certificate in management.

His first job was with the Education Department’s School Transport Unit and he says, “transport has been a part of my life ever since”. He later moved to the Urban Transport Council in Wellington and did a stint as a consultant with a private consultancy.

“I have worked in the transport sector all my working life and I am passionate about it. Since the early 1900s transport has made an enormous contribution to this country’s economy, to the social fabric of our society and the way people work and live.”

Looking back to when he was CE of the Auckland Regional Transport Authority and then COO at Auckland Transport (between 2006 and 2010), it was a time, he says, that was crucial for Auckland.

“Both organisations were focused on communicating the message that a wider diversity of transport modes was key to solving the city’s transport issues.

“At the time there was a fair amount of scepticism around that thinking as the answer to Auckland’s needs was seen as

being geared to road transport, but nowadays most people recognise and accept that all modes of transport need to be integrated and working together in tandem across the city.

“It’s fantastic that these initiatives have materialised, or are moving to implementation – we now have electric trains running to an underground station in Auckland’s CBD and a project to build an inner city rail link.”

Fergus moved to Sydney in 2011 as deputy director, Transport Infrastructure and Services at Transport for NSW when it was being established and the NSW government was restructuring Transport to become more fully integrated and customer focused. He led a team of 1300, managed an operating budget of A$3 billion and projects totalling A$11 billion, ie, the new busway for Sydney’s northern beaches and the ‘OPAL’ smart card ticketing system that allows integrated travel on all forms of public transport.

Asked about the significant differences between how things are done here as distinct from across the ditch, Fergus says contracting using the PPP model is historically more widely practised across Australia for major road and rail developments, but has only been used for some bigger current projects here ie, Transmission Gully.

“They are much further ahead as far as this type of contracting

“...nowadays most people recognise and accept that all modes of transport need to be integrated and working together in tandem across the city.”

JULY 2016 19

CONTRACTOR PROFILE

Great North Road Interchange, Waterview Connection

goes, however NZTA has developed some really good models, for example, the NOC maintenance contracts and construction alliances, which have been very successful.

“For PPP to work successfully there needs to be an economy of scale, surety and a long-term investment by all involved parties for up to 20 to 30 years.

“As an agency, with a staff of around 1400 and an expenditure budget of near $4 billion, NZTA has been very successful in getting roads built and introducing those procurement models.

“It also has an excellent long-term and stable relationship with contractors and suppliers and we value these relationships.

“From my recent conversations with some of the larger contracting companies I believe there is a good element of understanding and trust on both sides and that is a priority for me to continue. All our highway operations are essentially in partnership with contractors and this is critical for enabling innovation, good value and successful outcomes.

“I am also aware that some of the smaller operators end up subcontracting to the bigger organisations so we need to ensure they have a place in our smaller projects.

“Roads are always going to be important for New Zealand.

Currently and in collaboration with our contractors and partners we are working on some big projects, for example, Waterview, the Western Ring Route, the East/West arterial in Auckland, the four-laning of SH1 Puhoi to Warkworth, the Waikato Expressway, and Transmission Gully and the Kapiti Expressway in Wellington.

“These represent around $2.2 billion in development expenditure.

Our capital improvement/maintenance programme over the coming year will be around $1.6 billion and will include retrofitting the Lyttelton Tunnel and Stage 2 of the Christchurch Southern corridor.”

Fergus says the agency is also working closely with KiwiRail on integrating the road/rail networks and with local authorities on public transport and cycleways.

In answer to what challenges lie ahead for the agency, he says transport is very broad in today’s terms.

“It’s not just about planning and building roads and infrastructure, or managing that infrastructure – it’s also about providing a safe transport system through regulatory services, understanding and focusing on customers’ needs and expectations, and meeting the rapid technological challenges and broader outcomes that better integrated transport systems bring.

20 www.contractormag.co.nz

“Moving more of our regulatory services online and introducing systems like the Wellington Smart Motorway are good examples of using technology.

“Electric and autonomous vehicles are also set to become more prevalent in the future and this may change the way roads are used and we, and indeed the whole industry, need to be ready to embrace these technological changes.

“While there is no doubt that another of the big challenges is the rapid growth of Auckland, and we need to be on top of that as it is vital for the future economy of the country, we also need to ensure the regions have the roading accessibility that they require.

“It’s also about us contributing to government’s broader agenda for making New Zealand a better and more prosperous place to live. As a government delivery agency responsible

“Moving more of our regulatory services online and introducing systems like the Wellington Smart Motorway are good examples of using technology.” for the provision of transport networks across the country, we need to ensure we are fulfilling our part in that agenda.”

Safety is a critical foundation for the transport industry, he adds.

“NZTA has taken a proactive response to the H&S Act with a zero harm approach and we are working with the industry collaboratively to ensure precautions are taken in their approach to work.

“It is these things I am passionate about and what really motivate me. When you work in transport you are privileged because it can make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Married with three children, Fergus and his wife have again embraced Wellington. He is an ardent supporter of the Hurricanes (there’s a jersey on his office wall) and the All Blacks, and says he enjoys a round of golf for relaxation as the score is not important!

Wellington Northern Corridor Smart Motorway. Last gantry goes in April 2016.

HIREPOOL VEHICLE RENTALS SPECIALIST DIVISION INVEST IN NEW COMMERCIAL FLEET

2 TONNE CREW CAB TIPPER TRUCK

5 TONNE TIPPER TRUCK

2.5 TONNE TIPPER TRUCK

TOYOTA HILUX UTE

TOYOTA HILUX DOUBLE CAB FLAT DECK UTE

We have the latest model tippers & utes to help you get the job done right.

Our tippers have a robust factory fitted tipper body that provide a sturdy, economical and easy drive. Our new Toyota Hilux 4WD Double Cab utes are spacious, technologically advanced and versatile. Plus our tow ratings are up to 2,500 kgs for trailers. Transporting your gear has never been easier.

Call one of our specialists or enquire via our branches to discuss further.

Ricky Wilson 027 623 2413 or Tony King 027 673 1304 PENROSE 09 573 1664

HAMILTON 07 847 7789

WELLINGTON 04 589 0371

HENDERSON 09 838 8089

DUNEDIN 03 477 9950

CHRISTCHURCH 03 348 8219

hirepool.co.nz/vehicle-rentals

PALMERSTON NORTH 06 357 1160

CONTRACTOR PROJECT

A Remarkable

PROJECT STATS: • One of the highest sealed roads in NZ. • 5.56 kilometres of pavement construction.

• 41.250m2 of grade 3/5 chipseal.

• 9250m2 of 40mm asphalt.

• 22,000m2 of cement stabilised base course.

• 8800m2 of foamed bitumen stabilising.

• 21,000 tonnes of aggregate.

• 230 tonnes of cement applied to pavement.

• 6372 man-hours worked.

One of the country’s highest roads was recently upgraded and extended by over five kilometres.

RICHARD SILCOCK explains how this difficult project was achieved.

South Island, New Zealand

Queenstown

22 www.contractormag.co.nz

The Remarkables

achievement

Sunlight glistens on a foamed- bitumen stabilised section of the road.

THE TASK OF UPGRADING and sealing a 5.56 kilometre section of the Remarkables Ski-field Access Road near Queenstown was given to Fulton Hogan, which was faced with working in an extremely challenging environment, where the pavement has to withstand extreme conditions.

When you are working up to 1280 metres above sea level you would not want to fear heights, or be over-awed and distracted by the inspiring scenery.

Machinery operators had to undergo specialist training and follow strict procedures in relation to safety due to the nature of the steep alpine terrain, extreme climatic conditions, and sheer ‘drop-offs’ along much of the road’s length.

“To manage the risk of the ‘drop-offs’ and where there were no guardrails we installed 1500 metres of hazard flagging prior to commencing work,” says Lachy Sutherland, Fulton Hogan’s project manager for the upgrade.

“This provided visual delineation and identified the edges of the road for our team. During construction a temporary windrow of material was also deposited along ‘drop-off’ edges to further delineate them and help prevent any sliding of equipment off the edge.

“We also refrained from using double drum and three-pointer rollers due to a potential lack of traction in the steep terrain and often icy conditions.”

JULY 2016 23

CONTRACTOR PROJECT

Above left: Cement stabilised and compaction rolled section of the road.

Above right: Grade 3 chips being applied via truck mounted roller spreader to complete the surfacing layer. Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown are in the distance.

24 www.contractormag.co.nz

Another safety innovation was the use of a special truck deck that, via a moving tray, delivered product through the rear tail gate without raising the deck. By attaching various spreaders; aggregate, chip, gritting material and asphalt could be spread without risk of the truck tipping over on the steep gradients and potentially harming the driver and ground crew.

Safety precautions were also taken in keeping the road open for restricted access by those working on the ski field.

Given the financial viability, extreme alpine conditions, availability of materials and the narrow window for construction, special pavement design solutions were devised by the technical team of Fulton Hogan.

“We were able to provide a full design and construction package for the project,” says Lachy.

“To provide the best solution, the site was split into three sections, with each having a different

pavement design specification determined by the terrain. This allowed us to construct a road that not only met the environmental conditions, but also the client’s budget expectations.

“At the lower level, which has gradients of up to 17 percent and some tight corners, we utilised 150mm granular overlay with cement stabilisation, asphalt surfacing on the corners and grade 3/5 chipseal on the straight parts.

“For the mid-section, 150mm granular overlay with grade 3/5 chipseal was used as this section is relatively flat and is well drained.

“For the higher section, we used 150mm granular overlay with foamed bitumen stabilisation, asphalt on the corners and grade 3/5 chipseal on the straight parts. This section is the most exposed, has a 21 percent steep gradient, tight corners and is often in a freeze/thaw state.

“In all cases, we used M4-AP40mm aggregate for the overlay which was sourced from the

Parkburn Quarry near Cromwell.

“This was selected due to its M4 gradation and high permeability which reduces the risk of freeze/thaw issues found at this attitude.”

Work planning and logistics was also a critical part of this project. The top (highest) section was completed first to alleviate any risk of an early snowfall hampering the construction, as was the lowest section to allow for the establishment of the site compound.

“For the foamed bitumen and cement stabilisation sections we used our Wirtgen WR2500 SK stabilising machine,” says Lachy.

“This was an ideal machine for this job as it allows for the dustless mixing of cement and is fitted with an integrated spreading device directly in front of the milling and mixing drum.”

WATERCARE APPROVAL FOR USE IN THE FOLLOWING FRAMES: ➔ Maestro ➔ Twino ➔ Korum ➔ Humes Hinged Lid INSTALLED WITH NO TOOLS IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS

For cement based stabilisation, cement is mixed with the base course material in the milling machine and then compacted once it is laid, resulting in a far stronger base course layer under the seal.

Foamed bitumen stabilisation is achieved using the same process, however bitumen mixed with water is also added. This increases the strength of the pavement while retaining flexibility and is therefore relatively fatigue resistant. It also reduces freeze/thaw issues.

Application involved a cement truck and a water tanker connected to the front of the Wirtgen by push bars (coupled like a train) which was pushed up hill. This ensured continuous and simultaneous spreading of the cement, bitumen and water (injected to maintain moisture content

Above: A foamed bitumen section of the road. All hairpin corners were surfaced using this method on the highest section of the road.

Visit our website.

Watch the 30 second demo of our Caliber Grille being installed.

CLASS A STANDARD

CALIBER PRODUCTS LTD

Kevin Maskell, Cell: +64 21 904 371 Email: caliberproducts@xtra.co.nz

www.caliberproducts.co.nz JULY 2016 25

CONTRACTOR PROJECT

Above: Stabilisation ‘train’ comprising a Wirtgen WR2500 stabilising machine, coupled to the bitumen tanker and water tanker.

Below: Section of the completed sealed road – the corners with grade 3 membrane and 400mm of asphalt, and the straight section with grade 3/5 chipseal.

26 www.contractormag.co.nz

and regulated by a microprocessor). Using this method up to 800 lineal metres of paving per day was achieved.

Lachy says an advantage of this stabilisation method is that the process is relatively quick, as once the material has been stabilised the surface can be sealed within a couple of days, allowing construction to move on to the next phase.

To ensure optimum compaction was achieved, site tests were done to determine the number of passes required by the rollers to achieve a 98 percent MDD. This information was communicated to the roller operators who completed upwards of 90 passes in any one area, first by vibrating single drum rollers and then by two pneumatic-tyred rollers for the secondary compaction.

The original gravel access road to the

Remarkables ski field was officially opened in September 1983. This remedial work and pavement construction was completed over a 15week period between December 2015 and April this year. It was a continuation of the first four kilometres of sealing that was completed in 2014.

“NZ Ski, in commissioning the upgrade, wanted to reduce the maintenance costs associated with the original gravel road, improve ‘ride-ability’ and make it more attractive to drive for skiers and visitors,” says Lachy.

Fulton Hogan was responsible for the pavement design, initial survey, geotechnical and road construction work. Base Contracting provided some earthworks, culverts and guardrail installation and consultant MWH was appointed to provide peer design review, contractual and financial management, and safety reviews.

COLD ASPHALT SOLUTION

FOR A QUALITY POTHOLE REPAIR

SOME BENEFITS OF QPR® § Open to traffic immediately

NEW GENERAL PURPOSE FORMULA NOW AVAILABLE

Suitable for pedestrian and light traffic areas

§ No mixing or tack coating required § QPR adheres to concrete, chipseal and asphalt § Works well in wet conditions § Bagged and bulk lots readily available

www.roadscience.co.nz | To order



0800 180 200

CONTRACTOR FEATURE

Supporting young ALAN TITCHALL looks at the relationship between an up-and-coming civil contractor and a young racing car

driver with an eye on Bathurst.

MARK NEILSON, managing director of MWN Civil, says it’s one

of the best business moves he has made since setting up his contracting company a decade ago and it has nothing to do with shifting dirt.

“I know nothing about motorsport, but I do know something about starting companies, running teams and having support from family and friends.

“When the opportunity came up to help Brad Lathrope and his racing team, I saw a connection; my team and his team just slotted in together and the relationship has been great for both of us.”

MWN Civil is not the first contractor to step outside the industry and have a public profile in motorsports. The names Peter Ward, Blair McDonald, Mitchell Cunningham, Andrew Porter, Nick Ross, Lance Hughes, Dave West and others are 28 www.contractormag.co.nz

legendary in performance Australasian racing circles.

Mark’s sponsorship of an up-and-coming V8 racing driver started modestly.

“My brother is involved with racing and through him I found myself helping out Brad and we had a little sticker on his V8 racing car. That has evolved to becoming a major, naming rights sponsor with the car and racing team in our company colours.”

A racing legend in the making Brad Lathrope looks surprisingly light in frame for someone who wrestles a 430 horsepower V8 racing car around the track with such skill that in the last BNT NZ Touring V8 (Class 2) Championship season he was second overall in points. He came third in his rookie season before that.

dreams “Hopefully I will win the championship in my third season coming up,” he says.

Just as important is the fact that Brad’s car won the ‘Team of the Season’ Award for the ‘Best Presented Car and Overall Presentation’ of his team. He also won the prestigious Ashley Stichbury Memorial Trophy, which is presented each year to a driver in the NZ V8 Championship who has shown a sportsmanlike attitude to fellow competitors and a natural driving ability during the season.

“As the driver I am the face but just a very small part of a team where everyone is important in achieving a result. That includes our sponsors of course.”

Experiencing a podium finish at six of the seven rounds in the past season gave him a great sense of pride he says.

“To get to stand on that podium and proudly represent my

Top pic: Mark Neilson in the ‘hot lap’ seat.

MWN Civil is not the first contractor to step outside the industry and have a public profile in motorsports. The names Peter Ward, Blair McDonald, Mitchell Cunningham, Andrew Porter, Nick Ross, Lance Hughes, Dave West and others are legendary in performance Australasian racing circles.

JULY 2016 29

CONTRACTOR FEATURE

On family and sponsor days MWN Civil takes its staff and suppliers such as the accountant and bank manager and make it a networking event.

Brad’s car won the ‘Team of the Season’ Award for the ‘Best Presented Car and Overall Presentation’ of his team. He also won the prestigious Ashley Stichbury Memorial Trophy, which is presented each year to a driver in the NZ V8 Championship who has shown a sportsmanlike attitude to fellow competitors and a natural driving ability during the season.

30 www.contractormag.co.nz

“There will always be a MWN Civil sticker somewhere on the car.”

A family affair “It’s not just about providing funds to Brad’s racing team,” says Mark. “It is also about support. Support from our staff and families at racing events.

“On family and sponsor days we take the staff and suppliers such as the accountant and bank manager and make it a networking event.

“On these days, the drivers are allowed to take passengers on ‘hot’ laps. It’s a heck of a thrill.”

‘Hot’ is the racing term for when the track is open to actual racing, so the passengers get to experience fast, competitive driving.

At the last family day earlier this year Mark organised for Gone Fishin’ host Graeme Sinclair to ride in Brad’s V8. A hot lap ride had been on Graeme’s bucket list for a long time.

Some years ago Graeme had taken V8 racing driver Greg Murphy out heli-fishing and, in return, Greg offered to take him on a hot lap around the Pukekohe track. On the day, however, officials decided it was too dangerous for the wheelchair-bound Sinclair who lives with multiple sclerosis.

Mark Neilson thought otherwise, so on a MWN-organised family day at Pukekohe this year they got Graeme into Brad’s V8.

Graeme is quoted on the NZV8touringcars website as saying

All your bases covered so you’ll never run out.

From delivery and compliant storage, to diesel exhaust fluid, fuel cards and lubricants - we’re a one-stop shop for all your petroleum needs.

Our local representatives can tailor solutions to meet your specific needs, while our national fleet and reliable processes ensure we deliver however you want it, when you need it.

Learn more at alliedpetroleum.co.nz

HC ALD0427

team, sponsors and supporters for giving me the best car to go out there and drive is amazing!”

The BNT NZ Touring Car (V8 class 2) grid is a popular event for young Kiwi drivers cutting their teeth in top level touring car racing.

Twenty-six year old Brad Lathrope is one of those young drivers gradually making his way up the leadership ladder, having started at club level racing a MK1 Escort at the age of 19. Before that he was inspired by his father’s involvement in the organisational side of motorsport, but the expense of racing meant it was a late start on the actual race track for Brad.

Although you can run a class two car for $30,000 to $50,000, which is considered ‘very affordable’ in motor racing, the sponsorship market is the hard part of racing, says Brad. The drivers and their teams race simply for the glory of winning championships at this level. There is no cash reward.

“Everyone is in the same boat with sponsorship. If you follow major international race classes you can see sponsors jumping from team to team as they may have a better deal on offer or be able to promise more consistent results.

“Thankfully we have been lucky enough to have our season fully funded due to sponsors such as MWN, but to continue to move up into Class One of BNT NZ Touring cars or into the Aussie V8 supercars Development Series is going to take a lot more sponsorship and effort on my part.”

Brad tells me that he will always appreciate his past sponsors on the way to Bathurst where the budgets are huge.

For fuel and lubricants call 0800 383 566

JULY 2016 31

CONTRACTOR FEATURE

‘Hot’ is the racing term for when the track is open to actual racing, so the passengers get to experience fast, competitive driving.

that loading him into the passenger seat was “a bit of an act”.

“Bloody uncomfortable was my first thought, but that was totally erased when the accelerator hit the floor.

“It took a lap to get in the groove but my first alarm went off on the first corner. I thought, there is no way this car is going around there!

“I found that I had a stupid grin glued to my face. It stayed there for ages, in fact it was stuck there until my jaw ached a couple of hours later!”

In exchange for the hot lap ride Graeme has invited Brad (a keen fisherman) and his father Gary on a Gone Fishin’ episode.

“As they say, good things are worth waiting for! That was a hell of a blast and now it’s my turn to stick a smile on the faces of Brad and 32 www.contractormag.co.nz

Gary, not shredding rubber but peeling line!”

A sponsor’s rewards Mark says the relationship between his own team and Brad’s team is not only a great way to get exposure for his civil contracting company, but it is a great way to reach out into the community and do something positive.

“I recommend other contractors to look at such sponsorship and get their staff involved.

“The MWN family day this year put smiles on a lot of people’s faces and we are very proud of that.

“I can’t wait to do it again.

“Plus we get to support a very worthy young man in the pursuit of his dreams. How much is all that worth in the end?”

Above: In exchange for the hot lap ride Graeme Sinclair has invited Brad (a keen fisherman) and his father Gary on a Gone Fishin’ episode.

Left: Brad Lathrope and Mark Neilson, managing director of MWN Civil.

글

眀眀眀⸀戀椀最戀氀漀挀欀猀⸀挀漀⸀渀稀

䤀一吀䔀刀䰀伀䌀䬀䤀一䜀 倀刀䔀䌀䄀匀吀 䌀伀一䌀刀䔀吀䔀 䈀䰀伀䌀䬀匀 倀䠀 㠀 ㌀ 㐀㠀㠀 吀伀䐀䄀夀

JULY 2016 33

CONTRACTOR TECHNICAL

RoNS

PART THREE OF A THREE-PART SERIES

– The issue of pavement quality The third article in our series on the roading big picture focuses on a NZ Transport Agency commissioned report on big project pavement quality. By ALAN TITCHALL. LAST YEAR THE New Zealand Transport Agency commissioned Chris Olsen Consulting to prepare a report on pavement quality on its state highway network projects.

The findings were delivered in a 26-page document called ‘Collecting Information on the Pavement Quality Of Construction Projects’, and presented to the Transport Agency in November 2015.

It was thought that the report might have been discussed at the Transport Agency/NZIHT roading conference at Waitangi late last year. However, the agency needed to consider the recommendations under its ‘Quality Right, No Defects’ project, so we are now able to provide our readers with some of the report’s highlights and we thank both the Transport Agency and Chris Olsen for this opportunity.

“The Transport Agency should be commended for commissioning this report to look at how it can further improve the construction quality of its large projects,” says Chris.

Driving the commission was a concern that pavement quality was “not adequate in all cases”. The Transport Agency wanted to know why pavement quality was variable around some projects and “identify possible improvements in the pavement quality of construction projects”.

34 www.contractormag.co.nz

People within the Transport Agency, consultants (the agency’s principal advisors) and 19 contracting ‘practitioners’ across four case studies, were interviewed. All consultants and contractors involved had won large state roading contracts through a tender selection process (including nonprice attributes), and had substantial work experience on a large construction project. Using an interview process and 58 questions, a ‘panel of experts’ solicited around 1100 responses and views on pavement quality from these participants. Both the questionnaire and a resulting draft report were reviewed and verified by the NZTA, ACENZ and CCNZ. The Transport Agency gave an assurance that all the information collected during the research would only be used for ‘continuous improvement’ and not for the resolution of any contractual issues.

“This was important for ensuring that the real issues were highlighted and it’s great to see that this has resulted in positive changes in the way the Transport Agency deals with contracts,” says Chris.

This was evident when the ‘Huntly’ Design and Construct (build) contract was announced last year with its prescriptive approach to pavement quality.

© NIKOLAEV | DREAMSTIME.COM

Key findings The average rating over all contracts concerned (with the smallest being a $30 million project and the oldest 10 years) for achieving the required pavement quality rated at 4.9 out of 10.

The general performance of the Design and Construct (D&C) contract sample projects proved a “serious concern”.

The one Alliance contract case study produced better pavements, even though it had only one KPI. This was because of its inherent “best for project” Key Result Areas (KRA), which meant all parties ensured any problems with the Principal’s Requirements and KPIs were resolved.

While parties involved with the D&C contracts rated their performance of achieving the project’s Principal Requirements as an average of 8 out of 10 and rated the achievement of their definition of quality at an average of 5.9 out of 10 – the quality of the finished product was significantly lower. In comparison, the Alliance contract scored between 8 and 9.5 out of 10 on all three ratings.

“The D&C contracts struggled to produce quality pavements because the combination of less than optimum KPIs and a competitive market consistently produced thin, high risk, low cost pavements that sometimes appeared to compromise future lowest whole-of-life maintenance costs, coupled with a reluctance of project teams to make changes,” notes the report.

Contract management and relationships scored highly across the contract parties with the exception of one project.

“In hindsight, to avoid such situations arising again, the Transport Agency’s pavement experts should be brought into the project team to help it address the issues and clear protocols developed for improved communication between the Pavement Team and the contract parties,” the report recommended.

While parties were generally aligned at the start of a contract in terms of quality management systems they “nearly always became misaligned during the project because of the contractor and the Transport Agency’s Pavement Team having different interpretations of KPIs”.

The report recognised the differences and benefits between the two contract styles, such as continual improvement through an Alliance project and the opportunity of pushing innovation in a D&C contract, although it found in its sample case studies little innovation and mostly cost cutting. Overall, innovation was rated at only 5.9 out of 10. Contractors were rated at 7.6 out of 10 for making submissions to support innovative proposals, but all parties rated the agency’s processes for approving changes to enhance innovation at only 3.6 out of 10.

The report also found issues with the contracting sector. There was a direct correlation between poor pavement construction quality and no third party management, surveillance and quality assurance (MSQA) review of the contractor’s quality management systems.

Report recommendations The report advised the Transport Agency to adopt a number of processes for improving pavement quality in construction projects.

They included: Setting adequate Principal Requirements commensurate with an appropriate contract model. For D&C contracts this could mean further developing the KPIs, specifying minimum requirements or requiring long-term performance warrantees.

• To consider Net Present Value for whole-of-life pavement maintenance costs when awarding tenders.

• Make an effort to improve alignment between the agency and contractor around ongoing design expectations and the design Quality Management System.

• Provide clear contractual requirements, incentives and penalties around expected pavement life.

• Make sure design criteria and assumptions are verified during construction by the client and changed if necessary.

• Develop clear contractual communications protocols and expected communication behaviour for Project Teams and the Transport Agency’s Pavements Team when interacting with contractual parties.

• Make sure specified pavement life expectations and funding objectives are clearly and transparently aligned before awarding tenders.

• Verify the onsite application of the contractor’s Quality Management System through a clarification of the MSQA consultant’s role.

• Develop a Quality Management System like RAMM that collects “as laid” data (because utilities have had difficulty in accessing this information).

• Develop a quality system that covers Pre-tender, Tender, Pre-award, Design Development, Construction, PostConstruction, and “as laid” records, to ensure consistency across the agency’s staff and regions.

• Develop a process for improving the understanding of modified pavements, and sharing the lessons from this, especially with the agency’s project managers and MSQA consultants, because modified pavement performance is critical in meeting the KPIs, but is generally uncharted water with many professionals having different views.

• Develop a process for making “best for project” pavement type decisions because of the many different individual professional views.

• Have detailed quality plans available for the client prior to the start of construction and develop an audit process in collaboration with the contractor and consultant. “This will include third party sampling and testing and review of all quality records and ongoing work to ensure it is completed in line with the quality plans and design assumptions.”

Comments from the participants An interesting part of the report is a summary of responses made in the ‘any other comments’ section of the questionnaire.

They included: • “Design theory and construction don’t always match.”

• “Nowhere in Austroads standards are there deflection subgrade strain requirements, so it is unconventional to use them because they are largely unproven. (Yet the basis of our design is subgrade strain.)”

• “Sometimes instead of solving design problems, designers take the easy way and simply raise the bar.”

• “Systemic failure in using granular pavements with chip seals on major roads, as the pavements can’t handle the ESA (rutting) and the high traffic volumes reduce the amount of bitumen making the chip seal unwater- proof.”

• “Traffic volumes are now in excess of those that a granular pavement can handle – why use granular pavements for D&C?” • And this wee gem: “At the end of the day you get what you pay for.”

JULY 2016 35

CONTRACTOR TECHNICAL

Quality right, no defects – an update The NZTA repsonds to the findngs of the commissioned report on pavement quality in capital projects during the latter half of last year.

GUIDED BY THE FINDINGS of the report by Chris Olsen

Consulting, the Transport Agency has reviewed its current quality assurance regime and the outcomes it delivers.

It has subsequently established an industry-wide working party to further review potential improvements to pavement quality. This working party has developed a number of recommendations.

National Pavements manager John Donbavand says there appeared to be a lack of explicit understanding about roles and responsibilities within contracts. The Transport Agency also needed to be clearer in its expectations about investigation/ design, construction and as-built pavement performance.

“The review has highlighted three main areas where improvements will be made. Our documentation around the client’s/principal’s minimum requirements is sometimes contradictory and does not clearly spell out expectations.

“Nor is the role of the principal’s agent clearly defined and, as the client, we need to be more explicit about our expectations.

“Finally, the pre-qualification system for our suppliers must require evidence of compliance with the principal’s minimum requirements as a mandatory requirement,” he says.

The latter issue is being addressed by the implementation of the ISNET system for the Transport Agency’s suppliers.

The Transport Agency is also considering moving to an approach to documentation improvement that mirrors the model adopted for its Network Outcomes Contracts.

John says this has the added benefit of introducing consistency across our capital and maintenance work.

“It is also important to note that while we are always interested in innovation, we must always be mindful that any innovation provides better whole-of-life outcomes and manages any risk appropriately.”

More information about the detailed recommendations will be made available once the Highway and Network Operations senior management team has had the opportunity to consider the working party recommendations in greater detail.

Epoxy Modified OGPA the way forward THE NZ TRANSPORT AGENCY has recently reviewed its

approach to the use of Epoxy Modified Open Graded Porous Asphalt (EMOGPA) and has reconfirmed using the additive on sites to which it is suited.

The agency commissioned an independent review of perceptions about the product, as there were some concerns over its cost effectiveness. There were also valid industry concerns over the level of engagement that had been carried out during its initial development.

Indications are that, technically, industry is in support of using EMOGPA and issues were mostly based on misunderstandings about the product.

EMOGPA has the same benefits as standard OGPA, but it is more durable and is expected to last in excess of 40 years, compared to the standard OGPA which has an average lifespan of eight years.

National manager Network Outcomes Kevin Reid says that from a value for money perspective, the benefits of using Epoxy OGPA are clear cut.

“Our research indicates EMOGPA is expected to last four to five times longer than standard products.

“Once this product is rolled out across all suitable sites,

36 www.contractormag.co.nz

we expect our renewals budget for OGPA to be only onesixth of current levels. The implications to the taxpayer of a significantly reduced road maintenance bill are huge,” says Kevin.

In the early 2000s, an OECD project that considered longlife roads found Epoxy binders the only viable existing material with a track record of significantly extending surfacing life.

EMOGPA is used on low stress sites which have modest skid resistance requirements.

It was first used in New Zealand on SH73 in Christchurch as a trial, and has since been used on other Roads of National Significance such as SH16 in Auckland and SH1 in Christchurch.

Most recently, it has been used on SH1 in Wellington as part of the Smart Motorway project.

EMOGPA requires a slightly different method of application to standard products, hence the Transport Agency has taken a staged approach to how this is rolled out.

It is anticipated this roll-out will continue across other suitable sites from hereon in.

Asphalt preservation As the quality of asphalt pavement dictates maintenance, repairs and costs, the use of third party preservation products is becoming more prevalent.

THERE ARE A NUMBER of reasons why we might not be getting the

life out of our asphalt pavement that we used to – resulting in more frequent road surface repairs, rebuilds and, consequently, higher maintenance costs.

The first is a change in the way asphalt is manufactured.

Bitumen used to be a direct by-product of the oil refining process; now bitumen is a blended product made out of different refinery streams. Advances in the refining process mean that now more of the high-value oils that are used for making aviation fuel or petrol are extracted from crude that was once used directly for making bitumen. Evidence suggests that this refinement lowers the quality of bitumen.

Another reason for an increase in asphalt determination is the increase in the number of vehicle kilometres travelled on our roads, and an increasing reliance on road transport productivity, including 60 tonne gross combinations and nineaxle truck and trailer units.

Even a very good batch of asphalt has a limited life scale.

Additives such as PMB or Epoxy will offer advantages in terms of increasing life. As an organic material asphalt is susceptible to the elements and starts to deteriorate through the action

of water and ultraviolet rays from the day it is laid. Untreated, small cracks in the surface develop that allow air and water to further damage the binder, leading to the loss of fine aggregates, creating larger cracks, delaminating and ultimately water seepage. Eventually, the pavement loses its structural capabilities.

In the past sealcoats have been used to extend the life of asphalt, but since they simply coat the surface they wear away over time and are subject to cracking.

More modern oil-based preservation products penetrate into the asphalt and restore its flexibility. They chemically revitalise and protect the asphalt binder by replacing the oils (maltenes) lost due to oxidation.

These treatments have usually been focused on the ‘rejuvenation’ of asphalt surfaces that have already deteriorated.

However, research in the US proves the benefit of applying the treatment at the time the asphalt is laid. This is because the greatest changes in the composition of an asphalt binder take place during the manufacture of the hot-mix asphalt where bitumen is subjected to the extreme temperatures of an asphalt manufacturing plant. Also, oxidation begins the moment the

Hydraulic RAM Service Big Ram? Urgent?

Modifications?

Manufacturing?

Call us for immediate action!

566357 www.jonel.co.nz 0800 JONELS

Over 30 Years Experie nce

NATIONWIDE SERVICE

Job Done!!

JULY 2016 37

CONTRACTOR TECHNICAL

asphalt is laid (research shows that 40-60 percent of oxidation occurs in the first two years).

The longer that treatment is delayed, the greater the chance of road deterioration beyond a point of effective preservation.

Says Robert Boyer of the USA Asphalt Institute: “Using a rejuvenator on new construction does not seem to be logical at first glance.

“However, it has been established that the greatest change in composition of an asphalt binder takes place during the manufacture of the hot mix asphalt (HMA).

“Applying a rejuvenator to a new surface a few weeks after it has been laid does several things to the pavement.

“Besides restoring the original asphalt properties that were lost in the HMA manufacture, the chemical assists in sealing the pavement as well as in improving the durability of the surface course.”

Asphalt rejuvenator products are not new to NZ. Reclamite has been trialled here over a period of time. This product is a water-diluted maltene emulsion containing no asphaltenes, which enables penetration into the asphalt where it restores the original chemical properties of the bitumen, and returns the lost elasticity to the road so the pavement is more resistant to degradation and sealed against the water penetration.

There are also a few ‘second generation’ rejuvenator products that have recently come onto the market. GSB-88 is developed

by Asphalt Systems Inc in the US and is manufactured in Christchurch by Fulton Hogan and distributed by Roads and Concrete.

An innovative and new product to arrive Downunder from the US is called Biorestor and it is distributed here and in Australia

by ASCO. Most traditional surface sealers and/or emulsions are petroleum-based or coal-tar derived, but Biorestor is produced entirely from vegetable oils and its inventor, Michael Freisthler, came up with this solution after a lifetime of working in the asphalt industry, including a stint in a lab that was involved with testing and quality control of asphalt mixes.

Application of Biorestor

38 www.contractormag.co.nz

In 2004 he developed and patented a bio-based product for pavement rejuvenation and sealing for use on asphalt driveways, carparks and roads. After laboratory testing over a number of years, Michael set up a manufacturing company in 2008 called BioBased Spray Systems and began to manufacture Biorestor. These days it is a popular asphalt rejuvenator product among US asphalt users.

The product was launched in Australia and New Zealand this year and Michael toured through this country with ASCO, talking with the Transport Agency and various contractors promoting the product.

“Biorestor’s all-natural oils penetrate the asphalt, reduce hardening of the binder at a molecular level by replacing components lost to oxidation, and seal the surface,” he says.

“Biorestor replaces oils lost due to oxidation; revitalises the asphalt binder; restores flexibility; seals the pavement against contaminants; and extends the useful life of asphalt indefinitely.”

Biorestor is supported by comprehensive laboratory testing undertaken over five years, Michael adds.

“Biorestor treatments every three to five years can extend pavement life … in most weather and usage conditions, a surface lifespan of at least 15 years.”

These treatments postpone or even eliminate the need for chip seal, he adds, which can cause annoying vehicle paint damage, cracked windscreens, road noise and public dissatisfaction.

As Biorestor does not require water to be the “carrier” of the preserver products, an application of Biorestor dries quickly (within 30 to 60 minutes), says Michael, which is an advantage in our wet weather and high humidity conditions.

“No gritting for skid resistance is needed,” he adds.

The treatment is also clear so does not discolour the road surface or obscure road markings, which means there is a saving in not having to re-apply road markings,” says Michael.

“In fact, Biorestor improves the wear and lifespan of road markings.”

from

$140 per day*

*terms and conditions apply excludes Balloon payment

110516_ScaniaP440

Offer valid until 30 September 2016 or while stocks last

* Visit our website www.cableprice.co.nz for terms and conditions

CONTRACTOR PROCUREMENT

Government procurement – an assessment CAROLINE BOOT, managing director, Clever Buying and Plan A, reviews the

government’s attempt to incorporate ‘sustainability’ into agency procurement practice three years after its employment.

OUR GOVERNMENT SPENDS 18 percent of our GDP (that’s

around $41 billion every year) on projects, using a supply chain that engages thousands of Kiwi and international companies to deliver products and services.

Through harnessing its immense buying power, government has the opportunity, if not the obligation, to support wider social, economic and environmental objectives, in ways that will benefit not only our communities today, but future generations. Let’s call that opportunity ‘sustainability’.

As a start to this opportunity the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), in 2013, put in place Five Principles of Procurement and it expects these principles to be used by all public sector organisations, from ministries, crown entities, and departments to councils and even school boards. Since 2013 it expects these Five Principles have been incorporated into policy and procedure and the appropriate staff trained in their understanding and use.

While the MBIE does not have any authority to audit or impose remedies on any organisations that do not follow these principles, this audit and regulatory function sits within the Office of the Auditor General, alongside its many other compliance monitoring responsibilities.

First the Five Principles: 1. Plan and manage for great results.

2. Be fair to all suppliers.

3. Get the right supplier.

4. Get the best deal for everyone.

5. Play by the rules.

Each of these principles is supported by a number of bullet points, which give more detail on the way each should be interpreted.

Principle four targets sustainability and includes reference to accounting for costs and benefits over the lifetime of goods and services; considering the social, environmental and economic effects of the deal; working together with suppliers to make ongoing savings; and being accountable for results (among other things).

In essence, it captures the broader long-term impacts of procurement of goods and services on the wellbeing of our people and the planet, both now and in the future.

Three years on, we asked what traction has been achieved in embedding these principles into government agency procurement practices.

We started by canvassing experienced tender evaluators who undertook training over a period of six months to May 2015 and asking how many of them were aware of the existence of the government’s Five Principles; and how many of them actively incorporate these principles into their procurement planning 40 www.contractormag.co.nz

Caroline Boot

and implementation?

The short answer is: We found there is still a fair way to go on achieving recognition, let alone incorporation, of the Five Principles into current procurement practice.

Of the 56 government people we canvassed, fewer than half even knew of the existence of the principles. Of those, most had simply heard of the principles but had never reviewed them, or considered how they could be applied in their procurement activities. Only a handful of those tender evaluators had had any training provided by their employers in the application of the principles to their work.

The results were not at all surprising because we had already viewed a range of government tenders. In this pilot study, we looked at 11 tenders that were published on GETS in early May this year. They were chosen to represent a cross-section of procuring agencies, both central and regional, and a variety of infrastructure builds, as well as one significant service function.

We found that ‘sustainability’ was given little consideration in many tenders. While most were open to innovative ideas from the suppliers and took quality into account, very few took explicit account of, or even mentioned, social, economic or environmental factors in the tender process. In practice, the majority of purchasers paid lip service only to the guidance to give weight to environmental, social or economic factors in tender evaluation and selection. Most of them failed to consider these factors at all.

What can we learn from this?

First, we need to recognise that change, especially in government practice, is seldom easy or quick. The launch of the Five Principles was an excellent initiative, however their recognition, acceptance and application to our procurement environment is disappointingly slow.

In our opinion, it is unfortunate that there is little or no followthrough of the obligation for government organisations to train procurement staff in the application of these principles. These principles are intentionally broad, which makes it difficult to audit compliance or otherwise, except at a fairly general level.

Although there is evidence of some consideration of sustainability within a few isolated government sector organisations, the clear lack of knowledge about the Five Principles is alarming. There don’t appear to be any particular incentives or sanctions that would motivate procurement staff to consider them in routine procurement activity.

We also note that parallel moves internationally to incorporate sustainability, by contrast, appear more determined and coordinated, despite having to navigate far more complex regulatory and legislative landscapes.

A call to action What can you do to promote the Five Principles of Procurement in your procurement activity?

If you’re a procurement professional start by familiarising yourself with those principles and take a frank and honest look at the RFx documents that you are putting out to the market.

Are you considering social and environmental effects of your procurement, as well as economic factors? Do you allocate scores for those factors, and/or are you actually prepared to fail a supplier if they do not meet your standards for environmental compliance or societal benefits?

If you are a supplier, it’s time to look more broadly at what you offer as a supplier that will make a difference to your client

and the communities they serve. Does your solution provide enhancements such as power savings or recycling opportunities that are environmentally advantageous? Does your company have a social responsibility programme that actively pursues community benefits through the implementation of your projects?

As a nation, we can embrace these Five Principles and entrench them consistently into our procurement practices, or alternatively we can continue to pay lip service and ignore them. They can enable NZ Inc to become a flagship for 21st Century Best Practice Public Procurement; or can demonstrate an embarrassing lapse between policy and practice.

It’s our choice!

Managers now share operators PAIN

Accidents result in physical pain - now managers, supervisors and owners will also share the pain, not physical pain ...it will be financial. New OSH regulations have been introduced and now “all practicable steps” need to be taken to maximise workplace safety. Fitting seatbelts is a good practicable step and SPRINGBELTS makes it a lot easier for operators to comply.

P:0508 58 0000 www.springbelt.co.nz

Call Industrial Seatbelts Ltd Seatbelts for all Plant & Equipment, Forklifts, Trucks & Cars

JULY 2016 41

CONTRACTOR TRAINING

Civil Trades: meet the graduates This month we meet Wes Jefferys and Kenny Brown – the 11th and 12th Kiwis to become Civil Trades certified.

Wes Jefferys, City Care

Kenny Brown, Fulton Hogan

Wes Jefferys has a long-standing love of machinery and always wanted to work outside. After 13 years in the hospitality industry as a qualified chef, he followed his passion and got into the civil infrastructure industry. Unfortunately, Wes suffered a serious back injury fairly early in his career. The injury was the result of his inexperience and lack of knowledge, and meant that he could no longer do hard physical work. But rather than be defeated, it inspired him to become a trainer – to help others learn from his mistakes.

In his role as industrial trainer at City Care, Wes is responsible for training staff in all aspects of civil infrastructure. This includes machine operation, concrete saws, road and footpath construction, benching man holes and cable location. Most importantly, he teaches them to love and respect the job they do and be proud of what they can achieve.

Wes enjoys seeing people confidently complete his training, and then use it in the workplace to better themselves and their crew. He says that he gets the biggest buzz in the world when he gets a phone call to say they have been promoted, and thanking him for the training. He also gets real satisfaction from going around the job sites, seeing staff doing what he has taught them, and passing on their learnings to others.

City Care is currently working to identify staff who will go through the Civil Trades Certification process. Once these are up and running, Wes will be responsible for providing coaching and ongoing support as they go through the programme.

City Care human resource manager Marcus Waters says that Wes was an ideal candidate for Civil Trades because of his role in the organisation, and the great relationship he has with the people he trains. Marcus explains, “Wes’ experience will be invaluable as he works with others who go through the programme in future. City Care recognises the value of a standardised certification process, and we believe it will add credibility to our organisation and the wider industry in general. It is certainly the way of the future for the civil sector.”

Kenny Brown is a carpenter by trade. He joined Fulton Hogan 12 years ago, first completing a carpentry apprenticeship and later on gaining construction qualifications, specialising in concrete.

The thing Kenny enjoys most about his role is the satisfaction of completing the job and task. He also gets a kick out of teaching new people and learning new skills. He finds the variety of projects really interesting, and he enjoys the fact that people often stop and stare at some of the big scale work he is involved in.

Becoming a Certified Civil Tradesperson is another string to Kenny’s bow, and being one of the first to qualify is a real achievement. He found the Recognition of Current Competence process very relevant to his daily work – the process of collating evidence of his existing skills and knowledge has been a very different process to some qualifications he has done in the past. He appreciated the fact that there was a lot less bookwork.

The last six months have been pretty much business as usual for Kenny as a site foreman at various sites including the Inland Port for Lyttelton Port of Christchurch and different SCIRT sites around Christchurch.

Kenny says, “Being one of the first to become Civil Trades certified is a privilege. It is great to have a qualification that recognises the diverse works we do and the hard work I have put in over the years.”

Fulton Hogan regional manager Justin McDowell says that Kenny is seen as a role model in terms of how he mentors their apprentices. He explains, “The fact that he has successfully completed the Civil Trades Certification shows the younger staff there is a clear career path for them to follow. Kenny’s achievement has motivated a number of others to strive for Civil Trades Certification, and he will be on hand to help support them through this process. This certification will also benefit our business at tender time, as it will form part of our company attributes and employee CVs.”

42 www.contractormag.co.nz

New qualifications earmarked for development Following consultation with industry, Connexis has earmarked three new civil qualifications for development in 2016/17. The qualifications will sit at Level 4, and will cover Structural Concrete, Piling and Deep Foundations, and Structural Steel Erection. All three will provide a pathway to Civil Trades Certification.

Industry representatives have been invited to attend an initial consultation meeting, which will focus on identifying industry needs and mapping the skills covered by existing qualifications.

If you missed out on the initial meeting but would like to receive updates on this project, please email Sadhna Chandra at Connexis: sadhnac@connexis.org.nz

®

TA O R

RI

N

G

FINISHED INSTALLATION

Scan QR code for more info

Scan QR code for more 500infomm

and 600 mm Cover Options Easy to adjust to road height and alignment New or Retrofit Installation

CAMBER ADJUSTMENT FOR MANHOLE ACCESS COVERS

0800 93 7473

hynds.co.nz

JULY 2016 43

CONTRACTOR HISTORY HE

A PUB

RI TAGE

TRAILS

TO REMEMBER THEM BY It is a now a direct, all-sealed, and exceptionally scenic link between Queenstown and Wanaka, but Otago’s Crown Range Road is perhaps more famous for a pub built on the original miner’s track in 1863.

THE DRUNKARDS’ LAMENT ‘By the Dry Cardrona’ briefly had the

town of that name, and the Crown Range Road that served it, sharing the spotlight in the 1950s – thanks to poet James Keir (Hemi) Baxter.

By then reduced to a single country pub and the remains of the old butcher’s shop, Cardrona survived as just a footnote to the vibrant goldmining industry that had drawn thousands of prospectors to the remote river valley in the 1860s.

By the end of the following decade, the gold-rushes were over, only a few stoic Chinese continued mining, and it was left to Baxter and long-time Cardona publican Jimmy Patterson to keep the memories of the district’s glory days alive.

It was the gold-rushes that created the Crown Range Road, because what began as a miners’ track slashed the usual time it took to get from Queenstown to Wanaka and Central Otago, where the succession of new goldfields was being discovered.

Even today the Crown Range Road is the ‘alternative’ route, the preferred option being east down SH6 and the Kawerau Gorge to Cromwell, north to about Luggate, then

SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND

MILFORD SOUND WANAKA

CROWN RANGE ROAD CARDRONA

QUEENSTOWN THE REMARKABLES

44 www.contractormag.co.nz

west to Wanaka on SH6.

That’s 120km, whereas SH89, renamed the Crown Range Road some decades ago, is only 70 kilomtres, and where the main road goes out and around the Pisa Range to get to Wanaka, SH89 goes due north straight over the top of the range whose name it now bears.

The reason the Crown Range Road has never supplanted the much longer main route to Wanaka is that it had to climb steeply from its start near Lake Hayes, eventually peaking at 1119.7 metres above sea level.

That elevation meant the road had to be routinely closed – June 1 was the usual date – for the snowy winter.

The road is often touted as the highest state highway in the country, but actually it’s not: That distinction rests with the Desert Road, SH1, in the North Island, though the Crown Range’s highest point is two metres higher than the Desert Road’s.

Like the Desert Road, the Crown Range was not that big an engineering challenge along the tops where it followed a succession of terraces, but it was a different story at either end.

The Queenstown end rises in a spectacular zigzag, first blazed on foot and horseback by the miners, then gradually widened first to accommodate drays and eventually motor vehicles The top of the zigzag presents panoramas of Queenstown, Frankton and Lake Wakatipu, crosses the terraces at the top, then climbs sharply again to the summit and startling views of Lake Wanaka before dropping down into the Cardrona Valley.

Much of the early widening of the road was done by Chinese labourers taking a respite from the diggings, and it was driven by the need to get the produce – mainly grain – from the farms on the surprisingly fertile high terraces to the markets to the north and south.

A further deterrent to users of the Crown Range Road was its narrowness, and the fact that its sealing was not completed until 2001.

That year the Queenstown Lakes District Council sealed the final stretch past Cardrona, in response to the new tourism gold-rush that had already begun by then and was to be given a massive lift by the success of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies.

But it was not just the tales of Hobbits that brought new attention to Cardona and the Crown Range Road: The slopes of nearby Mount Cardrona had by then begun developing an international reputation as a high-altitude skiing and snowboarding field, later enhanced by the establishment of a world-class cross-country skiing facility at nearby Snow Farm.

Through it all, from its establishment in 1863, the Cardrona

PHOTO: SIR GEORGE GREY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, AUCKLAND LIBRARIES. REF # 35-R2015

PHOTO: SIR GEORGE GREY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, AUCKLAND. REF # AWNS-19351002-52-1

On the road to Frankton Arm Landing, Lake Wakatipu, with barley from the Crown Terrace, Crown Range, Otago.

Hotel has overseen the evolution of the Crown Range Road from miners’ track to farm access to tourism and skiing attraction, and in doing so it has become an icon in itself.

The hotel came into being the year after gold was discovered in the adjacent Cardrona River in November 1862, and within a few months there were 300 miners working claims with names like the Banner of War, the Empire and the Raspberry and Soda.

By then the road itself had become the main thoroughfare for miners and industries servicing the Arrowtown fields.

Often touted as the most photographed pub in the country,

the Cardona Hotel has clung to existence even as the three other pubs in the settlement that once numbered 3000 people closed, and in timber-starved Otago their lumber was re-used to build the town of Pembroke, as Wanaka was called until 1940.

By 1890 only the Cardona and All Nations Hotels (opened in 1873), plus a couple of stores and a blacksmith’s were still in business, and of those only the Cardona survived into the new century. This hotel is a classic of the gold-mining era, featuring a wooden façade fronting a building of local schist.

From 1926 until his death in 1961, the hotel was owned by JULY 2016 45

PHOTO: SIR GEORGE GREY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, AUCKLAND LIBRARIES. REF # 35-R2076

CONTRACTOR HISTORY

Jimmy Patterson and his wife Ettie La Franchi, the daughter of All Nations Hotel owner Gioachino La Franchi who also operated a golddredge in the valley.

The Pattersons were famously discreet in their supply of liquor to travellers, allowing those heading over the Crown Range Road just one drink, and two for those heading into Wanaka.

When they took their annual holidays to Christchurch, they left the pub unlocked with a sign on the door inviting visitors to help themselves to the beer under the counter.

The pub has since been made iconic by Dunedin’s Speights Brewery which acquired it earlier this century, then set about building replicas of it in various parts of New Zealand.

The Cardrona River may well have run dry for James K. Baxter when he picked cherries on its banks in his youth, but the pub never did.

Neither did Baxter run dry, not until his final years anyway, and despite joining Alcoholics Anonymous in 1950.

46 www.contractormag.co.nz

Photo taken April 2011.

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Time to get on board with Civil Trades PETER SILCOCK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND

When Civil Contractors NZ launched Civil Trades late last year leaders from throughout the contracting industry hailed the move as a “game changer”. Why? Because they saw it as a critical pathway to having the public and clients see our staff as qualified tradespeople and our businesses as professional and quality focused.

Since the launch we have been promoting Civil Trades to key client groups using the tag line “Qualified People, Quality Infrastructure”.

They have all applauded and supported the initiative and have agreed that it is very important to have a single and simple way of knowing that the people working on their projects have the appropriate qualifications and experience.

CCNZ has discussed with those clients the importance of the industry developing and recognising its own talent and attracting people into the industry. Clients have spoken about using a contractor’s support for Civil Trades as a key indicator for a non-price attribute around developing and investing in people capability.

With other trades undertaking strong multimedia advertising and with $110 billon of civil infrastructure worked planned over the next 10 years – now, more than ever, we need to be positioning the civil infrastructure business as a career of choice rather than a job of last resort. Civil Trades is not a government or Connexis initiative (although Connexis has partnered with us to develop the certification processes) and it comes from within the industry and from contractors who value their staff and want to better recognise their expertise, experience and tradesperson skills.

A Civil Tradesperson demonstrates: The ability to work unsupervised, safely, efficiently and to the required standard; and a high degree of practical and theoretical knowledge of their trade beyond skilled labourer or plant operator.

To become a Civil Tradesperson candidates must hold a Level 4 Qualification in Civil Infrastructure and have 8000 hours of industry experience (of which 2000 hours is at Level 4 competency).

If you have experienced staff, but they don’t hold a Level 4 Qualification then that is not a problem. They may be eligible to apply for a Connexis Level 4 Qualification through Recognition of Current Competency (RCC). As a special deal for this year only, Connexis has waived the qualification fee for RCC candidates wanting to be eligible to apply for Civil Trades.

RCC works by the candidate being assessed to a Civil Infrastructure Trades qualification via a portfolio of evidence and a professional discussion. The assessment is based on the skills and knowledge of an experienced operator in their field. The candidate needs to be able to demonstrate via a logbook or other documentation a minimum of five years’ experience with at least two years at a high level of skill.

The existing and proposed (currently under development) level 4 qualifications are: • Civil Works (existing) • Utilities Maintenance (existing) • Pipe Installation (existing) • Bituminous Surfacing (existing) • Bituminous Product Manufacturing (existing) • Structural Concrete (2017) • Deep Foundation Piling (2017) • Structure Steel Erection (2017) Once the candidate has the Level 4 qualification they can then apply to the Trades Certification Registrar with evidence of their qualification, their industry experience, and references.

We are now asking all you contractors to support Civil Trades by identifying key people within your business. The sort of people that you rely on to get jobs done on site, the foremen and team leaders that have five plus years practical work experience. These are the people who should be Civil Tradespeople. We need to reward and recognise these people and create a champion in your business for Civil Trades.

Why should you support and get involved with Civil Trades?

• To better recognise and develop the skills and expertise of your people.

• To position work in your business and the industry as a trade rather than just a job.

• To emphasise the professionalism of your business.

• To provide clients the confidence that they are engaging experienced and professionals people.

Don’t put it off get started today by ringing Connexis on 0800 437 486 to discuss how you can make Civil Trades part of your staff’s, your businesses and the civil infrastructure industry’s future.

Postal Address: PO Box 12013, Thorndon, Wellington 6144 Physical Address: Margan House, 21 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington 6011 Phone 0800 692 376

48 www.contractormag.co.nz

COMMENT CONTRACTOR

Project disputes – all too common?

HELEN BROWN AND ARIE MOORE, KENSINGTON SWAN

DISPUTES CAN OCCUR at any stage of a construction project. They almost always result from a misunderstanding between the parties. Most commonly, these relate to either: a) A misunderstanding about the terms of the construction contract. b) A misunderstanding about the nature of the contract and allocation of risk (eg, ground conditions). c) A misunderstanding about each party’s view of the project cost (eg, the contractor sitting on a claim until the end of the project and not informing the principal).

One of the noticeable traits of successful projects is that all stakeholders have minimised the chance for any misunderstandings to occur. This can come about in many ways, from verifying that the construction contract is clear and unambiguous, to ensuring that all parties communicate early about changes to the circumstances surrounding a project – the advance notification clause in NZS 3910:2013 is a good example of this.

Another way to minimise the effect of disputes is to encourage parties to utilise open communication to raise issues, but also to utilise the dispute provisions in the construction contract early.

All too often the dispute clauses are seen as something that can only be used once parties’ lawyers are involved and the project is nearing completion.

In practice the dispute process in most standard construction contracts is easy to follow and usually involves an escalating process. It is unusual to see a contract where the first step is to commence formal legal proceedings. Additionally, the process is likely to only require recourse to lawyers where the initial steps fail – indeed it is often easier to resolve disputes in the initial stages.

Increasingly major projects utilise a ‘dispute resolution board’ where three independent people are appointed to a board and meet regularly during a project to resolve any questions the parties may raise. Dispute resolution boards are used on both civil and commercial construction projects. However, this has an expense associated with it which is not supported on most projects.

An alternative option that is becoming increasingly common is for the parties to appoint an independent facilitator or mediator to meet regularly to address misunderstandings between the parties. This model is most successful where the facilitator is involved from the start of the project, most often through a kickstart meeting to go over the project with both parties.

Using a single person makes this approach viable for a larger number of projects. Even with the best intentions to communicate effectively, the natural tendency for most people is to talk around issues, rather than approaching them directly.

An independent facilitator can ensure that issues are directly addressed.

The independent facilitator will be kept updated about progress and issues during the project through regular meetings

between the parties. Where any dispute cannot be resolved through that mechanism, the facilitator can then act in the role of independent expert if a more formal process is required.

Using the facilitator as the independent expert will result in a faster and more accurate decision than commencing a process as they are already aware of the project and contract, so the submissions and supporting documents can focus on the dispute, rather than also being required to brief the expert.

This approach can be utilised simply by approaching the structure under NZS 3910:2013 with a different mindset to what is often used. The simplest way is to appoint the independent facilitator as engineer to the contract, that person could be legally qualified and have significant experience in the industry. The day-to-day project management is then carried out by the engineer’s representative.

The engineer to the contract can then focus on facilitating communication between the parties as an independent facilitator to avoid misunderstandings, and can better perform his or her obligations to act fairly and impartially when undertaking certifications or considering disputes.

It is also possible to have a separate person appointed as the mediator or facilitator so there is an appropriate focus to this role under the contract.

So if this is such a sensible approach, why is it not occurring on more projects? There are two main reasons why parties are not adopting this approach. First, most contractors (and principals) highlight in their tenders that they do not have ‘disputes’ and everyone will be holding hands around the fire as they work together to achieve a successful project.

There is concern that to say anything different will prejudice your chances of winning a tender. The trouble is there will be challenges on every project which is why construction contracts include provisions to deal with variations and unexpected risks. Everyone has more to gain by reflecting that from the start.

The second reason is that the risk of misunderstandings and disputes occurring is not one commonly addressed by any party when procuring and tendering a project. It is therefore seen as an avoidable cost for both parties. In fact, the cost can be minimised by allowing for a collaborative approach through an independent facilitator right from the start of the project.

The reality is that parties can best negotiate the challenges to their relationship faced during a project by planning more from the outset and putting in place robust procedures to help them work together.

This article was written by Helen Brown, Senior Associate, and Arie Moore, Associate. Helen and Arie lead Kensington Swan’s Wellington-based construction law team.

JULY 2016 49

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Making calls and getting buy-in TOMMY PARKER, NZ TRANSPORT AGENCY GROUP MANAGER, HIGHWAYS & NETWORKS OPERATIONS

TWO OF THE NZ TRANSPORT AGENCY’S five priorities are ‘deliver

efficient, safe and responsible and resilient highway solutions for customers’; and ‘maximise effective, efficient and strategic returns for New Zealand’.

You will note the word ‘efficient’ in both these priorities. To be efficient is to ensure value for money. And to consistently focus on value for money, innovation becomes critical.

As an industry, I believe we do innovation pretty well. Recent examples here include our relatively recent changes to our maintenance and operations model and the introduction of the Network Outcomes Contracts, our collaborative focus on Zero Harm, and adoption of agreed minimum standards.

However, one question of late for me is how we, as an industry as a whole, land innovation. At times, there seem to have been barriers to getting a collective understanding of what problems we are solving, and in getting buy-in to the innovation itself.

If we are to stay ahead in the roading sector, and if we are to continue to get best value for money for our taxpayer dollars, we need to use all our good ideas.

It seems to me our issue is not coming up with ideas. On the contrary, I hear lots of innovations discussed regularly on sites around New Zealand. Our issue seems to be more about how we land these as good practice and rolling them out across the industry.

We need to get better at getting the right people in the room to make the call, and them getting buy-in from all the players.

A good example of this has been our roll-out of Epoxy OGPA. We have been convinced of the technical benefits of this surfacing for some time, and I genuinely believe that the industry agrees.

However, getting it from concept to industry standard has been a slow process.

There were more people who needed to be involved than had

50 www.contractormag.co.nz

been anticipated, and we clearly did not do enough engagement work upfront at the right level. We would like to hear how we can do this better.

I know here at the Transport Agency we have several new innovations in the pipeline – intelligent cats’ eyes which light up as a driver approaches a bend, or when the temperature lowers to a certain point, which will be particularly useful in the South Island; investigating the use of recycled tyres in surfacings; and weather activated speed warning signage such as the one being trialled in the Kaimai Ranges, to name but a few.

The pace of change in the innovation space is only increasing.

The implication of this is that we, as an industry, need to get more agile in accepting and adopting innovation. So how are we best to facilitate this?

This is something we have been discussing with Peter Silcock of Civil Contractors NZ. Peter and I are on the same page with this – we are teaming up to improve the way we engage in the innovation space.

While we have traditionally worked well together to achieve outcomes for New Zealand, there is always the opportunity to do more.

Civil Contractors NZ represents the interests and aspirations of over 600 members, including large, medium-sized and small businesses in civil engineering, construction and general contracting.

With Civil Contractors NZ agreeing to further act as a conduit for communicating new developments, and upping the ante in our collective focus on innovation, we will be able to hit the ground running to ensure our sector is fully agile and can readily adopt advances in our sector.

I hope you took the opportunity to attend one of our regional roadshows last month to hear more about our business, to ask any questions you may have and to engage on the latest developments In late May, I had the privilege of addressing a New Zealand Council of Infrastructure Development (NZCID) event themed ‘Institutionalising best practice in capital procurement’.

I was asked to speak about the various initiatives we have underway in driving innovation and better value for money. I was also asked to suggest new initiatives to accelerate best practice across the sector.

Each year, NZCID does research around its stakeholders’ procurement procedures. Last year, we topped the list, and I am delighted to say that we have the top results yet again this year.

We have scored particularly well in the past in the areas of ‘innovates in the use of alternative procurement methods and delivery’, ‘provides early advice of forward work programmes to suppliers’, communicates effectively and in timely manner with the market’ and ‘adopts reasonable probity requirements’.

This is a great honour for us, and we are always open to sharing ideas and experiences with the procurement community.

COMMENT CONTRACTOR

Managing the health risk JANET BROTHERS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LIFE CARE CONSULTANTS

IT IS A COMMON cliché to say ‘our staff are our biggest asset’,

however I would challenge that our actions prove this statement.

We have maintenance programmes for our machinery, vehicles and often our IT equipment. The size of the maintenance programme is often determined by the size of the business.

In some cases it is a specific person’s role to manage the maintenance often with the scheduled shut downs, regular servicing and a whole office of records to prove the efficiencies.

We do look after the safety of our staff, and once again, it is often dependent on the size of the company, ie, if we are big enough to have a dedicated health and safety manager and how much health and safety is embedded into the company culture.

Most companies these days have a system to identify hazards, then ask the question ‘Can we eliminate, isolate or minimise the hazard?’ with the ultimate objective of keeping our staff and the plant safe.

A large percentage of businesses in high risk industries monitor their staff’s health every year. Life Care alone monitored 12,000 individuals’ health in 2011, however in many cases that is where the risk management stops. So we have identified the risks, ie, hazards but we don’t carry it on as we do with a physical risk ie, eliminate, isolate or minimise the risk.

We tick the box and say we care about our staff’s health then we do the same the following year, instead of recognising health risks as significant hazards which have got the opportunity to reduce our accidents, our downtime and greatly improve our productivity.

If we look at an example with Fred, a 34-year-old, 130-kilogram father of two young boys. Fred is a machine operator who smokes 20 cigarettes a day, has high blood pressure and a crook knee. On average, over the past five years, Fred has had 25 sick days per year at an approximate cost of $30,000 to his employer, based on Fred and his machine being hired out at $150 per hour.

His sick leave has been for an ongoing ACC claim for his knee, and for flu, gout and chest infections. His ACC claim is ongoing as he often has time off for physiotherapy and his knee can flare up at any time especially when he forgets to put his weight on his ‘good knee’ when he is getting out of his digger.

Let’s start putting as much energy into the ‘health’ of staff as we put into their ‘safety’ If Fred was given the opportunity and encouragement to either lose weight or stop smoking, statistically he would halve his sick leave. The return on investment (ROI) from having Fred ‘on the job’ for an extra 12 days per year would be significant without even thinking of the ACC costs to the company.

There are many winners here: Fred, who has a much better quality of life; his two sons, who now have a father who will go for a bike ride with them; the company, which has increased productivity and can hire Fred out 12 more days per annum and therefore increase its ROI by an extra $15,000; a lower ACC obligation; society, with less strain on the health dollar so it can be used to treat life-threatening conditions; and, New Zealand as a nation, by increasing our country’s productivity to make us more competitive in global markets.

Let’s start putting as much energy into the ‘health’ of staff as we put into their ‘safety’. By doing this, in 99 percent of cases, the ‘safety’ statistics will ‘mysteriously’ improve along with the bottom line.

Civil Contractors SUPPLY SPECIALISTS

LEADERS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND SUPPLY OF EROSION CONTROL SOLUTIONS • Safety fence • Steel Y posts • Fencing products • Fabric screening • Ground staples • Floating Silt Fence • Floc sheds • Fabrication service • Geogrids • Gabion Baskets • Geotextiles • Cesspit filter bags • Filtercloth • Silt fence

CALL US NOW 0800 757 343

www.taylorbuilt.co.nz sales@taylorbuilt.co.nz 45 Forge Road, Silverdale, AUCKLAND

JULY 2016 51

CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES

CL

M

A

ASSIC

C H I N E S

1

Allis-Chalmers HD-11 – a multipurpose tool

Designed as a replacement for an earlier tractor, the Allis-Chalmers HD-11 was a very worthy successor and was in production for over 25 years. BY RICHARD CAMPBELL. THE ALLIS-CHALMERS model HD-11 was introduced in 1955 as a replacement for the company’s model HD-9, which had been in production since 1950, and the earlier model HD-10, the 10year production run of which began in 1940.

Both the HD-9 and HD-10 were powered by 71 series GM Detroit Diesels as at that stage, Allis-Chalmers did not manufacture its own diesel engines.

This all changed in 1953 when Allis-Chalmers bought the Buda Diesel Engine Company and began development of its own engines.

Allis-Chalmers introduced several new track type tractor designs in 1955, all powered by the “new” Allis-Chalmers diesel engines.

These included the HD-6, HD-16, HD-21 and the subject of our story, the HD-11.

Rather than just inserting a new powerplant into an existing chassis, the HD-11 was an all-new design from the ground up, utilising experience gleaned from the previous HD-9 and HD-10.

From the outset of track type tractor production, AllisChalmers had always been an innovator, developing many of the systems that have been incorrectly attributed to other manufacturers.

52 www.contractormag.co.nz

Items such as torque converter drive, permanently sealed rollers, power-boosted braking and even sealed and lubricated track (SALT) were all pioneered by Allis-Chalmers.

The first production version of the HD-11 was powered by a six-cylinder naturally aspirated A-C model D-516 engine which produced around 85 flywheel horsepower and had a six-speed direct drive transmission. Track gauge was 74 inches and the machine had a six-roller track frame.

A mid-sized tractor, weighing around 11 tons without attachments, the HD-11 was a contemporary of the Caterpillar D6, International TD-15, Oliver OC-12 and Eimco 106.

By 1958, two improved versions of the original HD-11 were available, the HD-11E and HD-11B. Primary differences were a change in engine to the new model A-C 10000 series diesel with a consequent rise in horsepower – 99 flywheel horsepower for the HD-11E and 111 flywheel horsepower for the HD-11B, seven roller track frames for each, and a torque converter drive transmission for the HD-11B. These machines remained in production until 1962 when three new versions were introduced, the HD-11EC, HD-11EP, and an improved HD-11E. All three were powered by an updated version of the A-C

2

1. F ine factory photo of a late 1950s’ Allis-Chalmers HD-11E direct drive model. The photo shows off well the rounded lines of the machine, 7-roller track frame, and the hinge point for the tiltable radiator guard. Also, the vivid “Persian Orange” paint which was Allis-Chalmers’ original colour scheme. PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION 2. V ery well preserved example of an HD-11EP with Carco winch and a fairly substantial ROPS structure.

Notice the turbocharger, a feature of post-1962 HD-11s and the 6-roller track frame. PHOTO: INTERNET 3. A llis-Chalmers HD-11B with Carco winch and hydraulic angle blade used for brush clearing in the USA. This machine dates from the late 1950s as it still has the oil bath aircleaner common to that era.

PHOTO: INTERNET

3

10000 engine known as the A-C 11000 series which featured for the first time, a turbocharger.

All three machines featured different horsepower ratings.

The direct drive HD-11E was rated at 130 flywheel horsepower, the torque converter drive HD-11EC at 140 flywheel horsepower and the powershift HD-11EP at 150 flywheel horsepower.

Further changes included the addition of oil-cooled steering clutches and brakes, and a 6-roller track frame for all three machines.

In these configurations, all three remained in production until 1971 apart from the HD-11EC which was dropped in 1967 due to declining sales volumes for the torque converter drive/ manual transmission type of tractor.

HD-11s saw service in the complete spectrum of earthmoving, agricultural and forestry applications where they were very popular.

In order to retain a competitive edge, Allis-Chalmers undertook a complete redesign of its track type tractor range and this revamp naturally included the HD-11.

Bearing little resemblance to its predecessors, the new HD-11 series B was introduced in the middle of 1971 in two versions, a powershift and a direct drive model.

Still featuring the A-C model 11000 turbocharged engine, the powershift version was rated at 140 flywheel horsepower and the direct drive model at 125 flywheel horsepower.

It was also around this time that Fiat, which had a substantial share holding in Allis-Chalmers, exercised its options and the company changed its name from Allis-Chalmers to FiatAllis.

Unfortunately, this was also to lead to the gradual decline of the brand as once Fiat’s influence began to take hold, sales in North America, the brand’s naturally biggest market, began to drop off drastically.

For the HD-11 series B, now known simply as the Fiat-Allis 11B, the writing was pretty much on the wall and the machine was discontinued in 1981, in favour of one of Fiat’s own models, the European-designed FD10.

Sales of all versions of the HD-11 exceeded 16,000 units.

The Allis-Chalmers HD-11 described Bearing in mind the variety of HD-11 versions, for the purpose of this article, we will take a look at one of the most common HD-11 variants, a late 1950s HD-11B. As mentioned earlier, the HD-11B was powered by an AllisJULY 2016 53

CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES

1. An HD-11EP at work in the Kit Carson National Forest, New Mexico, USA, 1969.

Used for removing thinnings, the machine is equipped with a hydraulic ‘S’ blade, bush canopy and Carco winch with a fairlead.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

2. O wned by Ozark Fisheries, Missouri, USA, this HD-11EC is engaged in land improvement and water conservation work.

The machine is outfitted with a grubbing blade, barely discernible behind all the scrub.

1

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

3. A n HD-11EP with hydraulic ‘S’ blade pushing down a pile of topsoil over a recently graded area on a highway job. The machine belongs to GBTanner Construction of Louisville, Kentucky, USA and the photo was taken in 1968.

PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

2

Chalmers 11000 series six-cylinder, naturally aspirated diesel engine.

This produced 99 flywheel horsepower at a fairly low 1800 rpm and was connected, via a single plate clutch, to a six forward, three reverse speed constant mesh manual transmission.

Steering was by conventional steering clutches and contracting band brakes which were mechanically boosted to ease operator effort.

Of conventional layout, the HD-11B chassis had a very solid one-piece cast maincase and box beam mainframe and track frames.

Large ‘A’ frames tied the rear of the track frame to the main chassis and a multi-leaf equaliser spring, mounted just past the mid point of the tractor, allowed the frames to oscillate and absorb shock.

Seven bottom track rollers and two carrier rollers per side was the standard format for the undercarriage which had 41 shoes per side, usually 16 inches wide.

Track tension was maintained by a semi-hydraulic track tensioner which was enclosed in oil.

At the front of the tractor chassis, the radiator guard assembly was pivoted at the bottom allowing the assembly to be tilted forward to allow full access to the radiator, an idea well ahead of its time.

The operator was well catered for with a deeply padded seat 54 www.contractormag.co.nz

3

and armrests and a full instrument display.

Allis-Chalmers tractors were among the first to feature a tapered hood which allowed the operator a better forward view and the rear of the 60 gallon fuel tank was well rounded to allow a better view of any trailed equipment.

Options for the earlier tractors were few apart from a steelenclosed cab and a heater run off the machine’s cooling system.

Attachments Allis-Chalmers, like many other track type tractor manufacturers of the time, did not originally manufacture its own attachments.

This task was left to outside “preferred suppliers” which in Allis-Chalmers’ case were Baker Manufacturing, GarWood, Tractomotive and Carco.

Also, the acquisition of LaPlant-Choate in 1952 gave AllisChalmers access to hydraulic technology which was put to good use when the company finally introduced its own line of blades, rippers and shovels (Allis-Chalmers later bought both Baker, Tractomotive and the earthmoving division of GarWood).

Variations There was one significant modification to the HD-11 which deserves a mention and it is the HD-11G model, which was a dedicated track type loader.

Manufactured for Allis-Chalmers by Tractomotive Corp, the

4. F inal production variant of the HD-11 was the HD-11 series B. Although fitted with the same engine as the previous model HD-11, it bears little resemblance to the former machine. Gone are all the rounded curves and the machine looks much more utilitarian. This is a direct drive example. PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION 5. Tractomotive Corp produced this version of the HD-11 as a track type loader known as the HD-11G by overlaying a loader frame over an existing HD-11 chassis.

Tractomotive had extensive experience in this kind of modification and was later acquired by Allis-Chalmers because of its expertise. Not a great many HD-11Gs were manufactured and the type was replaced by the much improved 7G model.

Photo dated 1956. PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION 6. T his HD-11EP is not as forlorn as it looks and is about to be restored to its former glory. Belonging to the altogether fine fellow Merv Pepper, it resides in the Coromandel area of the North Island. PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

4

5

type saw service from the late 1950s until 1966 when Allis-Chalmers introduced the model 7G loader which was built from the start as a loader and not an adaptation of a bulldozer.

The New Zealand connection The Allis-Chalmers was a very popular tractor in New Zealand but unfortunately no importation records have survived, so we don’t know how many came in.

What is known is that the machine sold well; all sub types of the HD-11 were imported from the very early HD-11’s through to the Fiat-Allis 11B. Many of these machines are still in active service although parts for some of the older models are becoming a little scarce.

6

B R I E F S P EC I F I CAT I O N S 1959 Allis-Chalmers HD-11E Engine: Allis-Chalmers 11000 series, inline 6-cylinder, naturally aspirated diesel engine rated at 99 flywheel horsepower at 1800 rpm Clutch: Single plate, ceramic faced over-centre type, hand operated Transmission: Allis-Chalmers constant mesh direct drive type with 6 forward and 3 reverse speeds.

Top speed:

5.7 mph

Steering: Multi-disc steering clutch packs, hydraulically boosted Brakes:

Contracting band type with a mechanical booster

Tracks: 41-section Std. shoes: 16”

For the Model Collector

Rollers:

7 bottom and 2 carrier per side

Dismal pickings I’m afraid, the only model of the HD-11 ever manufactured was to 1:32 scale in the late 1950s and is long out of production.

It is so rare that even the author, an avid model collector, has seen one!

Length:

12’ 10” (bare)

Width: 8’ (bare, with 16” shoes) Height: 9’ 6” Op. weight:

Approx 11 tons (bare)

JULY 2016 55

CONTRACTOR MOTORING

XTREME END OF FUTURE COLORADO UTE RANGE It’s the most expensive Holden ever seen on Kiwi soil and – surprise, surprise – we can’t drive it. By CAMERON OFFICER.

56 www.contractormag.co.nz

THE BRIGHT ORANGE Holden Colorado on these pages is in fact a show car; despite its extensive array of beefy off-road gear, it’s destined to spend its life under spotlights on plinths rather than wading grille-deep through icy Central Otago rivers.

However, while this is very much a design study worthy of the Xtreme badge its Aussie designers have given it, there are elements both on and in it that point directly to what we can expect from the new Colorado (the er, less shouty ones we’ll see in showrooms this coming September).

While those Mickey Thompson mud tyres with custom bead locks and flared wheel arches won’t appear on any options list this side of a West Coast Customs workshop, Holden does say that around 70 percent of the accessories the Colorado Xtreme features will be available to 2017 model year Colorado buyers.

Keen Colorado drivers with a penchant for the personalised will be able to choose from a heap of popular additions for the new model, including safari bar, sports bar and optional alloy wheels; add in an after-market graphics package and an LED lightbar or two and, says Holden, customers will be able to effectively recreate the show car.

H HH H

Reading between the lines I can only assume Holden will be looking squarely at the success story the top-spec Ranger Wildtrak has proven for Ford over the past year or so. Despite its $70k-plus price tag, that top-shelf bells-and-whistles model has been a remarkable unit shifter for the Blue Oval brand. What’s more, none of the competitors in the one-tonne ute segment have been able to match it significantly. Every ute-manufacturer has dabbled with special edition models that up the aggression factor but none have had a long-lasting impact.

As an out-of-the-box statement, the Ranger Wildtrak presents a complete package. If Holden is to take sales away from what is (last month at least) the country’s top-selling ute with the revitalised Colorado, offering something a little less extreme than the Xtreme right from the off (and crucially, sticking with it as a model in the line-up) will be vital. A Colorado SS perhaps?

Well, why not?

The Xtreme show car has been a globetrotter since it was first unveiled at the Bangkok Motor Show a couple of months back, heading to a General Motors (GM) event in Spain before being freighted here. Bangkok? Yes, well both GM and Ford build their utes in Thailand these days so the South East Asian market is deemed a very important one for pick-up trucks.

Visitors to the Holden stand at Fieldays 2016 will be among the first in the Southern Hemisphere to see the Xtreme; Kiwi audiences get to pore over its custom paint job, uniquelydesigned snorkel, integrated roof basket, lightbars, custom tubliner and various other mods even before the Aussies do.

Inside, Holden promises a lot of what is on show in the Xtreme will be available in the new Colorado too. The company has committed to furthering its comprehensive MyLink infotainment system into the ute range; accessed through a large touchscreen, this system pairs with the driver’s smartphone to not only deliver the usual phonebook and music library info, but satellite navigation and other data through connected apps as well. It’s a clever advent that GM has been at the forefront of over the past few years.

So the most expensive Holden ever? A development figure of $3 million has been bandied about for the Colorado Xtreme, but who knows? Holden definitely isn’t saying. And the company wouldn’t be drawn on prices for the ones we mere mortals will drive towards the end of this year yet either. But you can relax safe in the knowledge they’ll be a damn sight cheaper than that.

ANCAP delivers van-load of 5-star safety ratings

THE AUSTRALASIAN NEW CAR Assessment Program (ANCAP) has recently released safety ratings for several commercial van and people-mover models.

All current variants of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class and Valente score a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, as do all variants of Ford Transit Custom and Ford Tourneo Custom vans.

Dual ratings have been issued for the MercedesBenz Vito. Vito variants without head-protecting side (curtain) airbags hold a 4-star ANCAP safety rating, while Vito variants sold with optional curtain airbags earn the maximum 5-star rating.

“For commercial buyers – many of whom are now required by their employers to have a vehicle with a 5-star ANCAP safety rating – these ratings open the door to a number of new vehicle choices,” commented ANCAP chief executive officer, James Goodwin.

Mercedes-Benz has stated it will implement a running change to production of the Vito, incorporating head-protecting side airbags as standard for all vehicles built from July 2016.

Standard fitment should see all Vito variants built from this date secure a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.

The new ratings, announced last month, see Ford enter the 5-star van rankings for the first time.

“The Transit is a popular choice for large and small commercial operators such as tradespeople or couriers. Transit drivers will now have the knowledge their van offers the highest level of safety,” said Goodwin.

The Ford Tourneo Custom is a people-mover variant of the Transit Custom sold in New Zealand.

JULY 2016 57

CONTRACTOR INNOVATIONS

Night flights thanks to Wirtgen As featured as the cover story in the June issue of Contractor, a Wirtgen W100F cold milling machine was used to mill the 1891-metre-long airport runway in Queenstown as part of a major upgrade project being carried out by Downer over the past summer.

The $18 million project incorporated widening the runway from 30 metres to 45 metres and then resurfacing it with an 110mm asphalt overlay.

The Wirtgen W100F machine milled depths from 10mm to 150mm over a total area of about 90,000 square metres and reliability was essential, as any downtime would have put pressure on the paving.

Once the Wirtgen had done its profiling job, it was the turn of Downer’s Vogele 1603-3 to lay a total of around 24,000 tonnes of asphalt in 30 shifts. The runway overlay itself is made up of 21,000 tonnes of asphalt with another 3000 tonnes laid elsewhere at the airport.

Another machine that worked hard on the project was a Hamm HD+80i VO articulated tandem roller. The VO in the machine’s name

stands for vibration oscillation – the front drum vibrates and the rear oscillates and augments the aggregate better, resulting in a much more uniform texture.

These three machines are relatively new to Downer, with the Vogele paver and Hamm roller both less than six months old. All were sourced from local distributor Wirtgen New Zealand.

Downer is a specialist in airport construction and resurfacing, having previously completed a number of airport jobs around the country. Other projects include resurfacing the runways at Hamilton International Airport and Gisborne Airport in the past two years, and having just completed the Christchurch International Airport runway widening project.

The Queenstown runway upgrade proved an exceptionally successful project and the airfield improvements mean new evening flights will be available from this month, meaning more flights in and out of the tourist town.

LEDs from Big Red

Designer asphalt ASCO, the distributor of StreetPrint imprinted and coloured asphalt, says its product offers construction efficiency and quality that is significant when considering waiting/curing time for concrete and the time and inefficiency required to construct smaller sections of multiple pavement types.

The StreetPrint process allows for conventional pavement construction across the entire road formation that is then surfaced with asphalt, followed by imprinting with selected patterns and then finally a colouring.

“The requirement to stop and start construction works with different pavement types to achieve the design and shared zone definition in the pavement surface is mitigated,” says the company.

More information: 027 444 6888, www.ascoltd.co.nz.

58 www.contractormag.co.nz

Big Red’s (Narva) new expanded range of high quality automotive lighting products includes popular sizes of LED driving lamps and light bars that can be viewed online.

The line-up includes the popular 180mm and 220mm LED models, which feature free form reflector technology that captures and focuses the light, producing a powerful spot beam combined with a smooth, wide, white spread of light (approx 6000 Kelvin).

For even greater LED performance, Big Red’s new ‘high power’ 180mm and 220mm models are equipped with five-watt ‘Cree’ LEDs (18x5W: 90W and 30x5W: 150W) producing an enormous volume of crystal clear white light (6300 Kelvin) in a broad flood beam that illuminates both the immediate surrounding area, as well as penetrating hundreds of metres down the road.

View catalogue online at: www.bigredled.com.au/Catalogue.html.

INNOVATIONS CONTRACTOR

Heavy duty dust control Dust Control Technology has released its new and largest trailermounted dust control system, a powerful atomised mist design featuring a range of 100 metres and the ability to deliver 15,500 square metres of coverage area.

The DustBoss DB-100 FusionT is powered by its own 480 volt/150 kilowatt generator with a 6.8 litre John Deere Tier III flex diesel engine, all securely mounted on one of several roadworthy dual-axle trailer options with stabilising jacks.

Designed for large open-air applications such as mines, coal handling plants and aggregate operations, the unit delivers effective particle control in a mobile platform that can be positioned directly at the source of dust-generating activities, even on sites without an available power supply. The new design can even be specified with a high-lift pump for drawing water from a stationary source, such as a private pond.

Day-to-day operation can typically be managed by the remotely located on/off switch outside of the enclosure. For convenience, a 120 volt receptacle for auxiliary tools and a plug-in for the battery charger and block heater are also located outside.

To achieve its 100-metre throw distance, the DB-100 employs a 60

HP electric fan motor coupled with 10-90 PSI of inlet water pressure that’s run through a booster pump to achieve pressures as high as 250 PSI total. Unlike industrial sprinkler systems used for dust management, which can require as much as 500 GPM (1893 LPM) of water, the DB-100 Fusion uses only about 38 GPM (143.8 LPM) to help avoid pooling or runoff. The unit shatters the inlet stream into millions of tiny droplets in the range of 50-200 microns – an ideal size for suppressing fugitive dust particles in most cases.

More information: www.dustboss.com.

New personnel at Titan Cranes

USA grunt launched at National Field Days Iconic US truck brand RAM has been launched here at the opening of the National Field Days by Fiat Chrysler New Zealand, the importer.

The range of re-engineered right hand drive RAM 2500 and 3500 series trucks is supplied by American Special Vehicles, a venture combining the resources of Australia’s largest independent automotive importer and distributor, Ateco Automotive, with the legendary Walkinshaw Automotive Group.

RAM is said to be the fastest growing truck brand in the United States. Since its launch as a stand-alone division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in 2009, the RAM truck brand has steadily emerged as an industry leader with US sales over 40,000 trucks per month.

Powered by a 6.7 litre Cummins turbo diesel engine producing 276kW and a staggering 1084Nm of torque, a RAM truck can carry or tow an astounding amount.

All that power and weight is fed to the road via a 68RFE six-speed automatic transmission, which includes driver-adaptive shifting and three multiple clutch packs, dual filters on a dual stage pump and an independent lubrication cooler that delivers ample pressures under all loads and driving conditions.

RAM trucks are big on safety and security featuring advanced, multi-stage front airbags, front and rear seat curtain airbags, electronic stability control, rear park assist and rear view camera, an eye level brake light with cargo camera, a tyre pressure monitoring system and remote keyless entry.

Alastair Dalzel has joined the team at Titan Cranes at its Christchurch branch in the role of branch manager, and will oversee the day-to-day running of the fleet.

Alastair takes over from Barry Crone, who retired in March after being an important part of the Titan Cranes operations in Canterbury for over 36 years.

Alastair brings with him extensive experience in the New Zealand crane industry. He was with Smith Crane and Construction for 20 years, starting out painting cranes before working his way to crane operator and then to supervisor. He was also involved in rescue and recovery following the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, and in the subsequent demolition and rebuild of the city.

The Christchurch branch of Titan Cranes was set up in 1979 and currently runs a fleet of 15 cranes, ranging from the 10-ton 1984 Hamilton, which is kept more as a collector’s item, up to the state-ofthe-art 250-ton Terex AC250 All Terrain.

JULY 2016 59

CONTRACTOR CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND

CCNZ Updates Z’s ongoing partnership with CCNZ CCNZ would like to acknowledge the ongoing partnership we have with Z, which has just renewed its CCNZ Core Associate membership for the 2016/17 year. Z has been a major supporter of CCNZ for many years and we truly value its support of our organisation and industry.

Please support companies that support CCNZ CCNZ would like to express our sincere appreciation for the ongoing support of the following Major Associates which have renewed their Major Associate membership status for the 2016/17 year: ERoad BNZ Crombie Lockwood Komatsu MWH New Zealand Firth Industries NZ Equipment Group NZTA Navman Wireless Total Lubricants TR Lord & Associates SITECH UDC Finance CB Norwood Distributors Allied Petroleum Holcim Geofabrics Mimico Turners

Smart Contracting Registrations open Come and join us in Auckland. Only one month to go so make your bookings now.

• I nformation packed sessions on business, succession planning, innovation, H&S, new technology – to move your business forward • Great keynote and motivational speakers – to give your business that extra punch • Massive networking opportunities – with clients, suppliers and other contractors • Fun social events to enjoy and celebrate.

CCNZ supports changes to Driver Licensing Rules Civil Contractors New Zealand has made a detailed submission to the Ministry of Transport, NZTA Driver Licensing Review Discussion Document supporting significant changes and streamlining of the rules around heavy vehicle driver licensing.

We submitted that a simplified system coupled with a robust theoretical and practical competence assessment will have the combined benefits of improved safety and improved productivity.

Civil Contractors New Zealand supported: 1. the move to digital licensing; 2. a simplified pathway from Class 2 to Class 5 licences; 3. the removal of the requirement for drivers of special-type vehicles to hold relevant endorsements with a long transition or a voluntary scheme remaining available; 4. the proposals that will enable NZTA to manage risks associated with the conduct or behaviour of approved course providers with the

addition of active moderation and management; 5. the need for robust and independent theoretical and practical competency assessment; 6. the separation of training from competency assessments.

To read the full submission response go to www.civilcontractors. co.nz or call or email Peter Silcock, 0800 692 376 or peter@ civilcontractors.com.

CCNZ calls for more Retentions Regime analysis Civil Contractors New Zealand has provided a submission to MBIE on regulations relating to retentions. MBIE asked three questions: 1) Should there be a minimum amount of retention money to which the trust obligation applies, and if so, how much? Currently there is no minimum, and the trust obligation will apply to all retention money. This current approach is consistent with the aim of protecting retention money withheld from small subcontracting businesses.

We suggested that the amount cannot be quantified until the accounting requirements have been determined.

We also suggested that the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand be asked to give an opinion on the likely impact of the proposed trust funds on the presentation of accounts under Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. We made this recommendation in March 2015 when commenting on the Regulatory Impact Statement.

2) What (if any) methods of accounting should be included in regulations to describe ‘liquid assets’?

We suggested that rather than seeking to define what is and what is not a liquid asset the objective should be: a. to define a range of accounting treatments or vehicles that may be legitimately treated as liquid assets; and b. to require the payer to declare the form or forms of liquid asset in which the retention money is withheld.

3) What (if any) methods of accounting should be included in regulations to cater for situations where retention money is mixed with other money?

Our response was that currently, payers can use any method of accounting that complies with the Act. Regulations could potentially describe some methods of accounting that are consistent with the Act, however, payers would not necessarily be limited to using the methods of accounting described in regulations.

To read the full submission response go to www.civilcontractors. co.nz or call or email Malcolm Abernethy, 0800 692 376 or malcolm@ civilcontractors.com.

For more information call or email Peter Silcock, 0800 692 376 or peter@civilcontractors.com.

ADVERTISERS I N D EX Allied Petroleum Asphalt Supply Company CablePrice Caliber Products CCNZ Conference CCNZ Complete Reinforcing

60 www.contractormag.co.nz

31 9 OBC, 39 25 13 IBC 11

Counties Ready Mix Concrete Ditch Witch NZ Gough Cat Heaney & Partners Hirepool Hynds Pipe Systems Industrial Seatbelts

33 IFC 7 4 21 43 41

Jonel Hydraulics Prime Pump Road Science Taylor Built Trimble Youngman Richardson

37 47 27 51 3 5

// C O N S T R U C T I O N E X C AVAT O R S

The design of the new Hitachi ZX130-5, ZX135US-5 and ZX225USLC-5 excavators are inspired by one aim - Empowering your Vision

100616_Hitachi_ZX130

SPECIFICATIONS MAKE

MODEL

WEIGHT (kg)

WIDTH

BUCKET (m3)

DIG DEPTH (mm)

BREAKOUT (kgf)

POWER (kW@rpm)

FLOW (L/min)

Hitachi

ZX130-5

13,100

2490

0.50

5540

Hitachi

ZX135US-5

13,700

2490

0.50

5490

104 kN

73kW@2000

2x117

104 kN

73kW@2000

2x117

Hitachi

ZX225USLC-5

24,300

2990

0.80

6620

158 kN

122kW@2000

2x212/1x189

See first-hand the features of the new Hitachi ZX130-5, ZX135US-5 and ZX225USLC-5 excavators with live demonstrations taking place throughout the country. For more information and to register visit www.cableprice.co.nz or contact your local CablePrice sales representative.

0800 555 456 sales@cableprice.co.nz www.cableprice.co.nz