NEW ZEALAND’S CIVIL CONTRACTING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE
VÖGELE
PAVES THE DAY Fulton Hogan’s new Super 1800-3 tracked paver is the latest in a series of additions to the company’s paver fleet.
INSIDE: National Excavator Operator Competition – 20th anniversary Removing a suburban bottleneck for Auckland’s congested traffic Hobson St substation – A vital project for energy security Pictorial coverage of ConExpo 2014 Las Vegas
A P R I L 2014 $8.95
CONTENTS CONTRACTOR
INSIDE:
10 Regulars 2 Editorial 4 Upfront 12 On the Cover 48 Classic Machines 52 Motoring 54 Products & Services 54 Advertisers Index 47 Contractors’ Diary 54 Training
Comment
Highlights / Features 14 Powering the future An unusual national grid project in downtown Auckland.
20 Removing a suburban bottleneck Improving key suburban roads is crucial.
24 Kentucky Cats get new lease of life A makeover turns a couple of middle-aged motorscrapers into the flagships of a Wellington fleet.
28 ConExpo
ON THE COVER
Photos from this year’s ConExpo-Con/Agg IFPE show held in Las Vegas last month.
33 National Excavator Operator Competition The best of the best from around the country gather again in Feilding to pit wits against themselves, each other, and the judges to find the NZCF National Excavator Operator of the Year.
41 Jeremy Sole NZ Contractors’ Federation
Fulton Hogan’s new Super 1800-3 tracked paver is the latest in a series of additions to the company’s paver fleet from Vögele. A reliable mix of performance and ease-of-use has the approval of both operators and management alike. See page 12
NEOC 2014 WINNER
42 Rod Auton Crane Association of New Zealand
44 Emma Cowle Solicitor, Kensington Swan
45 Neil Walker, NZTA Highways & Networks Operations
46 Caroline Boot Plan A
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33 APRIL 2014 1
CONTRACTOR EDITORIAL
Viva Las Vegas LAS VEGAS, THEY SAY, is the most most-visited city in the world (nearly 40 million visitors in 2012 alone, or 110,000 people arriving every day). So as a venue, Las Vegas knows how to look after large groups of people. Ship ‘em in and ship ‘em out, then ship in some more for the next best show in town. This organisational skill was clearly on display at this year’s four-day combined Conexpo-Con/Agg & IFPE 2014 show (covering construction, aggregates and fluid-power technologies) which attracted a record 130,000 registered visitors from 170 countries, over four days last month. And by day two, it was easy to see who had been there; because one thing everyone would have had in common was sore feet. It’s hard to picture what 2.5 million net square feet of exhibition space looks like. I figure the “net” means endless corridors and large distances between some of the outdoor exhibition spaces aren’t included in that figure, but the difference is academic. It’s huge. As in expect to be lost most of the day. The old hands of course sat down at every opportunity; novices like me walked all of day one; by day two we sat down at every opportunity too. It also helped explain why the stands themselves were set up on at least five centimetres of very soft carpeting – stand-holders needed every comfort available for the grueling task of sifting out the proverbial tyre-kickers from the big cheque-books that might come their way. And by all accounts the money was flowing with “robust” sales reported to both new and existing customers. Returns from participating in such events, however, are very hard to quantify, especially when setting up camp involves moving in dozens of very large earthmoving machines or cranes in what must be a logistical nightmare for the uninitiated. It’s no wonder, therefore, that Conexpo only occurs every three years. Kiwi visitors to the show that I spoke to were all universally impressed at the sheer scale of Conexpo, and with every right: Over 2400 exhibitors with more than 1000 new products and services on display. Unfortunately at times it became “too big”, and the more modest exhibitors – ie anyone who didn’t have an enormous display of big shiny machines for sale – became almost invisible. Which is a pity because that’s where I found the interesting developments in hi-tech support services: Database solutions, mobile app tech; gadgets that check, test, monitor, record, report and beep. You gotta love a gadget that beeps! And that’s pretty much the sales pitch: bigger/smaller, taller/ longer, with this/without that, shinier/stronger, sparklier/gruntier or all of the above combined. And it wouldn’t be right to not include something of Vegas itself as a spectacle; the casinos in perpetual semi-darkness; big-name stars and shows (Celine Dion, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and five separate Cirque du Soleil on at the same time in different venues); the Bellagio dancing fountains, the MGM Grand, Fremont Street, Little Paris, Little Venice, foot-long Margharitas, and shopping centres painted like the Sistine Chapel. If it sparkles, you’ll find it in Vegas. If it it’s entertaining, you’ll find it in Vegas. And if it’s a wee bit sad, it’s probably an Elvis impersonator down on his luck – in Vegas. Kevin Lawrence, Editor
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 MANAGING EDITOR Kevin Lawrence DDI: 09 636 5710 Mobile: 021 512 800 Email: kevin@contrafed.co.nz REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Richard Campbell, Hugh de Lacy, Peter Gill, Annie Gray, Gavin Riley, Jeremy Sole, Alan Titchall ADVERTISING MANAGER Mike Bridgman DDI: 09 636 5724 Mobile: 021 228 4988 Email: mike@contrafed.co.nz ADVERTISING SALES Amanda Gilroy DDI: 09 636 5714 Mobile: 021 066 4914 Email: amanda@contrafed.co.nz ADMINISTRATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS DDI: 09 636 5715 Email: admin@contrafed.co.nz PRODUCTION Design: TMA Design 09 636 5713 Printing: Client Focused Solutions Ltd 027 255 1818
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The official magazine of The New Zealand Contractors’ Federation www.nzcontractors.co.nz Roading New Zealand www.roadingnz.org.nz The Aggregate & Quarry Association www.aqa.org.nz The New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association www.hha.org.nz The Crane Association of New Zealand www.cranes.org.nz Rural Contractors New Zealand www.ruralcontractors.org.nz The Ready Mixed Concrete Association www.nzrmca.org.nz Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation www.infratrain.co.nz
ISSN 0110-1382 2 APRIL 2014
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CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Alice’s yellow helper Alice, the giant tunnel boring machine excavating the motorway tunnels on Auckland’s Waterview Connection project, now has a partner to help complete the country’s largest roading project. Her partner’s name is Dennis, a yellow launching gantry being used to construct the massive interchange to join the Northwestern and Southwestern motorways at the northern end of the project. “He’s been named by project workers in honour of a workmate who died last year from cancer and is painted yellow to promote the work of the Cancer Society – the charity supported by the Well-Connected Alliance constructing the tunnels,” explains NZTA regional highway manager, Tommy Parker. “We hope Dennis will become a beacon of hope for cancer sufferers and their families, and a reminder to the rest of us of the valuable work done by the Cancer Society.” The launching gantry is 98 metres long and weighs about 140 tonnes and is similar, but smaller, than the much-publicised blue
gantry used to construct the replacement viaduct at Newmarket on Auckland’s Southern Motorway. Parker says the gantry’s work will be a project within a project. “The four interchange ramps to connect the two motorways involve the construction of 1.7 kilometres of bridge structures. “It requires placing 270 precast concrete beams, each up to 37 metres long and weighing up to 65 tonnes, to create the 53 spans for the four ramps. The spans will, in turn, support the deck structures.” The first ramp being built will take westbound traffic from the Northwestern Motorway to the southbound tunnel – this is one drivers will use when travelling from central Auckland to the airport, says Parker. The gantry was designed and built in Italy specifically for the Waterview project. It was chosen over conventional bridge construction methods to minimise impacts on adjacent archaeological areas and traffic flows.
Chinese buy top Kiwi waste company The Chinese state-owned Beijing Capital Group (BCG) has taken over Transpacific NZ, one of the country’s largest waste management businesses. BCG bought TPI NZ from the Transpacific Industries Group for $950 million – its first investment here and first major acquisition outside China. BCG is a long-standing member of China’s Top 500 Enterprises and one of China’s leading state-owned infrastructure firms with specialist expertise in water treatment, waste management, mass transit railway and toll roads. In addition, BCG is one of China’s most prominent real estate developers, with assets at the end of last year exceeding US$21 billion. Completion of the sale is expected by the end of June, subject to 4 APRIL 2014
the satisfaction of a small number of customary conditions precedent, including obtaining consent from the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office and Chinese regulatory approvals. TPI NZ is the leading waste management company in New Zealand, with revenue of about $369 million and earnings of approximately $107 million in the 2013 financial year. The company has around 1100 employees, 800 vehicles, 29 refuse transfer stations and five landfills. BCG says there is substantial scope for cross-country cooperation given the technical knowledge base of TPI NZ management (which will remain in place) in areas such as landfill and local area environment management and the extensive scale of waste-sector investment opportunities in China and New Zealand.
UPFRONT CONTRACTOR
Deaths and mobile plant Nearly 40 percent of construction deaths are related to mobile plant accidents, says WorkSafe New Zealand, which is keen to raise awareness about the hazards. Last month the agency organised for 250 rebuild workers in Christchurch to attend a breakfast where presenters from Roading New Zealand, Downer, Fulton Hogan and WorkSafe New Zealand focused on understand the risks involved with working alongside moving machinery and vehicles onsite. “Our inspectors are starting a series of planned assessments on sites across the rebuild focusing on this issue,” says WorkSafe New Zealand’s Canterbury rebuild health and safety programme director Kathryn Heiler. “With construction activity in the rebuild due to peak later this year we cannot afford to be complacent about the hazards from mobile plant. We all have a role to play; industry, workers and the regulator.” Statistics show that between April 2008 and March 2013, 38 percent of deaths in the construction industry were related to mobile plant. WorkSafe says it has also just released two factsheets on mobile plant safety – one on traffic management and the other on hazards involving quick hitches. “These factsheets will be useful to all those working on sites where mobile plant is present. They provide clear guidance on the roles and responsibilities of the plant operator, the site supervisor and other workers,” says Heiler.
APRIL 2014 5
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Cambridge bypass in full action Construction of the new 16-kilometre Cambridge bypass – the fourth of the remaining five sections of the Waikato Expressway – has kicked into high gear with major earthworks and bridge construction underway. A project milestone included a start on the largest bridge, the Karapiro Gully Viaduct, at 200 metres long and 40 metres high; on track to be completed by early next year. “This was the first of the major structures to get underway and includes the installation of 64 piles driven up to 62 metres deep at the southern end of the gully and 30 metres deep at the northern
end,” says NZTA project services manager, Peter Simcock. Meanwhile, construction of the expressway route from south of Tamahere to about two kilometres south of the Cambridge Golf Course is taking shape and a haul road along its length is being used by construction vehicles for access and haulage. Materials sourced from site borrow areas and from offsite quarries are being supplied to the sites of the three new interchanges – the Northern Interchange (just south of Tamahere at Discombe Road), Victoria Road Interchange and Southern Interchange (south of the Cambridge Golf Course).
NZTA procurement approach needs improvements The NZTA says that an independent economic review it commissioned “endorses” its approach to procurement as representing best practice, rates it favourably with practices in Australia, but suggests improvements. Economists Dr Murray Horn and Bruce Gidley were commissioned by the transport agency to review its procurement procedures against those of other countries, such as Australia, and to identify opportunities where practice could be improved. “The procurement of state highway improvement, maintenance and operations work is a major activity for NZTA which is investing $5.14 billion to maintain and improve the 11,000 kilometres of state highway network over 2012-15,” says the agency. A number of opportunities have been identified in the report which would further improve state highway procurement, it adds. “These opportunities have been included as part of a continuous improvement plan to be rolled out over the next 18 months.” Opportunities identified are in three areas: Best practice – the way NZTA procures services, the quality of its procurement models and 6 APRIL 2014
tendering processes and how they align to best practice; Decision making – how NZTA makes decisions around the work it undertakes, what levels of service is planned for, and the agency’s effectiveness at targeting the right maintenance and renewal tasks; and Market structure – do we have a healthy and competitive supplier market? An “improvement plan” will now explore some of the ideas raised in the Horn and Gidley report, such as further developing leadership and capability; ongoing monitoring and refining of NZTA’s new maintenance and operations model; considering the issue of cost escalation, input prices and vertical integration; and ensuring its procurement processes align with the MBIE’s Government rules of sourcing. Business improvement manager for the Highway and Network Operations Group, Mark Kinvig says “the agency will be working with others in the government sector and industry to find the best solutions”. A copy of the report can be found at www.nzta.govt.nz/network/ tenders-contracts/tender-process.html.
UPFRONT CONTRACTOR
How to re-level a 30,000 tonne building Months of preparatory work to lift back to a level position the 30,000 tonne Christchurch Art Gallery came to fruition as the building was raised millimetre by millimetre. Steve Hogg, technical director for engineering consultants Aurecon, says the Christchurch Art Gallery settled up to 150mm lower on one side of the building following the Canterbury earthquakes. “Quick-setting grout was pumped into spaces between the foundations and recently built columns beneath the floor to help raise and level the building. “The technique was first tested on a smaller building in Christchurch with such success that we had confidence to undertake the Art Gallery project,” he explains. Hogg and fellow Aurecon senior structural engineer Forrest Lanning oversaw the multimillion-dollar repair of the venue and contracted re-levelling works to international experts Uretek and the Chemical Grouting Company of Japan. “Levelling a building of this size using this technique had never been undertaken in New Zealand, but our earlier tests were extremely successful,” he says. Re-levelling the building involved creating 100 cement columns underneath the art gallery, each three metres in diameter, which provided the platform to enable the building to be lifted and levelled. More than 25,000 bags of cement were used. “To form a cement column, you drill a small hole through the foundation and then basically stick a pipe with an angled nozzle at the end to a depth of seven metres below the foundation. You then start pumping high-pressure grout out while spinning the pipe and slowly pulling it back out. “The grout travels out with such tremendous force it blasts the soil out of the way and you’re left with a nice three-metre-diameter cement column beneath the building. “The key is stopping a metre short of the foundation. This forms a void between it and the new cement columns.” This procedure was repeated for each of the 100 columns to cover the gallery’s basement footprint. “The rest is a practical application of Isaac Newton’s theory that any action has an equal and opposite reaction. The columns provide a solid platform to start pushing off against as the building is lifted. “The metre-high void left between the new cement columns and
the existing foundation is where the magic of lifting happens. Shorter pipes are inserted through the foundation to the void. Quick-setting grout is pumped through the pipes to the point where the void is overfilled. It builds enough pressure to start pushing the Gallery upward a millimetre at a time. “The grout is pumped in small bursts against the cement columns. These harden in seconds, pushing down against the columns. The next burst of grout shoots against the previously hardened grout, pushing off it and slowly raising the building.” “The end result looks something like the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, with blobs of hardened grout sitting on top of each other. “The pumping of the quick-setting grout is computerised and up to 90 locations can be synchronised at one time. The computer automatically compensates if one area gets ahead of another.” Up to 5000 cubic metres of grout will be used in the construction of the columns and the lift. Christchurch Art Gallery director Jenny Harper says, like many others she speaks to about the repair work, she finds the process fascinating. “The precision, calibration and expertise required to undertake a project such as this boggles the mind,” she says. “But the fact that the Gallery is now, quite literally, on the rise is a wonderful milestone and a welcome reminder that we are well and truly on the way to reopening in late 2015.”
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APRIL 2014 7
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Road-funding issues in review The NZTA’s review of its Funding Assistance Rates (FAR) was on top of the agenda for local government leaders at the Local Government NZ’s Transport Summit in Wellington last month. “Local and regional roads make up around 88 percent of our country’s road length and carry up to eight times as much tonnage of primary produce as the processed and manufactured products carried to port on the state highway network,” says LGNZ president Lawrence Yule. “Funding changes being proposed will certainly impact our councils. As the proposals are currently drafted there will be winners and losers. This may lead to affordability issues for many rural and provincial councils and result in a high impost on local ratepayers to maintain existing service levels. “Alternatively service levels may fall in areas that disproportionately contribute to the generation of New Zealand’s economic wellbeing.” Yule says following on from the
Freight study endorses RoNS
summit there is also likely to be a close look at the new Government Policy Statement for transport which decides the size of investment in the roading network across New Zealand. Local councils spend $800 million annually building, fixing, renewing and maintaining roads. Funding for this investment is drawn both from a council’s rating base and the contribution councils receive from national revenue streams primarily delivered through the FAR. NZTA, which administers the FAR, is still seeking local government’s views on the different factors and approaches they should use, the trade-offs that will need to be made, and how it should all fit together. The One Network Road Classification (ONRC) system is a new approach led by a group that includes NZTA staff, council managers and LGNZ representatives; it could operate roads in a consistent, strategic way across all of the country and aims to help local government and NZTA to plan, invest in, maintain and operate the road network.
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee says a recent National Freight Demand Study (NFDS) is a “ringing endorsement” of the Government’s roading network programme. The NFDS “says the $12 billion investment in the Roads of National Significance couldn’t have come at a better time,” he says. The study provides a snapshot of freight today and a forecast of our needs in 30 years. “This year around 236 million tonnes of freight will be moved around New Zealand, but the important thing to note is New Zealand’s freight task is projected to increase by about 50 percent over the next 30 years, with tonnage in the Auckland and Canterbury regions projected to grow by 78 percent and 73 percent respectively,” says Brownlee. “Let’s not forget Labour and the Greens would put a halt to this much-needed progress by axing an improved state highway link between Auckland to the north, and leaving Wellington with 1950s infrastructure by cancelling Transmission Gully and the rest of the Wellington Northern Corridor road of National Significance.”
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UPFRONT CONTRACTOR
Lift plan aims to become industry standard McLeod Cranes won the 2013 MSA Safety Leadership Award for its ‘industry standard lift plan’ and training documentation, now used by the Crane Association. “This lift plan ensures that each person knows that they are accountable,” says managing director Scott McLeod. “Everyone gathers around and physically signs the plan – they all know their area of responsibility and they are all committed to getting the job done properly,” he says. “For the lift plan to be accepted we identified that the plan would have to be simple to use yet powerful enough to encompass many of the lifts crane operators in a variety of machines encounter.” The root cause of any workplace incident is often the hardest part to define, but it’s also the most important, he adds. The lift plant document template is made up of four areas that are graphically displayed on one page (printed in a pad). Each person involved on the lift job must sign the document. “Ideally the lift plan would start to set a standard within all industry. Anyone could attach the industry plan to their own documentation,” explains McLeod. “The objective of this entire project is to get every foreman on site seeing the same piece of paper. We want to infiltrate this system throughout all crane companies and any company that uses cranes in New Zealand.” The award from Site Safe brings “legitimacy” to the project, says McLeod.
Hayden Paddon (left) with co-driver John Kennard.
Backing a ‘can do’ winner PlaceMakers has sponsored top driver Hayden Paddon for the past three years in motorsport and has been impressed by the ‘can do’ that Hayden and his team display. This year he has signed up with Hyundai for seven events in the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship. “Hayden has been, and continues to be, a great ambassador for the sport and PlaceMakers,” says PlaceMakers brand and strategy manager, Maria Reinbergen. “He is the face of the PlaceMakers apprentice scholarship scheme and we believe that he’s a great role model for young people. He’s humble and down to earth but he also has great determination and ambition. He’s a Kiwi taking on the world and we are proud to be part of the team.” Paddon become the first New Zealander to secure a professional contract to compete in the WRC.
New Modular Hydraulic Shoring Systems for Hire For larger excavations demanding increased clear openings TSNZ offers Heavy Duty Hydraulic Bracing Systems from MGF in the UK. Each leg features a hydraulic pack with an integral double-acting hydraulic ram. Modular extensions are then selected and connected using robust pin and bolt joints to meet the required configuration. The hydraulic pack is operated using a pump unit for fine adjustment of the frame dimensions and also to provide system pre-load where appropriate.
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APRIL 2014 9
CONTRACTOR UPFRONT
Hume Dam project accolade McConnell Dowell gets a pat on the back for completing on-time and on-budget the Hume Dam Southern Training Wall Buttress project. Hailed as one of the mightiest Australian structures of the inter-war years, the Hume Dam is able to hold about three million mega litres, or six times the volume of Sydney Harbour. NSW State Water Corporation awarded McConnell Dowell the contract to construct a buttress to support the southern training wall of the Hume Dam in September 2011. The project was completed in November 2013. This included a temporary sheet-pile cofferdam in the Murray River and bulkheads within the spillway dissipater. The cofferdam and part of the dissipater were then continuously dewatered to form working areas for construction of the buttress. The buttress was partly founded on the existing stilling basin, dissipater sill and partly on foundation cells. The team installed 92 secant piles at depths of up to 16 metres to form five cells within the cofferdam area. These were then excavated to sound rock and filled with mass concrete. Four thousand cubic metres of mass concrete was poured into these cells and a further 12,000 cubic metres of mass concrete was poured into the buttress itself. At its highest point the buttress is 32 metres above the spillway base. “Working under an existing dam was always an area for potential concern. But, the project moved forward with ease as each difficulty
Some recent feedback on Tenders prepared by the Plan A Team Hi Heather, We delivered the bid to NZTA today. It looked great and is one of the most specific and relevant NPAs we’ve ever put together. I know that the Plan A team put some long hours into putting it together, particularly over the last few days (or nights). Thank you all very much for your efforts and let’s hope for a successful outcome. Regards, Jon.
Ross and Alec, Well done on the recent shortlisting notification and resultant presentation for next week. Go hard, we can get there. It has taken me several days to review the submission folders, and I just finished - I have never seen better. A high quality, professional submission well and cleverly written. Fabulous job, keep going! Regards, Andrew.
was efficiently overcome,” says project manager Don Webster. One of the key challenges for the project team, he says, lay in the temporary construction of the cofferdam. “However, once the cofferdam and bulkheads were installed, dewatering was carried out smoothly and continuously throughout the duration of the project. The temporary structure was later removed upon the project’s completion.”
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UPFRONT CONTRACTOR
IN BRIEF A good innings Industry veteran Ivan Whale passed away last month at his Howick Rest Home at the venerable age of 103. A full obituary for the oldest living NZCF member will be published in the May issue of Contractor.
City Rail Link recommended Independent planning commissioners have unanimously recommended the land required to build, operate and maintain Auckland’s planned City Rail Link (CRL) be confirmed and set aside, subject to issues raised in hearings. Most of the 260 submissions considered over two weeks in August and November last year supported the plans.
Wellington transit spine
switched ON
A rapid bus transit spine through central Wellington has been approved, made up of a dedicated corridor along Kent and Cambridge Terraces, along Adelaide Road to Wellington Hospital. Another branch will run through the future-duplicated Mt Victoria tunnel, along Ruahine Street and Wellington Road to Kilbirnie. A joint WCC, WRC and NZTA project team will detail the planning and design of the route.
Go in the draw to win one of 10 CONTRACTOR caps with four powerful LEDs in the peak – get switched on today when you subscribe or renew your subscription to
Aussie crane association upset
CONTRACTOR
The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA), has alerted its members about counterfeit CraneSafe ‘Green Stickers’ spotted by members in Western Australia and Queensland. CICA chief Alan Marshall urged members to be diligent and look for any sticker irregularities. CICA says it will chase any breach of trademark through the courts. Its CraneSafe self-regulatory programme has been operating since 2002.
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Tauranga underpass greenlighted NZTA says funding confirmation will allow the construction phase of the Hairini underpass to start by the end of 2014. Highways manager Brett Gliddon says the underpass will provide a two lane link underneath the Maungatapu roundabout which will connect directly to Welcome Bay Road, separating local and highway traffic. It will take another six months for the contract to be awarded to the best tender.
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More Transmission Gully fall-out CONTRACTOR CAP GIVEAWAY APRIL 2014
Proposed changes to the Transmission Gully Route see the new motorway diverted through the Takapu Valley to link with Grenada North, bypassing traffic around Porirua. Richard Brown, spokesperson for concerned Takapu Valley locals, reportedly says this is a “killer move by the Wellington Mayor, a total blind-siding of her neighbouring councils”. The proposed route would bleed Hutt City “dry of businesses and rates” if it goes through, he claims, and cut Porirua City off from Transmission Gully traffic flow.
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APRIL 2014 11
CONTRACTOR ON THE COVER
Vögele paves the day Fulton Hogan’s new Super 1800-3 tracked paver is the latest in a series of additions to the building and transport infrastructure company’s paver fleet from Vögele’s extensive line-up. A reliable mix of performance and ease-of-use has the approval of both operators and management alike.
ASK ROY FRANCE, Fulton Hogan’s divisional manager of paving what he likes about Vögele’s tracked and wheeled pavers, and the answer comes back across the desk without hesitation: reliability and ease-of-use. Two simple requirements that mean a heck of a lot when considering the logistics of successfully running double shifts with a team of operators across myriad different roading infrastructure projects. “We’ve been buying Vögele pavers since 2007 and we haven’t looked back,” France tells me. “In fact I’d say the first machine we purchased – a Super 1600-3 tracked paver we originally acquired for the Northern Gateway project between Orewa and Puhoi – is probably one of the most highly utilised machines in the country.” In addition to the 1600-3, Fulton Hogan also currently runs a Vögele Super 1603-2 wheeled and Super 1803-3 wheeled pavers, the latter fitted with a six metre screed. It’s the latest addition to Fulton Hogan’s Vögele fleet that I’m here to see today though; the new Vögele Super 1800-3, which introduces a wide gamut of next-generation advances. And as is to be expected with a busy operation like Fulton Hogan’s Auckland division, it has gone straight into rotation across a variety of projects. So much so that a second “Dash 3” is on the way as well, heading into action on the Motorway Alliance joint-venture project with NZTA.
12 APRIL 2014
As France tells me, with the Super 1800-3’s high performance compaction screed attached, the new machine has proven a very necessary addition to the fleet. “The idea behind running the various sized pavers we now have is that we can put the appropriate paver into the appropriate scenario. We complete a lot of subdivision work, resurfacing maintenance work for Auckland Transport and we also have a project team working on specific infrastructure tasks such as the Lincoln Road and Great North Road Interchanges and the Western Causeway project. “This means we need flexibility and the range of Vögele pavers we’re running gives us that. Not only does this mean we’ll always have a machine that’s fit-for-purpose, it also ensures our manpower is utilised as best it can be. Because we’ve streamlined the type of machines we’re using, we’ve gone from a situation where one operator specialises in using one machine, to a pool of operators who have the skills and knowledge to jump on any of our pavers and get on with the task at hand immediately,” he says. The Vögele reputation for reliability also comes into play here. Within the space of a week, the new “Dash 3” is utilised for structural asphalt work for Auckland Transport, then moved out to the Waitakere Ranges for resurfacing work, before being transported to Ti Rakau Drive in Auckland’s ever-expanding South-Eastern suburbs for another project.
“The idea behind running the various sized pavers we now have is that we can put the appropriate paver into the appropriate scenario.”
It’s everyday stuff for Fulton Hogan, but they need to know each of their pavers will work as expected, when expected. With that expectation in mind, back-up service is also a key requirement. Vögele distributor Wirtgen New Zealand offers customers such as Fulton Hogan a full technical back-up service and the ability to supply parts immediately if they are required. The new 19-ton Super 1800-3 sits in the middle of Vögele’s extensive Super Series tracked paver range and features a raft of improved technologies and design features, effectively debuting an entirely new paver class. From stem to stern the “Dash 3” machines boast updated and innovative functionality, with operating efficiency and that aforementioned ease-of-use in mind. Up front the robustly sprung PaveDock push-rollers absorb jolts from the feed truck while docking onto the paver, which mitigates shockwaves in the material being placed. Working in conjunction, the PaveDock Assistant signal system eliminates guesswork for feed vehicle drivers, relaying a series of directional symbols through the side-mounted light screen that makes docking, dumping and driving out a far simpler – and safer – series of manoeuvres. Vögele has updated both the operator console and the screed console for “Dash 3” machines as well. Called ErgoPlus 3, the operator’s main control system features a high contrast display, with graphics and symbols adhering to industry standard product design. The screed console, meanwhile, incorporates similarly well illuminated read-outs and symbols for night time work, along with
the new SmartWheel, which ensures the pave width can be adjusted with absolute precision, making the machine as useful on highway projects as in confined urban environments. As Roy France indicates, the ability for various operators to precisely manage machine controls through a “language neutral” interface such as is present on “Dash 3” machines, helps with across-the-board productivity within a large team. With a maximum laydown rate of 700 tons/h, the grunt the new “Dash 3” provides also goes a long way to reinforcing its abilities. Sporting a robust 128kW Cummins six-cylinder diesel, the Super 1800-3 mixes power with efficiency thanks to its engine’s standard ECO mode, helping with both running and service costs. “The power available in the “Dash 3” really benefits us,” France continues. “We do a lot of work around ports and on airport runways, so to get more compaction in the paver theoretically means less compaction on the rollers. We might have three rollers on an airport job, but you can drop it down to two if the compaction within the paver is sufficient, which works well on both a logistical and cost front. “Naturally price comes into any plant purchase. But there is so much more to it than that. Vögele’s technology is fantastic and it’s something we value highly.” So has Fulton Hogan’s concerted move to Vögele pavers for their fleet paid off? “Absolutely,” France concludes. “I think a combination of the performance and simplicity of these machines shows we’ve definitely made an educated choice.” l APRIL 2014 13
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POWERING THE FUTURE. 14 APRIL 2014 CONTRACTOR
FEATURE CONTRACTOR
attended the opening of an unusual national grid project that was ‘quietly’ constructed in the centre of downtown Auckland. ALAN TITCHALL
ELECTRICITY SUBSTATIONS are not usually designed and built with architectural aesthetics in mind. Their function is to regulate the voltage flow of electricity between high voltage lines and low voltage lines and, with their gangly transformers, switches, circuit breakers and other apparatus secured behind high fences, they are usually tucked away out of public sight. The new Hobson Street substation in downtown Auckland is the exception, and looks like another modern office block. On the site now are four new buildings that house two new electricity substations and a new tunnel for power cables. At one stage there were over 120 workers on the small, restricted site. “Construction was a logistical as well as a safety challenge,” Transpower chief Patrick Strange said at the official opening at the end of October 2013. “It was down to the project teams who worked on the site… that enabled a safe and successful commissioning,”
First a history lesson Aucklanders with long memories will recall the 1998 power crisis – a five-week-long power outage that affected the central city and made diesel generator suppliers very rich. Over a particularly hot, stifling summer the four old 110kV power cables supplying power to downtown Auckland from the national grid at Transpower’s Penrose substation took turns giving up the ghost, and the subsequent CBD blackout became a national, and even international, media spectacle. The cables were buggered and way past their use-by date, and a temporary 110kV overhead line was constructed along the rail corridor between Penrose and the Liverpool Street
The new Hobson Street substation in downtown Auckland, looks like another modern office block. On the site now are four buildings that house two electricity substations and a tunnel for power cables.
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At the height of construction there were over 200 workers across various trades and over 20 construction machines operating on the constrained site.
substation in the CBD. Over the next decade Mercury Energy and its successor, Vector, replaced the cables and reinforced power supply into central Auckland. In 2001, a nine-kilometre tunnel from Penrose to Hobson Street via Liverpool Street was completed, containing two new 110kV cables to replace the temporary overhead line. A third 110kV cable was installed from Mount Roskill in the west to Quay Street in central Auckland via Liverpool Street, largely superseding the old cables, which were eventually decommissioned. All of these amounted to large city construction projects for various contractors.
The last new substation The Hobson Street substation was built as a joint project by Transpower and Vector and involved the redevelopment of an existing Vector substation site at a busy inner city intersection between Hobson and Fanshawe Streets. As previously mentioned, construction involved a new power cable tunnel and four buildings to house the Transpower and Vector substations. Significantly for Transpower, it was this last 16 APRIL 2014 CONTRACTOR
substation that is part of the larger, $419 million upgrade of its grid network to reinforce electrical supply to greater Auckland. This substation is also connected to Transpower’s wider-scale North Auckland and Northland (NAaN) project through a new 30-kilometre underground electricity cable link between Pakuranga and Albany. This NAaN project is due for completion early next year and will create a transmission ring around Auckland and across the Harbour Bridge to supply electricity further north. In addition to the installation of a grid exit point to increase power capacity into the CBD, the main components of the Hobson Street project involved the construction of a new architecturally designed substation to fit into the urban scape. The design was complex with old retaining walls having to be incorporated into the new infrastructure and the new, hi-voltage cable tunnel build undercrossing existing ‘live’ tunnels feeding the city.
Construction Hawkins Construction managed the project on behalf of joint-venture partners Vector Energy
and Transpower. Vector’s 2011 report to shareholders said its contribution to the Hobson Street site amounted to $46 million. Work started in March 2011 with the laying of the building foundations, which were finished in early 2012. The arrival of the gasinsulated switchgear in April 2013 signified a key milestone on the project. Installation and commissioning of the internal electrical equipment during this period was largely invisible to the public as it was built inside the new buildings. Made up of six components weighing about six tonnes, this switchgear was assembled on the first floor of the three-storey substation. At the height of construction there were over 200 workers across various trades and over 20 construction machines operating on the constrained site. The project was eventually commissioned in September last year after some 300,000 man hours of construction work. The substation building consists of 7000 cubic metres of concrete, which equates to 16,000 tonnes, and 1000 tonnes of steel reinforcing. Underneath are over 200 supporting piles,
with the largest 1.2 metres in diameter and 45 metres deep. Designed with a 100-year life, the building has been constructed to allow future development of a 15-storey commercial building and is now an essential part of Auckland’s disaster recovery and built to withstand a one in 2500-year seismic event.
One of the more bizarre incidences during later construction was a visit by the Serious Fraud Office on a Friday afternoon in September 2012.
Unusual visitors One of the more bizarre incidences during later construction was a visit by the Serious Fraud Office on a Friday afternoon in September 2012. The SFO served a search warrant on the Hobson Street building site under part two of the Serious
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“The old construction site had enjoyed a rich history, with old pipes, chimney bases, tunnels and mass concrete foundations exposed during construction that revealed the site’s historic link to the city’s electricity industry.”
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CONTRACTOR APRIL 2014 17
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
Fraud Office Act reserved for instances where there are “reasonable grounds to believe that an offence involving serious or complex fraud may have been committed”. A spokesman for Hawkins at the time said the warrant had been “a complete surprise to the company”. The site was shut down for safety reasons, as construction was unable to proceed with non-staff personnel around. Workers were back on the site by the following Monday and nothing came of the raid.
Ready for growth The old construction site had enjoyed a rich history, with old pipes, chimney bases, tunnels and mass concrete foundations exposed during construction that revealed the site’s historic link to the city’s electricity industry.
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The site used to be a generation plant, tram power station and was, more recently, the location of Vector’s distribution station. “Importantly, the project also came in on time, and on budget,” said Vector’s chief executive Simon Mackenzie. The joint project puts in place key foundations for future growth in the Auckland region, he comments. “Auckland’s role as New Zealand’s principal city is being tipped to strengthen even further in the next 20 years. “This project means we have the infrastructure in place to deal with a projected population of almost two million people by 2031. “The Hobson Street substation ensures additional network resilience, along with extra capacity and security of supply for both the CBD and North Shore.”
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CONTRACTOR FEATURE
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Because building motorways to keep Auckland’s traffic flowing in the 21st century is a high-profile business, it tends to obscure the less glamorous fact that improving key suburban roads is also crucial. ONE SUCH PROJECT IS the upgrade of Tiverton Road and Wolverton Street in west Auckland, carried out by Downer for Auckland Transport. The $30 million upgrade, 53 percent of which has been funded by the Transport Agency, began in mid-2012 and has just been completed. It has involved rebuilding and widening the “end-onend” roads from two lanes to four to cater for the more than 30,000 vehicles which travel the 2.2 kilometre stretch each day. The project has removed the bottleneck that existed between New Lynn’s Clark Street and New Windsor’s Maioro Street to SH20, both of which have four traffic lanes. Auckland Transport says the benefit of improving traffic flow for commuters and freight-carriers will deliver real economic value for the Auckland region. Additionally, the road widening also serves as an “enabler” to the Transport Agency’s SH20 Waterview connection works by providing effective access to SH20 for several years while Waterview is under construction. While the widening of Tiverton-Wolverton is crucial, there are other important aspects to the upgrade, which have addressed residents’ needs and given them a safer environment. The footpaths on either side of the carriageway have also been widened, pedestrian islands constructed, traffic signals installed at five major intersections, power and communication services undergrounded and where necessary renewed, stormwater catchpits and pipe infrastructure upgraded, street lighting improved, 10 new bus shelters built (to stimulate use of public transport), landscaping work carried out (including planting more than
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“What we have done is effectively added a whole lane width onto the side over the length of the project. This has been achieved by reducing the amount of berm.”
]
100 trees), and signposted cycling facilities provided. Converting two lanes into four and widening the footpaths in a dense suburban area is not the impossibility it seems. “The width of the road corridor has not widely changed,” explains Downer project manager Anthony Hellyer. “What we have done is effectively added a whole lane width onto the side over the length of the project. This has been achieved by reducing the amount of berm.” He says a lot of planning went into ensuring that one lane of traffic was kept open in each direction during the construction period. It was decided that using barriers was not a good idea for what effectively is a straight stretch of road. That decision meant street access was maintained for residents almost throughout the project. A major challenge for Downer was that all utility services had to be relocated before construction works could begin as the new kerb line was right where the old power poles were along almost the entire route.
Site overview as at September 2013 – from New Windsor Road, New Windsor, to Wolverton Street, Avondale (2.3 kilometres).
CONTRACTOR APRIL 2014 21
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
Top: Subcontractors assembling watermain joints on Tiverton Road. Above left: The first kerb and channel laid on Wolverton Street, late 2012. Above right: Crewmen help escort local pre-schoolers across the road and through the construction zone during the road reconstruction phase. Involvement with the community was an important part of the project.
22 APRIL 2014 CONTRACTOR
“For a 2.2 kilometre route we have successfully installed 34.5 kilometres of ducting,” Anthony says. “Once this was done, the easy part started. We moved all the traffic onto one side of the road and began digging. On average we had about 31,000 vehicles driving through the site on any given day. “With a complex project like this we were always planning. We held weekly meetings with the Corridor Access Request team from Auckland Transport and were thus able to be relatively flexible with our traffic management.” Despite the meticulous planning an unexpected difficulty did occur. At an early stage it was realised that the subgrade was extremely poor and the quantities of undercut and black sand would increase significantly – which they did from 1600 to 16,000 cubic metres. This resulted in a complete change in methodology for excavation and a lot of double handling of materials through the project’s site compound. In any suburban road-improvement project, it’s essential to keep onside with residents and road users through constant consultation – known in the industry as “stakeholder engagement”. Managed by Downer stakeholder
communications manager Jessica Musson, this two-way dialogue was integral to the success of the Tiverton-Wolverton upgrade as work progressed. “It enabled people to ring us direct, meaning we could sort out issues quicker rather than waiting for the complaint to come third hand to us,” Anthony says. “Also we gave the team members business cards so that when an issue arose, we could pass it onto a centralised location. The wider team were also great in that when a resident approached them they generally acted courteously and were accommodating, or they could explain why there might be a small delay.” Anthony says he has seen “a real attitude change” in stakeholder management. “Not so long ago it was all about the contractor, and ‘we own the road’ and ‘let’s get on with it’. Now there’s a lot more interaction and involvement. We go to the extent of attending public open days where we get to meet people, hear their stories and their concerns, and hopefully we can get a better gauge of what is going on so we can be more proactive.” Downer was supported on the TivertonWolverton project by numerous subcontractors
and suppliers and on any given day there were 50 to 70 people working onsite. Anthony says key players who helped the Downer team immensely included hire companies Hirepool and Porter Hire, while Scot Thrust and City Contractors were prominent in helping install the 34.5 kilometres of utility services. The tenfold increase in undercut meant the project’s scheduled duration was extended from 18 to 24 months. However, the contract was completed in 20 months, thanks in part to Auckland’s shimmering summer which followed a mild but very wet winter. Anthony says he and his team were very fortunate with the weather. “The site conditions meant we knew about earthworks issues in advance of the excavation. Thus we were effectively able to dig throughout some of the wettest months on record. “Other than that we were able to enjoy the long hot earthworks season and move a massive amount of material, all while keeping the busy Auckland traffic moving.” And whether it’s a motorway or a suburbanroad project, keeping the traffic moving is what it’s all about.
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Above: First section of asphalt laid in New Windsor Road during road widening, December 2013. Left: Wolverton Street, September 2013 – two lanes complete, two lanes in concrete before asphalting.
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CONTRACTOR APRIL 2014 23
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Kentucky Cats
get new lease of life A makeover turns a couple of middle-aged motorscrapers into the flagships of a Wellington earthmoving fleet. HUGH DE LACY checks them out. THEY MAY HAVE BEEN 20 years old, but when Vic Draper’s internet search turned up two secondhand Caterpillar 637E Series II motorscrapers languishing in a dealer’s yard in Kentucky, USA, he thought they’d be just the ticket to replace a couple of smaller ones creating housing subdivisions around Wellington. After getting them back to New Zealand, Draper, the principal of Drapers Earthmoving, spent $150,000 on each of them in a refurbishment that has made them look and perform “as good as new”. With brand-new scrapers of that make and model costing in the region of $2.5 million each, the secondhand purchase and subsequent extensive do-up made a compelling option, he told Contractor. “We were running [Caterpillar] 627s that were probably 40 years old, and we decided we wanted to go to something bigger and something that was a bit later.” The company was retiring two of its six 627s, and Draper found their eventual replacements by scouring dealer websites around the world. The pair of 637E scrapers that he found in Kentucky had been retired from mining overburden operations there and were in pretty good nick despite their having 20,000 hours on the clock. But there was a whole lot of paperwork to go through to get the big machines back to New Zealand and, since he didn’t have time to travel and organise it himself, Draper called in independent global dealer Stuart McSkimming of the Global Tractor Company. McSkimming used to source machinery from around the world for the New Zealand Caterpillar franchisee Gough 24 APRIL 2014 CONTRACTOR
Group before going out on his own. He was contracted to do an appraisal of the 637s, and once Draper had agreed to buy them at a price he prefers not to divulge, McSkimming organised the shipping. First the scrapers had to go by road south from Kentucky to the eastern seaboard port of Savannah, Georgia, where they were subjected to a thorough cleaning. “Anyone who’s had anything to do with importing will understand how clean they have to be – they’ve got to be absolutely spotless,” Draper says. Finally they were loaded onto a ship that passed through the Panama Canal on its way to Auckland, from where they were trucked to Wellington by Edwards Heavy Haulage where Draper took them to his company workshop and turned his staff loose on them. “We didn’t have to recondition major components – although they’d come out of work they were in excellent condition and had been well maintained – but we spent a lot of time tidying them up, straightening them and repainting them,” Draper says. Having the machines’ lifetime maintenance records helped ensure the thoroughness of the makeover. The two are now almost identical, though one was built in 1993 and the other in 1994, and they made an impressive sight parked up at the Aotea subdivision in Porirua, waiting to start work. Weighing 52 tonnes each, the 637s can carry 40 to 50 tonnes, giving a total laden weight of about 100 tonnes. They have an overall length of 14.5
metres, a width of 3.9 metres and a wheelbase of 8.7 metres. They’re powered at the front by 450hp Caterpillar 3408 engines, and at the back by 250hp 3306s, working through eightspeed semi-automatic transmissions. Draper is the grandson of the Vic Draper who emigrated to New Zealand from Ireland in 1921, and went on to establish VA Draper Ltd from 1930 onwards while being a founder, and then the longest-serving president, of the Contractors’ Federation. The older Vic Draper was succeeded at the helm of the family company by son Tom, who also served the federation as president, as did a third company staffer, Wally Pearce. The original company was a significant player in civil construction, and dug the foundation holes for Parliament’s Beehive building, the Reserve Bank across the road, and the BNZ bank on Lambton Quay. The company was wound up in 1982, a year after the younger Vic Draper started out on his own as Drapers Earthmoving. As well as its fleet of motorscrapers, the company, with its staff of 12, runs an all-Caterpillar fleet that includes two D8 bulldozers, one of them a late model
FEATURE CONTRACTOR
Vic Draper knew that these two 20-year-old 637E motorscrapers he found on the internet would be ideal for this Wellington housing subdivision.
CONTRACTOR APRIL 2014 25
CONTRACTOR FEATURE
D8N, as well as a D7s and a D6R. Three 320 diggers, three dump trucks and two compactors round out the major equipment inventory, along with a loader and a Number 16 motorgrader. Having found his pair of 637E motorscrapers, Vic Draper was undeterred by their age and relatively high hours of work. “It sounds a hell of a lot but these sorts of things tend to have quite a long life, and you tend to rebuild them rather than replace them,” he says. “Gough Group could supply them new, but to my knowledge nobody’s brought in any 637s for a long time, and these are probably the latest two in the country. “There’s a few new 627s in the country, but not many 637s have come in, and especially not the later E models – there’s only one other 637E in the country that I know of.” Draper is also convinced that, except for large-scale mining and stripping operations, motorscrapers are by far the quickest and most cost-effective way of shifting large quantities of dirt. “Over the past years contractors have moved away from scrapers, tending to use diggers and dump-trucks. “This I believe is partly because of health and safety factors, and it’s also hard to get people to 26 APRIL 2014 CONTRACTOR
sit on and operate scrapers. “People today like the concept of sitting in air-conditioned cabs with the radios on and their brains off.” Draper says scraper operating is a skill that takes a while to learn but, once mastered, a motorscraper in the hands of a skilled operator is “one of the most impressive pieces of plant you will see: they’re fast, load quickly, spread their loads and help compact the fills far more uniformly than a dump-truck operation. “They’re a lot safer on steep terrain, with the ability to drag their bowls down steep hills, eliminating the need to use the brakes.” He said his company has often excavated a hole of unsuitable material using diggers and dump-trucks, only to have the scrapers backfill the same hole in about a quarter of the time. “There is a resurgence in the use of scrapers – ask any real earthmover and they’ll tell you you can’t beat scrapers. “There are still quite a few new ones being built, and on some sites in the States you may see in excess of 30 of them working on the same job,” Draper says. And if the reconditioned 637s match the resilience of the 40-year-old 627s they’re replacing, Drapers Earthmoving can look forward to a good couple of decades of service out of their Kentucky imports.
Top: Jono Wade at the controls of one of Drapers Earthmoving’s two newly-overhauled Catepillar 637E Series II motor scrapers, bought from a dealer’s yard in Kentucky. Above right: The two 20-year old Caterpillar 637E Series II motor scrapers were imported from Kentucky, USA by Drapers Earthmoving. Here, Trevor Vicars puts No 8 through its paces in Wellington.
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CONTRACTOR CONEXPO
Record attendance at ConExpo-Con/Agg & IFPE 2014 A record attendance of nearly 130,000 visitors, a quarter of whom travelled to Las Vegas from overseas, registered to attend this year’s combined Conexpo-Con/Agg & IFPE show held last month at the Las Vegas Convention Center. They’d all come to see over 2400 exhibitors on display over 2.5 million net square feet of exhibit space.
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OVER 1000 NEW PRODUCTS and services were on display, and reports are the visitors were serious buyers and exceeded exhibitors’ expectations. Sales were reportedly “robust”.
A strong contingent joined the NZCF-sponsored tour who also enjoyed a few days experiencing the Las Vegas entertainment strip, as well as a group tour of the nearby Hoover Dam – a remarkable feat if built today; a phenomenal effort in Depression-era 1930s. At 221 metres high and weighing 6.6 tons, the dam took 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete to build. As deep at the base as it is tall, this is a serious piece of engineering, and a must-do on any visit to the area. 30 APRIL 2014
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CONTESTANT ROGUE GALLERY WINNERS & AWARDS ON THE DAY 20 YEARS of WINNERS
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N E W Z E A L A N D ’ S C I V I L C O N T R ACT I N G I N D U ST R Y M AG A Z I N E
2014 NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION
National Excavator Operators Competition – 20th Anniversary IT’S BEEN TWO DECADES since Graeme Blackley thought there had to be other digger operators better than himself and took the germ of an idea to the then Chair of the Manawatu Branch of the NZCF, Grant Smith, and suggested they run a National competition. So at the 1995 Feilding Field Days a small group of contestants from the Manawatu, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki and Wanganui pitted their skills against each other. While Graeme Blackley may not have been a winner, his idea certainly was, because 20 years later the competition now attracts contestants the length and breadth of the country. Interest in the event has never waned with operators, with many of the competitors who didn’t make to the finals still travelling to Feilding to watch their colleagues compete. The public, too, has also come to realise that diggers and their drivers warrant a lot more attention and respect than previously imagined and that being an excavator operator is a viable career option. This public recognition has encouraged the NZCF to also revisit the industry, says Federation executive officer, Malcolm Abernethy and now operators can access and earn certificated knowledge in an increasing range of excavator proficiencies. The only way is up, he says, and operators now have the skills to comfortably move from the digger seat and onto pricing, planning, training and management positions if they choose to. Although Cyclone Lusi put a dampener on this 20th anniversary competition through forcing the course to be closed at noon on the second day, there is definitely no dampener on the competition’s ambitions, which might, if Abernethy gets his way, include a team event and the opportunity for more novice members of the industry to also have their chance to demonstrate their fledgling skills. Watch this space. Words by Jane Warwick l
E XCAVAT I O N S U PP O R T S O LU T I O N S
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34 APRIL 2014 CONTRACTOR
NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION 2014
AT A GLANCE 20 YEARS OF WINNERS 1995 ............. Ben Hodgson................. Manawatu 1996 ............. Paul Sievers.................. Wellington 1997 ............. Kent McKee................... Southland 1998 ............. Gordon Fox.................... Northland 1999 ............. Gordon Fox.................... Northland 2000............. Ben Hodgson................. Manawatu 2001 ............. Greg Ngeru.................... Taranaki 2002............. Gordon Fox.................... Northland 2003............. Evan Jenkins................. Otago 2004............. Kerry Barfoote............. Northland 2005............. Kevin Busch................... Manawatu 2006............. Shane Voelkerling....... Manawatu 2007............. Craig Charleton............ Wellington 2008............. Brian Hoffmann............ Auckland 2009............. Brett Hollyman............. Hawke’s Bay 2010 ............. Brett Hollyman............. Hawke’s Bay 2011 ............. Matthew Hareb............ Taranaki 2012 ............. Blair Duncan.................. Otago 2013 ............. James Lux..................... Bay of Plenty 2014 ............. Brian Hoffmann............ Auckland
TASKS • One Day Job Theory – industry knowledge; • One Day Job Practical – includes digging a culvert, joining and laying pipes; • Main Course – includes scooping up a basketball with the excavator bucket and slam-dunking it through a manhole on top of a five-metre pipe and pouring a cup of tea from a teapot also using the excavator bucket; • Mini Dig – helping kids have a go on Alistair McIntyre’s mini digger; • Truck Loading – loading a truck without going over its legal load weight under the supervision of the Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit of the NZ Police (CVIU). See over page for more details on contestants.
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CONTRACTOR APRIL 2014 35
2014 NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION
CONTESTANTS ROGUE GALLERY
3rd
Hawke’s Bay Regional Champion STEVE GALBRAITH
place
Gair Contracting
Northland Regional Champion MIKE SMITH Wharehine Contractors
Mike has been in the industry for over eight years, starting out with his dad when he was 16 years old. He has competed in eight Regional competitions and come through to the National event four times. His favourite task is drain laying because it means he gets to interact with others, otherwise being a digger operator can be a bit solitary at times. In his spare time he likes to go fishing, car racing and riding motor bikes.
Southland Regional Finalist DOUG SELLARS
Bay of Plenty & Defending Champion JAMES LUX
SouthRoads
Fulton Hogan
James Lux’s school books were full of drawings of diggers so it is no wonder he followed his dad and ended up in the seat of a real digger as soon as he could. Digging runs strongly in the family with James’ sister also a digger operator. One of James’s favourite jobs was the Tauranga Eastern Link because it fulfilled everything he likes about being a digger operator – outside with big toys changing the face of the earth. Inside James likes to collect diecast machines and, when he can, he swaps his digger seat for a motorbike saddle and hits the road. He has competed in five Regional events and this was his fourth National event. It would have been awesome to win again, but losing is not the end of the world, he says.
Auckland Regional Champion BRIAN HOFFMANN Brian Hoffmann Ltd
1plsact e
Steve has been with diggers for 20 years and says he is still always learning new things. The challenges of subdivisions on hill country and forest roading in steep terrain are the tasks he likes best. He also likes training younger drivers, spurring them on and getting them productive. He was also third last year and says that a win is good but it also puts the pressure on to match or improve on that result. But pressure can be good, as can nerves – they can give you an edge, he says. Jet skiing, camping and rugby are his off-site passions. Steve has competed in 10 Regional events and this was his fourth National event.
TRUCK LOADING
Brian started operating diggers in 1972 and bought his first Hitachi in 1976 to become an owner driver. One of his specialities is installing swimming pools, a move which eventually led him to buying another business, that of importing the actual pools from Perth, so now he digs the hole and installs the physical unit. The pool side of his business is his favourite task because every client is happy and excited to get a swimming pool. Brian has won 10 Regional competitions, attended the National event 10 times and this year was his second win.
After 31 years in the industry, Doug still loves the wide variety of work and associated challenges his job presents him. He usually drives a 5-tonne digger so the 12-tonne units at the National event are a novelty. The first time he drove a 12 tonne was at the Regional event and he was keen to give them another go at the National event. The best thing about being a digger driver is simply driving the digger, which he does all over Southland and Otago. Although the sound of a digger in action is music to his ears, away from work he prefers tunes of another kind – music, singing, playing musical instruments and old time dancing. He also fits in some restoration of vintage vehicles. Doug has competed in two Regional events and this was his first National event.
Wellington Regional Finalist MICHAEL JONES
2nd
Goodman Contractors
place
Michael started his excavator career at 16 learning the craft over the next five years. Since then he has skilled up in various earthmoving machinery and is now a foreman for Goodmans. His favourite job to date was working on the $24 million Atiamuri Bridge replacement project in South Waikato. This was a high priority project for the NZTA and safety and reliability were paramount. Outside of work Michael likes rugby and golf and fishing…if the sea is flat! He has competed in one Regional event and this was his first National event.
We’ve got the energy to keep you moving Congratulations to all competitors in the National Excavator Operator Competition! Z – proudly supporting civil construction in New Zealand.
z.co.nz
36 APRIL 2014 CONTRACTOR
ONE DAY JOB
NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION 2014
Nelson/Marlborough Regional Finalist GEOFF HOCQUARD
Otago Regional Finalist ANDREW HOLLANDS
Geoff started in the earthmoving industry 12 years ago as a roller driver. He then drove a digger for seven years, mainly on Marlborough’s burgeoning vineyard industry, doing dairy conversions, irrigation dam construction and bulk earthworks on subdivisions. Two major roadworks projects are also under his belt. Currently he is putting in roads through the dense Marlborough bush, which he is greatly enjoying. Outside work he likes touch rugby and also competes in wood-chopping events. He was captain of the New Zealand Under-21 Team to Australia and is currently a member of the South Island team. He has competed in two Regional events and this was his first National event.
Andrew has his own business in partnership with his wife and brother. From the day they started, there has always been a job to go to and Andrew has now clocked up around 28,000 hours behind the stick over his 20-year career. The best thing about digging is job satisfaction and the variety of work, he says. Finishing work is his favourite task, which allows him to walk away from the completed job with a great deal of satisfaction. Away from digging dirt, dirt bike riding is a preferred pastime as well as mountain-biking, boating and fishing. Andrew has competed in seven Regional events and now four National competitions.
Bryant Earthworks
Manawatu Regional Finalist PAUL KEENAN C R Grace
Paul doesn’t get up on a digger as often as he used to as he now spends most of his time behind the wheel of a livestock truck. When he won the Regional final he hadn’t been on a digger since the competition the year before, so he was both surprised and proud of the result. Obviously his eight to 10 years on and off a digger including three years’ experience in his own business with a 1.5-tonne unit have not left him. He was nervous, but that helped him focus. In his spare time he likes hunting and fishing as well as engineering such as building trailers. Paul has competed in three Regional events and this was his first National Event.
Hollands Excavation
Bay of Plenty Regional Finalist THOMAS CLARK Fulton Hogan
Thomas can’t imagine doing anything else but driving machinery and will do so until the day he retires. All five of his brothers also work in the civil industry as did his father before he retired recently. His favourite tasks are reinstating, shaping earthworks and drainage and he has done this all over the Bay of Plenty region. His job satisfaction is very much ‘up there’, he grins. After work Thomas (Ngati Rangi) enjoys socialising with friends, colleagues and his children, and travelling around Aotearoa, when he can find the time. Thomas has competed in two Regional events and this was his first National event.
Waikato Regional Champion DAVID SMYTHE
Good Bastard Award
Smythe Contractors
Canterbury Regional Finalist JOSEPH TAUREREWA Trenching Dynamix
Joseph is another operator who followed his father into the business but it wasn’t a surprise. He always loved diggers and found them fascinating machines. Concrete cutting is his favourite task, which requires a great degree of concentration and skill. It is a task that allows him to constantly set himself goals and offers great job satisfaction. When he is not working Joseph likes to spend time with his family as well as bike riding. Joseph has competed in three Regional events and this was his first National event.
David has always enjoyed operating machinery and now has achieved his dream – a contracting business in his back yard. He doesn’t sit in a digger as much he used to but track-mounted diggers have played an important part in his life. Directional drilling now takes up most of his time but the hand-to-eye coordination need to dig has never left him. In his spare time he likes to fish, dive, shoot, snow ski and water ski but his great passion is BMX riding where he has competed at two National events and represented New Zealand in a World championship. He and his digger have built several BMX tracks for kids, which he loves doing. David has competed in three Regional Excavator events and this was his first National event. l
CONTRACTOR APRIL 2014 37
2014 NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION
Above: From left, Steve Galbraith 3rd place, Brian Hoffman Winner and Michael Jones 2nd place and winner of the One Day Job. Left: One day job and below, truck loading.
ON THE DAY…. Joseph Taurerewa got a bit of a shock when he found that part of the One Day Job Practical competition at this year’s National Excavator Operator Competition included joining pipes. This is a task he doesn’t normally do but he turned the surprise to his advantage, seeing it as an opportunity to learn a new skill because, he says, being versatile is something a digger operator should be. So it was a bit of a nerve-wracking start for Christchurch-based Taurerewa’s first appearance at the Central Districts Field Days, but he was pleased with his performance and anyway a day on a digger is never a day wasted for him because diggers fascinate him and he loves them. He wasn’t the only one. Every contestant was there because they are good at their jobs and the main reason they are so good at their jobs is because their diggers are an extension of themselves. It was also the first time for Thomas Clark and the One Day Job rattled his nerves a bit as well because that, too, was something he never normally does. But his 15 years as an operator have taught him to be adaptable. Thomas wasn’t the only one with nerves – all the competitors admitted to being nervous including veteran Brian Hoffmann and the defending champ, James Lux. James said his nerves were worse because he was the defending champion. “Not only do I have expectations of myself, but I feel like everyone is watching me more closely than usual to see if I can defend the title,” he said. “I’d like to win again, but it won’t be the end of the world if I don’t. I’m just stoked to be here.” Michael Jones was so conscious of the time factor that when he finished his task and realised he was still well within time he could hardly believe it. So he went back and tidied up the job a bit more. “Could be 38 APRIL 2014 CONTRACTOR
overkill,” he laughed, “but I was a bit disconcerted to find out I had time over. It just went so fast.” For all they claimed to have nerves, they looked like a pretty relaxed bunch as they waited for their respective turns competing to be New Zealand’s most able digger operator. And why not? They’re doing what every little boy has wanted to do at some time or other – play with toys in the dirt. Only these are the world’s best toys and it’s the good rich dirt of New Zealand they’re playing in, not the sandbox. Best of all, they’re building the good solid foundations of this country.
Along came Woody… There is more to the competition than the contestants, of course. For starters, there was Woody. Not everyone got to meet him because not everybody spotted him sprawled just out of sight in an apparent drunken stupor. Woody is, in fact, a mannequin and his job is to be the wild card in the Health & Safety checks all operators are required to do when they begin work on a site. He should have been found, but he wasn’t always. Course designer Ben Hodgson tossed Woody into the back of his ute and went for a final check of the arena. It was already dark when he got there and as he passed through security, the guard spotted Woody. “Hey,” there’s someone lying in the back of your vehicle,” he alerted Dan. “I know,” replied Dan with a stricken face. “I just ran him down and I think he’s dead. So I threw him in the back. What should I do?” The apprehensive security guard nudged Woody, then patted his back to try and wake him. What he said next is not for publication. l
NATIONAL EXCAVATOR OPERATOR COMPETITION 2014
Camp mothers….. Lee-Ann Hodgson’s husband Ben was the inaugural winner of the National Excavator Operator Competition in 1995 and she has accompanied him to every event since, except for the one year he couldn’t get time off work to attend. Their daughter Georgia was just one year old that first year and there was a bit of baby-sitting juggling going on. Georgia was followed by her sisters, Claudia and Holly and as the children grew, minding them got easier. Although Georgia is now off on her own and Claudia and Holly are safely tucked away at boarding school, Lee-Ann’s days at the event are still as busy. Taking a week off work she spends the time feeding and hydrating the contestants and their retinues, while Ben steps up as a judge. Lee-Ann looks forward to the event, the camaraderie and meeting new contestants. She also helps send out the registration acknowledgements and is a staunch advocate that entering such competitions is not only an important career step for the contestants, it is also important in the promotion of the trade. “The general public doesn’t see beyond the big digger tearing up the road or working around a subdivision, which is where most people come across them. They don’t realise that it is a skilled job and just how exact the work can be. “This event helps the public to appreciate the trade. And the contestants not only get to show off their skills, they also learn new ones. Digging can also be a solitary job so coming to the competition gives drivers a chance to meet other engineers and network. And, of course, I remind them that there is always something new to learn, if they keep their eyes open.” Also keeping things ticking over in the marquee is Lynette Blenkiron whose husband, Trevor, is the competition director and H&S officer for
From left: Camp Mothers Sue Stevens, Lynette Blenkiron and Lee-Ann Hodgson. the event. She pitches in with Lee-Ann over the BBQ and keeps a watching brief over the contestants and their families. Sue Stevens has just retired, sold her restaurant in Whangamata and hung up her chef’s apron. Which is good news for Lee-Ann and Lynette because that’s another pair of hands to the BBQ. Sue, partner of Brian Hoffmann, has come to the event for three years. She enjoys seeing the young competitors coming through and is pleased that more young people are getting involved. She is equally pleased to be part of the BBQ team because sitting around doing nothing is not her thing at all, even if she is retired. l
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CONTRACTOR APRIL 2014 39
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COMMENT CONTRACTOR
Shining sunlight into dark places JEREMY SOLE CEO, NEW ZEALAND CONTRACTORS’ FEDERATION
I’VE AN INTERESTING DILEMMA to work through so I thought I’d mull over it here and see what comes from it. One of the core documents underpinning federation membership is the code of ethics which sits at Appendix II of the rules: “While recognising that competition is a necessary and vital part of the free enterprise system, the Federation nevertheless believes there is a code of ethics, in accordance with which business should be conducted, so as to avoid unfairness to both the public and fellow members and to maintain the high standing of the Civil Construction and General Contracting industry.” It then goes on to list 11 specific points. Put this together with the values of integrity and camaraderie, articulated by the Executive Council in our recent review, and you have a good steer on the standards of behaviour members are expected to abide by − and about 99 percent of the time they do. The reason I mention this is that we are increasingly getting phone calls from members who feel aggrieved at how they have been treated by a small number of their fellow members. I should qualify upfront that aggrieved parties have often walked into situations with their eyes wide shut without understanding contracts they signed up to or using tools such as payment claims or schedules. Arguably it’s just tough luck if people want to jump into a game without knowing how it is played – they’re just asking to get hurt. Disturbingly though, there are occasional instances where the treatment meted out to these firms is just plain unfair, and in some cases we have recently seen, arguably unethical. In such cases the federation is usually able to sort things out under the radar before the aggrieved party sets off to the Commerce Commission, or before they write off their money or their work for fear of missing out on future work. I know there are a few people who are going to read this and say such behaviour
is best kept under wraps, like a dirty secret, but I’ve always found that sunlight is the best disinfectant. I’m not going to shine any light into crevices here, but I do want to say that being a member of NZCF requires everyone at every level of every member’s business to behave and treat others in a manner that is consistent with the code of ethics. It’s probably safest here to use a different but parallel example of a meeting with a mayor and chief executive of a local authority during which we discussed with them that some local authorities had been using modified contracts and conditions that were not fair on the contractors. Both said that was terrible and shouldn’t be allowed to continue and that their council had good processes in this area. When we offered them a sample of the documentation they had just condemned by inference, they were horrified it had come from their own council. It was subsequently fixed. The point is that while we all work very hard to develop and enhance our brand identities, all that work can evaporate into nothing in a heartbeat in the event that somewhere in the organisation someone is exposed behaving inappropriately or unethically. One way of looking at this is that building trust in your brand is like climbing a ladder one rung at a time – but if someone in the organisation slips, then you potentially slide all the way to the bottom. It is therefore important to look from time to time inside your own organisation whether it be very large or very small or anywhere in between. Maybe it’s time to do an ethics or behavioural audit in different areas of your operations – perhaps a 360 degree review involving suppliers, clients and other stakeholders. Are your people always acting in a way that is consistent with the profile you want for your brand? Would you be comfortable for their behaviours to be reported on the front page of a local or national newspaper?
This isn’t just about proper behaviour – it’s also about the efficient way that business gets conducted in high trust and mutually respectful environments. I’ve been reading a book by a former US presidential and business advisor titled How and one of the propositions it puts is that in this day and age ‘what’ you do is far less important than ‘how’ you do it. It states that where collegiality is strong and participation is high, trust is also high. And it also discusses research findings demonstrating how high levels of trust introduce many dimensions that improve responsiveness, innovation, and productivity. There is a strong focus on collaboration in our industry and such ideals should go a long way towards improving efficiency. In respect of this, my observation is that the complaints I referred to very rarely come from areas with strong collegiality or camaraderie of membership through a local NZCF branch where the full spectrum of the industry is participating on a mutually respectful basis. I need to be a wee bit careful here given the three c’s – which shouldn’t be confused given collaboration and collusion are not the same. While the latter is shorter and much easier to spell you can also treat that as a metaphor for a quick trip to infamy or even jail. So, what is my dilemma? Well I want to know how you think an organisation like NZCF should be dealing with such issues. It isn’t widespread and it isn’t a big issue (unless you’re one of the unlucky few who are on the receiving end), but it is real. The federation needs a formal mechanism to deal with this and my research suggests an‘ethics’ committee may not be the appropriate title given our members are firms not individuals – and that there needs to be an independent/external component to committees dealing with these issues. I’d like to hear your thoughts – perhaps all we need is sunlight? CONTRACTOR APRIL 2014 41
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Managing a lift during an earthquake ROD AUTON CRANE ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND INC
IT SEEMS THAT NEW ZEALAND has had its fair share of natural disasters over the past few years with a continuing cycle of earthquakes, droughts and floods. We haven’t had any tsunamis, but we are in the right place for them to happen with each offshore earthquake likely to kick up a wave or two and send them in our direction. One of the problems that we face in the construction sector, and in particular in the crane sector, is how we manage these events at the coalface. It is alright to produce a policy for everyone to read, but when it’s your backside in the seat of the crane, excavator or bulldozer, what do you do? In the event of a flood or tsunami, you may get some warning and be able to make everything safe and evacuate before it strikes, but not so with an earthquake. This happens so fast that in many cases it is over before you know it. The initial earthquake will give you some idea of the severity of the aftershocks that will follow and once forewarned, an operator can do something. So if you survive the initial strike, do you leap out of your machine and head for the wide open spaces? Do you stay put and pray? Or perhaps you just pucker up and hope like hell that the worst of the effects pass you by. Some cranes like Tower Cranes have a seismic co-efficiency built into their design as they are normally fastened to the ground in close proximity to the job, but mobile, crawler and truck mounted cranes are susceptible to changes in the environment after a tremor that may move their outriggers or stabilising pads. The load could end up swinging on the end of the boom. In their panic, people could run into the danger zone under a lift. The ground could give way with liquefaction softening the area under the crane, and at the least the crane could have a bit of a shake-up. GeoNet, a collaboration between the 42 APRIL 2014
Earthquake Commission and GNS Science says on its website (www.geonet.org.nz/quakes/statistics) that we have had 25,266 earthquakes over the past 12 months. This statistic sort of paints a picture doesn’t it? During the week of March 1-7, there were 477 earthquakes across New Zealand. They are happening around us all of the time. The big question is how do you plan for the next one? All the training in the world won’t prepare you for such an event and so the only way you can be ready for a natural disaster is to anticipate potential issues and build them into the hazard recognition part of your lift-plan. This would include what an operator should do in the event an earthquake strikes during a lifting operation. Has your company developed an emergency plan in the event of an earthquake? Considerations that should be planned for include: What the operator does: • Stay in the crane as it may be the safest place during an earthquake; • Identify where the load can go so that it is moved away from pinch points or where others are working;
• Lower the load if it is safe to do so; • If working a hydraulic crane retract the boom if it is safe to do so. After the initial earthquake, and remembering the potential for aftershocks, the operator should: • Check the crane is safe; • Help those around who may need it; • Muster in an assembly point or where directed by the site foreman; • Contact the designated company emergency manager to advise of your status. The majority of earthquakes don’t produce sufficient force to move a heavy crane, but as has been seen in recent times, this cannot be guaranteed and the suggestions above are just that: each company will have to develop its own plan in accordance with its own risk profile. Much of what the crane operator will do will come down to a combination of knowledge, experience and common sense, but the old scouting term “be prepared” is still as valid today as when Robert BadenPowell introduced it as a motto for the Scouting Movement.
WEAK MODERATE STRONG SEVERE
New Zealand has had 25,266 earthquakes over the past 12 months. www.geonet.org.nz/quakes/statistics
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CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Important changes to 3910 bonds EMMA COWLE SOLICITOR IN KENSINGTON SWAN’S CONSTRUCTION LAW TEAM
STANDARDS NEW ZEALAND’S new NZS 3910:2013 construction contract contains some significant changes in relation to bonds provisions and forms, which have implications for all involved parties. Similar considerations also apply to the new 3916 (design and construct) and 3917 (fixed term) contracts. Bonds are an increasingly common form of security on civil works projects and are usually given by contractors (although there are options for a principal’s bond and a bond in lieu of retentions). They are particularly important for contractors to be aware of and understand, because they tend towards the bond being called more easily and more often. This article discusses the key changes, and suggests some practical steps that can be taken to manage the risks when entering bond agreements.
Key changes Move from ‘conditional’ towards ‘on demand’ bonds Section 3 of the 2003 edition of 3910 made provision for ‘performance bonds’, also commonly referred to as ‘conditional’ bonds. This usually means that a call on the bond requires proof that a breach of contract has occurred and that loss has been suffered. The revised provision in NZS3910:2013 makes provision for ‘bonds’ and the conditions above have been removed from the form of bond. This suggests that the bond is no longer performance based / conditional and could be construed as being ‘on demand’. Nonetheless, the contract does contain restrictions for calling bonds. A contractor’s bond may not be called upon if the works have reached practical completion, the contractor has paid damages claimed in respect of default, or the practical completion certificate has been issued. A principal’s bond may not be called upon if the principal has paid the contractor all monies due under the contract. 44 APRIL 2014
In light of these restrictions, if the bond is wrongly called, the party responsible is at risk of breaching the contract. A court injunction could also still be sought to stop the bond call.
the contract needs to be read as a whole, and it remains likely that to justify calling on a bond and demanding payment, there needs to be a strong case that the circumstances require payment of the bond, such as it being critical to the completion of the contract works.
Expiry dates In the 2003 edition of 3910, the bond does not have an expiry date, and it is expected that when practical completion is reached, the bond is released. However, in practice, this does not always occur and it can then be difficult for the party providing the bond to be released from the agreement. The 2013 edition allows for an agreed expiry date, in which case the bond will need to be renewed at least one month prior to that expiry if the contract is ongoing. The exception is where practical completion has been achieved, and release from the bond has been advised. This is helpful as it provides more certainty in relation to the lifetime of the bond.
Consequences of the changes If a bond is treated as ‘on demand’, in the case of principal and contractor bonds, this could increase the chances of a bond being called, as parties may not turn their minds to any conditions. However, the contract needs to be read as a whole, and it remains likely that to justify calling on a bond and demanding payment, there needs to be a strong case that the circumstances require payment of the bond, such as it being critical to the completion of the contract works. In turn, this often means assessing whether a default has occurred and any loss subsequently caused. Due to the increased chance of the bond being called, the attitude of lenders may shift by: • Charging more for the bond or requiring greater security in exchange for providing a bond. • Taking a more cautious approach and insisting on inserting conditions to provide certainty around the bond being called. • Requiring the ‘on demand’ form of bond in that it does not have to be concerned with making enquiries as to default or loss. These changes lean towards increased lending fees which help neither the principal nor the contractor, in that this is likely to result in a higher contract price overall.
Managing the risk The parties should give careful consideration of the following factors when agreeing to bond provisions: • Whether a bond is required at all, taking into account any other security provisions in the contract. • Under what circumstances the bond shall be called upon, and paid. • Whether any special conditions are required. • Whether the bond should have an expiry and/or release date. Bonds are a complex area
COMMENT CONTRACTOR
Looking after our road network is a massive job NEIL WALKER ACTING GROUP MANAGER, NZTA HIGHWAYS & NETWORKS OPERATIONS
LOOKING AFTER NEW ZEALAND’S road network is understandably a massive job. Just maintaining and operating our existing roads costs our taxpayers and ratepayers millions of dollars every year. Our aim is to drive value for money and improve safety and performance in our maintenance and operations across the country while encouraging innovation in a constrained funding environment. Running highways is an expensive business − each year we invest over $1.5 billion in the New Zealand highway network, one-third on maintenance and operations, two-thirds on improvements. The State Highway network carries 50 percent of New Zealand’s traffic on 12 percent of the total roading network and it’s our job to ensure we maintain, operate and improve it effectively and efficiently. While that’s a requirement of the Land Transport Management Act (LTMA), in the Transport Agency we feel the huge responsibility to do this to the best of our ability because our work in some way contributes to achieving great things for New Zealanders who pay for this service. The vast majority of our highway
services are provided by external service providers and because of that we place a lot of reliance on how we engage and work with suppliers in the transport sector. We commissioned a review of our procurement procedures by economists Dr Murray Horn and Bruce Gidley and overall the review endorsed our approach as best practice in New Zealand. We continually work hard on our approach to procurement and how we work with the industry − but also acknowledge there are still plenty of opportunities for us to improve together. Because the investment numbers are large, we quite rightly are tested on whether we are delivering value for money from our investments − whether it be the benefits of major and minor improvement projects, the cost of maintenance and operations, or how we procure our services. In general we’re confident that we deliver value for money, but we do owe it to those people who query us to be able to demonstrate that we are. The most recent queries have focused on three areas: • Best practice − the way we procure services, the quality of our procurement models and tendering processes and
how they align to best practice; • Decision making − how we make decisions around the work we undertake, what levels of service are we planning for, our effectiveness at targeting the right maintenance and renewal tasks; • Market structure − do we have a healthy and competitive supplier market? Because we take these queries seriously, we’ve decided this year to undertake an improvement programme to review some specific areas under each of these headings. These are in addition to those that you will already be aware of like the maintenance and operations review we have carried out over the past couple of years and the resulting new Network Outcome Contracts. One thing we have learnt about customer focus in the Transport Agency is that customer insight is invaluable − so it’s extremely important that any improvement programme looking at procurement must involve industry. So keep an eye out as we work through the improvement programme over the next year − we’ll keep you abreast of developments.
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APRIL 2014 45
CONTRACTOR COMMENT
Unreasonable tender response time? RFT process not followed? CAROLINE BOOT, MANAGING PARTNER, PLAN A
KIWI COMPANIES HAVE gritted their teeth for decades about unfair tendering practices, procurement decisions being made based on processes that are different to those described in the RFT, or ridiculously short timeframes that simply don’t give enough time to put together a quality response. Over the past year I have trained hundreds of tender evaluators in best practice procurement, most of them in councils and government organisations, and many have been preparing RFTs and evaluating tenders for many years. Unfortunately, only a handful have a sound understanding of the Government‘s principles and rules which they have been required to observe since 2013. So it’s great that so many procurement professionals are getting training, and it’s also helpful for suppliers to know the basis on which all government procurement must be conducted. As the Government’s Five Principles of Procurement and Rules of Sourcing start to gain influence, the contracting industry will have tangible backing to challenge unfair procurement practices. The Five Principles of Procurement are mandatory for all government organisations and departments, and are considered good practice for other agencies. These organisations must train all of their procurement people on those principles, which require them to: • Involve suppliers early – let them know what you want and keep talking; • Choose the right process – proportional to the size, complexity and any risks involved; • Encourage capable suppliers to respond; • Make it easy for all suppliers (large and small) to do business with us; • Clearly explain how you will assess suppliers’ proposals – so they know what to focus on; 46 APRIL 2014
• Talk to unsuccessful suppliers so they can learn and know how to improve next time; • Make it worthwhile for suppliers – encourage and reward them to deliver great results; • Make balanced decisions – consider the social, environmental and economic effects of the deal; • Be accountable, transparent and reasonable; • Stay Impartial. As a supplier, if you find that a government organisation is not following these principles, you now have valid reasons to bring this to their attention, and every chance of them developing fairer and more robust procurement tools. In addition, the Government Rules of Sourcing have been designed to align our public procurement practices to international best practice, encourage agencies to stimulate competition and innovation, work with suppliers to develop better solutions, and provide better value for the public. A key area is the timelines for tender responses. Always a bug-bear, unrealistically tight deadlines have resulted in poor quality responses, pricing mistakes, and a heavy handbrake on the potential for innovative alternatives. Put simply, it’s hard to be clever, accurate, comprehensive and compliant when you’re strung out from working ungodly hours simply to get the tender in the box on time. Minimum time periods are clearly specified in the rules: • 18 business days for an RFQ (e.g. for an off-the-shelf, easy to describe product or hourly-rates type contract); • 15 business days for a one-step RFP or RFT (where they require more information from the supplier than the price, delivery date and unit costs); • 25 business days (10 days plus 15 days) for a two-step process that includes an
expression of interest followed by an RFP or RFT. These mandatory time frames assume that the project has been previously listed in an annual procurement plan AND tendering documents are all available electronically AND the client will receive responses electronically. These timeframes have, to date, frequently been shortened by clients. This has resulted in rushed, poor quality responses that have not delivered value for money. In future, many government clients will need to plan longer response times to tenders, which can only improve the quality of the products and services that are bought through tendering. The government’s procurement reform initiatives are great news, too, for those marketing their products or services through tendering. Although it is (predictably) taking some time for many government agencies to recognise their obligations to procure goods and services in a fair and transparent manner, the reforms are starting to have impact. There’s a strong focus on value for money over the life of assets – a welcome departure from post GFC austerity measures. Clients are encouraged to make balanced decisions that consider total costs of ownership, promote innovations and minimise whole-of-life costs. The emphasis on building strong client-supplier relationships means you should expect that your requests for information about upcoming projects will be welcomed, and that the debrief to help you win more future tenders will be constructive and specific. Also use every opportunity you can to foster good relationships and understanding between clients and suppliers. It’s to everyone’s advantage that the contracting community is ready to provide quality, innovative, long-lasting solutions for future government projects.
DIARY CONTRACTOR
Bauma China 2014 The seventh international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, and construction vehicles and equipment, will be held at the new Shanghai International Expo Centre November 25-28. The event will feature 2718 exhibitors from 38 countries, and is expected to attract around 180,000 trade visitors from 141 countries. More information: www.bauma-china.com
CONTRACTORS’ DIARY Date Event
Venue
Contact
8-11 May 14
SaMoTer & Asphaltica
Verona, Italy
www.samoter.com
24-26 Jun 14
Hillhead 2014
Tarmac’s Hillhead Quarry, Buxton, England
www.hillhead.com
9-12 Jul 14
Crane Association Conference
Rydges Lakeland Resort, Queenstown
www.cranes.org.nz
6-9 Aug 14
NZCF / ACENZ / Roading NZ Conference
Energy Events Centre, Rotorua
www.nzcontractors.co.nz
13-16 Aug 14
Heavy Haulage Association Conference
Distinction Hotel, Rotorua
www.hha.org.nz
25-28 Nov 14
bauma China
International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China
www.bauma-china.com
15-18 Dec 14
bC India
India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, Delhi
www.bcindia.com
21-24 Oct 15
Conexpo Latin America
Santiago, Chile
conexpolatinamerica.net
Please send any contributions for Contractor Diary to kevin@contrafed.co.nz, or phone 09 636 5710
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APRIL 2014 47
CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES
M
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The Caterpillar DW20 Revisited Back in the June 2006 issue of Contractor we had a look at one of Caterpillar’s most successful motor scrapers of the 1950s, the model DW20. Since that article was published some more data has come to light and, given the luxury of having a few more pages these days, we can have a look at the DW20 in a little more detail. BY RICHARD CAMPBELL
Second to last of the DW20 lineage, the 320 horsepower DW20F series was introduced in 1958 and featured two air cleaners to provide the D337T diesel engine with enough fresh air. It also had a new radiator assembly which had a perforated steel front in place of previous models’ wire mesh type. The bulge in the hood behind the exhaust stack was created to provide adequate clearance for the Holset-manufactured turbocharger.
48 APRIL 2014
THERE WERE SIX VERSIONS of the DW20 manufactured – the 6W series, specifically designed for use with the company’s W20 bottom dump wagon, the 21C, 57C, 67C, 87E and 88E, which could all be used with scrapers or whatever else the customer wanted. We will not examine the 6W series in this feature as it was basically the same as the 21C series and was purposely built with a dedicated hydraulic system for bottom dumps only. So, the first of the real scraper tractors was the 21C, originally powered by a Roots blown Caterpillar D337 6-cylinder diesel which was produced from 1951 through to 1955. Equipped with the Caterpillar No 20 scraper rated at 14 cubic yards struck and 22 cubic yards heaped, this was the model that paved the way for the rest of the series and it underwent a few modifications along the way. The original 225 horsepower Caterpillar D337 engine suffered from a few cracked cylinder heads
due to excessive exhaust back pressure, so a slightly wider cylinder head was designed to alleviate the problem and this incorporated twin exhaust stacks to allow the engine to ‘breathe’ better. This was introduced into the production line as soon as the modified engines became available. Having cured this problem, Caterpillar also changed the transmission from a 5-speed manual to incorporate an overdrive or auxiliary box function which boosted the machine’s top speed from 26 to 35mph and effectively gave the machine 10 forward gears. From its inception, the DW20 was fitted with a Caterpillar No 27, 2-drum cable control to handle trailed scrapers. This was a “live-drive” unit powered by a driveshaft that came off the engines PTO. It was rugged and dependable and required infrequent adjustment. It had a line speed of 907 feet per minute and usually used half-inch cable. By the mid 50s, the DW20 was regarded as a reliable and productive earthmoving tool so it was
really no surprise that Caterpillar would want to develop it further. In 1955 Caterpillar introduced the DW20E which incorporated several major improvements over the previous 21C series machine. For the first time, customers were given a choice of starting methods – direct electric or the usual 2-cylinder petrol starting engine, which had been a Caterpillar standard since it introduced diesel engines to its machines in 1931. The DW20E direct electric start version was known as the 57C series and the petrol starting engine version was called the 67C series. Changes were not isolated to starting methods as Caterpillar had dispensed with the Roots blower, turbocharging the D337 engine which now produced 300 horsepower. Tubeless tyres were used for the first time, 29.5x29s in place of the old narrow tread, tubed 24.00x29, and an all-new scraper, the No 456, rated at 18 cubic yards struck and 25 cubic yards heaped,
became standard. This proved to be a very popular combination for Caterpillar and it was produced with few changes up until 1958. Next, and as it proved, last off the production line were the DW20F and the DW20G. Known initially as the DW20F (87E series direct electric start and 88E series gasoline engine start), horsepower had been given a boost to 320 horsepower and an optional larger capacity scraper, the 24 cubic yard struck, 34 cubic yard heaped No 482 was offered. Use of this scraper required that the machine be tandem push loaded in order to fill the bowl in a reasonable amount of time. A redesign of the radiator and air induction system produced two recognisable spotting features in the form of twin air cleaners and a radiator header tank that projected above the bonnet line. For a short time, Caterpillar offered for the DW20 (and DW21) a form of power shift transmission
Highway construction on the California coast, 1956. These DW20Es are removing borrow material from the hillside and crossing the existing freeway to build up the new roadbed. They have been sideboarded to increase their carrying capacity. Push tractor is a Caterpillar D9D.
APRIL 2014 49
CONTRACTOR CLASSIC MACHINES
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1. In the Tehachapi mountains of California, USA, this DW20 is working on the Interstate Highway program undertaken by the US Government in the early 1950s. The scraper has been heavily modified with sideboards and an extended tailgate so it will hold more material. This particular modification was very popular in the western USA and Cat dealers such as Shepherd Machinery and Peterson Tractor converted hundreds of DW20s in this manner. 2. Appearances can be deceptive. What appears to be a late model DW20G is in fact a DW20E, which has been repowered with a Cat 1693 truck engine and retrofitted with the later style radiator and twin air cleaners! DW20E s/n 67C318 is a 1955 machine and was caught at rest at Kopuku in the Waikato in 1982. 50 APRIL 2014
known as “Synchro-Touch”. This was an electro-pneumatic device whereby the operator dialed in the gear he wanted, depressed the clutch and the transmission would shift without him having to move any levers. A little too ahead of its time, SynchroTouch was subject to damage from dirt and condensation which could often result in more gears being selected than required resulting in the inevitable dire consequences for the gearbox. All machines so equipped were retro-fitted with the standard 10-speed transmission at Caterpillar’s cost and Synchro-Touch was quietly forgotten about! By yet again increasing the engine output, this time to 345 horsepower, the DW20G was created, the last of the line. Caterpillar chose not to change the serial number prefixes for this modification so the ‘F ‘became a ‘G’ at 87E508 and 88E1261 respectively. As the DW20 by now had reached the apex of its development potential, and more modern machines were being offered by Caterpillar’s competitors, the DW20 was finally dropped
from production in 1960 and replaced with the model 630A.
The New Zealand connection Big users of this type were W Stevenson & Son which operated a large fleet of DW20s of several versions at the Kopuku opencast coal mine in the Waikato where they proved themselves to be true stalwarts. As time passed and the fleet began to suffer from age-related engine problems, a group were repowered with Caterpillar model 1693 truck engines, a conversion that proved to be a huge success. In this configuration, some machines had working careers that lasted into the mid-1980s. Not a bad record for an “ol’ timer”!
For the model collector There are five models of the Caterpillar DW20 available and these are as follows in order of size: 1:160th (N) scale DW20E & No 456 scraper made by Matchbox models in the 1950s. A very basic but accurate model that can be hard to find and is quite expensive in good condition. Long out of production.
3. Factory head on shot of a 1955 67C series DW20E, the subject of our brief specification list. In this view the simplicity of the design can be appreciated as well as just how close those tyres are to the operator. Must have been fun on a muddy day! 4. Winter 1951 in Pennsylvania, USA, and this early 21C series DW20 is stripping overburden in one of the many coal mines that exist in this state. Push tractor is a Caterpillar D8-2U series equipped with a push cup, especially for push loading scrapers.
4
BRIEF SPECIFICATIONS
Caterpillar DW20E – 67C series Engine: Caterpillar D337T, 6-cylinder, turbocharged inline diesel rated at300 horsepower @ 1800 rpm. Starting method: Caterpillar 2-cylinder petrol engine rated at 25 horsepower. Transmission: Caterpillar 5-speed constant mesh with 5-speed auxiliary gearbox giving an effective 10 speeds forward and 2 reverse. Clutch: Air boosted 16” double dry plate. Top speed: 33 mph. Steering: Worm and recirculating ball with hydraulic booster. Brakes: Air operated shoe type on drive and trailed equipment axles, synchronised to brake trailer first to prevent jackknifing. Tyres: Front – 14.00x24, 16-ply. Drive – 29.5x29, 22-ply E3. Scraper – 29.5x29, 22-ply E3. Scraper: Caterpillar No 456. Capacity: 18 cubic yards struck, 25 cubic yards heaped. Operation: Cable. Length: 43’ 10”. Width: 11’ 9”. Height: 11’ 3½” (to top of apron sheave tower). Operating Weight: 27 tons (empty), 53 tons (loaded).
GR4 14C GR43 4
1:87th (HO) scale DW20G by Roco. This is actually a 630A with a No 482 scraper but can be re-worked into a nice looking DW20 with a bit of care. Has a number of working features and is reasonably well detailed. First released in the late 1960s, is now long out of production and increasingly hard to find. 1:50th scale DW20E & No 456 scraper by EMD. Well detailed mixed media model from Eastern Europe and available through select dealers in the USA. You will be very happy if you can get one, but your wallet won’t. Horrendously expensive. 1:40th scale DW20 6W/21C series with W20 bottom dump by Revell. This is a rather crude plastic promotional model made by Revell for Caterpillar dealers when the DW20 was introduced. More curiosity value than a true scale model. 1:25th scale DW20E 67C series with No 456 scraper by ACMOC/First Gear. An absolutely wonderful, museum-class model which is so realistic you can just about hop in and drive off. Made in a very limited quantity, they don’t come much better than this, but they are expensive. Worth the investment if you’re into scrapers.
KEYSTONE TW3 WALL SYSTEM
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APRIL 2014 51
CONTRACTOR MOTORING BY PETER GILL
THIS IS DODGE It has to be the most elegant fuel delivery tanker ever made. Popularly known as The Texaco Truck, this model was built by Dodge from 1937 to 1940. It was inspired by the Chrysler Airflow coupe (inset), which was built by Dodge’s related company, Chrysler. It has a 5.4 litre 6 cylinder petrol engine. Only 330 were built. Not all were petrol tankers. Some delivered beer. Now wouldn’t the beer delivery version be a welcome visitor to any worksite at 5pm on a Friday afternoon?
HYBRID CONCEPT FROM SUBARU Subaru has begun showing its Viziv 2 concept car, claiming that it represents things to come from Subaru and the wider car industry. The company believes it’s the combination of a petrol engine and three electric motors that makes this car a standout. Subaru is not the only manufacturer to combine petrol and electricity power by any means, but the company has succeeded in making a hybrid vehicle look sexy rather than nerdy.
Frugal AND shiny The next generation of the very popular Mazda 3 has just been launched in New Zealand. It comes in both sedan and hatchback forms. There are two engines to choose from: a 2 litre and 2.5 litre, both of them petrol. The 2 litre is said to use a mere 5.7 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, and the 2.5 uses 6 litres, making them quite frugal. Prices start at $32,795. Here’s a thing I’ve long liked about Mazda. You get free regular servicing for three years or until 100,000 kilometres, whichever comes first. There’s nothing like a regular servicing, is there? 52 APRIL 2014
Multi-purposed pragmatism The original Ferguson tractor did sterling service on farms in New Zealand in the 1950s and 60s, and in many other countries, too. Now you mostly see them at boat ramps. But a little known fact is that its engine was derived from one designed for a car. That car was the Standard Vanguard which began production in England in 1947. The
engine that the car shared with the famous tractor was a 4 cylinder petrol unit of just over 2 litres. Of course it sounds louder in the tractor because of the straight-up non-muffled exhaust stack. Tractor drivers didn’t wear ear protectors in the Fergie’s heyday and consequently slowly went deaf.
THE SPIDER HARD TOP IS A TRUE SPORTS CAR, BEING REAR WHEEL DRIVE AND WITH THE ENGINE MOUNTED MIDSHIP.
Sierra Papa India Delta Echo Romeo – come in please Italy’s Alfa Romeo has been showing its convertible version of the 4C Spider. The Spider hard top is a true sports car, being rear wheel drive and with the engine mounted midship. Now it is available as a convertible so owners can drive
topless. It has a 4 cylinder 1750cc turbo petrol engine. Alfa intends to make it available in New Zealand. There is no word on price yet. But even if the announcement is six months away, Italy would could have had two new governments by then.
APRIL 2014 53
CONTRACTOR TRAINING
The stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) opened its Training Centre in mid-2012 to provide a service to the men and women who are working on the city’s damaged infrastructure. So far, the centre has had 3100 attendees through its training courses, has assessed over 800 unit standards and, most importantly, provided one to one on-job coaching for over 150 trainees. The SCIRT Training Centre Workplace Tutors (from left to right): Kingsley Hannah, David Tunbridge, Bill Hicks, Roy Parkin, Dennis Smyth. Tutor Alan Corbett is not pictured.
SCIRT – changing the face of training ABI KIBBLE talked to the SCIRT team about how the organisation is working collaboratively with key
stakeholders to change the face of training in Christchurch – and the legacy it will leave for the sector-wide industry beyond the life of SCIRT. SCIRT WAS SET UP to rebuild the city’s publicly-owned, earthquake-damaged horizontal infrastructure (wastewater, fresh water, storm water, roads, bridges and retaining walls) following the devastating earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. The organisation is an alliance between three owner participants – Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA), the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Christchurch City Council, and five non-owner participants who carry out the construction work – City Care, Downer NZ, Fletcher Construction, Fulton Hogan and McConnell Dowell. The work could not be done without the engagement of a number of civil construction sub-contractors. There was (and still is) an unprecedented amount of work to be done, and a key focus for SCIRT has been to grow workforce skill levels to meet the demands of the rebuild and beyond. This has included upskilling people already working in the industry, and providing new entrants with a baseline skill level so they can work safely and efficiently. The SCIRT Training Centre has engaged a team of Workplace Tutors, seconded from the non-owner participant organisations, who are dedicated to providing training and assessment for people working on the rebuild. A major point of difference is that the tutors go out on site and provide practical, work-based training free of charge. This enables site supervisors, managers and business owners to focus on the day to day running of their business, knowing that their staff are receiving expert tuition. The tutors can also add value for supervisors and managers by helping them gain the skills they need to manage their crews more effectively. SCIRT is committed to raising standards in the industry by linking training to national qualifications. This commitment is realised through a programme-wide Key Performance Indicator (KPI) which encourages teams to enrol their field staff in qualifications. SCIRT training manager Mason Tolerton explains, “We are really focused on working with and for industry to assist in the here and now of the rebuild while also leaving some real legacies to the infrastructure training environment.” Many SCIRT field staff are currently engaged in qualifications with the newly merged Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation, as well as with a number of other ITOs. These qualifications are suitable for people working from introductory 54 APRIL 2014
through to front line leadership level and cover a wide range of work including civil plant operation, infrastructure pipelaying, excavation and reinstatement, horizontal directional drilling, pavement surfacing, roadmarking, surveying, health and safety. Infrastructure ITO regional manager Fiona Malloch says, “Our partnership with SCIRT has really enhanced the learning experience for our trainees. My team’s role is to provide support and guidance to trainees to keep them on track with their qualifications, while the workplace tutors add a more technical perspective. Their hands-on approach makes the training more relevant, and enables people to gain the practical skills and experience they need to achieve their qualifications.” Workplace tutor Kingsley Hannah agrees that making training functional and relevant is the key to success. He says, “This is a very practical industry. Most of the people working in it learn best by doing, rather than by reading a book or sitting in a classroom. All of our tutors have years of experience – and that resonates with trainees and employers. We’ve forged some strong relationships with our clients and demand for our services has gone from strength to strength. We’ve gone from two tutors to six in order to keep up with demand.” Kingsley continues, “Our short courses are also popular, although we view them as complimentary to qualifications – not as a replacement. The qualifications are a benchmark of industry expectations and are vital to succession planning for the future. The short courses are ideal for people who need a basic level of knowledge quickly, or for those who need to update their skills because of changes to legislation or technology. We work closely with industry to make sure that we are meeting their needs. Our short courses have been developed in response to recurring issues or critical risk areas, such as cable location or slinging, lifting and placing.” Kingsley adds, “The SCIRT training model is helping to change attitudes towards training and qualifications. People are recognising the value of on-job training linked to qualifications and it is becoming an integral part of a company’s culture. The way I look at it is that we’re setting good habits for now and the future. When SCIRT ceases to exist in 2016, our aim is for the industry to pick up where we leave off.”
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CONTRACTOR PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Truck tyre accolades Continental has been named ‘Tire Manufacturer of the Year’ and also awarded for its recycling of end-of-life tires in conjunction with the retreading of truck tires at its ContiLifeCycle plant in Hanover. Both awards, from trade journal Tire Technology International were presented at a ceremony held at the Tire Technology Expo fair in Cologne, Germany. “To my mind, Continental has combined the global strategic view with great products
and a vision of a more sustainable future,” said one of the judges, David Shaw, head of research at Tire Industry Research. “The new plant in Sumter, USA, shows commitment to a global future, while the Hurricane machine demonstrates a desire to reduce, reuse and recycle. Meanwhile, their car and truck tire products continue to win praise from independent testers and fleets.” Continental Commercial Truck tyres are distributed in NZ by TRS Tyre and Wheel.
Talbert’s ultra-low deck The 55-ton spread-axle, low-deck trailer (55SA-LD) from Talbert Manufacturing features an industry-leading 18-inch (0.4572 metre) deck height and an ‘E1Nitro’ that so it can run with three axles, four axles close-coupled or as a 3+1 spread-axle. This highly versatile trailer is an optimal solution for haulers who need the flexibility of a low deck height and the flexibility to run a variety of configurations. Two inches lower than Talbert’s standard 55SA unit, this trailer provides a tremendous advantage for haulers who need to haul heavy and oversized equipment under bridges or through tunnels with low clearance rather than making trips around. In addition, the lower deck height equates to additional load opportunities.
Miniature crane models Contractor writer Richard Campbell will be delighted with these. Released at ConExpo this year were three of the new, and extremely well detailed, die-cast miniature models of Kobelco’s 250 metric tonne CKE2500G, and 275 US tons CK2750G crawler cranes on a scale of 1:50. In May Kobelco is also releasing a miniature model of its S-series, namely the 250 ton CKS2500. Development of these scale models has been a collaboration with Mammoet Merchandising, and manufactured by Tonkin Replicas.
A DV E RT I S E RS IN D E X Advancequip 27 Allied Petroleum 25 CablePrice OBC DitchWitch NZ IBC Drive Train 29 Global Survey IFC Groundwork Experts 31 Hirepool 32 Maccaferri 51 Mimico 3 Plan A 10 Prime Pumps 23
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NEOC sponsors Cable Price 32 Hirepool 40 Humes 39 NZCF/QEST 37 Pirtek 35 Trenchshoring 34 Vector 39 Z Energy 36
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