NEW ZEALAND’S CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2017
More muscle to move The Revital Group has invested in new machinery to do its heavy work.
INSIDE: Kaikoura rail – a collaborative contracting job well done Harrie Harris pays tribute to the industry association Heavy hauling beams over the challenging Arthur’s Pass Motu bridge – a lesson in bridge building innovation
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CONTENTS CONTRACTOR
26
INSIDE: Regulars 6 Editorial 8 Upfront 10 Contractors’ Diary 18 On the cover 58 Classic Machines 62 Innovations 66 Civil Contractors NZ update 66 Advertisers index
Comment 48 Peter Silcock CCNZ 49 Tommy Parker NZTA 50 James McMillan & Sam McCutcheon Kensington Swan 52 Skills a continuing issue Hays Recruitment NZ 54 Rob Stummer
IFS New Zealand and Australia
56 Jonathan Bhana-Thomson
Heavy Haulage Association
Highlights / Features 20 Profile: Contracting and camaraderie
Harrie Harris attributes the success of his company and many of the friends he has made over the years to his membership of the Taranaki branch.
24 The day the trains started running
How they got KiwiRail running again after the massive Kaikoura earthquake destruction.
30 Learning the ropes
Getting stuck up an Auckland high-rise was the catalyst for Victoria Richardson to learn to abseil.
34 A long time in planning
The big Waioeka Gorge landslip of 2012 highlighted SH2’s vulnerability and finally led to the replacement of its last one-lane bridge.
40 Health & Safety: Learn it and understand it WorkSafe New Zealand’s David Bellett’s presentation at the 2017 QuarryNZ conference recently.
42 H ealth & Safety through NEBOSH Ex oil industry worker, Ian Frame, talks workplace safety opportunities in civil construction.
44 M ountainous moves Transporting massive concrete bridge beams over the precipitous Arthur’s Pass has been challenging.
ON THE COVER The Revital Group, which includes Revital Aggregates, Fertiliser and Growwell, has made a significant investment in new machinery to do its heavy work. The new gear includes three Hyundai diggers, three Hyundai loaders and a Terex articulated dump truck, all provided by Porter Equipment. See page 18
60
57 Engineers at risk
Hays Recruitment NZ
NOVEMBER 2017 5
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
May common sense prevail You can’t deny that this industry had a decent run under National through some tumultuous years that involved the global financial crisis, Pike River and the Christchurch rebuild. It has been a political stability uncommon in a small democracy with no upper house and short three-year terms. I started with Contrafed Publishing as the editor of EnergyNZ magazine when Labour was last in power with a coalition of minority partners that involved concessions with the Greens around energy and transport. You might recall, back then, talk of complusory compact fluorescent lamps (eco bulbs) and a bill forcing petrol and diesel to have a percentage of biofuels. The state coalier, Solid Energy, bizzarely got into the biofuel business. What happened? The government was kicked out before the regulations could come into effect; very efficient new LED lighting technology swept the country anyway; and Solid Energy’s five-year foray (or disarray) into biofuels cost us around $60 million and arguably triggered its own demise. Lets hope the new coalition Government will act with ‘common sense’ (and the new PM does excude good sense), because it will be under close security by a lot of folks who didn’t vote for it, and it is a very short time between now and the next election. Meanwhile, keep an eye on regional development in terms of new work, as this is an area where both NZ First and Labour agree. And any government faces the challenge of the nation’s infrastructure, both new and old, so keep those machines running. ‘Distance not only gives nostalgia, but perspective, and maybe objectivity,’ said Amercian poet Robert Morgan, and perhaps the reasons two of the popular themes Contrafed has published over the past four decades are old machines and the old veterans who operated them. Our Classic Machine section online (webpage, Facebook, and YouTube) draws huge industry interest from around the world, and will continue to do so as today’s machines and operators become tomorrow’s classics and veterans. In this issue Mary Searle Bell interviews Harrie (Graham) Harris, a veteran member of the Contractors Federation (now CCNZ), as he looks back over a successful business career. Richard Campbell, a walking vintage machine encylopaedia, revisits the S-12 Euclid designed in the 1950s to work between the smaller and larger Euclid scrapers, but was never popular. Hugh de Lacy was there when the trains started running along the Kaikoura coast, albeit on a limited basis. It was a big moment for KiwiRail, the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery and the contractors involved – HEB, Downers, Higgins/Fletcher and Fulton Hogan. Tommy Parker, NZTA GM system design and delivery, pays tribute in his column on page 49 to the contracting industry and all involved in Kaikoura earthquake work. “Despite the scale of the devastation, the earthquake will produce positive legacies long-term for the industry,” he says. Nothing can be surer, I say, in a country where destructive earth moving earthquakes come with the territory. So stay prepared. Alan Titchall Editorial Manager
EDITORIAL MANAGER Alan Titchall DDI: 09 636 5712 Mobile: 027 405 0338 Email: alan@contrafed.co.nz GENERAL MANAGER David Penny DDI: 09 636 5710 Mobile: 021 190 4078 Email: david@contrafed.co.nz REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Mary Searle Bell, Richard Campbell, Hugh de Lacy, Cameron Officer, Richard Silcock. 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
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CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Dirt moving machinery theme park One of the country’s latest attractions is our first heavy equipment playground, which has opened in Invercargill and is the only one in the southern hemisphere. Fashioned on a similar attraction in Las Vegas, Dig This is a giant playground for toying around on earthmoving machines, matched with nine fun activities for ages between four and 100 years. There’s a main dig pit for adults and a mini pit for kids over four years old. Southland local Ed Mumm pioneered
the first Dig This in Steamboat Springs Colorado in 2007 before he moved the attraction to Las Vegas, and now he’s set up at home. Ed, who grew up and learned to love the land in southern New Zealand, says Invercargill is emerging as our premier motoring destination and is also the home to the Bill Richardson Transport World and Motorcycle Mecca. Ed says half the customers at Dig This Las Vegas are women and Dig This Invercargill expects to replicate that.
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Concrete seminars
3D zebra crossings A lesson for council traffic control around the country – ingenious pedestrian crossings painted in 3D that are guaranteed to make motorists slow down. These crossings are the work of Icelandic company Vegamalun, and have been painted onto the roads in the town of Isafjorour in the north-west of the country in a low-budget attempt to make drivers slow down.
The recently released Amendment 3 (A3) to NZS 3101:2006 continues to advance the design and detailing of reinforced concrete structures, particularly that required for performance during earthquakes. Seminars this month will describe the major revisions to NZS 3101:2006 that are included in Amendment 3. The reasoning and underlying research to the proposed changes will be presented as well as examples of how these can be implemented. Many of the changes in A3 are a result of lessons learnt from the Canterbury earthquakes, where analysis of the damaged buildings highlighted a number of aspects of building performance that were not until now adequately covered by NZS 3101. This amendment involved significant revision of the existing standard, and the introduction of new material, with five notable aspects: a section on elongation has been added; creep and shrinkage values for concrete have been added; clarification has been made of design and peak displacements and the resulting deformation demands; requirements added to consider the maximum considered earthquake demands for deformation critical connections; substantial changes relating to design of walls have been implemented; and precast floor unit seating details have been significantly revised. Seminars started on October 30 in Dunedin, and also take place in Christchurch November 1; Wellington Monday November 6; Hamilton Tuesday November 7; Napier Thursday November 9; Auckland Tuesday November 14; and North Harbour Wednesday November 15.
NOVEMBER 2017 9
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
UPNEXT with Pacifecon Name Location
Estimated $$ value
Estimated start date
Civil works for residential development
Auckland
$50m
Mid 2018
Land stabilisation (post Kaikoura earthquake)
Wellington
$23m
Mid 2018
Road maintenance
Offshore
$15m
Late 2018
Subdivision – civil works
Canterbury
$14m
Early 2018
Retirement Village – civil works
Wellington
$10m
Mid 2018
Pacifecon was established over 30 years ago and has research teams throughout the country. Researchers maintain a database of projects from earliest feasibility through to commencing stages, in both vertical and horizontal infrastructure as well as local government capital intentions. Inclusion of a project does not mean it will proceed to the scale and timeframe indicated above. It is, however, the best available picture at the time. If you would like more information on these projects, or realise that a subscription to the Pacifecon building intelligence service would be a useful way to increase your market share and productivity, visit our website or phone 09 445 0345.
www.pacifecon.co.nz
Tender evaluator seminar
Earth moves in Sydney If you are looking at a business excuse for a holiday in western Sydney then check out the Aussie earthmoving industry’s 2018 National Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo to be held April 13-15. Held at the Panthers' Penrith grounds in West Sydney, the Expo is a free entry event designed for anyone with an interest in the earthmoving and related industries. www.dieseldirtandturf.com.au/about.
H&S Managers’ competency framework
Want to be become a Qualified NZTA tender evaluator, or simply want to learn the best ways to plan procurements, develop RFT documents, score and evaluate tenders? Do you want to know how the Government Rules of Sourcing and legal requirements impact on the tendering environment? An IPWEA-run practical course will provide a range of techniques and tools to manage procurements faster and more effectively. You’ll understand how the best scoring systems work, what supplier selection methods should be used and when, how to avoid legal challenges in tendering, and how to tailor your procurement process effectively to the drivers for value for money. The two day event is scheduled for November 14-15 at the Auckland Airport and cost is $1300, plus GST. Enquiries to events manager, trina.paul@ipwea.org.
ConstructSafe has been working with ACC and the NZTA to develop an H&S Managers’ competency framework. The Learning Wave company has been involved in putting together a training programme based on the framework for managers (line managers, H&S coordinators, supervisors and foremen) called Managing Safely. This will be the type of training people should undertake to prepare for the ConstructSafe Tier 3 Competency Test that is still being developed. The Managing Safely course framework will be made freely available and some contractors may establish their own courses based on it. The Learning Wave ran the first course in Auckland last month. For more information contact davido@thelearningwave.com.
CONTRACTORS’ DIARY 2017 Date
Event & Venue
Contact
6-8 Nov
NZ Transport Agency & NZIHT 18th Annual Conf. Trinity Wharf, Tauranga
bit.ly/NZIHT_NZTA_Conference2017
21 Nov
Making Effective Infrastructure Decisions. Novotel Royal Lakeside, Rotorua
bit.ly/IPWEA_EffectiveInfrastructure
27 Nov
DHI Flood Forecasting Workshop, Napier
bit.ly/DHI_FloodForecasting
28-29 Nov
Project Management. TBC, Christchurch
bit.ly/SOLGM_ProjectMgmt_ChCh
2018 21-22 Mar
Road Infrastructure Management Forum. Palmerston North Convention Centre bit.ly/IPWEA_RoadInfrastructure
13-15 Apr
National Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo, Panthers' Penrith grounds, West Sydney
www.dieseldirtandturf.com.au/about
27-30 Nov
Bauma China 2018, The Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC)
www.bauma-china.com/
Please send any contributions for Contractors’ Diary to alan@contrafed.co.nz, or phone 09 636 5710
10 www.contractormag.co.nz
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELISSA DALLISON.
A tight squeeze in Marlborough Looks like someone got the design dimension wrong on this roundabout on SH1 at Spring Creek, north of Blenheim. The heavy haulage vehicle, accompanied by three pilot vehicles, was heading south through the township and carrying a 30-metre gantry crane when it became the latest truck to get stuck on the new multimillion-dollar roundabout. The NZTA started consulting the public and the heavy haulage association on the roundabout in 2014 and construction started in October last year. Bad weather and unforeseen ground conditions
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pushed the June completion date back and the project also went over budget at $3.6 million, or about $700,000 more than what the agency anticipated in July last year. Locals say the new roundabout had been “diabolical” as a number of large vehicles struggled to navigate the intersection, including a boat that fell off a trailer. The heavy haulage truck was lifted off the roundabout by a frontend loader that happened to be nearby. The driver would not face any charges, police said. The gantry crane was made by Palmerston North company Niven Engineering and was being delivered to Christchurch. NZTA transport system manager Frank Porter said a small gash left in the curb would be fixed by construction teams and the agency will seek reimbursement from the trucking company. The width of the roundabout was not at fault, he reportedly said. “We have also had a number of extra-long beams passing through this intersection in recent weeks – all managed without damage.” Meanwhile, the Heavy Haulage Association says it is in talks with the NZTA over the original specifications for the roundabout.
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Over $60,000 was raised at an exclusive fundraising event last month by the country’s biggest construction companies that joined forces at Auckland’s Sky City Convention Centre to raise funds for the Blue September campaign in support of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Some 300 guests enjoyed a fun-filled evening playing a variety of games, with raffles and an auction for the coveted ‘Two Knights on the Barbie’ featuring Sir Graham Henry and Sir Peter Leitch hosting a workplace BBQ which collected a $10,000 winning bid. Construction industry businesses that attended ‘Bet on Blue’ included Fletcher Construction, Hawkins Construction, Sansom, Arrow International, Barnes Beagley Doherr, Macrennie Commercial Construction, Kalmar Construction, Savoy, Apex Interiors, Altus, Cubicon, Inex Metals, Aotea Machinery, Pipe Vision, Ebert Construction, Viridian Glass, Scentre Group, Leighs Construction, Bellingham Wallace Accountancy, Forman Commercial Interiors and Metal Concepts.
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CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Council contracting profit
Pictured at the world-renowned ICE Building at One Great George Street, London ( home to the world’s largest dedicated civil engineering collection containing over 130,000 books and articles dating back to 1836) are (L-R) Arne Nilsen (Aurecon), Brendan Gaffney (Cox Rayner), and Todd Cook (McConnell Dowell).
International Award for McConnell Dowell McConnell Dowell has been awarded the 2017 Brunel Medal by The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) for the Brisbane Ferry Terminals project. The medal was presented to McConnell Dowell project manager, Todd Cook and other members of the project team at a ceremony held in London last month. Formed over 200 years ago, ICE is the world’s oldest professional engineering association, and its annual awards recognise outstanding civil engineering achievements
and contribution to the profession and the Institution. The Brunel Medal is awarded to recognise excellence in civil engineering. In presenting the medal ICE president Professor Tim Broyd said: “The project has redefined the possibilities in ferry terminal design, proudly engages the community in its unique engineering response, and reunites the Brisbane community like never before with its most defining natural asset – the Brisbane River.”
Whitestone Contracting, based in Oamaru and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Waitaki District Council, reported a pre-tax surplus of $1,012,671 for the 2016-17 year. This was not far off the company’s record profit of $1,231,707 recorded in the 201516 year. This profit was also remarkable considering Whitestone had lost two long-standing maintenance contracts; one of which was a recreation contract with the Waitaki District Council for the maintenance of its parks, gardens, cemeteries, sports fields and public toilets. It was the loss of these two contracts that meant the company had not surpassed its record profit made in the previous year, says its board chairman, Michael de Buyzer of Oamaru. According to Whitestone’s chief executive officer, Glenn Campbell, the company has reconstructed and is operating under a 10-year plan. Under this plan, the company has already spent about $2 million on a programme of replacing plant and equipment. He adds that the older and less efficient plant and equipment had been sold off. By Peter Owens
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Perry Group poised for Te Awa Lakes development Perry Group has submitted a Request for Plan Change to the Hamilton City Council. The submission is a rezoning request to allow for the creation of a mixed-use residential, recreational, and tourism destination known as Te Awa Lakes. The development site is Perry’s former quarry in northern Hamilton, which is bordered by the Waikato River and the Waikato Expressway. It is currently zoned for industrial use. The submission requests rezoning the 62 hectares of land to medium density residential and major facilities zoning. Richard Coventry, Perry chief executive, says the company is in a position to begin construction now.
Higgins awarded east Waikato contract The NZTA awarded the contract for the management and maintenance of state highways in east Waikato to Higgins. The East Waikato Network Outcomes Contract covers highways through Matamata Piako, Hauraki and Coromandel and Higgins will start the contract this month. NZTA Transport Systems manager Karen Boyt says the region will be serviced with the main depot in Morrinsville and additional bases in Kopu and Whitianga. “We are committed to being responsive to issues on the roads so there will be purpose-built cyclic vehicles out on our roads, identifying and where practicable resolving issues. There will also be a dedicated heavy maintenance crew that will undertake more permanent repairs.” Karen adds that monitoring traffic volumes and congestion will also be a key part of the contract. “We’ve placed an emphasis on proactive traffic management. We’ll monitor the flows using real time data and move traffic management into place at key congestion points to reduce frustration.”
Global industry survey A recent Teletrac Navman survey provides a view of telematics trends affecting the global construction market, and it found managing costs (46 percent), growing revenue (30 percent), and business expansion (26 percent) were top business challenges, as the industry faces increased pressure to meet growing demand for its services. The global construction market is expected to grow by 85 percent, to US$15.5 trillion worldwide by 2030. The survey also revealed technology disruption, economic optimism and labour shortage, in addition to several other key trends. Of the 260 respondents worldwide working in construction, mining, or oil and gas, 73 came from this country. The full report can be found at: teletracnavman.co.nz/ benchmark/construction.
NOVEMBER 2017 15
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Future health and safety leaders There are 16 future safety leaders who have been awarded Site Safe 2017 Certificate in Construction Site Safety scholarships and who will now complete Site Safe’s most advanced health and safety qualification. Site Safe chief executive Alison Molloy says this year’s candidates faced some strong competition, with a record number of entries received. “More than 95 people applied for the scholarship programme, so there were some tough decisions, even though we increased the number of scholarships this year. “All of the applicants were of a very high calibre and wellsupported by their employers. It’s great to see the industry backing their people and recognising the value of health and safety training. “I’d also like to thank Dominion Constructors for their support coming on board as our inaugural scholarship sponsor.” The 2017-2018 round marked the first award of the new Women in Construction scholarship, with four candidates successful in the new category. All recipients receive complimentary training towards the Certificate in Construction Site Safety, a dedicated Site Safe mentor to support them in their studies, and a complimentary ticket to Site Safe’s annual gala event upon graduation.
Previous scholarship recipient Stainton Wanoa.
TRT accolade on 50th anniversary Tidd Ross Todd (TRT)’s founder and director, Dave Carden (87), has been honoured by the transport industry and inducted into the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame at a black-tie event held in Invercargill back in September. Supported by his family, TRT directors and long serving staff on the night, Dave was humble in his acceptance, as has always been his approach to the significant contribution he has made as a supplier and supporter of the NZ road transport industry. “It is with great honour & pride to be accepted as a member of this impressive gathering of industry talent. I thank the Richardson Group for their dedication to the history of the NZ Road Transport Industry” said Dave. This industry recognition comes at the same time TRT is celebrating 50 years in business (1967-2017), and Dave has been instrumental in its long-term success. “TRT has always understood the significant contribution Dave has made to the heavy transport and crane industries,” says Kevin Chubb, TRT’s managing director. “This has now been recognised by his peers and the industry. We are very proud.” 16 www.contractormag.co.nz
Up to eight individuals are inducted into the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame each year from nominees. They are chosen from owner operators, large operators with 50 or more trucks, individuals that have made significant contributions to the Road Transport Association and suppliers and supporters of the industry – the category under which Dave has been inducted. At 28 years of age, Dave Carden founded Southside Engineering in Putaruru in 1958, followed by Jack Tidd Ross Todd in 1967 to become managing director of Tidd Ross Todd from 1987-1997. Now retired, Carden remains active in the business as a director. Dave has led innovative contributions to many large scale engineering projects and transport engineering innovations here and more recently Australia. Considered a great character, engineering genius and inspirational leader, Dave is often quoted as saying, “Do it once, do it right.” Dave has featured in many articles in this magazine over the years, particulalry in relationship with the crane association and industry. In the September 2011 issue a story,
Tidd Ross Todd (TRT)’s founder and director, Dave Carden.
written by ex Contractor magazine editor Gavin Riley and called ‘Family earns a place in crane industry history’, focused on Power Crane Association president Robert Carden following his father Dave’s example of service to others. Dave Carden served on the Power Crane Association’s executive as the associate members’ representative from 1988 to 1995. You can read it here bit.ly/DaveCarden.
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CONTRACTOR ON THE COVER
More muscle to move
The Revital Group, which includes Revital Aggregates, Fertiliser and Growwell, has made a significant investment in new machinery to do its heavy work. The new gear includes three Hyundai diggers, three Hyundai loaders and a Terex articulated dump truck, all provided by Porter Equipment. BY MARY SEARLE BELL. REVITAL AGGREGATES supplies decorative stone and topsoils to the
landscaping market, along with sand for various applications, from its quarry in Cambridge. The various grades of decorative Hoki Poki stone are popular for exposed concrete driveways and paths as the stones show a wealth of colours when sealed, as well as being ideal for landscaping and drainage. The company’s sand products include certified concrete sand, and arena sand, which is used in horse arenas and trotting tracks. Equisand, as it’s branded, is washed free of silt and clay so it doesn’t compact and get hard, instead providing cushioning and traction for the horses, and is free from stones, which can damage their feet. To help get these products out to market, Revital recently purchased a Terex TA300 articulated truck from Porter Equipment to work in the quarry.
18 www.contractormag.co.nz
“We didn’t need something huge,” says operations manager David Gibson, explaining that their operation is only a medium sized quarry. “We’ve found the Terex to be a good size, yet still be quite nimble.” The truck has a 28 tonne maximum payload, and a 17.5 cubic metre capacity, and is highly regarded for being able to move high levels of materials quickly and efficiently. Terex says the ADT is calibrated with the correct balance of power and gearing for effective productive drive to the wheels on all working applications, and it has a lean burning engine for low cost of ownership. Revital Aggregates bought the quarry three years ago – it’s been in operation for 20 years now. From it they supply concrete sand to the Waikato region, and aggregate products as far north as Whangarei. When they purchased the quarry, they inherited machinery that
was “a bit long in the tooth”, says David. However, amongst the older equipment was a newer Hyundai excavator, which they’re very happy with. A brand that is proving very popular in another branch of the company: Revital Fertiliser. Revital Fertiliser specialises in turning green waste into compost, and supplies various products to the agriculture and horticultural sectors. As well as supplying bulk product to the commercial market, the company also has bagged compost and potting mixes sold via retail stores under its Growwell brand. Vermaculture is an important part of the business too. This involves feeding organic waste to worms and then harvesting the vermicast (worm castings) – a rich and nutrient dense food for plants. Revital Fertiliser has worm farms and compost making facilities in Tauranga, Cambridge, Otarahonga, and in Taranaki. The operations are Biogrow certified, which means the fertiliser products are able to be used on organic agriculture and horticulture farms. Each compost making site covers about three hectares. There, organic waste – about 20,000 cubic metres of it – is stacked in windrows (long lines of heaped material). Every couple of weeks, depending on the temperature and moisture levels of the composting waste, excavators turn the windrows. This is to aerate the decaying plant matter and maintain the necessary temperature to aid decomposition. By the end of six months, a windrow would have been rolled from one end of the site to the other and be fully composted. It is then screened to two different grades – a finer 16mm product is bagged and then sold through retail outlets, while a coarser 24mm grade is sold to the horticulture and agriculture market. This is sold by the truckload, and David says it’s not unusual for a customer to take 300 tonnes – or about 10 truckloads at a time. The muscle to roll the windrows is provided by excavators, and David says using a digger is a good way to aerate the decaying green waste. The finished compost is moved using loaders with their big buckets. Three new Hyundai excavators and three new Hyundai loaders
now provide the main muscle in the company’s operations. Namely, a R235LCR-9 and two R140LC-9 excavators, and a HL770-9 and two HL740-9 loaders. Hyundai machines are known for their good productivity levels, high quality engineering and workmanship. Particular attention has been given to their increased performance, safety and serviceability. The new Hyundai excavators feature an advanced technology hydraulic management system that enables precision control for fine operations. The Robex 9 series is designed and positioned according to the latest ergonomic research. Meanwhile, the new loaders boast higher power and lower fuel consumption, along with more comfort and lower emissions compared with before. The new machines are proving a worthwhile investment, according to David. “We were leasing gear but it kept breaking down, so we decided to look at new gear,” he says. “In the past, we had been capital constrained and as a result had to buy second hand, however, second-hand gear has a high maintenance cost. We did a cost analysis and it showed that we would be better with new gear.” One big factor in opting for Hyundai gear is the simple fact that the operators like the machines. “We’ve run Hyundais before and the guys love them. The new diggers are easy to operate and have all the mod cons.” David says Revital chose to buy from Porters because the costs were competitive and “they’re easy to do business with”. “The service we’ve had has been good – they’ve put gear into our operations to cover until the new machines arrived.” There may be more Hyundai machines to buy in the future too, says David. He says the company is currently developing a site to supply Uruti stone, a hard, decorative stone ideal for exposed aggregate and landscaping. However, to do so, “will need more gear”. “As we develop the quarry site we will be reviewing our equipment needs.” l
“We’ve found the Terex to be a good size, yet still be quite nimble.”
NOVEMBER 2017 19
CONTRACTOR PROFILE
Contracting and An industry association man from the outset, Harrie Harris attributes the success of his company, and many of the friends he has made over the years, to his membership of the Taranaki branch. BY MARY SEARLE BELL.
BY RIGHTS, Graham ‘Harrie’ Harris should have been a dairy
farmer. He was born in Stratford in 1942 to dairy farming parents, growing up with the cows, and helping out on the farm. He left school without any qualifications at the age of 16 and spent the next 14 years working on dairy farms across the region. The crunch came in 1970, when a severe drought resulted in a low payout for farmers and Harrie contracted leptospirosis – a bacterial infection transmitted via cows’ urine. Laid low with fevers and bedridden for days, Harrie and his wife Janet made the decision that farming was not in his future. The couple bought a house in New Plymouth and Harrie set about looking for work. “I had a friend who knew a builder in town who was looking for a labourer – I needed a job, so I went to see him.” That builder was Graeme Pepper of Pepper Construction, and in Harrie’s 28 years in the industry he reckons there hasn’t been a single month where he hasn’t done some work for him – even if it was just a small job such as mowing grass. “If he had a job to be done, we did it,” he says. The first job was building state houses to accommodate workers on the new power station project, and Graeme needed someone to put down paths and build fences. “The wages were one dollar an hour,” says Harrie. “However, when I left the farm I hadn’t been able to sell my Ferg 35 tractor and soon found it was useful on the building sites. He offered me an additional $2.50 for the hours we used the tractor, so there was always plenty of tractor work to be done!” In 1972 Pepper Construction won a contract to build about 150 houses. Harrie told Graeme he’d like to have a go tendering for the landscaping portion of the project on his own account. 20 www.contractormag.co.nz
camaraderie “I worked out a price and, through him, was awarded the project to lay lawns around 25 houses. “Someone else had a contract for another 25 houses but fell by the way after completing only five, and I was asked by the Housing Corp if I would finish the contract. I said I would, but only if I got the next 50 houses without tendering: I now had 80 to do!” At the same time, the housing overseer from Palmerston North got in contact with Harrie. He had 60 lawns to lay at Linton Military Camp and was having trouble finding anyone suitable to do the job there. “He offered me a price double that of the New Plymouth job. It turned out we completed the project in two, one-week stints a year for three years, and was probably the most lucrative job that I was ever offered,” Harrie says with a laugh. In 1976, Harrie hired his first full-time employee, Paddy Williams. “Paddy worked for the company until he passed away in 2013 – that’s eight more years than me!” When the business first started, Harrie got a lot of work from a construction firm called Daamen Butler. “The owner was crook and wanting to get out of contracting,” says Harrie. “He had a loader and a couple of trucks. He threw me the keys one day and said, ‘get started, pay me back when you can’. “Back in those days you needed a 25 percent deposit to buy anything. With this machinery we could get into good work. We started getting bigger after that.” In the 1980s, house building was slowing in the region, so Harrie decided to attempt demolition work. By this stage, the company had up to 10 staff, two loaders, four trucks and its first 20 tonne excavator. “One of our biggest demo jobs was for the Centre City project – we removed 13 major buildings in six weeks. We also did the rebuild site works, which took another year.” Harrie says his company was probably the main demolition contractor in New Plymouth for around 15 years, saying “we did all the big jobs for a long time”. The company also did a lot of work for Fonterra in Hawera and demolished the
Regents Theatre in Whanganui. But it wasn’t all demolition work. One of Harrie’s most memorable projects was for the construction of a safety tunnel on Mt EgmontTaranaki, for which he received a Caltex Construction Award in 1998. “It was the highlight of my career,” he says. “A proud moment for me, and pretty special when you are an owner/operator.” Harrie and Janet formed Graham Harris Ltd in 1973 and joined the Contractors’ Federation that same year. “Meetings were very formal back then, with members wearing ties. The discussion was nearly always around the Ministry of Works being awarded roading contracts and subdivisions, while contractors were not asked to tender,” he recalls. “I have always been passionate about being a member of the federation, and my membership has enabled me to make lasting friendships. “I am adamant that the networking opportunities offered at federation meetings and conferences were a big part of the company’s survival – over the years we worked for nearly every contractor in town.” Harrie was on the Taranaki branch executive from 1975, serving as chairman for a total of 12 years. He was awarded life membership for his services in 2000, and still attended meetings. “The branch has been involved in a number of projects where members have contributed their time and machinery for the community – we did the cycle track removal at Rugby Park and a walkway extension for the council, to name just two,” he says. “These jobs helped create great camaraderie, with 16 contractors working together.” Harrie got out of the contracting game in 2000 when he sold his company. Since then, he’s been working as an assessor for Connexis doing WRT (wheels, rollers and tracks) assessments – some 1130 to date. “This has been a great way to stay in touch with the industry that I love,” he says. And when he’s not working, or catching up with ex-employees, he can be found up-river, whitebaiting. “Although, this year, the rewards have not been great,” he says wryly, “but the season’s not over yet.”
“I have always been passionate about being a member of the federation, and my membership has enabled me to make lasting friendships.”
Opposite: Graham ‘Harrie’ Harris says his company was probably the main demolition contractor in New Plymouth for around 15 years, saying “we did all the big jobs for a long time”. NOVEMBER 2017 21
CONTRACTOR PROFILE
First published in Contractor 1998, “Where other contractors feared to tread... removing the timber retaining wall.”
He who dares wins In the September 1998 issue of Contractor we covered a project that won Graham (Harrie) Harris a Caltex Construction Award (small-company category) at the Contractors’ Federation annual conference that year. BY SUCCESSFULLY tackling a risky project, high on an unforgiving mountain, Graham Harris deservedly took home a prized Caltex Construction Award in 1998. The $55,000 job was carried out 1226 metres up the slopes of Mt Taranaki. Graham Harris Ltd was formed in 1973 with Graham (Harrie) and Janet Harris as principals at Burgess Park, south of New Plymouth. In 1998 it employed up to 10 staff and was mainly involved with general excavations, drainage, site works and demolition. In 1996 the Department of Conservation became concerned about a cliff over-hanging the walk track to Manganui skifield on Mt Taranaki and commissioned Graham Harris to carry out remedial work that, when finished, didn’t satisfy the department’s concerns over public safety. It called tenders in December 1997 for the installation of a pre-fabricated concrete tunnel to be installed beneath the unstable cliff and Graham Harris won the tender. The contract involved the excavation and removal of up to 2000 cubic metres of rock from a difficult face, stockpiling for re-use around the tunnel, removal of five metres of old cribwall and delivery to the plateau carpark for re-use by the department. The department arranged for the manufacture and delivery of the precast tunnel units from a Palmerston North supplier to the Mt Taranaki plateau where they became the responsibility of Graham Harris. As the delivery of the units was going 22 www.contractormag.co.nz
to be over a two-week period and only five units at a time, Graham Harris asked that the units be reduced in weight from 5.3 tonnes to 4.8 tonnes each so they could be handled by a 20-tonne excavator, as the track was not suitable for a large crane and the 777 metre journey to the site on the mountain. As it happened, delivery of the concrete was over a three-week period and delays of a week occurred due to a manufacturing and curing problem. The weather during construction also varied from cold, wet and misty days and three days were lost due to extreme bad weather. Graham Harris eventually completed the job with no incidents or accidents despite being advised by several other contractors that they considered the job too risky and would not tender as per the documents. Another unusual aspect of the job was that a fulltime watchman with an air horn was on hand to warn operators if any movement was noticed further up the bluff. A cell phone was also available to the watchman at all times. Tse Taranaki & Associates, which designed and supervised this remedial work, said that the experienced plant operators at Graham Harris should be commended. “The work environment was very restrictive, dangerous and vulnerable to sudden weather changes. Throughout the contract good communication and forward-thinking skills were shown.”
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CONTRACTOR PROJECT
The day the trains started running
24 www.contractormag.co.nz
The massive Kaikoura earthquake largely spared population centres, but destroyed road and rail services. HUGH DE LACY tells how they got the trains running again on a very important transport route. THE FORCE OF the November 14 Kaikoura
earthquake last year dwarfed that of the 20102011 quakes that destroyed Christchurch, raised the seabed along the coast and left the land adjacent to it looking as if it had been gouged by a giant plough. Somewhere amid the furrows was a railway line, ripped to pieces in more than 900 places, many of them alongside the equally shattered main state highway, and Kaikoura was totally isolated. The quake registered 7.8, compared to the 7.1 that struck east of Christchurch in September of 2010, and the 6.3 and 6.1 quakes that hit Christchurch an hour apart, killing 185 people, the following February. Though mostly affecting areas of low population, November’s quake also hit Wellington high-rises, with a number having to be demolished, and it left two people dead. Daniel Headifen, the professional head of civil engineering for state-owned KiwiRail, was at his Waikanae home when the quake struck in the early hours of November 14, and by daylight he and other NZTA staff were huddling in the NZTA control centre in Johnsonville. Pictures of the damage to the line between Picton and Kaikoura were coming through from the media and from their own staff, and it was apparent that this was a disaster on a different scale from the slips, floods and minor quakes to which they were used to reacting. The line was virtually destroyed between Spotswood, a little north of Cheviot, and Kaikoura. The first priority was to ensure that damage in Wellington hadn’t compromised KiwiRail’s response to the wider disaster along the northern east coast of the South Island, and then to contact the NZ Transport Agency to compare notes.
Even before the establishment of the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR, or Nectar as it came to be called) to oversee reconstruction of both road and rail, it was apparent that priority had to be given to making such repairs to roads as were needed to break Kaikoura’s isolation. In the interim, KiwiRail scrambled to assess the damage. “With no trains running, we were able to focus our resources on estimating the damage,” Daniel Headifen told Contractor. As many staff as possible were committed to this job, so difficult because much of the line couldn’t be reached by road, with even the loco drivers being co-opted because of their intimate knowledge of the line and their familiarity with radio communications. Hundreds of bridges, culverts and embankments had been destroyed, and in places the line had disappeared completely under vast tonnages of rock and soil where the quake had heaved entire hillsides across the line. One train was stranded near a damaged bridge which had to be strengthened to allow the train across and into a tunnel where the locomotives sat for weeks until they could be rescued. About 30 two-person teams of assessors were assigned to working out of Kaikoura on damage assessment. Communicating with them was initially a major problem because KiwiRail’s own radio equipment, sited on hilltops and at tunnel entrances, had been destroyed, so a pool of satellite phones was required. “We tracked where everyone was, and marked them on a 20 metre long map set up in the Christchurch office, by holding a conference call with them all each morning to find out where they
The Kaikoura earthquake last year destroyed hundreds of bridges, culverts and embankments, and in places the rail line disappeared completely under vast tonnages of rock and soil.
NOVEMBER 2017 25
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
With the establishment of North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery (NCTIR), the workforce for both road and rail was rapidly cranked up to around 1500, and the four main contractors – HEB Construction, Downers, Higgins/Fletcher and Fulton Hogan – began working jointly on both road and rail. A milestone on the rail line’s repair was reached on August 8 when a welding ceremony (pictured at right) at Half Moon Bay on the Kaikoura coast marked the joining of the north and south sections, with work trains able to get through from both ends to help the reconstruction.
26 www.contractormag.co.nz
were going to be, and again in the evening to find out where they’d got to and what damage they’d recorded,” Daniel says. Assessing some of the tunnels was challenging as significant safety measures had to be put in place prior to staff being able to enter. Towards the end of the year KiwiRail and NZTA were working together to address their mutual challenge, and NCTIR was set up in January, initially headed by Duncan Contractor_180x128mm_CompAirAd_GC_1017.ai
Gibb of Fulton Hogan who had been the first project director for the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) alliance in the wake of the earlier quakes. KiwiRail’s damage assessment had largely been completed by Christmas, and remedial work, which had till then been restricted to local contractors and KiwiRail staff working on access to road and rail damage spots, began in earnest. 1 9/10/2017 3:21:40 PM
Trains are now running on a restricted basis – not during wet weather and only at night so as not to interfere with ongoing reconstruction work during the day.
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NOVEMBER 2017 27
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
Above: The big day came on September 15 when the first revenue train made the full trip from Blenheim to Christchurch, stopping briefly in Kaikoura for a re-opening ceremony attended by 300 workers and half the town.
28 www.contractormag.co.nz
With the establishment of NCTIR, the workforce for both road and rail was rapidly cranked up to around 1500, and the four main contractors – HEB Construction, Downers, Higgins/Fletcher and Fulton Hogan – began working jointly on both road and rail. KiwiRail concentrated first on clearing the line from Blenheim to Lake Grassmere, then began working on the heavily damaged section between Spotswood south of Kaikoura to Grassmere. The track to the south was cleared first, allowing work trains loaded with ballast aggregates to get through to work-sites. Many bridges could be temporarily repaired with steel parts from KiwiRail’s stores, but others, like the arch-bridge 131 north of Kaikoura and the Boundary Stream bridge 90 to the south, were completely destroyed. Original estimates put the re-establishment of rail and road links out to Christmas of this year. But as work progressed, helped by the establishment of a village at Kaikoura accommodating 300 workers, the projected recovery time for resuming rail services on a restricted basis, was shortened by four months. A milestone on the rail line’s repair was reached on August 8 when a welding ceremony at Half Moon Bay on the Kaikoura coast marked the joining of the north and south sections, with work trains able to get through from both ends to help the reconstruction. Test trains started running back and forth,
north and south, later that month, de-rusting the rails, ensuring that signalling equipment was working again, and refining timetables. The big day came on September 15 when the first revenue train made the full trip from Blenheim to Christchurch, stopping briefly in Kaikoura for a re-opening ceremony attended by 300 workers and half the town. It then went on to a second ceremony in Christchurch attended by rail customers, staff and local dignatories, including local politician, Gerry Brownlee. Trains are now running on a restricted basis – not during wet weather and only at night so as not to interfere with ongoing reconstruction work during the day. The unusually wet weather in late September and early October – rainfall in Kaikoura in the first 10 days of October was almost twice the long term average for the entire month – has caused further slips affecting road and rail and impacted on the rail services. Daniel says that the work to completely make good the quake’s damage is only about halfway complete. “It’ll be around another year before everything’s done,” he says. In the meantime, only freight is being moved, relieving some of the strain on KiwiRail’s road rail exchange north of Blenheim, and taking 2000 trucks a month off the alternative road route to Christchurch.
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CONTRACTOR SAFETY GEAR
LEARNING THE ROPES
Building Maintenance Units are still the main way for surveyors to gain direct access to a structure’s facade, although many surveyors are reluctant to go up in one, and it’s easy to see why, says Victoria Richardson (pictured).
30 www.contractormag.co.nz
Getting stuck up in a Building Maintenance Unit (BMU) on an Auckland high-rise was the catalyst for Victoria Richardson to learn to abseil. ABI KIBBLE explains. VICTORIA RICHARDSON was stuck in a broken-down
Building Maintenance Unit high up in the air with someone from an abseil company and they got talking. By the time the extension ladder had arrived to rescue them to the ground she had made her mind up to learn to abseil. BMUs are still the main way for surveyors to gain direct access to a structure’s facade, although many surveyors are reluctant to go up in one, and it’s easy to see why, she says. “They are a bit of a mixed bag. Although the units have six-monthly safety checks, they are usually just left sitting out in the elements unused. More often than not, they are rusty and rickety, which doesn’t fill you with confidence.” Starting her own business, Copper Seed, earlier this year enabled Victoria to begin making her own decisions. “It was time for me to put my money where my mouth was – so I signed up with Vertical Horizonz for the National Certificate in Industrial Rope Access Level 3. “Being able to offer abseiling as a service is a great point of difference for me. Now I’ve completed my Phase 1 training I can work on any high-rise and conduct my inspections close up, which is a huge selling point for my clients.” The National Certificate combines theoretical knowledge and practical experience. It is achieved through completing a first aid course and fall arrest course, followed by an intensive six-day course covering practical rope skills, rescue techniques and rope access theory. Victoria is now working towards the required 150 hours for her logbook before she sits her assessment to gain the Industrial Rope Access Association New Zealand (IRAANZ) Certificate of Competence. In addition to the training at Vertical Horizonz, Victoria has been helped by the team at Extreme Edge Panmure and the climbing centre, which has become like a second
home to her. Safety is paramount and abseiling is subject to stringent rules and regulations. Abseil teams need to be ‘self-supporting’ at all times and consist of at least two (preferably three) people, so that someone can carry out a rescue if required. Despite appearances, abseiling is extremely safe, thanks to the training, checks and procedures that are in place. One thing you might be surprised to discover is that Victoria doesn’t have a great head for heights. “I do get scared,” she admits, “but the nerves help to keep me focused. The last thing you want is to become complacent.” She adds, “I’m actually the last person you’d think would be doing this job. Three of us were scaling a building on Queen Street recently, watching the Sky Screamer shooting up and down and shaking our heads. I’m definitely not an adrenaline junkie – you need to be well trained and levelheaded for this job.”
The right work gear Another essential part of abseiling safety is having the right workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE) and, at just 156cm tall, Victoria often struggles to get the right fit. “I wear a child’s hi-vis vest aged 11-12 years. It’s the only one I’ve managed to find which is small enough and has a zip-front. “I used to wear one with a Velcro fastening, but it was forever coming undone and getting caught on things. Hard hats are always an issue, and work boots need to be ordered from overseas.” Abseil gear is equally problematic. Victoria needs to wear a bandana underneath her helmet
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NOVEMBER 2017 31
CONTRACTOR SAFETY GEAR to ensure a snug fit, even when it is fully tightened. Her harness is the smallest available size, yet still requires some creative work with a karabiner to tighten it up. She also has to set her rig up in a non-standard way to put her in a good position so she can stay safe and comfortable. “Otherwise it would be like doing ab crunches for two hours,” she laughs. Victoria gets her abseil gear from DM Standen, which she describes as “absolute legends”. “When I was getting my first harness they let me try different ones on and hang from a rope they had rigged up so I could get a feel for it. “Harnesses are complicated and expensive so you need to make sure you get the right one! Being able to try one out in suspension made a big difference for me. “I would love to see more workwear and PPE for little people but I also understand that there aren’t many pint-size abseiling surveyors out there so you just have to make do sometimes!”
Technology As well as a vast array of workwear and PPE, technology is an essential piece of kit for an abseil surveyor. Victoria uses a software package called SkyViewer, developed by SkySurv, which produces models from drone photos and enables her to optimise her abseil route. “The software has massive safety benefits. “It helps you to identify the best anchor points and drop areas and to highlight areas of concern which need further investigation. “Abseiling can be extremely time consuming – 100 metres of building will take me an hour to drop down and survey. Teaming up with SkySurv makes inspection more efficient and ultimately this benefits the client.” Victoria believes that abseil surveys are becoming the way of the future, mainly because they offer unrivalled access to high areas. She is rapidly gaining a reputation among her clients for being thorough. “One of them refers to me as ‘the Grim Reaper’ because I never have good news about the condition of a building – but it’s better to be prepared than wait until things come crashing down!” 32 www.contractormag.co.nz
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
A LONG TIME IN PLANNING
The big Waioeka Gorge landslip of 2012 highlighted State Highway 2’s vulnerability and finally led to the replacement of its last one-lane bridge. HUGH DE LACY reports.
34 www.contractormag.co.nz
THERE ARE NO FEWER than 52 bridges within 142 kilometres of State Highway 2 between Opotiki and Gisborne, and the relatively flat and open site seemed to suggest that the replacement of the last remaining one-laner, across the Motu River 75 kilometres north-west of Gisborne and 7.5 kilometres from the settlement of Matawai, would be a bit of a doddle. It wasn’t – the soft alluvial soil made sure of that. The existing bridge was built in 1930 over a 12 metre-wide stream that you could normally walk through in gumboots without getting your feet wet, which is why a ford was considered adequate for the Motu decades after every other creek and river on SH2 had been bridged.
The bridge’s replacement has been on the books for over 75 years. In the 1950s a big pile of aggregate was imported for the construction of a new two-lane bridge but the funding to complete it never came through from the government of the day. Three years ago the NZ Transport Agency spent $100,000 on temporary strengthening to get it to meet the 50-max truck-weight requirements, before it was decided to go the whole hog and $6.5 million was made available for a new two-lane bridge in the Government’s $212 million Accelerated Regional Roading Programme of 2014. Fulton Hogan won the tender and work started on the replacement bridge in October
of last year, and it is expected to be completed by May 2018. From the start the project was so hammered by rain that it might have been on the West Coast of the South Island rather than the east coast of the North: in the first full year the site received 2.35 metres of rain – an average of 6.5mm a day. The key to the bridge’s construction was the abutments, which required the removal of 13,000 cubic metres of solid cut-to-waste that included large Kahikatea logs. The cut had to go three metres below the normal river level and be filled by 8300 cubic metres of aggregate supported by sheet piles on both sides for erosion control and containment.
It was further backed up by bulk earthworks and ground improvements to prevent liquefaction of the thin soils, and built up to eight metres above river level. As well as the abutments, a pier had to be built in the middle of the river to take piles, of which there are two on either bank and two in the middle. A staging post had accordingly to be built in the middle of the river to meet environmental concerns, and this was done by cutting and milling poplars into 350mm by 50mm boards and laying them lengthwise in the stream to support the deck without interrupting the water flow. Project manager Rick Gardner told Contractor
Above: A local weka, which have become unique to this region. Top: Being so far from any town, workers often had to stay out on the Motu Bridge job, living in a rented farmhouse with up to nine people at a time. The farmhouse, gave project manager, Rick Gardner, the opportunity to keep his boys on-site happy with a succession of monthly team dinners featuring venison, crayfish and fresh local lamb.
NOVEMBER 2017 35
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
The formwork for the pier required 40 tonnes of concrete and this weight was initially borne by hanging supports within the piles until the pier crosshead was constructed, at which point, with the weight reduced to 10 tonnes, temporary pile-clamps took the load.
the untreated timber met the stringent environmental controls placed on the project. “We had consent to have construction equipment in the river, but we had to ensure that the passage of dozens of truckloads of building materials did not impact on the riverbed.” The formwork for the pier required 40 tonnes of concrete and this weight was initially borne by hanging supports within the piles until the pier crosshead was constructed, at which point, with the weight reduced to 10 tonnes, temporary pile-clamps took the load. The six piles, each 1200mm in diameter, had a total length of 105 metres, and they had to be socketed into the greywacke bedrock. 36 www.contractormag.co.nz
This work was done by Auckland company CLL, and was followed by the placement of the 25 metre long main beams which had been prefabricated in Te Puke by HEB. The beams were transported and placed one at a time by Bay of Plenty company McLeod’s Cranes, using a 350 tonne mobile crane. This job was expected to take just two days, but the weather delivered 108 kilometre winds to go with the rain, and it took twice as long. Once the beams were in place, preparations could go ahead for the placement of the concrete deck, and the start of the approach roadworks. These cover about 450 metres and have the effect of
The beams were transported and placed one at a time by Bay of Plenty company McLeod’s Cranes, using a 350 tonne mobile crane.
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CONTRACTOR PROJECT
The project invited local Matawai School students to provide an insight as to what is happening in their back yard and to encourage youths into the construction and roading industry. After the visit two of them said they wanted to be digger operators, two wanted to be engineers and a little girl with a flower in her hair wanted to be a crane operator.
38 www.contractormag.co.nz
realigning the carriageway about 50 metres west of the existing bridge. The silty soil offered challenges to the roadbuilders, no less than to the bridge-builders, with a retaining wall having to be installed on the southern approaches. Right beside the old bridge a side-road, Te Wera Road, meets SH2 in a Y-intersection, and this will be reconfigured into a T-intersection by the time the project is complete. Fulton Hogan had a commercial edge in tendering for the job in that it has a quarry just a kilometre up Matawai Road that was able to supply all the aggregates needed. By late October this year the road approaches were nearing completion, and the company hopes to have the bridge bearing traffic by Christmas. There will still remain the dismantling of the old bridge, and this is expected to be completed, along with the accompanying roadworks, by the end of May. Being so far from any town, workers often had
to stay out on the Motu Bridge job, living in a rented farmhouse with up to nine people at a time. The farmhouse, which complements the array of service buildings that were installed at the start of the job as temporary office accommodation, gave Rick Gardner the opportunity to keep his boys on-site happy with a succession of monthly team dinners featuring venison, crayfish and fresh local lamb. The slips in the Waioeka Gorge five years ago highlighted the vulnerability of SH2 to weatherdriven disasters, with the mainly heavy traffic having to be diverted along SH35 around the East Cape, which adds 185 kilometres and two and a half hours to the trip. While not shaving much time off the trip between Opotiki and Gisborne by way of the Waioeka, the new Motu Bridge will improve SH2’s resilience under the heavier legal truckloads and, as such, will reinforce the government’s regional development initiatives.
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CONTRACTOR HEALTH & SAFETY
Learn it and understand it WorkSafe New Zealand’s deputy chief inspector – Extractives, David Bellett, made a presentation about health and safety legislation at the 2017 QuarryNZ conference in Auckland. Article originally published in Q&M magazine.
TALKING TO DELEGATES at a special WorkSafe presentation on health and safety, David Bellett acknowledged that leading quarrying companies, familiar with risk management and risk assessments, are ahead of other industries still coming to terms with the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 2015, which came into force in April 2016. He began his working life as a 15-year-old apprentice fitter turner and worked in construction here and overseas for 15 years. He has worked as an inspector and manager for 23 years, first with the Department of Labour and now WorkSafe, where he reports to chief inspector Mark Pizey. “I spent 18 months as a lead investigator on the Pike River inquiry. It’s pleasing to see safety improvements coming from industry and the work that the quarrying industry is doing to lift its own standards.” David’s conference presentation provided an overview of health and safety legislation that applies to quarries and he acknowledged the challenge faced by quarry companies and the amount of information they have to understand and comply with. However, there is still some confusion and misunderstanding about the legislation in terms of how it all works; definitions and how legislation links into risk assessments; and the cost of applying risk controls and what’s practicable for each business Legislation that predominately relates to quarrying is built into HSWA, which is performance-based. It’s important to understand HSWA, its definitions and the definition of a ‘quarry’ is specific in the Act, he says. “It defines what is ‘not’ a mining operation. This is important because some regulations that sit under HSWA particularly focus on mining operations. “’Activity’ is an important definition. Some people say that since they only extract twice a year, that’s the only time their site is a quarry, even when the property gate advises a quarry is within. Because not all the legislation has been tested in court, quarry operators need to look at what each word actually means, and whether ‘activity’ should be ‘all’, or ‘some’. “Other important words include ‘or’ and ‘and’ in a quarry site definition and could include ‘any’ place where material is extracted or crushed and screened. The old Quarries and Tunnels Act was more defined and placed measures depending on how technical or complex the quarry is.” The new legislation has been expanded to cover any extraction place, rather than targeting high risk activities, David says. “The Health and Safety at Work (Mining Operations and Quarrying Operations) Regulations 2016 provides 40 www.contractormag.co.nz
David Bellett, WorkSafe New Zealand’s deputy chief inspector, Extractives.
guidance, notifications and Certificate of Competence (COC) requirements. “There are many pieces of health and safety legislation which apply to quarries, including the electricity safety regulations which came back under the regulator’s umbrella in 2010. It has a schedule directly aimed at quarrying operations.” If you are currently a quarrying operation and are unfamiliar with these regulations, you need to improve your knowledge, he stresses. WorkSafe inspectors regularly report non-compliant electrical installations.
General risk The Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016 have also come about following HSWA coming into force. These regulations spell out legal obligations/duties around facilities; first aid; and emergency management plans. Operators must practise these plans on-site annually, he
says, acknowledging that this is harder for smaller operators. “Operators should use the mining regulations for guidance on emergency management. The likes of New Zealand Mines Rescue can provide quarrying industry services to help operators develop emergency management plans. “Other relevant regulations include the Worker Engagement, Participation and Representation Regulations, particularly relevant for larger companies. It determines how and when worker representation is required. Businesses of a certain size must have worker representatives on a site-by-site basis, calculated on staff numbers and risk factors.” Many operators will be familiar with the previous Health and Safety in Employment regulations, which weren’t entirely repealed when HSWA came into force, says David. This means there are parts of the 1995 regulations which still apply and overlap with general risk regulations. “The 1955 regulations are still on the Government Legislation website and clearly show which parts were removed and which parts remain. “Quarrying is excluded from the definitions of construction work but there are other parts of the 1995 regulations that do [apply]. For example, if you’re doing some tree felling in your site as part of stripping. “The Health and Safety at Work Hazardous Substances Regulations 2017 will be the new kid on the block, replacing the old HSNO Act.” It was decided that HSWA was broad enough to absorb hazardous substances management. “Its coverage is extensive and covers things like approved shot firing handlers and diesel storage. “It is an important new piece of legislation. Note also the regulations around asbestos, which could apply to older sites with asbestos cladding and pipe work. There’s a COC certificate for this so it’s important if you have asbestos at your site. “Finally, the Health and Safety and Employment Pressure Equipment, Cranes and Passenger Ropeways is a legacy piece of legislation originally replacing the Ministry of Transport’s Boilers, Lifts and Cranes Act.”
Understanding ‘reasonably practicable’ Some people are misinterpreting the word ‘practicable’ and replacing it with the word ‘practical’, says David. They mean two different things. “What really matters is what the law says ‘practicable’ means. It’s important when reading legislation not to apply your own definitions of what the legislation might mean. “‘Practicable’ (in the common meaning) means it’s achievable, capable of being done and attainable. Remember that the definition for ‘practicable’ is not practical. One of the key foundations of HSWA is the term ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’ and that is all about how you manage risk. “The regulations also talk about a particular time, so it’s totally ‘situational’. What might be practicable in one situation may not necessarily be practicable in another.
Everything reasonably practicable must be taken into account and you must weigh up how far you go with this. “We’re not asking you to examine how the world works, just relevant matters relating to that particular activity.” David says this is a commonly failed compliance area as the person concerned has to ‘reasonably’ know about a particular risk and how to fix it. “What an operator might view as low risk or ‘unlikely’ to happen, might be viewed as ‘likely’ by an inspector because it has happened before.” The expression ‘ought to have reasonably known’ has already been defined and tested under previous legislation, he adds. “It means ‘might not have known, but ought to have’. When WorkSafe investigators investigate a fatality, they don’t just look at what was in the operator’s mind then. They also look at what should have been in their mind as someone in that position who ought to have known. “Knowledge is key. You must know about hazard or risk, how to eliminate or minimise, and consider availability and suitability of how to do this.”
Costs of compliance Legislation asks operators at the front end to look at ways to protect against risk first, and then secondly, the availability and suitability of those ways, says David. “It’s a greenfields type approach to look at ways of eliminating and minimising risk, the availability and suitability, and what you ought to know about it. Only then do you think about costs. The legislation is clear that you must consider the risks first and ways of managing them before considering costs.” David proposed that some people might rule out some risk controls because the cost is disproportionate to potential harm, but that doesn’t mean the controls shouldn’t have been considered in the first instance. “It’s only after assessing the risk’s extent and available mitigations that the associated costs and available ways of eliminating or minimising the risk are considered. This includes whether or not the cost is grossly disproportionate.” The message from WorkSafe’s high hazard team is, says David, that when you have principal hazards, putting health and safety at risk, you must look at whether control costs are grossly disproportionate to potential harm. “How much value do you put on a life?” While legislation can be dry, he adds, it’s necessary to know it because you need to make sure your compliance protects both your business and individuals. “For businesses that refuse to accept their responsibilities under the act and don’t respond to the other enforcement mechanisms – a jail term is a possibility, so it’s serious stuff.” His homework for conference attendees was to download the regulations and look at guidance on WorkSafe’s website on risk and workplace management regulations. “WorkSafe wants open dialogue with the sector as improving health and safety performance is best achieved by industry and regulator working together,” he says. NOVEMBER 2017 41
CONTRACTOR HEALTH & SAFETY
Ian Frame, H&S practitioner.
Health and Safety through NEBOSH An ex oil industry worker who arrived in this country with international H&S qualifications, and is now engaged with civil construction, talks about workplace safety opportunities. WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION of the Health and Safety at
Work Act 2015 (HSWA) and the setting up of new regulator WorkSafe in recent years, health and safety is more prominent than ever before. It’s now been four years since the Report of the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety focused on a “shift in attitude” towards health and safety in the country. At the same time the government published Towards 2020, a target to reduce work-related fatalities and serious injuries by at least 25 percent by 2020. Latest data shows that two of the three indicators (fatal work-related injury and serious non-fatal work-related injury) 42 www.contractormag.co.nz
that Towards 2020 monitors are well on track to achieve the government’s target. So, while much has already been done, there remain many opportunities to make workplaces even safer and healthier for the people that work in them. As a result, there is increasing demand for SHE (safety, health and environmental) practitioners as well as staff that have the skills to operate safely in the workplace. CareersNZ says the number of practitioners is insufficient to meet demand and that some employers are recruiting from overseas to fill their vacancies. Ian Frame is one of those practitioners who has taken
advantage of the employment opportunities that have arisen with H&S. Originally from Scotland, he made the move into health and safety during a long career in the oil and gas industry where he had been working on oil rigs since the early 1980s. Several years ago he was asked by a colleague what qualifications he had to go with his role as an offshore safety training officer and the answer was none. It was only when global oil prices began to fall in 2014 that Ian really began to change his mind about becoming qualified. He saw high earning guys around him losing their jobs, and despite them having managed multiple rigs and offshore builds, many struggled to get a job in the industry because they had nothing against their name. Fast forward to 2017 and Ian now proudly holds four NEBOSH (National Examination Body in Occupational Safety and Health) qualifications and a fantastic job in New Zealand. “Back then I’d see guys around me losing their jobs, and many struggled to get a job because they had nothing against their name,” he reflects. “So I guess, as I entered my 50s, I kind of finally saw the light and realised if I ever wanted to work anywhere else, holding a NEBOSH qualification would help. So I started off by achieving the NEBOSH International General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.” NEBOSH is one of the world’s leading occupational health safety and environmental management awarding bodies. Its qualifications can help organisations and their people create safer and healthier workplaces in any industry. Even WorkSafe recognises the benefits of these qualifications and Health and Safety inspector Jane Birdsall has achieved the NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety. She was also the top performing candidate for the qualification in the 2016/17 year. Ian moved to this country from the UK around 18 months ago and has since added three more NEBOSH qualifications to his achievements, reflecting qualifications relevant to our job market. He has now passed the Fire and Risk Management Certificate, Construction Certificate and Environmental Management Certificate. With his qualifications Ian now finds himself at the forefront of health and safety opportunities in the country.
“These qualifications are really starting to catch on here and the knowledge gained through these qualifications gives people skills they can apply to any situation or workplace.” Ian has secured management positions with infrastructure developer Fulton Hogan and, most recently, with Serco – a global service company managing over 500 contracts worldwide. He says that no matter how long you have done health and safety, there is always stuff you don’t know about. Ian adds that formal qualifications and training are only part of the H&S story. From organisations and industry leaders to contractors and individual employees, everyone needs to take responsibility and push forwards for long-term improvements in workplace safety. “Communication and a positive health and safety culture are crucial. Employees need to be empowered to put their new skills (whether acquired in formal training or in the workplace) into practice – and feel equally empowered to raise concerns and questions with their superiors. “Health and safety needs to be seen as something that can drive efficiency and profitability as well as boosting employee engagement.” Health and safety training not only impacts on the number of injuries and fatalities, but also provides a way of improving standards, achieving efficiency savings and even boosting profitability, he says. “When training is rolled out to all levels of the workforce it can lead to a culture of health, safety and caring for fellow colleagues, leading to further benefits such as the retention of skilled and valuable workers. Health and safety training not only saves lives and reduces injuries, but can also bring a host of business benefits.” WorkSafe’s 2014 report called Health and Safety Attitudes and Behaviours in the New Zealand Workforce: A Study of Workers and Employers says the highest risk industry sectors – agriculture, forestry, construction and manufacturing – appear complacent about health and safety and lacking in urgency about current accident/injury rates. Looking at the progress made in reducing injuries and fatalities so far, early indicators are that attitudes and cultures are already beginning to change for the better, says Ian. • Article supplied by supplied by Energy PR, UK.
NOVEMBER 2017 43
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
MOUNTAINOUS MOVES
Transporting massive concrete bridge beams over the precipitous Arthur’s Pass during the past winter has been a challenging project – and an eye-catching one too, captivating tourists and birdlife alike. BY MARY SEARLE BELL.
AT KUMARA JUNCTION, where State Highway 73
joins State Highway 6, just south of Greymouth, the Taramakau Bridge is being replaced. The existing bridge is a narrow single lane affair that carries both road and rail traffic. As the route is an important connector between Christchurch and Greymouth, the New Zealand Transport Agency thought it prudent to upgrade the bridge to better 44 www.contractormag.co.nz
accommodate traffic. So while the existing bridge will remain in place and be used solely as a rail bridge, a new bridge is currently being constructed downstream by Fulton Hogan. The new structure will be 250 metres long, 10 metres high and 15 metres wide, and will provide significant improvements for travellers in terms of safety, travel times and journey
experience – traffic will no longer have to wait at each end of the bridge before being able to cross the Taramakau River. The project, which is due to be completed next year, will also see a section of State Highway 6 realigned and an overpass built to take road traffic over the railway line. As part of the new bridge build, Fulton Hogan has been manufacturing massive
concrete Super-T beams in its Stahlton precast concrete factory in Waterloo, Christchurch, and transporting them across the mountainous Arthur’s Pass to site. The road is narrow, and steep in places, with plenty of corners. To make things even more interesting, this heavy haulage project began in May, just as the weather turned sour for winter.
As the concrete beam is transported down the precipitous viaduct, an Iveco tractor unit is tethered to the rear of the trailer to help control the descent.
NOVEMBER 2017 45
CONTRACTOR PROJECT
The beams measure around 34.5 metres long and weigh in at 66 tonnes each. There are 42 in total. The steep road and winter weather conditions provided challenges for this heavy haulage project.
46 www.contractormag.co.nz
The beams measure around 34.5 metres long and weigh in at 66 tonnes each. There are 42 in total, and when Contractor spoke to Fulton Hogan’s heavy haulage manager, Mark McNeilly, last month, there were just six left to transport. “The weather’s clearing just as the project ends,” laughs Mark. Each move has been subject to weather, and the move would be stood down if there was snow or a forecast of snow. Mark says they worked closely with the two teams of maintenance contractors who look after the road (Downers/Isaacs for Christchurch to Arthur’s Pass, Fulton Hogan for Arthur’s Pass to site) to ensure each trip was a success. Before the 4am departure from the concrete plant to the first stop in Springfield, the on-road supervisor would get in touch with both maintenance teams to check the route conditions. What they wanted to know was how much snow and grit there was on the road. “The wet conditions didn’t bother us but the frost and snow could cause problems,” says Mark. “Too much grit was a problem – it made things slippery, more so than frost – and sometimes there was too much snow on
the road shoulders which meant we couldn’t put oncoming vehicles onto the shoulder. “The maintenance guys would tell us where the grit and snow was.” Mark says both maintenance contractor teams were “tremendous”. And while winter is a less than ideal season for this particular job, bad weather only delayed the beam transporter on four occasions. From Springfield, State Highway 73 climbs the Southern Alps. The road is tortuous in places and has several old 10-foot bridges. To manage this, Fulton Hogan set its trailer at three metres width, and used a two rows of eight load divider with a four rows of eight jinker. The total train length was 48 metres, and the total weight was 96 tonnes. “Other configurations would have put too much distortion into the beam,” Mark explains. The majority of loads have been pulled by Fulton Hogan’s Christchurch-based Mack Superliner, with the remainder by the company’s Dunedin-based MercedesBenz SLT. The main truck was assisted by a six-wheel-drive Iveco Tracker tractor unit, ballasted to 21 tonnes. The Iveco was there to help pull the load
up the very steep climb at Porters Pass, especially if there was a lot of grit on the road. Also, after the summit at Arthur’s Pass, when the load descended the precipitous viaduct, the Iveco was in behind the load to assist it down the 16 percent grade. The sharp descent over the viaduct and under the rock shute required the road to be closed to all other traffic – the Fulton Hogan crew needed every bit of the road to be able to get the beams around the corners. Mark says there would be an amusing interlude at this point when the local kea, known for being a nosey species, would take a keen interest in the job underway. “When we pulled up at the viaduct and got ready to descend, the kea were curious about what was going on. At first they stayed away, but after a few loads had been through, they decided that sitting on the beam was the place to be!” The closure took around 15 minutes and was
one factor in the team’s traffic management considerations. “There is a lot of traffic at certain times of the day, including tourists, who can be a handful at the best of times,” says Mark. “Twenty-four hours prior, we would send an email out to all the trucking companies, including Fonterra and Westland Dairies, to let them know when we’d be on the road – the professional drivers were very cooperative. “But we had to be mindful of other drivers, and make allowances. A lot of tourists hadn’t seen anything like this before and would stop to take pictures – we often had to move them on to a safe place to do this.” Each eight hour journey across the mountains ended at the site of the new bridge build. There, the beams were unloaded by a pair of cranes. Once free from their load, the two trucks and three pilot vehicles would make the return trip to Christchurch in a comparatively short three hours.
The length of the load meant the team used the full width of the road to navigate tight corners. “... we had to be mindful of other drivers, and make allowances. A lot of tourists hadn’t seen anything like this before and would stop to take pictures – we often had to move them on to a safe place to do this.”
NOVEMBER 2017 47
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Simple steps to better procurement PETER SILCOCK, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND
step up its support, encouragement and advocacy for improved procurement by publishing a one page “4 ways to fill your tender box” contractors’ guide to great procurement. With investment in infrastructure topping $11 billion a year, more and more clients are saying that they can’t get enough contractors to bid for their work. This is a major issue for clients because without healthy competition, it’s hard to ensure you are getting long term value for money. Malcolm Edridge, chair of Civil Contractors New Zealand’s Nelson/Marlborough Branch, recently commented on the workload and the challenges facing local councils saying that “the industry could handle the workload, but will need flexibility from the councils”. Malcolm’s comment applies to all clients. Rather than bemoaning the lack of contractor capability and capacity clients need to step up by asking the question – Can we make our work more attractive to bid on? The answer for most clients is definitely yes! Good contractors will assess the risks, complexity, timing and resources they need to compete for and complete any project. Clients need to face the fact that a lack of tenders often has very little to do with contractor capacity or capability and is more about poor procurement process, unattractive terms and conditions and unacceptable risks. CCNZ got a few experienced contractors to share their ideas and we came up with four simple steps clients can take to attract the best suppliers. CCNZ PLANS TO
1. U se simple, user-friendly RFT documents to save time and cost for both parties. A well-designed response template with clear instructions makes a huge difference. Start with clear pass/fail criteria early in your process, designed to eliminate unsuitable suppliers. Then streamline your scored questions so every single question tests a differentiator that’s clearly aligned to your project’s specific drivers for success. 2. Let them know what’s coming. If they know your pipeline, your suppliers can position themselves to deliver to your needs, and plan their tenders well. You’ll get more tenders in the box, and they’ll be better quality. Engage with your contractors and the local branch of Civil Contractors New Zealand. Visibility and certainty
of workloads enables your suppliers to smooth their work programmes. Overall result? Better management of work peaks and troughs = lower overheads = lower costs all round. 3. U se standard Terms & Conditions. If your tender documents are overlaid with nonstandard conditions, your smart contractors will engage lawyers to check them. That cost inevitably finds its way into your tender box. Not-so-smart tenderers will ignore your special conditions, and are far more likely to get you into disputes later. Either way, this won’t deliver value for you. Stick to standard Ts & Cs, and you’ll eliminate extra costs on both sides. What’s more, your suppliers will be far more likely to tender. 4. D on’t load up the risks! It’s tempting for you to de-risk a contract by transferring all risks to your supplier, or inserting clauses that pass on responsibility to your suppliers if the information in your tender documents is incorrect. The problem is that risks that are outside contractors’ control generally can’t be covered by insurance. So, the only response for informed suppliers to risk transfer, is to increase their prices. Of course, the not-so-smart suppliers won’t factor in those risks, but when the mucky stuff hits the fan you will face costly disputes or be left to carry the can. NZS 3910 requires clients to take the risk of loss or damage in respect of ‘excepted risks’. That means if it’s outside your contractor’s control, you should take on that risk yourself. Not only will your suppliers be keener to tender, but their prices will be lower and your relationships with them will be more cooperative. That way, everybody wins. We plan to publicise the one page document and use it as a basis for discussions when we meet with clients. We know that better procurement is a big issue for contractors and that change will take time but we will continue to work on this issue at a national, regional and local level. Good procurement practice and a strong pipeline of work will encourage and enable contractors to build their capability and capacity. Better procurement is good for everyone.
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
Recognising Kaikoura earthquake work TOMMY PARKER, GENERAL MANAGER, SYSTEM DESIGN & DELIVERY, NZ TRANSPORT AGENCY
NOVEMBER MARKS THE first anniversary of the Kaikoura earth-
quake and it’s timely for me to recognise the outstanding work of the contracting industry to repair and re-open road and rail links vital not only to local communities but New Zealand as a nation. Kiwis are no strangers to earthquakes. I doubt, however, that anyone could have imagined the depth of damage to infrastructure left by earth ruptures and landslides after the two minute-long bruising we took from one with a 7.8 magnitude – one of the most severe recorded in New Zealand. A disaster on this scale called for an immediate industrywide response and that’s exactly what the Transport Agency and KiwiRail got from our main contractors, subbies, support systems like freight operators, and the thousands of people working to repair road and rail and other infrastructure. It was heartening to see such a quick response from the industry both in terms of plant, and people – around 3300 were inducted. Those working at our sites at any one time has peaked at around 1300. My observation is one of people from different companies working as one team to get the job done. The outcome of that response was re-opening the Picton/ Christchurch rail link in September, and work continues at pace to re-open State Highway 1, although driving between Picton and Christchurch will take longer while repairs to fully restore the highway are completed. Nevertheless, getting both these links reopened will be a massive achievement. The contracting industry rightly deserves a pat on the back. For me, the response has captured the Transport Agency’s new strategic thinking and some of the values it regards as important: a commitment to work effectively and efficiently in partnership with others; putting the customer at the heart of what we do to support their needs and reconnect communities; making sure the Transport Agency response was exceptional and the best possible. The NCTIR (North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery) Alliance included The Transport Agency, KiwiRail, and our contractors – Downers, Fulton Hogan, HEB and Higgins. Add
to that around 175 subbies on NCTIR’s books. I’d also like to acknowledge the excellent work of the Restoration Liaison Group. The group, which includes iwi, local government, the Department of Conservation and many others with a stake in the recovery programme, was tasked with speeding up the consent process and has made a significant contribution towards our good progress. One of the most valuable lessons adopted early on was the need for coordinated and measured planning. NCTIR recognised the importance of taking time to plan thoroughly, and long-term it is creating a faster and better outcome. A good result for everyone – those involved in the recovery and our customers too. It’s also worth recalling some of the challenging working conditions contractors face in a skinny strip of north-east Canterbury coast squeezed between unstable hills on one side and a restless sea on the other. A lot of planning has gone into maximising daylight hours, particularly during a wet and cold winter, to keep people working safely and efficiently. Rebuilding the seawall was another challenge. Daylight wasn’t the problem there, but Mother Nature certainly was. Teams have to fit their reconstruction programmes around the ebb and flow of the tides, often working at night under lights. Overall, people have worked long and hard, and as we head into summer it is timely to remind everyone in the industry of fatigue from working too many hours. I admire the commitment, but we do need to ensure our teams get rest and to make sure they take that rest. Tired workers can put themselves and their mates at risk and slow the recovery programme. Despite the scale of devastation, the earthquake will produce positive legacies long-term for the industry. Contractors will be learning new skills to deal with natural disasters and for the Transport Agency, lessons learned from Kaikoura will play an important part in our future strategic planning around transport resilience to keep people and freight moving and communities connected.
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NOVEMBER 2017 49
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Direct agreements – back from the dead? JAMES McMILLAN AND SAM McCUTCHEON, KENSINGTON SWAN
IN JUNE THIS year the Court of Appeal held that payments made
to a contractor by a financier under a direct agreement were not subject to the voidable transactions regime (Ebert Construction Ltd v Sanson [2017] NZCA 239). In doing so, the Court confirmed that a suitably structured direct agreement will provide contractors with protection from clawback of payments by a developer’s liquidator. Following the Court of Appeal’s decision, Ebert and the developer’s liquidators reached a confidential settlement, which saw the liquidators withdraw their appeal to the Supreme Court.
What is a ‘direct agreement’? A direct agreement is a three-way arrangement between a developer, contractor and a financier. Under the agreement, the financier can ‘step in’ and complete the project if the developer defaults. The financier can also make direct payment to the contractor. The benefit to the financier of having a direct agreement is certainty that the project can be completed. The developer will be able to earn a return on its investment (eg, from the sale of the building). The benefit to the contractor is that payments for the contract works are received directly from the financier and are not subject to the solvency of the developer.
Background Takapuna Procurement Limited (TPL) developed the Shoalhaven Apartments. TPL engaged Ebert Construction to build the apartments. BOSI and Strategic Nominees agreed to finance the development and entered into a direct agreement with TPL and Ebert. The apartments were completed in April 2008 and BOSI made the final payments to Ebert in mid-November 2008. On the day that the final payment was made to Ebert, liquidators were appointed to the developer. The liquidators subsequently applied to set aside the payments that BOSI had made to Ebert on the basis that these payments were insolvent transactions made by TPL which enabled Ebert to receive more than it otherwise would have in TPL’s liquidation. The High Court agreed with the liquidators and set aside the payments. The High Court took the view that the payments to Ebert were made ‘by’ TPL and were insolvent transactions for the purposes of section 292 of the Companies Act. The debt that TPL owed to Ebert had been reduced by BOSI making the payment. In a subsequent judgment, the High Court also awarded the liquidators interest on the judgment sum from 50 www.contractormag.co.nz
Direct agreements are one of the tools that contractors might adopt to provide additional security. If you are considering entering into a direct agreement, it is important to ensure that the direct agreement is drafted to ensure it will withstand subsequent scrutiny from a liquidator. the date of 2008 liquidation (this amounted to a significant sum), even though the liquidators had not taken steps to set aside the payments until 2014.
Court of Appeal The Court of Appeal had to decide whether payments made by BOSI to Ebert were subject to the voidable transactions regime. The Court of Appeal found that the payments by BOSI were made in order to satisfy a direct obligation that BOSI owed to Ebert and, as a result, were not subject to the voidable transactions regime. In reaching this finding the Court examined two key questions: a. Whether the payments were transactions ‘by’ TPL; and b. whether the payments enabled Ebert to receive more than it otherwise would have in the liquidation.
Were the payments transactions ‘by’ TPL? For a transaction to be subject to the insolvent transactions regime, it must be a transaction made by the company that subsequently is placed into liquidation. The Court acknowledged that a payment by a third party can, in certain circumstances, be regarded as a transaction by the company that subsequently goes into liquidation. However, whether it is or not will depend on the relevant contractual arrangements and in making the required assessment, the substance and reality of the transaction will be more important than its form. The Court held that BOSI’s payments to Ebert were made in order to satisfy BOSI’s own direct obligation to Ebert. The Court found that these payments by BOSI were akin to payments made under a performance bond or guarantee and were not made as an agent for TPL. The Court examined a number of factors in reaching this
transactions had been transactions by TPL, they did not have the effect of enabling Ebert to receive more than it otherwise would have in the liquidation. The fact that Ebert had a contractual right under the direct agreement to pursue BOSI directly for payment after TPL entered liquidation meant Ebert received the same amount as it would have following liquidation. Ebert would not have bothered with joining the general pool of TPL’s creditors. The liquidators’ argument would therefore also have failed on this ground.
Our comments
conclusion including: a. The history of direct agreements in the New Zealand; b. Expert evidence by those involved in the New Zealand construction industry; and c. Ehe specific terms of the development agreement, which provided that the payments by BOSI were not conditional on TPL meeting its finance covenants and that Ebert had a right to pursue BOSI directly for payment.
Did Ebert to receive more than it would have under the liquidation? Due to the above finding (that the payments by BOSI were not payments by TPL) the Court was not required to determine this point. Nevertheless, it went on to find that, even if the
This decision will come as a relief to many involved in the construction sector. Contractors can take confidence that payments made under a suitably drafted direct agreement will not be clawed back from them by liquidators. The case is a timely reminder that contractors need to consider the insolvency risk of the instructing party, and, where solvency might be an issue, take appropriate steps to ensure payment can be retained for any work performed. Direct agreements are one of the tools that contractors might adopt to provide additional security. If you are considering entering into a direct agreement it is important to ensure that the direct agreement is drafted to ensure it will withstand subsequent scrutiny from a liquidator. • Kensington Swan regularly provides comment on the construction industry on our blog Site Visit. Check out www.nzconstructionblog.com to stay up to date.
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CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Skills a continuing issue HAYS RECRUITMENT NEW ZEALAND
A MODESTLY IMPROVED global economy has seen labour market pressures ease slightly since 2016, as growing numbers of well-educated migrants provide a flow of skilled labour across countries. However, despite the slight easing in pressure, skill shortages remain as businesses continue to struggle to find skilled professionals in a number of specialist roles and sectors. These are the key findings of the sixth edition of the Hays Global Skills Index, a report published recently by Hays in collaboration with Oxford Economics. The report, Regional dynamics of the global labour market: skills in demand and tomorrow’s workforce is based on an analysis of the professional employment markets across 33 global economies, assessing the dynamics at play in each local labour market. The 2017 Hays Global Skills Index has been published, highlighting the nation’s struggle to keep pace with labour demands. The report, published in collaboration with Oxford Economics, shows that despite an existing pool of labour, employers in high-skill industries still find it difficult to fill jobs that require highly-skilled professionals. “Demand is much higher for professionals in high-skill industries relative to medium- and lower-skill industries across New Zealand since a lot of routine, repetitive jobs can now – or will soon be – automated,” says Jason Walker, managing director of Hays in New Zealand. “While New Zealand’s participation rate has increased, so too has the creation of jobs, particularly in highly-skilled industries. “The latter has absorbed the former, leading to high demand for talent from employers in high-skill industries such as engineering and technology. The resulting wage pressure in high-skill industries cannot get more acute. “Unfortunately those available in the labour market do not always possess the skills employers need, adding to the talent mismatch. This can be very frustrating for both available
52 www.contractormag.co.nz
jobseekers and employers.” The Index is calculated through an analysis of equally weighted indicators. Key indicator scores include: • Talent mismatch: New Zealand scored 4.6, suggesting there is a gap emerging between the skills employers need and those in the labour market; • Wage pressure in high-skill industries: New Zealand scored the highest possible score of 10.0, showing that wages for jobs in high-skill industries are under extreme pressure and sector specific skill shortages (such as in engineering and technology) are acute. This score is unchanged since 2014; • Overall wage pressure: New Zealand scored 2.6, which is a lowpressure score. This suggests that employers are holding tight, despite wage pressure in high-skill industries, and they are not using salary to compete for talent overall; • In positives, the education system is well equipped to meet future talent needs (‘education flexibility’ score of 4.7) and our labour market legislation is fairly flexible (‘labour market flexibility’ score of 4.2). “Based on the trends we have seen this year and in previous iterations of the Index, the talent mismatch could be eased by ensuring we’re ready for technological disruption through training and education,” says Jason. “Even though the rise of technology and automation in the workplace will inevitably eliminate some job categories, it’s important to remember that technology creates demand for new jobs as much as it will render others redundant. People must adapt their skillset to meet the new demand brought about by a more tech-centric work landscape. “Similarly, employers should look to adapt their training for workers whose jobs will be changed rather than eliminated through technology.” • The Hays Global Skills Index is available at www.hays.net.nz/ global-skills-index For current salary trends, see bit.lyHaysSalaryGuide2017.
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CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Constraining factors in construction ROB STUMMER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, IFS NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA
IN OUR EXPERIENCE – reinforced by a recent construction industry
roundtable discussion – there are five factors constraining Australasian construction businesses in their performance and ability to innovate. Poor performance in any of these areas – visibility of project performance, the ability to collect data on-site, double handling of information, delayed project actuals and forecasts, and management of people, safety and compliance – should serve as a warning that your information technology (IT) systems are holding you back. Last year, global consulting firm McKinsey & Company ranked construction second last out of 22 industries in its digital technology uptake, ahead only of agriculture. With digital technology set to transform construction, low technology investment is a risk to the business. Technologies like Building Information Modelling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), drones, robots, 3D printing and blockchain (software that allows digital information such as bitcoin to be distributed but not copied) will disrupt the industry. Innovative companies will grow rapidly and those that don’t adapt will fall by the wayside. To better understand the issues they face digitising their businesses and meeting the challenges ahead, IFS recently hosted a roundtable discussion with leading construction companies. The participants agreed there was a large gap between current IT capabilities and what their businesses required. However, they also identified barriers to investing in new technology. Despite BIM’s reputation as a leading driver of digitisation, participants said it only benefited architectural, engineering, and facilities management firms, which could be rewarded for reducing the total lifetime cost of an asset. Current industry practices which minimise upfront build costs provided little incentive for construction companies to adopt BIM, they said. While not seen as an immediate driver for digitisation, the use of robots in construction and the replacement of traditional ‘man and machine’ jobs, on the other hand, was seen as inevitable as technology advances. And smart contracts underpinned by blockchain technology had huge potential to make contract management more efficient. Participants said there were many repeated processes and duplication of paperwork throughout the tender, selection and contract award phases that smart contracts could address. While acknowledging that disruptive technologies will bring many changes to construction, roundtable participants said their main IT focus was on becoming more digitally connected and efficient to compete in the current operating environment. Unfortunately, many construction companies have already fallen behind. Participants admitted that subcontractors were often more advanced in their use of digital technology than they were. Companies needed to do more, they said, to connect subcontractors to their systems so real-time information is visible 54 www.contractormag.co.nz
to everyone across the value chain to drive collaboration and efficiencies. The ability to collaborate with partners in real time is a great example of the value of digitisation, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. Far greater benefits would flow from addressing all five factors constraining construction businesses. In our view, most companies could improve their competitiveness and efficiency with modern, integrated enterprise software providing a single, centralised system to connect business, people and processes. This would not only remove current business constraints, but also set companies up to adopt disruptive technologies in the future. Visibility of project performance The systems we see at most construction companies are characterised by silos of disconnected systems including financial and project management software, and Microsoft Office documents containing asset management, HR and other information. Combining these within a single enterprise system would vastly improve visibility of project performance across the business. Ability to collect data on-site Roundtable participants told us that enabling field staff to access and enter information in real time using mobile devices was a priority. In combination with a centralised enterprise system, this would allow companies to get a live snapshot of projects. Delayed project actuals and forecasts The move to real-time data collection into a single enterprise system would support dynamic, timely decision making, rather than waiting for the consolidation of weekly or monthly reports. Forecasts could be constantly recalculated, not just updated once a month. Double handling of information Inefficiencies due to the double handling of information by construction companies is not confined to contract management. With an integrated system, information is entered once, and taken forward from one process to the next. Not only is this more efficient, but data is preserved and available for future reference or analysis. Management of people, safety and compliance Roundtable participants told IFS that the onboarding of staff was a major business bottleneck, with poor capabilities in HR, training and compliance systems across the industry. Integrated workforce management solutions address these constraints. One of our construction industry customers has seen average staff onboarding costs fall from nearly $1000 to under $100, and achieved significant improvements in staff retention rates. The bottom line is that construction companies do not have to be at the “bleeding edge” of innovation to survive in a digital world. But with the pace of technological change increasing, they cannot afford to remain technology laggards either.
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CONTRACTOR COMMENT
NZTA Strategy for 2017 – 2021 and our industry JONATHAN BHANA-THOMSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NZ HEAVY HAULAGE ASSOCIATION
WHAT WOULD NZTA’S ‘People-Centred Services’ look like for our
‘oversize transport industry’? The NZTA Strategy document for 2017 – 2021 states that there are three major strategic responses to the current and future transport situation. According to NZTA these responses are designed to deliver value to NZ, its citizens and customers in relation to the rapidly changing transport environment. The three strategies are: – A Connected Transport Environment – delivering transport networks and services in an increasingly digital environment. – People-Centred Services – aiming to simplify NZTA customers’ lives with innovative transport services and experiences that make it easy for them to do what they need to. – Partnerships For Prosperity – unlocking social and economic opportunities for customers, businesses and communities through targeted partnerships. It is this second strategy that I would like to focus and answer the question of what NZTA can do to make the job of an oversize transport operator easier. Looking at the NZTA document, you can see the following phrases, such as: – “the transport system exists to serve people – our customers …” – “understanding customer needs and mining rich customer information and interactions …” – “we will collaborate with our partners, working to understand what they need …” – “collaboratively designing innovative services with customers and reducing the burden of interacting with government.” For the oversize transport sector, moving those freight loads that are overweight and overdimension, there are some specific ways that NZTA can be more focused towards the needs of the sector, and more responsive to future demands. In general we are seeing more and more loads transported that are oversize, be it bigger machinery that can achieve the job more efficiently, more construction of large items off site and then trucked to the final destination, and more recycling of buildings, housing and classrooms.
1. An efficient permitting system The movement of large loads requires a raft of extra permissions, permits and notifications to the Agency as well as its maintenance network and contractors. NZTA should be facilitating this using technology to make this process efficient and effective. The Association has always heard from the Agency that this is a good idea, but no matter how many proposals are put to NZTA, they do not make any significant moves in this direction. 56 www.contractormag.co.nz
2. A suitable roading network Oversize loads are demanding on the roading network, and the association is constantly advocating to ensure that suitable dimension and capacity is provided to ensure that increasing numbers of large loads are able to be transported safely. The unfortunate thing is that, without the work of the association, the NZTA only occasionally thinks to incorporate design that does not hinder the transport of large loads on the few restricted routes we can use. The Agency does have to juggle the many, and often competing, needs of road users, but it needs to consider all road users – including the oversize sector.
3. Proper consultation and closing the loop Often there are various consultations that do go on with roading projects that are in various stages of development. The Association submits to as many of these as possible. However our experience is that unless this consultation is followed up by us with a request for a meeting, that the concerns put forward are either neglected, or put in the “too hard” basket. The “people-centred” approach that is often missing is the closing of the loop – reporting back to those people that have submitted to the consultation what the outcome of the submissions were. This is important so that if there are still continuing issues that haven’t been taken on board, the ultimate user of the road has a chance to raise these matters again.
4. Providing access to the best roads While the routes that are available to oversize loads are limited, in some situations the best roads for the transport of big loads are not permitted for use by the Agency. We have raised this previously but toll roads and motorways, that have divided carriageways with wider lanes, greater capacity, and no vulnerable users (such as cyclists or pedestrians) are often not available for use, or only for limited use with special permission. It would make sense that rather than forcing large loads to use local roads in built up areas with greater flows of oncoming traffic and more infrastructure restrictions, that the Agency listen to the oversize users of these roads and permit access to these routes. The above four manifesto items are not that difficult to achieve and are some of the ways that NZTA is able to achieve its stated aims of being “people-centred”. Let’s hope that they achieve this in practical terms such as those above, rather than in high-level vague nebulous ways that strategy documents often identify and can easily achieve.
TECHNOLOGY CONTRACTOR
Engineers at risk HAYS RECRUITMENT NEW ZEALAND
TO REMAIN EMPLOYABLE engineers require environmentally
sustainable design knowledge, expertise in new technology such as GPS positioning, drones and virtual reality (VR), and a willingness to continuously ask questions. That’s according to a new report, The Modern Engineer: What it Takes to Succeed, released recently by recruiting experts Hays Engineering. “Automation and artificial intelligence threaten to make many of the traditional and base level skills of engineers redundant (at least to a degree),” writes Megan Motto, CEO of Consult Australia, in the report’s foreword. “Both engineers and employers [need] to consider areas for personal and organisational development to ensure they have the right skills to remain relevant in the future,” she notes.
Insights for engineers So where should engineers focus their learning and development? “Engineers who want to do their job effectively in the coming years need to be across environmentally sustainable design and life-cycle assessment,” says Adam Shapley, senior regional director of Hays Engineering. “They must upskill in the latest technology tools, including GPS positioning, survey equipment, drones, Augmented Reality (AR) and VR, and they must ensure their technical foundation remains strong. “Entry-level candidates need a strong technical foundation as well as mathematical ability, while more experienced candidates need to gain a high level of emotional intelligence and social skills. I believe that to be successful, today’s engineer must demonstrate an appetite and aptitude to learn quickly and ask questions to keep their knowledge current.”
Insights for employers The results also provide insights for employers. According to Adam, “When looking to attract and retain engineers, it’s important to promote the quality of work your practice produces, offer clear career paths and provide continuous on-the-job training across all levels since this is how people want to gain the skills they need. “Employers are also advised to offer flexible working arrangements or part-time hours, make soft skills part of your selection criteria, and remember that software skills can be taught and should not hinder the hiring of an otherwise ideal candidate.” Hays Engineering surveyed 340 engineers and held 13 indepth interviews with industry leaders to identify what makes a modern engineer. Key findings include: (Unless otherwise stated, all figures are a percentage of respondents) • 72 percent of surveyed engineers expect to add to their skills through upskilling on-the-job;
• Upskilling in the latest technologies is of most importance, but at present such technology is only in use by a minority of engineers: GPS positioning (used by 34 percent of surveyed engineers), survey equipment (21), drones (10), and AR and VR tools (9); • Engineers say they need to become familiar with STEM skills and knowledge (58), environmentally sustainable design (58) and life cycle assessment (53); • 3D modelling skills are important as 44 percent say 2D skills will lose relevance; • 17 say the industry is struggling to find professionals with the right level of 12D skills; • 73 say having calculation and math skills is very or extremely important; • 75 say making a positive contribution to the living environment helps them thrive in their jobs; • Solving problems by creating solutions makes them proud (41); • 41 believe that by 2020, job opportunities resulting from infrastructure projects will rise; • 65 hold a Bachelor of Engineering while 26 hold a Master of Engineering; • 85 said they are responsible for sustainability, with the government (88 percent), clients (84), architects (77) and builders/contractors (66) also accountable; • 92 want to take more ownership of the building process; • 86 say renewable and alternative energy will have the biggest impact on the engineering industry, followed by city expansion (85), water management (also 85) and population control (84). The research also reveals key learnings for employers: • When considering a new job, the quality of a practice’s work has the greatest influence on a jobseeker’s decision (76), followed by a competitive salary (74) and work-life balance (69); • For 68 percent, work quality also retains them, followed by a competitive salary (63) and work-life balance (58); • Soft skills should be in the selection criteria, with problem solving (important to 64) and communication (51) skills essential; • Adaptability and interests in ongoing learning and digital transformation are important too; Software skills can be taught: 53 percent of engineers have been offered a role without possessing the necessary software experience, with 69 percent taking less than six months to upskill. The Modern Engineer: What it Takes to Succeed is available at www.hays.net.nz/engineer or contact your local Hays office. NOVEMBER 2017 57
CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES CL
M
A
ASSIC
C H I N E S
The Euclid S-12 revisited Intended as a larger version of the Euclid S-7 that had proved extremely popular, the Euclid S-12 never really fulfilled its obvious potential. By RICHARD CAMPBELL.
Above: Factory photo of an early-production Euclid S-12. This machine has the early operator’s step which was easily wiped off in service and the Euclid-branded suspension seat. Of note are the bowl lifting arms with their centre rib, an S-12 spotting feature found on no other two axle Euclid scrapers. PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
58 www.contractormag.co.nz
BACK IN THE FEBRUARY 2006 issue of Contractor, we had a look at the Euclid S-12. The original article was quite short due to allocated space limitations and in the meantime a lot more information has become available to give the machine the coverage it deserves. Designed in 1953, the prototype was tested over a period of months at GM’s proving grounds and found to be suitable for production. The Euclid Earthmoving division of GM had high hopes for the S-12 as its smaller sibling, the seven cubic yard capacity S-7, was selling well and making all manner of inroads into the fleets of smaller contractors. Intended as a work-alone utility machine, or a scraper that could be used in groups for higher production, the S-12 seemed to be the ideal tool for the intermediate-sized contractor. With a bowl holding 12 cubic yards struck and 16 cubic yards heaped, this was a useful capacity for its intended tasks. It also filled a gap between the smaller utility machines and the larger bulk earthmovers. The production version of the S-12 was known by Euclid as the 78FOT-29SH and was introduced in 1954. Originally delivered in dark green “Armington Green” paint, this soon gave way to the more
familiar pale lime “Hi-Lite Green” which GM launched in 1955. Unfortunately for Euclid, the S-12 was not the big seller that they had hoped. Probably the biggest drawback to the machine’s success was that it was never issued with a powershift transmission or even a torque converter, all production models having a Fuller manual gearbox and clutch. While this was not an issue in the 1940s, when all machines had manual transmissions, the earthmoving world had now advanced, and the S-12 didn’t really make the grade. The new breed of scraper operators didn’t like manual transmission machines anymore. Another issue was size. While the S-7 was only eight feet wide and legally roadable, the S-12 measured almost 12 feet wide which meant that it had to be shifted from job site to job site by transporter, somewhat limiting its flexibility. Why GM/Euclid never fitted the S-12 with a powershift transmission is unknown as the GM 6-71 powerplant used in the S-12 was already in service in other Euclid machines with powershift transmission setups and giving no problems. Euclid manufactured just under 750 S-12s before the type was discontinued in 1965. Production was entirely at the Hudson, Ohio
1. New Zealand’s one and only Euclid S-12 on its first job. Burnetts Motors bought this machine in 1956 but later sold it to J.C. Anderson of Invercargill who used it for most of its life. Machine is fitted with the optional Euclid factory cab which was removed later on in its career.
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PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
2
2. A nother factory photo, this time of a stock standard 1959 built unit. The GM 6-71 engine has a muffler, a nice touch as the 6-71 had a really good bark to it. Once again the ribbed lift levers are well in evidence. PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
3
3. Euclid S-12 at work on the Pennsylvania turnpike being pushed by a Euclid C-6 crawler. The operator’s step, which was a very vulnerable part on early production S-12s, has already been replaced by a much sturdier chain step. The machine’s owner has added an extended rubber flap over the mudguard to reduce splashing. PHOTO: EDGAR BROWNING COLLECTION
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4. On the sales lot of Trio Equipment in Athens, Texas, is this fairly well preserved Euclid S-12. Considering the machine is at the very least 50 years old, it still looks capable of a hard day’s work. Euclid always did build solid, simple equipment. The only concession to modernity is the added ROPS canopy. PHOTO: INTERNET
NOVEMBER 2017 59
CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES
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1. T his old boiler must surely have a few good stories to tell. Again, a 50-year veteran, still in service although severely “cosmetically challenged”. The scraper spillguard has been replaced with something a little more substantial, and it still has its original Euclidissue sun canopy, but the crowning glory must surely be the straight exhaust pipe – hear the music of our tribe! PHOTO: INTERNET
2. Parked up next to a B-63 Mack is this Euclid S-12 with non-standard cab and added ROPS frame. The scraper spillguard has also been replaced. Location and date unknown. PHOTO: INTERNET
60 www.contractormag.co.nz
plant, no S-12s being built outside of the USA.
The Euclid S-12 described Of conventional Euclid design, the model 78FOT S-12 was essentially a scaled up S-7. Power was supplied by a General Motors 6-71 diesel rated at 218 flywheel horsepower. Attached to the engine was a Lipe-Rollway 15½” single plate clutch with an air booster to make the operator’s day a little easier. Transmission was a Fuller 5F1220 5-speed type giving the machine a top speed of approximately 23 mph on the flat. Braking was provided by fully air operated expanding shoes on all four wheels. Standard tyre was usually 24.00x25 with a rock tread. Euclid’s steering system comprised two double acting hydraulic cylinders acting against the hitch and capable of reverse action during a full 90 degree turn for maximum power. The 29SH scraper was also of conventional Euclid design with a rollout ejection system. All the hydraulic cylinders used were single acting with gravity returning them to the ‘down’ position. Twin link arms and rods connected the bowl to the lift cylinders. Cutting edge penetration was entirely dependent on the weight of the bowl on the cutting edge, meaning that pre-ripping was usually required in harder soils. A four-section reversible and interchangeable cutting edge was used meaning only a single person was usually necessary to perform an edge change out. Just as a matter of interest, a spotting feature of the S-12 scraper are the lifting link arms which have a central stiffening rib above the lift cylinder mounting point. No other two-axle Euclid scraper has this feature.
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The apron, although hydraulically controlled, was attached to its link arm by a length of ¾ inch cable. It was a true radial arc design and during loading, the weight of the material inside the bowl assisted in the gravity closing. Early production models of the 29SH scraper have holes in the rear wheel hubs, like the S-7, Later versions do not. A substantial push block brought up the rear of the machine. For the operator, the control layout was basic with clutch, brake and throttle pedals on the floor and the gearshift stick to the operator’s right. The bowl controls consisted of three levers, bowl up/down, apron up/down and ejector forward and return. These were all directly connected to the hydraulic control valve through a short link which made for precise control. Full instrumentation was provided on the dash panel. Most S-12s were fitted with some form of suspension seat (there were two types) although others just had the circular sold plinth type which meant your bum did all the cushioning!
Competition While almost in a class of its own, the S-12 did have some competition in the form of the Caterpillar DW15 and International 2T-55.
Optional extras There were not a great deal of options available for the Euclid S-12. A fully-enclosed cab with a heater and defroster could be installed along with a windscreen wiper that was also available on those machines just equipped with a windshield. Operationally, the scraper could be exchanged for an Easton-manufactured 18 cubic yard hydraulic rear dump or a 19 cubic yard capacity Euclid 130W
Left: Looking very sharp in new paint is this Euclid S-12 with Southwest water tank conversion belonging to Site & Pipe of Indianapolis. Remarkably, the machine still has its original type operator’s step which was usually removed by the terrain in the first week of operation. This very professional conversion also has a Southwest ROPS structure and a Milsco air suspension seat.
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PHOTO: AUTHOR’S COLLECTION
belly dumper. Very few of these last two options left the Hudson factory, almost all S-12 production being scrapers.
B R I E F S P EC I F I CAT I O N S Euclid S-12 Scraper model 78FOT-29SH (1957) Engine: General Motors 6-71, inline, 4-cylinder two cycle diesel rated at 218 flywheel horsepower at 2100 rpm.
The New Zealand connection Only one Euclid S-12 was ever imported by NZ distributor Clyde Engineering. This was originally delivered to Burnetts Motors of Ashburton, however the machine spent most of its working life with J.C. Anderson’s of Invercargill. The machine apparently still exists, a very rare beast indeed and worthy of preservation.
Clutch:
Lipe-Rollway 15½” single plate, air boosted
Transmission: Fuller 5F1220 constant mesh manual transmission Top speed:
23 mph
Brakes: Air operated expanding shoe type on all four wheels
For the model collector Things are very bleak on the modelling front with no models of the Euclid S-12 available in any scale. In light of the machine’s low production numbers this is probably not surprising but unfortunate nonetheless. Models of Euclid machines in general are very few in number, due I’m told, to some ridiculous trademark licensing problems.
Steering:
Full hydraulic, 90° to each side
Turn circle:
31’ 2”
Tyres:
24.00x25, 26 ply, E3
Capacity:
12 cubic yards struck, 16 cubic yards heaped
Operation: Fully hydraulic via four interchangeable, single acting hydraulic rams Length:
35’ 3”
Width:
11’ 2”
Height:
9’ 6½”
Op weight:
23 tons empty, 43½ tons loaded
YRCO.CO.NZ
MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW.
New KATO Branded Excavators ‘Coming Soon’
Current IHI Branding
Youngman Richardson & Co Ltd the New Zealand distributor for IHI construction equipment has confirmed that Kato Works Ltd has acquired the business interests of IHI Construction Machinery Ltd and will in future come under the KATO name worldwide.
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CONTRACTOR INNOVATIONS
Software simplifies consent process Software provider CS-VUE supplied an environmental compliance management system for the first stage of the $709.5 million motorway from Puhoi to Warkworth being built by the Northern Express Group (NX2). The project has outcome-based Wayne Fisher RMA conditions that provide greater flexibility to the contractor in both design and construction than most other Transport Agency projects. It also requires vigilance from a compliance standpoint. Prior to using the software on this project the Transport Agency relied on a range of spreadsheet-type systems that differed from contract to contract to manage its consent conditions and compliance. “Normally a consent holder would rely solely on its contractors to ensure every consent was being monitored and complied with,” says CS-VUE general manager Wayne Fisher. Graham Jones, senior monitoring officer at Auckland Council’s Resource Consents department says: “To the best of my knowledge this is the first time the regulator has shared a common platform with both the consent holder, the NZ Transport Agency and the contractor, NX2. “All parties having access to common software allows us all to be on the same page at any instant in time on the status of conditions. As a project team, it allows us to work in a more collaborative manner.” Tom Newson, NZTA’s principal project manager, says: “As a PPP, the Puhoi to Warkworth conditions require input and oversight from the three key parties during construction and once in service, to ensure compliance and management of the outcomes-based consents set by the Board of Inquiry in 2014. “CS-VUE’s new system provides all parties with quick access and a single source of truth via a two-step validation process with Auckland Council. “We’re using it as a pilot with a view to using the same CS-VUE application on other large roading infrastructure projects, such as the East West Link and the Northern Corridor improvements.” CS-VUE says it is also working with about 20 percent of the country’s district and city councils and their often complex and lengthy consents. For Auckland Council, CS-VUE manages its stormwater and contaminated land sites. For further information visit www.csvue.com. 62 www.contractormag.co.nz
Breast cancer donations Here’s a charity challenge for other suppliers. Martin Engineering manufactured a special series of its Cougar brand DC truck vibrators in the traditional pink colour and donated A$50 to the Susan G. Komen foundation for each one of the limited-edition units sold throughout last month – Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Overseas, since 1982, the Susan G. Komen foundation has played a critical role in every major advance in the fight against breast cancer and has invested more than US$2.9 billion in groundbreaking research, community health outreach, advocacy and programmes in more than 60 countries.
Latest battery testers Battery specialist, Projecta, has launched new models to its range of affordable and easy-to-use battery testers suitable for both the home garage and professional mechanical workshop, which are designed to take the hassle out of battery monitoring. Projecta’s BLT and DT battery tester range comprises 10 models, with the BLT500, BLT700 and DT910 being the most recent additions to the line-up. Suitable for use with 12 Volt batteries, the entry level BLT500 provides a simple, fast and accurate test of battery condition and capacity. The second new addition is the BLT700 suitable for use with 12 Volt Wet, AGM, Calcium and EFG batteries. It provides comprehensive testing and analysis of battery and electrical systems with an easy-to-use graphic interface and built-in printer for test results, making it more suitable for workshops and service departments. The third new model in the Projecta battery tester line-up is the DT910 digital clamp meter, a high quality tester that provides fast and simple current measurement without interfering with the test circuit.
The new Projecta BLT700 is one of the latest models in the range of battery testers.
INNOVATIONS CONTRACTOR
Eroad’s new safety tools Eroad has launched a new preventative driver safety suite that promotes safe driving with real-time in-cab feedback based on Kiwi road network data and reporting on driver logins. “Preventative safety tools are a huge time saver for fleets because the fleet managers are freed up from continual monitoring, and that time saving goes straight to the bottom line,” says Tony Warwood, Eroad NZ general manager. “It’s good for business, it’s good for fleet managers and it’s empowering for drivers because they are enabled to self-coach, and take action immediately to avoid speeding events. It’s a win-win.” Posted Speed coaches drivers with real-time feedback on Eroad’s Ehubo2 colour screen, changing from green to amber to red, and sounding alerts if a driver exceeds the posted speed limit on a road. Driver Login Monitor, which reports on driver login time and encourages driver accountability, can be used with all Eroad’s driver identification features, including card reader, electronic logbook, Ehubo1 and Ehubo2.
Posted speed and driver login monitoring are offered as part of Eroad’s new SafeDriver Plan. The third new feature on the plan, fleet utilisation dashboard, helps fleets reduce costs by reporting on vehicle and asset use against company targets. The company also says it is making it easier to maintain a safe fleet and resolve vehicle faults more efficiently with the addition of Defect Management to Inspect that removes paper from vehicle inspections and speeds up communication of defects between the driver and back office or workshop. Removing paper from vehicle inspections and speeding up the time to resolution for vehicle faults offers significant time and cost savings to businesses, says Tony. “With Defect Management, drivers and the workshop can see the status of anything that’s failed an inspection in seconds, not hours. Because it’s easily traceable, everything is transparent, so fleet owners can be confident that their vehicle inspections result in a healthy fleet on the road, and reduced risk.”
Work gear for hot conditions Popular work wear among major civil construction companies here is the range from KG Koolwear that has been developed to cope with heat stress on workers in the outdoors. Kerry Godinet of Kerry Godinet Marketing says the Koolwear polo shirt he supplies to the industry keeps workers cooler in hot working conditions by the material allowing the body to ‘breathe’ rather than trapping heat against the body as do many hiviz garments on the market today. “The 100 percent mesh fabric is washable and dries almost immediately and has a SPF factor of 15, which is a passable level and adequate to keep the sun off the wearer,” he says. “With temperatures rising in past years and expected to keep rising, the polo shirt and vest are necessary garments to keep heat stress to a minimum and enable people to be a lot cooler in hot conditions.”
Apart from the health and safety aspects, the long sleeve polo shirt also allows more comfort and suits all wearers and conditions, he adds. “While the vest was developed for hot conditions, customers have advised that in the cooler weather workers can wear warm clothing with the vest over the top. The polo shirt can also be worn with a poly prop or merino as a base layer against the skin. “This keeps the wearer warm and still able to work outdoors. The garments still allow the body to breathe in all conditions.” The vest is also ideal for storing in an office for visitors on a worksite, he adds, especially when the mercury climbs over the summer civil contracting season. More information: Kerry@kgpromotional.co.nz, www.Kgpromotional.co.nz, phone 021 441 183. NOVEMBER 2017 63
CONTRACTOR INNOVATIONS
Platform Basket Spider Lift
Modified container for explosives In a shipping container first for New Zealand, safety and survival company Survitec Group says it is using a modified container known as a Relocatable Explosive Magazine (REM) to safely store explosives. The bespoke storage container was developed by shipping container specialists Royal Wolf and is strong and robust enough to withstand a blast if explosive materials malfunction or are ignited. The 20-foot REM container has 5mm thick steel walls and a 10mm thick steel door with the inside completely lined and insulated with timber. Dave Chapman, Survitec national sales manager, says the need for the container arose when Survitec moved earlier this year from its inner-city site in Auckland, which had an inbuilt dangerous goods bunker, to its Mt Wellington servicing and warehouse facility. “The container is ideal because it is a bespoke design made especially for Survitec’s unique storage needs. It’s also affordable because we’re able to rent it rather than having the capital outlay of building a purpose-built storage facility.” Paul Creighton, Royal Wolf’s executive general manager NZ, says the REM is an example of the versatility of containers and how they can be modified for a wide range of uses. “Stricter Health and Safety laws put more emphasis on how dangerous goods should be treated so we’re particularly proud of this container because it’s the first of its kind in New Zealand and takes storage of these sorts of materials to another level. “Containers are an incredibly strong and solid structure with a 10 kPa protection level – and made from heavy gauge, corrosion resistant Corten steel. But they’re also very adaptable and there really is no limit to what you can make out of them and the REM highlights this.” 64 www.contractormag.co.nz
The range of Spider Lift self-propelled elevated work platforms combines greater height access with the added advantage of being track mounted for versatility and portability. Distributed by Youngman Richardson & Co, the company has a complete range of models starting from the super compact PB1380 through to the big PB3315 What sets the Spider Lift EWP apart is that it has a working height which can be anywhere between 12.99 metres for the smallest model and up to 32.40 metres for the largest. This appeals to a wide range of applications particularly as the large two-man platform can rotate to its fullest extent in either direction depending on the model. With its huge outreach, yet super compact dimensions there’s just nowhere this Spider Lift EWP can’t go. The extra-long self-leveling stabilisers make it ideal for steep terrain, difficult to access applications and tall, hard to prune trees. The stabilising legs have narrow and wide settings allowing the units to be used in very tight places. A variable track width provides additional stability when the Spider Lift is in motion. Benefits for the operator include superior noise reduction and greater visibility. Remote controls on some models also allow the operator to control the machine from within the basket as well as from the ground. The platform can be quickly and simply detached with the removal of a single pin when required to access narrow places. The Spider Lift EWP reduces down, once the tracks are retracted, to a super compact size. The lightweight Spider Lift is simply transported on a trailer and can actually be set up for the next job to save time before unloading. For more information: Phone 09 443 2436, or for South Island enquiries, 03 341 6923.
INNOVATIONS CONTRACTOR
Flagship driving lights The advanced new Ultima LED 215 could just be the best driving light in the world. Three years in development by Narva’s industrial design and engineering development team, and benchmarked against the best available around the globe, the new flagship model sets a new standard in auxiliary driving lights. “Unlike most other driving lights on the market, the new Ultima LED 215 has been developed by a Narva team based in Australia that understands the driving environment in both countries,” says Tim Paterson, national sales manager of Narva NZ. “It provides the right amount of light spread for drivers to be able to see well into the distance when there is no other light source around and also provides excellent visibility directly in front of the vehicle, which makes for much safer driving on dark nights.” And, in a nod to fashion trends, a unique and totally customised appearance can be achieved with the availability of up to 12 colour combinations of outer bezel changes from standard satin stainless to a gloss black or chrome plated bezel, along with attractive inner trim colour changes from standard blue to black, red and yellow.
The performance of the new Narva Ultima 215 LED driving lamp suits those who cover long distances at night, like the driver of this Kenworth.
New Terex flat top tower The new 20-tonne Terex CTT 472-20 flat top tower crane expands maximum jib length to 80 metres and increases load charts over previous models offering the same lift capacity on the whole jib length, with a maximum load at the full length of the jib tip of four tonnes. Offering a 470 ton-meter load moment, the new CTT 472-20 crane delivers extremely high lift capacities throughout its load chart and 11 different jib configurations from 30 to 80 metres to meet varying jobsite needs. Its hoist, slewing and trolley speeds allow operators to quickly and precisely move and position heavy loads. All jib sections come preassembled with a life line for quick, safe installation at height, while galvanized jib walkways deliver long-lasting quality. The CTT 472-20 can be configured with H20, HD23 and TS212 Terex mast section or, thanks to the transfer masts, with the combination of them. Terex says this gives companies operating multiple Terex tower crane models the ability to efficiently manage component inventory and cost-effectively meet their tower needs. The new CTT 472-20 is also the first tower crane model to include the new Terex cabin that will be installed on all flat top, hammerhead and luffing jib models.
Gough Industrial Solutions business unit
Gough Industrial Solutions’ business manager Ho Hogg.
The Gough Group has signed an exclusive dealership agreement for SANY concrete equipment in New Zealand and Australia as part of the creation of a new business unit called Gough Industrial Solutions. This is part of the evolution of Gough Engineering to Gough Industrial Solutions. Ho Hogg, business manager – Concrete Products, says the creation of the new business unit and signing of the agreement was both an exciting and natural progression for the Gough Group and will enable its team to offer leading-edge 360-degree solutions to the local concrete and infrastructure industries. “Gough Engineering was well-established as a leader in the truck concrete mixer segment with a reputation for superior technology, operatorfriendliness, reliability, precision and safety, and this
now carries over to Gough Industrial Solutions,” he says. “SANY shares these attributes and we’re proud to deliver and support these solutions for the benefit of the New Zealand industry.” SANY is a world supplier of concrete machinery in a range of truck-mounted concrete pumps, trailer pumps, line pumps, placing booms, truck mixers, batching plants and mortar pumps delivering quality and safety in demanding environments throughout the world. Currently it has 25 manufacturing bases and over 100 offices and 8000 suppliers worldwide. “For our customers, this new partnership will assist in maximising productivity and profits while eliminating unnecessary cost in their businesses long term.” www.goughindustrial.co.nz NOVEMBER 2017 65
CONTRACTOR CIVIL CONTRACTORS NEW ZEALAND
CCNZ update CivilShare becomes CCNZ major associate
CCNZ’s Executive Council met recently
CivilShare is a new app/website based platform that allows CCNZ members instant and relevant access to information or cost saving opportunities, anywhere and anytime. CivilShare helps members share resources and information, such as your products and services, training and development events, H&S information, latent plant equipment and excess materials. It’s free and available on app stores or you can visit the webpage at www.civilshare.co.nz
Key actions and discussions were: • A meeting with Tommy Parker, NZTA’s GM System Design and Delivery, to discuss a wide range of issues including: NZTA’s Transformation and Strategy; industry capability and capacity; fatigue; procurement; NZTA’s funding of local roads; ConstructSafe; and Zero Harm. • Approval of two new Major Associate Members, Plan A and CivilShare. • A meeting with representatives of the Manawatu Branch to discuss the National Excavator Operator Competition (NEOC) that the branch organises each year. • Approving measures of success for our five priority strategic objectives: Strong advocacy and representation, Update CCNZ Communications, Embed Civil Trades into industry, Make ConstructSafe the industry H&S standard and manage industry self-regulation to enhance industry professionalism • Receiving a debrief from the 2017 Conference. • Receiving updates on the development of the CCNZ Careers Promotion Campaign, the CCNZ Website and Database project and the review of the Code of Practice for the handling of bituminous materials.
Welcome to new members E N Ramsbottom, Wellington-Wairarapa Branch McKenzie Earthmoving, Northland Branch P R Leslie Contracting, Nelson-Marlborough Branch Blake Civil Construction, Auckland Branch
Employment contract templates available A reminder to CCNZ members that free employment contract templates are available on request from Tricia Logan on tricia@ civilcontractors.co.nz or 0800 692 376. These have been recently revised by CCNZ Core Associate, Kensington Swan.
National awards media coverage The CCNZ National Awards: Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards; Z People Awards; and Connexis Company Training Awards, generated 36 online and hard copy media articles.
Better procurement made simple by CCNZ Improving procurement has benefits for everyone and is a critical step in improving productivity and saving everyone money. CCNZ is producing a simple one page “4 ways to get better value from your suppliers” document that supports: 1. Using simple, user friendly RFT documents that save time and cost for both parties 2. L etting contractors know what is coming with visibility and certainty of work 3. Using standard Terms and Conditions 4. Not loading risk on to contractors. CCNZ has asked members that see examples of poor procurement especially in RFTs, then contact CCNZ saying we will only make progress on this issue if we identify poor practice and suggest ways clients can improve their documents and processes. Contact Peter Silcock on 0800 692 376 or email peter@civilcontractors.co.nz.
NZ Guide to pavement evaluation and treatment design workshops The NZ Guide to Pavement Evaluation and Treatment Design was released in early July. Workshops are being run around the country and will cover: the NZ approach to pavement design, changes to the Guide, construction quality and common design mistakes. The workshops will start at 9.30am and finish at 12.30pm and will be presented by Martin Gribble, David Alabaster, Gerhard van Blerk and members of the National Pavements Technical Group. • Christchurch, 1 November – NZ Transport Agency, Room MR3.01 • Dunedin, 23 November – NZ Transport Agency Dunedin, Room Awarua • Auckland, 29 November – NZ Transport Agency Auckland, HSBC, Room 11.18 • Hamilton, 30 November – NZ Transport Agency Hamilton, Meeting Room Waikato 1.26 Please register your interest by emailing brenda.white@nzta. govt.nz advising the location of the workshop you would like to attend and the contact details of all those attending.
ADVERT ISERS IN D EX Allied Petroleum 9 AB Equipment 33 Auckland Cranes 12 CablePrice 23 CCNZ 48, 53 Global Survey 11 Connexis 51 Ditch Witch 29 EROAD OBC
66 www.contractormag.co.nz
General Compression 27 Gough Group 7 Gough Industrial Solutions 13 Heaney & Partners 49 Hirepool 4 Industrial Seatbelts 43 KG Promotional 31 Komatsu NZ 39 Loadscan 15
Mimico 17 Oil Intel 55 OMC Power Equipment 14 Porter Group OFC, 1-2, 18-19 Powerpac 8 Southeys Group 37 Synergy Positioning 47 Youngman Richardson 61
LAST WORD IN PICTURES The scale and disruption of the City Rail Link project in central Auckland is indicated in this photo of works on lower Albert street, looking towards the harbour in mid September 2017. Photo by Tracey Asher.
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THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER “EROAD has so far brought down our over speed events from approximately 25,000 a month to about 1200. It’s reduced our overall fuel bill by approximately 20% and accident incident rates by 20%”
EROAD Ehubo2 – now with Posted Speed Limits
Simon Batchelor Fleet & Procurement Manager McConnell Dowell
To see how easy the best can be, have a chat with our team: eroad.co.nz/driver-safety • 0800 455 891