CCNZ/HIREPOOL CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2022
Celebrating construction excellence – judges comments
We thank the awards judges: Categories 1, 2, 3 and 6, Dave Macdonald and Tim Ford Categories 4 and 5, Steve Hart, Alan Powell and John Bryant. Their comments on the winning entries are summarised below.
CATEGORY 1 WINNER
Abseil Access, Specularite Gully Bridge Build (Hugo Bridge) PROJECTS WITH A VALUE OF UP TO $2M
Abseil Access was appointed from a design and build tender process and took just four months to develop the concept through to completing construction. This 86-metre long suspension bridge forms part of the Lake Dunstan trail and spans a deep schist rock gully with specularite inclusions. The site is remote with access predominately by helicopter across the lake. The project involved sourcing all the materials, prechecking the construction at a staging area remote from the final location before helicoptering in all the plant and the structure and installing it on site. The 11 metre timber towers were installed with temporary stays prior to the suspension cables being installed over them. The main suspension cables and wind cables were drilled, grout anchored into the schist rock and tested. The suspension cables had vertical support cables connected to
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them off site prior to being draped into position. The materials used for the bridge blend into the environment through the timber being dark stained and steel components are Corten weathering steel. The extremes of the local climate required the design to withstand large snow loads and wind loading. The site was challenging due to its remoteness, and the project required meticulous planning to minimise the helicopter operations and use, working at heights, exposure to the climate, providing a helicopter lifted site hut, and rock drilling and environmental controls around material entering the lake. The social outcomes of this work as part of the Dunstan trail have enabled a whole new cycling industry to establish in the area with further support to the existing hospitality and accommodation businesses. The cost of the bridge at $240,000 in the opinion of the judges is real value for money.
CCNZ / HIREPOOL CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2022
