Inside Construction October/November 2023

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Group procurement manager Trent Chamberlain reveals how Winslow Group is introducing biodiesel to its plant and equipment with the help of Viva Energy.

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Editor’s Note Project Picks

Empowered Women in Trades highlights the power of language in transforming trades-based industries.

COVER STORY

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Powering progress Discover how civil construction services company Winslow Group introduced biodiesel with the help of Viva Energy.

EVENTS

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Saji Srivelan: Making an impact Saji Srivelan, sustainability coordinator at John Holland (North Western Program Alliance) shares how her career has enabled her to make a positive impact in the world.

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Ashley Beeby: Inspiring the next generation Find out how Ashley Beeby is already inspiring the next generation of diesel mechanics just six years into her career.

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FOCUS 14

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An innovative gamechanger National Precast Concrete Association Australia celebrates Master Precaster Hudson Civil’s bespoke precast solution for the Greater Meander Irrigation Scheme in Tasmania.

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A framework for collaboration Formwork Industry Association chief executive officer Michael Sugg explores how a collaborative framework could change the culture around safe work in the Australian formwork industry.

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Removing investment roadblocks

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Dedicated to people flow KONE demonstrates how its vertical and horizontal transportation solutions support the flow of people in all size builds.

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Big loads, big responsibility Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia tells all about its new Load Restraint Fundamentals and Best Practice Tyre Management courses.

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Be the change The National Association of Women in Construction national chairperson Christina Yiakkoupis shares her career journey in hopes of inspiring cultural change in the construction industry.

Industry training takes off Vertical Horizonz provides a first look of its new training centre in Brendale, Queensland.

Australian Constructors Association head of policy Robert Sobyra reveals his thoughts on why it’s so difficult for construction firms to invest.

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These machines mean business Komatsu offers two distinct paths for construction businesses to transform their excavation projects.

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Precast serenity National Precast Concrete Association Australia puts a spotlight on Master Precaster Advanced Precast and its precast solution for the Botanic Residential project in Brisbane.

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Providing a better life McConnell Dowell explains how its Employee Promise helps provide meaningful, challenging and impactful careers.

ASSOCIATIONS

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Cracking the code Hobson Engineering helps construction businesses understand their responsibility of structural bolting and masonry anchor compliance.

A global viewpoint on sustainability Dr Gretchen Gagel looks at sustainability in the construction industry through a global lens.

Winners’ circle Meet the winners of the 2023 Foundation Awards.

OPINION

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Supporting outstanding women Find out what companies have already come on board as sponsors for the 2024 Women in Industry Awards.

PROFILES

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Empowering people through language

Power surge Isuzu Power Solutions provides power resilience strategies in preparation for the upcoming summer months.

www.insideconstruction.com.au INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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WELCOME From the editorial team

Making strides

Chief Executive Officer John Murphy

In this edition, we celebrate the winners of the first Foundation Awards, recently held as part of the Inside Construction Expo, as well as showcase the latest innovations in sustainability, machinery and industry training.

Chief Operating Officer Christine Clancy

Group Managing Editor Andrew Hobbs andrew.hobbs@primecreative.com.au

Editor

In September, the Inside Construction Expo and Foundation Awards provided a vital platform for industry discussion, bringing together construction professionals from far and wide. Solutions to industry challenges were shared; new technologies and innovations were displayed; and construction leaders and businesses were recognised.

The event highlighted the need for new solutions to the ongoing labour shortage, with construction worker vacancies having risen by 80 per cent since 2019, according to the Arcadis International Construction Costs report, 2022. Discussions at the event also made clear that there’s still more that needs to be done to improve productivity in the sector.

The McKinsey Global Institute’s Reinventing construction: A route to higher productivity report states that global labour-productivity growth in the construction industry has averaged just 1 per cent per year over the past two decades.

Although many challenges were discussed, so too were a plethora of solutions. This edition of Inside Construction aims to similarly provide a platform for discussion by sharing the stories of those in the industry who are laying the groundwork for a better tomorrow.

This month, we sat down with the construction businesses and organisations tackling the labour shortage head on through new training courses and programs, employee initiatives, and technologies designed for all experience levels.

Find out how technology-enabled machines can improve business productivity by optimising the

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excavation process and discover the vertical and horizontal transportation solutions boosting labour, utilisation, cost and program efficiencies.

The 2024 Women in Industry Awards has also been announced, providing a unique opportunity for businesses to demonstrate their support of women in industry.

With nominations for the 10 award categories now open, discover how your business can help recognise and reward the achievements of women working within the construction, engineering, mining, manufacturing, process control and commercial road transport industries.

As we near closer to the New Year, we hope the October edition of Inside Construction provides solutions that can help your business kick off 2024 with success. Enjoy!

Ashley Grogan ashley.grogan@primecreative.com.au

Sales Manager Danny Hernandez danny.hernandez@primecreative.com.au

Art Director/Design Daz Woolley, Caterina Zappia

Head of Design Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au

Design Production Manager Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

Client Success Manager Glenn Delaney glenn.delaney@primecreative.com.au

Cover image credit Blake Storey

Head Office Prime Creative Pty Ltd 379 Docklands Drive, Docklands, Victoria 3008 Australia p: +61 3 9690 8766 f: +61 3 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.insideconstruction.com.au

Subscriptions +61 3 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Inside Construction is available by subscription from the publisher.

The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher

Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

Ashley Grogan, Inside Construction Editor

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

Copyright Inside Construction is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy.

All material in Inside Construction is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

The opinions expressed in Inside Construction are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

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REGULAR Project picks

Project Picks This month’s Project Picks showcases the latest major health, rail and transport infrastructure builds underway as well as the transformation of an iconic heritage-listed building – all set to benefit local communities and businesses alike.

With the innovative temporary barges in place, construction of the new bridge is well underway.

The new Footscray Hospital has topped out, with façade installation and internal fit out works now underway.

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New Bridgewater Bridge, Tasmania Contractor: McConnell Dowell Value: $600 million Details: McConnell Dowell is delivering reportedly Tasmania’s largest ever transport infrastructure project. Just north of Hobart, the New Bridgewater Bridge will replace the 1940’s lift-span bridge with a modern 1.2km structure spanning the River Derwent. The new bridge will significantly reduce commute times for the 22,000 daily users of this route and enhance freight logistics within the state. The winning design entails constructing a four-lane bridge downstream from the existing one, supplemented by upgraded interchanges at Granton and Bridgewater, plus a dedicated pathway for cyclists and pedestrians.

Status: McConnell Dowell has completed 60 per cent of bulk earthworks for the two traffic interchanges, and the purpose-built precast facility now has bridge segment casting underway. Piling and pier construction is progressing across the River Derwent, being completed from temporary barges strung together to form a safe, low impact working platform. The first bridge segment placement has been completed.

Initiatives: The New Bridgewater Bridge project team is collaborating with local social enterprise, Colony 47, to provide subsidised accommodation to some of McConnell Dowell’s new project employees in an initiative called ‘JumpStart’. This provides housing independence support for people aged between 18 and 24 during challenging times of low availability and high rent. The JumpStart program provides furnished houses, subsidised rent and property management support. The program is a way for young people to live independently while working or learning a trade.

New Footscray Hospital, Victoria Contractor: Multiplex Value: $1.5 billion Details: The new Footscray Hospital is one of the largest health infrastructure projects under construction in Victoria. It is being delivered as a public-private partnership by the Victorian Health Building Authority in partnership with Plenary Health Consortium and Multiplex, Western Health and Victoria University. Located at the corner of Geelong and Ballarat Roads in Footscray, the hospital will deliver more than 500 beds on completion. The new site will treat almost 15,000 additional patients annually and will enable around 20,000 additional people to be seen by the emergency department each year.

Status: For over a year, the site was said to be home to the most cranes in the Southern Hemisphere – with 10 operating simultaneously. The first three buildings in the precinct topped out earlier this year, with the hospital’s main hospital tower (inpatient unit tower) and sub-acute building recently reaching this milestone. The inpatient unit tower is the precinct’s highest point at 10-storeys high. To date, two million work hours have been carried out and more than 150,000 tonnes of concrete poured to complete the new structure. The focus is now on façade installation and internal fit out works. Construction for this transformative community asset is expected to be completed in 2025.

Initiatives: The project is supporting people focused initiatives with more than 130,000 hours completed by apprentices, trainees or cadets, and more than 100,000 hours completed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disabilities and disadvantaged Victorians.

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REGULAR Project picks

John Holland harnessed innovative engineering to install 20 concrete planks on the bridge deck at O’Riordan Street.

BESIX Watpac has now completed nine levels of façade installations on the transformative GPO Hotel Marriott project.

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INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

Botany Rail Duplication Project, Port Botany, New South Wales Contractor: John Holland Value: $400 million Details: Funded by the Australian Government, and delivered by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, this transformational project will duplicate the remaining 2.9km section of single line track to Port Botany, allowing freight to be moved more efficiently and effectively. By increasing freight capacity, the project will help meet future demand, with the amount of container freight handled by the port expected to jump by 77 per cent to 25.5 million tonnes by 2036. Each extra freight train travelling on the duplicated Port Botany Rail Line will take up to 54 trucks off Sydney’s roads.

Status: In August, John Holland worked around-the-clock to deliver the latest five-day possession, which included the demolition and installation of a new rail bridge deck at O’Riordan Street. Drawing on John Holland’s specialist lifting capabilities, two cranes weighing 750 and 650 tonnes worked simultaneously to install the 20 concrete planks on the bridge deck, each weighing up to 31 tonnes.

Initiatives: Thanks to innovative engineering, the new rail bridge at O’Riordan Street could be constructed alongside the rail track without disrupting train movements or road traffic below.

GPO Hotel Marriott, Adelaide, South Australia Contractor: BESIX Watpac Value: $200 million Details: The heritage-listed GPO building, constructed in the 1850’s, is being transformed by BESIX Watpac into South Australia's first hotel operated by luxury chain, Marriott International. The high-profile project is located in a prominent part of the Adelaide CBD and will feature 285 rooms, a presidential suite, club lounge, restaurants and bars, swimming pool and fitness centre and function rooms.

Status: Reaching a major milestone, the project team celebrated topping out in early October and recently completed nine levels of façade installations. The methodical approach to lift and stack the façade involves a crawler crane two floors above and a cantilevered scaffold over the heritage buildings.

Initiatives: Developer Greaton and builder BESIX Watpac have employed heritage and architecture consultant Lovell Chen to supervise the build, including connections and restoration work where the new hotel integrates with the historic GPO building. Important heritage measures have been implemented in the main postal hall, while specific protection measures have included preservation of the World War I Staff War Service Board and some of the pneumatic tubes system.

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COVER STORY Biodiesel

Powering progress Winslow Group, in line with its commitment to achieving strong sustainability outcomes through innovative solutions, is introducing biodiesel with the help of Viva Energy.

Winslow Group – a civil construction services company passionate about protecting and enhancing the environment in which it operates – is well into its decarbonisation journey, recently starting its move to biodiesel through Viva Energy.

Trent Chamberlain, group procurement manager at Winslow Group, says the company realised the potential of biodiesel for reducing emissions after discussions with key stakeholders at an energy summit sponsored

by Viva Energy and organised by the Victorian Transport Association, and after completing the first carbon inventory of its operations in 2022.

“Our 2022 carbon inventory brought to light the potential of biodiesel fuel as an easy solution, readily available to contribute to reducing our scope one emissions produced by diesel burn throughout our operations,” says Chamberlain.

“We have a long-term relationship with Viva Energy – our supplier of fuels and lubricants for our plant and equipment.

“It was a natural progression to look at sustainable options with Viva Energy given our established relationship. The company is one of the largest fuel suppliers in Australia

with extensive supply chain and logistics infrastructure to support its solutions.

“There is also a natural alignment between Winslow Group and Viva Energy’s sustainability ambitions, so it made sense to take our biodiesel journey together.”

Biodiesel is a co-mingled product that has a bio-sourced component of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) – esters of fatty acids derived from vegetable oils and animal fats – used as an alternative to conventional diesel.

Typically, biodiesel is blended with diesel in ratios of five per cent (B5), 10 per cent (B10) and 20 per cent (B20) ratios.

What truly pushed Winslow Group over the line to introduce biodiesel, says Chamberlain, is the product’s ability to provide environmental benefits without impacting company operations. Competitiveness in the construction industry is ever-increasing, and downtime can be the difference between winning or losing a project tender.

“Within the construction industry delivery and lead times are really important to our clients,” says Chamberlain. “Limiting project downtime provides our customers with certainty around us being able to get

“Winslow Group gets the immediate benefits of reducing its emissions by using biodiesel as an alternative to conventional diesel, but those benefits also flow down to its customers and the country’s broader sustainability goals.”

Biodiesel is a drop-in solution – it doesn’t require major upgrades to company equipment or assets.

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INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

Y a t

Winslow Group is introducing a B10 biodiesel blend with the help of Viva Energy.

the job delivered on time, without delays.

So, we’re really cautious about making any changes that could impact our overall production schedules of the jobsites that we work on.

“For us, introducing biodiesel was a logical choice because it requires no capital investment on our part in any of our plant or equipment, and at the B10 blend we’re using it’s essentially a drop-in solution – it doesn’t have any real impact on our operations or our equipment, and the fuelling process of our vehicles remains the same.”

Viva Energy key account manager transport Yap Chong Hua says there are several advantages to using biodiesel,

Yap Chong Hua, key account manager – transport, Viva Energy.

particularly in regard to the sustainability outcomes it produces without impact on the company’s operations.

“My role is to support customers in their transition to biodiesel by providing them access to the right technical experts within our business,” says Yap. “In the case of Winslow Group transitioning to our biodiesel product, we were able to support the company through our fuel product quality experts, who are available to answer any questions.”

“We also engaged our supply chain specialists to ensure Winslow Group’s transition to biodiesel was seamless.

“A big part of my role includes helping our customers, including Winslow Group, transition to biodiesel with no impact to their operations, while also making sure the product quality is up to specification and any original equipment manufacturer (OEM) requirements or concerns about using biodiesel are addressed by both Viva Energy and the customer.”

The major advantage, explains Yap, is there is no need for the company transitioning to biodiesel to change any of its business practices. The company can simply order the biodiesel instead of its regular diesel and as a result, get an up to 20 per cent bio component and therefore a 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions with no impact to operations. Fundamentally, it’s business as usual for the contractor.

With the Australian Federal Government’s recent commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 across the nation, Yap says Viva Energy has seen many customers take a ‘wait and see’ posture. “Whereas Winslow Group is stepping up to make greener choices now,” explains Yap.

“Viva Energy has provided all of the information we’ve needed to make our move to introduce biodiesel successful.”

www.insideconstruction.com.au INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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COVER STORY Biodiesel

Trent Chamberlain, group procurement manager, Winslow Group.

“Winslow Group gets the immediate benefits of reducing its emissions by using biodiesel as an alternative to conventional diesel, but those benefits also flow down to its customers and the country’s broader sustainability goals.

“It’s customers like Winslow Group, those actively striving to reduce emissions today, that are positioning themselves ahead of the curve as sustainability requirements intensify across the industry – which we’re already seeing in the surging popularity of specified green buildings.”

Winslow Group’s introduction of biodiesel has been further streamlined by the extensive support it has received along the way. Viva Energy has provided educational materials to Winslow Group’s plant and logistics department to help all its team members understand the benefits of using biodiesel, giving them confidence around its use.

“Viva Energy has also provided information around the various blends of biodiesel available to be used on different pieces of our plant and equipment, because that percentage can change depending on engine configuration, equipment and brand,” says Chamberlain. “Viva Energy has provided all of the information we’ve needed to make our move to introduce biodiesel successful.

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INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

“As the procurement manager at Winslow Group, I’m getting more and more calls from our project managers who are speaking to our clients about what sustainability options we can bring into the jobs and developments that they’re creating.

“We’re seeing an increase in customers wanting contractors to use sustainable solutions on their projects and it’s happening on all levels, from big publicly listed companies with clear targets around their sustainability ambitions to smaller private developers.”

As it does with all of its customers, Viva Energy puts in time and effort to understand exactly what Winslow Group is trying to achieve and the timeline it had in mind for its sustainability journey. As Mairead Hayes, national sales manager - commercial road transport at Viva Energy puts it – “there’s no one-size-fits-all solution on the journey to sustainability”.

Although customers like Winslow Group are leading the way, says Hayes, the market is still maturing in the sustainability space.

“As things evolve, we’ll see different solutions become more practical and applicable to different types of customers,” she says.

“We have drop-in solutions that are ready right now for customers looking to start their sustainability journey, such as biodiesel and renewable diesel, and we’re also working on solutions for future applications.

“These drop-solutions are generally accepted by OEMs, but as always, owners should always check in with them before making the change.

“Winslow Group consulted with its OEMs in regard to transitioning items of plant and equipment to biodiesel, who were comfortable to give the green light.”

Both Viva Energy and Winslow Group are seeing a sustainability push from stakeholders from all levels of the supply and value chain. There’s still a way to go for the industry to make true inroads in reducing its emissions output, with conventional fuels still a requirement while infrastructure and technology evolves. But partnerships like that of Viva Energy and Winslow Group, bolstered by their collaborative approach, are setting a standard for what can be achieved by harnessing sustainable solutions today.

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FOCUS Fastener requirements

Cracking the code Hobson Engineering is going the extra mile to ensure construction businesses understand their responsibility of structural bolting and masonry anchor compliance, following recent changes to the National Construction Code.

Hobson Engineering’s structural head markings.

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The National Construction Code (NCC) 2022, which is mandatory for construction professionals to follow, now includes new references to design standards for structural bolting and masonry anchors. In an effort to ensure complete compliance across the construction industry, and create safer and more reliable structures as a result, Hobson Engineering is working hard to enlighten professionals in the sector about what is required to comply with the new design and product standards as outlined in the latest NCC. Alex Sharp, senior engineer at Hobson Engineering, defines the NCC as the overarching set of requirements for the design, construction and performance of buildings and structures in Australia. The code is not specific, he says, rather it points construction professionals in the right direction.

“Whether it’s residential or commercial construction, all projects need to be in line with the NCC,” says Sharp. “People don’t often consider the quality aspects of fasteners and what is required for a nut, bolt or any kind of fi xing to comply to this code.”

“The NCC tells people that a building needs to be designed to the AS4100 standard, and within that standard, it will tell people that the connections they use need to comply with a particular product standard.”

“At Hobson Engineering, we find a lot of noncompliant product in the Australian market, which is a big issue in regard to safety,” says Sharp. “It is, however, understandable that people are allowed to get away with this, because you can’t expect designers and higher-end stakeholders to know all the details about a specific product and how it needs to be designed to comply.”

The NCC 2022 includes a substantial change to design standards – in particular AS 4100:2021 which references AS/NZS 1252:2016, which is the Australian structural bolting standard. But the standard has been updated to address risks associated with structural bolts.

“People were using the excuse of structural bolting standards not being in the NCC to buy and use cheaper products,” says Sharp.

“With the new NCC, that’s all out the window and there are no more excuses.

“We often have customers tell us that we’re telling them that they have to use this new

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

product standard, but our competitors are saying different and selling them the cheaper product – that’s the biggest challenge for us.”

Parallel to the new design standards, the NCC references a standard on how to fabricate and erect structures, which wasn’t referenced before. Now that this is included, Sharp says he expects to see many more people asking for quality test certificates from the suppliers and manufacturers of fasteners.

The reason why the NCC needed to be updated, explains Sharp, was because there were serious safety issues in Australia that needed to be addressed – there were structural elements failing and people getting hurt.

Since its inception, Hobson Engineering has ensured it is ahead of the curve in making sure that its products are compliant.

Even before the release of the new NCC, the company has always conducted assembly testing in line with AS1252:2016.

Now that the 2022 NCC has been released, it has provided further input around testing requirements for fasteners, in order to get the outcomes the industry wants and needs, which is safer and more reliable products.

Hobson Engineering adopted these testing provisions as soon as they were released and has been pushing them ever since.

“Those importing fasteners from other countries take on the legal responsibility of the product’s performance,” says Sharp. “We’re happy to take on that responsibility, which is why we’re out there educating the industry on why compliance to the NCC is important.”

“We work closely with other non-commercial entities, such as the Australian Steel Institute, to educate the industry and share technical information so that people think about the products they are using.”

With the new NCC – AS1252, 2016 – some European standards have been nominated as an alternative, as well as an additional standard.

Before this, all structural bolts were an 800MPa 8.8 metric bolt. With the allowance of the Eurocode standard, the construction industry can now use 10.9 metric bolts, which are essentially a stronger 1,000MPa structural bolt.

“Some people in the industry were using 10.9 metric bolts before the new NCC was released, and they shouldn’t have been,” says Sharp.

“We often saw cases of construction companies using a non-structural product

standard, which doesn’t have as much testing.

“Now, 10.9 is allowed under the NCC; it’s allowed in the design standards, and we have a product standard that’s available.”

Hobson Engineering is setting With the improved strength of 10.9 metric an industry standard for fastener bolts, constructors can use less bolts, and quality and compliance. designers have more flexibility in how they design connections.

When it comes to bolt tightening methods, compliance – need to comply with the NCC the Eurocode standard now outlined in the and its demonstration requirements, which NCC nominates a product, called K2, that can for fasteners is through product standards and be tightened using a torque method. Within for anchors is through a design standard that Australia’s fabrication and erection standards, requires specific test reporting using an ETA.” before the release of the new NCC, turn-ofAt the end of the day, says Sharp, the nut and using a DTI washer were the only two contractors signing off on non-compliant methods outlined on how to tighten bolts. designs are the ones that will come unstuck.

“A lot of people want to use torque because “Even if it’s not technically your fault because they see it as an easier and more reliable way the product failed, it is still your responsibility of tightening,” says Sharp. to do your due diligence,” says Sharp.

“But if you want to do it you need to have a “You should be thinking about and collecting very consistent, reliable product and you can all quality documents.” only really do it with this K2 product, which is Further to the legal aspects of compliance in from the Eurocode standard. the Australian construction industry, the NCC “Now that the Eurocode standard has been is there to ensure safety. Hobson Engineering referenced by our standards, which has been works tirelessly to ensure that its fasteners are referenced by the design standard, which compliant for the safety of all stakeholders has been referenced by the NCC, it is fully involved in the building of structures, compliant in Australia.” including the end user.

With the Australian Standards now aligned with European methods, masonry anchor design is also improved. The masonry anchor design standard – AS5216 – has been around for a while now and was referenced in the previous NCC. Before the 2022 version was released, there were no standards for masonry anchor design in Australia, rather they were designed based on the propriety company’s standard. With European methods now referenced in the NCC, European Technical Assessment (ETA) is required for all propriety products.

“Designers and suppliers now have to provide customers with an ETA, which outlines all of the design criteria used to design the masonry anchors,” says Sharp.

“Additionally, AS5216 has been updated to include more design specifications.

“We want people to really start thinking about the products they are using, ensuring that each and every product complies with the design standard as outlined in the NCC.” “All fastener standards – even though there are two different methods of demonstrating

“Whether it’s residential or commercial construction, all projects need to be in line with the National Construction Code.”

Hobson Engineering’s National Construction Code compliant Conxtruct PRO anchors.

www.insideconstruction.com.au INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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FOCUS Employment and careers

Providing a better life By harnessing its Employee Promise, McConnell Dowell is attracting new people to the construction industry and providing them and its current employees with meaningful, challenging and impactful careers.

“We genuinely believe in providing a better life, whether that’s through building infrastructure or supporting the communities in which we work.”

McConnell Dowell has long been a strongly values-driven organisation, with its purpose – providing a better life – and authenticity on delivering on that purpose underscoring its success.

Within this purpose sit five company values: safety and care, working together, honesty and integrity, performance excellence, and customer focus. The words themselves don’t differentiate McConnell Dowell from other companies – many businesses have similar worded values and purposes. It’s the authentic nature of the company’s purpose and values that makes them unique.

Steve Collett, executive general manager people and group strategy at McConnell Dowell, started with the company in 2016 as the executive general manager of human resources, before also taking on McConnell Dowell’s group strategy portfolio in 2019. With over 25 years’ experience in human resources, industrial relations and management consulting, Collett has seen first-hand the difference company values, and their commitment to those values, can make on employees, both new and existing.

“We genuinely believe in providing a better life, whether that’s through building infrastructure or supporting the communities in which we work,” says Collett.

“The Echuca-Moama Bridge Project, a new Murray River crossing connecting Victoria and New South Wales which we finished last year, is but one example.”

McConnell Dowell is providing employees with meaningful, challenging and impactful careers.

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The local Echuca and Moama communities had been calling for a second Murray River crossing for more than 50 years. Delivered

by McConnell Dowell, the new crossing has removed around 10,000 vehicles from local roads each day, which has in turn reduced commuting times and provided safer and easier travels between Echuca and Moama for locals and visitors alike.

The Level Crossing Removal Projects McConnell Dowell is currently delivering in Melbourne will similarly benefit local communities, improving safety by removing the danger of train and vehicle or user collisions, and reducing congestion and delays by allowing vehicles and users to pass through without having to wait for trains.

“The projects we deliver genuinely provide a better life for local and surrounding communities,” says Collett.

“We also aim to provide a better life for our employees located around the globe – including Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region – by providing good jobs, good pay, good skills and good opportunities.

“Our purpose and values really do underpin what we do and how we do it, in all aspects.”

Employee Promise Furthering its commitment to providing a better life, McConnell Dowell recently held a series of workshops with a wide range of people within the organisation and asked them questions around what makes them stay at the business, what makes work enjoyable and what made them join the business.

Built upon their many varied answers, McConnell Dowell developed an Employee Promise with four key pillars: join us, be you; build balance; grow together; and make a difference.

Join us, be you McConnell Dowell prides itself on promoting a culture low on ego and high on support.

“We’re a big, multinational organisation with the capability to deliver complex engineering and infrastructure works, but we’re small enough to be agile and close-knit,” says Collett. “During the hiring process we regularly hear things like, “I would never have had an opportunity to even speak to the chief

E ‘ j b

Employee Promises such as ‘Build Balance’ promote a journey toward healthy work-life balance for employees.

executive officer in my previous role”.”

“Whereas our chief executive officer and members of our executive team are regularly moving around and having conversations with all levels of the McConnell Dowell team.

“It’s about embracing difference and diversity and providing an inclusive space where people feel welcomed – we want you to join us and be you.”

McConnell Dowell, as with any other construction and engineering business, works in a particularly difficult sector of the economy. Construction is commercially high-risk, and a lot can go wrong. The company manages the physical risk but understands that if a tender goes wrong or unexpected challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic come into play, having a unified, supported workforce where everyone feels valued for their individual skills, experiences and passions can be the difference between success or failure. By encouraging all its employees to be themselves and make an impact, McConnell Dowell is setting them up for success in even the most challenging of situations.

This commitment to its employees includes actively celebrating diversity, inclusion and individuality. For instance, in the past eight years, McConnell Dowell has grown female representation in its business by 63 per cent and continues to revise its approach to improving diversity company-wide.

Build balance The construction industry is full on and demands a lot of people. Many construction projects have seven days a week rotating rosters, but McConnell Dowell is striving to move away from this traditional working model. Although difficult, the company is leading the charge to change those expectations of long-hours, demanding rosters

McConnell Dowell provides a better life by building infrastructure and supporting communities.

and little downtime, on an industry level. “We’re conscious that working in construction can create an unsustainable lifestyle if you let it, so we pride ourselves on making sure our people get every opportunity to improve their worklife balance,” says Collett. “That’s not to say we’ve achieved this, we’ve still got more work to do to build true balance across the board, but we’re very conscious of it and are trying to shift the needle as best we can.”

One of the benefits of COVID-19 was that it created opportunities for people to work differently, such as remotely or in a different city. Since the height of the pandemic, like many organisations, McConnell Dowell has adopted a hybrid, working from home model.

Some of its staff prefer to be in the office fulltime, while others who have longer commutes work a couple of days from home. The company has, for example, people supporting its projects in Australia from Manilla and people supporting a project in Tonga from Christchurch in New Zealand.

Grow together “We also grow together, as a business and as people within the business, and we’re stronger because of it,” says Collett. Again, there’s always room for improvement, but we’re focused on making sure our people get those opportunities for growth, and to develop their skills and experience.”

For those looking to expand further on their horizons, McConnell Dowell provides its existing employees opportunities to travel and experience working in its different locations around the world. With operations in 15 countries, the company is increasingly focused on internal transfers of its people looking to work in a new country or area of the business. Some people have worked in McConnell Dowell’s operations in The Philippines for a long time and have made the

“We also grow together, as a business and as people within the business, and we’re stronger because of it.”

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FOCUS Employment and careers

McConnell Dowell is a strongly values-driven organisation.

decision to relocate to work in the company’s Australian arm. Others have moved from its operations in Indonesia to work on a project in Tonga. There are endless opportunities for people to work in areas where they have skills, capability and passion, wherever that may be.

“We always endeavour to create open dialogue through development discussions for our employees to voice their career goals and share the various opportunities that are available in the organisation,” says Collett. “We also reach out to people who we think might benefit from particular opportunities.”

“We have an open-door culture in McConnell Dowell where we encourage anyone to come to us and talk about their careers and what they want to do.”

“We communicate our Employee Promise during the recruitment process because we want people to know that they’re stepping into a company that cares.”

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Make a difference The final pillar – make a difference – directly relates to McConnell Dowell’s purpose of providing a better life. All four pillars under the Employee Promise link back to that purpose in one way or another.

“What we do as a construction and engineering business is we build the structures and buildings of tomorrow,” says Collett. “We build infrastructure, which provides productivity benefits for the communities that we work in, but we extend on that.”

“We do things like promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, attend schools and talk about the opportunities available in the industry, and work with community groups to provide different employment and learning opportunities.

“It all makes a difference for both our employees and the wider community.”

McConnell Dowell’s recent partnership with Australian disability enterprise Vivid on Stage 3 of the Echuca-Moama Bridge

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

Project gave the company the opportunity to provide young people living with disabilities with employment, which included site maintenance, office and vehicle cleaning and environmental duties.

“The partnership enabled Vivid-supported employees to graduate in Certificate II in Commercial Cleaning, an education pathway enabled through TAFE,” says Collett.

“It’s partnerships like these that cement our commitment to our purpose – it made such a profound difference to the supported employees, their parents, the community and the entire McConnell Dowell project team.”

McConnell Dowell’s partnership with Vivid is just one of the many environmental and social initiatives the company spearheads across its global operations.

Creating better together McConnell Dowell currently has a campaign running on LinkedIn, which shares real-life stories from people in the organisation speaking to the four pillars of its Employee Promise.

One story the company is sharing through this campaign is that of an employee who came to Australia as a refugee with little education. Through cadetship schemes and traineeships, she’s now forged a successful and rewarding career with McConnell Dowell.

Another campaign story includes one of McConnell Dowell’s male engineering managers who took primary carers parental leave. He speaks to this leave in the campaign and what a difference it made for him and his family.

“For us, it’s not just words on a page,” says Collett. “The stories we’re sharing through this campaign are lived experiences of people within our organisation, and that’s powerful.”

“We’re not just putting up examples of what we want to do, we’re sharing examples of what we have been doing.

“We communicate our Employee Promise during the recruitment process because we want people to know that they’re stepping into a company that cares.”

Embracing its authentically driven purpose, values and Employee Promise, McConnell Dowell is investing in its people, its customers and the communities it works in to provide a better life for all.

FOCUS Technology for hydraulic excavators

These machines mean business Komatsu’s Smart Construction Retrofit Kit and Intelligent Machine Control hydraulic excavators both offer distinct qualities that cater to different industry needs and preferences. Komatsu’s Tony Clear delves into the two options, putting a spotlight on each of their key features and advantages.

Tony Clear, national business development manager, Komatsu Australia.

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Komatsu’s Smart Construction range offers two distinct paths for construction businesses to transform their excavation projects – Retrofit Kit (RFK) and Intelligent Machine Control (iMC) 2.0 excavators. Designed to support operators to achieve higher levels of precision, efficiency and safety, these technology-enabled machines are each ground-breaking for construction professionals in their own right. Inside Construction caught up with Komatsu Australia national business development manager Tony Clear to learn more about each of these machines’ unique capabilities.

The Smart Construction RFK is a guidance only solution equipped with a 3D global positioning system (GPS), says Clear, which provides information and communications technology (ICT) functionality to any excavator, new or existing. It provides a costeffective way for construction businesses to bring intelligence to their existing fleet.

RFK allows the operator to put a 3D model into the system, which is displayed on a tablet device in the cab. The 3D model can either be a complex design provided by a surveyor or a simple flat pad, slope or trenchline easily created in the field by the operator. The 3D machine guidance function, through a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), defines the machine’s location, allowing the operator to see where the excavator bucket teeth, left and right, are in relation to the model in real-time.

The operator can then accurately dig to the design model without having to use surveyors.

Further, RFK includes a payload function.

The Payload Meter, unique to the market at its price point, enables the operator to optimise loading by accurately measuring the weight of each bucket load. Overloading a truck can come with legal and safety ramifications, which can include large fines. There’s a chain of legal responsibility for a truck’s load, meaning everyone from the loader to the truck driver to the business owner, is liable.

If a truck driver turns around a corner too quickly and the truck is overloaded, there’s a higher chance of that load being lost, posing safety risks for the driver and the public.

“Consequently, people want to make sure they’re not overloading their trucks,” says Clear. “The traditional method of loading a truck involves a lot of guesswork, so operators would load the truck way under the load limit.”

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

“Using the Payload Meter, the business can move more materials with the same amount of truck cycles, which is profitable for all parties, improves onsite productivity, and reduces fuel consumption and therefore emissions.”

The iMC 2.0 offers similar GPS functionality to the RFK, but adds significant productivity benefits through semi-autonomous functionality and is integrated. In its range of excavators, Komatsu has four iMC 2.0 enabled models – the PC210LCi, PC290LCi, PC360LCi, and PC490LCi. “The iMC 2.0 excavators unleash the full potential for productivity gains via semi-automation,” says Clear. “The integrated GPS means that the machine’s control of its own hydraulics will not let the machine dig through the design model.”

Rework is a word that construction professionals don’t want to hear when delivering a project. It can be costly and affect productivity and workflow, yet continues to be a common issue in the industry. If an operator over-digs material that they shouldn’t have, for instance, they have to put it back and then compact it, resulting in additional costs, time and fuel usage. With an iMC 2.0 enabled machine, regardless of the experience of the operator, they can’t overbreak the model – the machine won’t let them do it.

“In the case of pulling a batter with a normal machine without GPS, the operator would generally face the machine to the batter wall,

Tony Clear showing the quality components of Komatsu’s Smart Construction Retrofit Kit (RFK) hydraulic excavators.

K l t i

One of Komatsu’s Smart Construction iMC 2.0 hydraulic excavators on display at the 2023 Inside Construction Expo.

look at the top where the surveyor has put a peg marking the breakout point at the top, and scratch around with the excavator bucket to create a starting point,” says Clear.

“Then, they look at the bottom peg, scratch around it and, if they’re a skilled and experienced operator, pull a straight line between two points.

“Whereas with an iMC 2.0 machine, the operator can face the wall and throw the excavator arm at it, but it won’t allow it to go through.”

During boom, arm or bucket operation, the auto-stop control feature of the iMC 2.0 stops the excavator bucket edge on the design surface. As the operator approaches the model, the machine will automatically tilt the bucket to match the design. No operator input is required. The bucket edge is exactly on design as the operator pulls down the batter.

“With an iMC 2.0 machine, the operator can just go for it,” says Clear. “The time savings are unbelievable, not to mention the productivity benefits.”

What Komatsu is trying to do with regard to its technology is make it easy-to-use for operators of all levels. The skilled labour shortage continues to put pressure on contractors, with experienced operators in high demand, so Komatsu is delivering userfriendly technology that makes operators more productive to help take the pressure off.

Komatsu’s RFK defines the machine’s location, allowing the operator to see where the excavator bucket teeth, left and right, are in relation to the model in real-time.

“We’re improving productivity for construction businesses in every way we possibly can,” says Clear. “Komatsu is constantly evolving the machines themselves, but another way we can make the operator more productive is with technology.”

Komatsu’s iMC 2.0 excavators are technologically advanced, with features that eliminate over-digging and rework, reduce the need for surveyors, remove manual intervention and boost ease of operation.

“Using my example of the batter wall, the operator is more productive, not only because of the machine itself, but because of the technology that’s in the machine,” says Clear.

Depending on the construction business’s requirements and preferences, both RFK and iMC 2.0 excavators provide huge value in regard to productivity, precision, efficiency and safety. As the construction industry continues to endure low margins and low productivity, it’s solutions like RFK and iMC 2.0 from Komatsu’s Smart Construction range that can help businesses turn the tide and thrive in what is a competitive and demanding market.

“With an iMC 2.0 machine, the operator can just go for it.”

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FOCUS Industry training

Vertical Horizonz’ new training facility.

Industry training takes off Building on its existing premium work health and safety training services for the construction industry, Vertical Horizonz has launched its new training centre in Brendale, Queensland.

To enhance job competency and certainty across the construction and infrastructure sectors, as well as several other major industries, Vertical Horizonz has opened the doors of its new training centre in northwest Brisbane, offering an enhanced, larger range of structured workplace health and safety training courses.

Vertical Horizonz principal executive officer James Moohan has been with the company since 2017, moving from its New Zealand operations to its Australian arm in 2019.

Recognising the opportunity to take Vertical Horizonz’ training capabilities in Queensland

James Moohan, principal executive officer, Vertical Horizonz.

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to a new level, he spearheaded the company’s move from its former training centre in the north Brisbane suburb of Geebung to the new facility in Brendale.

More than four times the size of Vertical Horizonz’ previous training centre, the Brendale facility has increased capability to accommodate a wide and comprehensive range of indoor and outdoor workplace health and safety training courses.

“The changing and evolving needs of the industries we service act as a catalyst for our continued expansion and growth as a training provider,” says Moohan.

Heights and confined space training structure taking shape.

B t i e a n B

Breathing apparatus training for working in an oxygen depleted environment conducted at Vertical Horizonz’ new training facility in Brendale.

“We identified a local demand for a broader scope of courses delivered in an environment that is both engaging and visually appealing, which is exactly what we offer at our new facility.

“Fundamentally, the purpose of our new centre is to set a benchmark for workplace health and safety training, both nationally and internationally, to help save lives.”

The new training centre has enabled Vertical Horizonz to not only add new public courses to its portfolio, but also enhance the working at heights, confined space, rescue, and other training that it’s always offered.

As an accredited Global Wind Organisation (GWO) certified training provider, Vertical Horizonz delivers basic safety training for the wind turbine and energy industry, which due to the specialised requirements of this training, wasn’t available at its Geebung facility. With a much larger apex, the new training centre has the functionality to facilitate GWO training, which is set to kick off at the location in coming months.

The larger size of the new facility also allows Vertical Horizonz to run multiple training events simultaneously. “For instance, we can now run a confined space course, a working at heights course and a forklift course – all at the same time,” says Moohan.

All courses are delivered by industry experienced trainers, who have crucial insight into the requirements, challenges and hazards commonly faced in each specific industry’s workplace environment.

The new facility is already open to the public, with an official grand opening set to take place in October this year. “We’ll be sending invitations to our stakeholders and the local community and encourage everyone to come and see what we have on offer,” says Moohan.

“Fundamentally, the purpose of our new centre is to set a benchmark for workplace health and safety training, both nationally and internationally, to help save lives.”

The new training facility’s upstairs offices and downstairs training rooms.

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FOCUS Industry training

The Vertical Horizonz team – James Moohan, principal executive officer; Monique Remiers Edwards, business development manager; Vanessa Moohan, administrator; Nicole Hall, account manager; and David Maiden, operations manager. Absent: Irene Bentley, client liaison.

“We identified a local demand for a broader scope of courses delivered in an environment that is both engaging and visually appealing, which is exactly what we offer at our new facility.”

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“Since opening our lighter, brighter, more dynamic facility in July, we’ve been pleased to see lots of repeat business, confirming that the centre meets the evolving training needs of the general public.”

“Whether it’s an individual or a full construction team, we’re now able to offer them large training areas, more complex and specialised courses, and put them through their paces to show them different up-to-date methods and techniques of operating.”

Vertical Horizonz’ passion for delivering real training that saves lives is evident in the rigorous design of its courses and new facility.

Having provided tailored safety training to various industries for over 20 years, including construction, Moohan says the company is not about simply ticking boxes.

“We’re about delivering experiences that truly engage the trainee, so that they can go back to their worksite with new knowledge

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

and the ability to recall the learnings we’ve provided,” says Moohan. “We actively engage with the industries we service to ensure that the training we deliver is current, relevant and meets the requirements of each industry.”

“Industries evolve and we understand that, so we also work closely with our trainers – the subject matter experts – to update and develop our training activities and materials to suit, while ensuring we stay within the guidelines of the Australian Skills Quality Authority’s evidenced requirements.”

In conjunction with its concerted approach to providing relevant and engaging industry training, Vertical Horizonz pursues innovation whenever possible, streamlining processes, inspiring student interaction and applying the latest in technology. To assist with fire training, for instance, Vertical Horizonz has employed virtual reality to provide trainees an immersive experience in a real-time environment.

“We’re also in the process of moving our services to an online platform, which will allow more flexibility for trainees to interact with courses in their own time,” says Moohan.

The Queensland construction industry and general public will continue to benefit from a greater selection of specialised health and safety courses, delivered by trainers with firsthand industry experience in the sophisticated and spacious setting of Vertical Horizonz’ new training centre in Brendale.

Available courses include: • Work safely at heights • Enter and work in a confined space • Provide first aid and CPR • Heights and confined space rescue • Contaminated site safety • Global Wind Organisation basic safety training • High risk work licences including: - Licence to perform dogging - Licence to operate a vehicle mounted crane - Licence to operate a boom type elevated work platform • Fire training • Manual handling • Construction White Card

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FOCUS People flow in building environments

Dedicated to people flow KONE is improving people flow of urban life in construction building environments, delivering vertical and horizontal transportation solutions for small building projects to large commercial scale developments and infrastructure.

Improving the flow of urban life is at the core of KONE. The global elevator and escalator company has over 100 years’ experience delivering vertical and horizontal transportation solutions to the building sector, supporting the flow of people in smaller builds all the way up to major towers and infrastructure.

Whether it’s a small requirement of moving someone from a ground floor to a second floor in a building or a larger commercial tower requiring the vertical transportation of people over 100 floors, KONE has a solution.

KONE director of New Building Solutions Australia and New Zealand Adam Grando has been with the business for nearly 10

years, working in various areas from frontline customer service and facility management to critical modernisation projects and key account management. Now serving as director of the New Building Solutions team, Grando says KONE has exciting new technologies and innovations on offer that support the entire lifecycle of its assets.

“KONE has pioneered several vertical and horizontal transportation innovations for the building sector throughout its long history,” says Grando. “We also offer various other elements around people flow, including turnstiles, destination control and access control systems to provide a smooth and seamless user journey.”

Adam Grando, director of New Building Solutions Australia and New Zealand, KONE Elevators.

KONE is to deliver its sustainable vertical transport system on the iconic Waterfront Brisbane project.

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Established in 1910, today KONE continues to deliver its solutions for projects around the world. Most recently, KONE announced a partnership with Dexus and its delivery partner John Holland to exclusively deliver its premium vertical transportation solution for the North Tower of the iconic Waterfront Brisbane project. As part of this project, KONE anticipates servicing the people flow for up to 52 lettable floors upon its completion.

“Waterfront Brisbane is set to optimise technology and sustainability initiatives – such as our high-rise sustainable technologies – to create a world-class office and retail location, bolstered by advanced user experience and accessibility,” says Grando. “We’ve delivered a large range of different projects for the commercial, industrial, retail, major infrastructure and residential construction sectors across Australia and New Zealand.”

Another notable project KONE has helped develop is Australia 108, a residential supertall skyscraper in the Southbank precinct of Melbourne boasting 100 habitable levels.

In partnership with Multiplex, KONE delivered its EcoDisc hoisting motor solution, designed with an innovative copper winding system that reduces the amount of energy lost as heat, in turn improving the building’s energy efficiency.

Additionally, the project was one of the first to implement KONE’s super-light UltraRope technology, a thin carbon fibre rope surrounded by a unique high-friction coating used as an alternative to heavy traditional steel rope, which proved vital to the project’s success given the height and scale of the tower. Weighing around a fifth of traditional steel rope, UltraRope technology greatly reduced the weight of the overall elevator solution, resulting in energy savings, as well as reduced operating costs. The product’s highfriction coating also enabled the elevator to reach a much larger height, given its durability in adverse weather conditions, therefore producing a smoother ride quality for users.

On the sustainability front, UltraRope’s carbon fibre rope technology doesn’t stretch in comparison to traditional steel ropes which are known to stretch over time, reducing the maintenance lifecycle.

For builders looking to streamline project delivery, KONE offers its JumpLift solution, a

KONE’s digital planner tools assist with pre-development concept and design.

construction time elevator with a temporary machine room that climbs with the building floor-by-floor as construction progresses.

“This solution enables the construction project team to continue working on elements of the building below the current top out point, providing them an overall program saving,” says Grando.

“We pioneered this solution in Australia, and it continues to be a gamechanger for contractors in delivering projects on time and on budget globally.”

Looking at some of the constraints today in the construction industry – labour, utilisation, cost and program inefficiencies produce some of the biggest impacts to the overall delivery of a new project. By providing solutions like JumpLift, KONE directly assists the developer to deliver the project on time – or in some cases ahead of schedule, providing benefits for all project stakeholders.

Grando says one of the main reasons he loves working for KONE is the innovative solutions the company pioneers and brings to the market. With more than 3,000 patents across the business, KONE’s latest technologies include its digital experience elevators (DX), which utilise open protocol to connect to other technologies in and around the building via an application programming interface (API).

“We’ve connected many different solutions with DX, including cleaning and delivery robots within a building,” says Grando.

“We’ve connected DX with concierge robots that escort people into the lift and to their destination, as well as robots that will take the lift to bring the coffee someone ordered through a smartphone application to their hotel door or boardroom meeting.”

“DX also connects with other technologies which, for instance, enable visitors of a building to call the lift from the carpark using an application on their smartphone.”

“KONE has pioneered several vertical and horizontal transportation innovations for the building sector throughout its long history.”

www.insideconstruction.com.au INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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FOCUS People flow in building environments

KONE’s JumpLift™ and UltraRope® solutions were pivotal in building Australia 108.

“Our end-to-end solutions, up front customer support and experienced technicians provide project teams peace of mind knowing they’re getting a quality product that’s been installed safely to the highest standard.”

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Creating a contactless journey has been a headline topic since the COVID-19 pandemic, and KONE endeavours to deliver that through its futuristic in-building transportation solutions.

It’s been challenging for many building owners and developers to find technology that speaks to one another, explains Grando.

DX removes that limitation. KONE provides true, future-proof solutions that will connect and speak to all other technologies installed in a building. The company isn’t inventing the robotics or the applications behind an entire workplace solution, but it’s opening up its elevator systems to ensure they speak to those technologies, removing one of the main barriers that builders and developers experience in trying to create a connected, seamless and contactless building environment.

In this technology space, KONE has partnered with BindiMaps, a navigation tool that helps people, particularly those visually impaired, find their way within buildings. “BindiMaps has partnered with us to help people navigate a building, allowing people to call an elevator from its smartphone application,” says Grando. “This not only improves the user experience, but also empowers those who may have visual impairment to reach their destination safely.”

Adding to KONE’s commitment to providing end-to-end solutions, the company’s experienced teams take planning, processes and project outcomes seriously. KONE works with the developer and builder early in the project planning phase to understand what they’re trying to achieve. Utilising its products, tools and resources, KONE elevates efficiencies throughout all stages of the development process, ensuring projects are delivered safely and to the highest quality.

For the early design phase, KONE delivers free online tools on its website to assist with

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

planning. The developer or designer can use the tools to plan for interiors, match building themes and visualise how they want the elevators to look and feel.

“We also have digital tools for planning the physical elements of the elevator itself, such as its speed, the distance it travels, its size and load capacity,” says Grando. “We provide these tools upfront to assist with early planning.”

Safety is KONE’s top priority in every project it delivers. In many cases, there are people working inside of the company’s elevator shafts, in confined spaces and sometimes at great heights as part of a project, thus KONE embeds safety into its culture, which extends to everyone working alongside it, such as subcontractors and business partners.

“Our end-to-end solutions, up front customer support and experienced technicians provide project teams peace of mind knowing they’re getting a quality product that’s been installed safely to the highest standard,” says Grando. “Utilising our DX platform, teams know they have the latest technology available, which is future-proofed to connect with other potential technologies.”

“From a major ongoing maintenance perspective, due to the high-quality nature of the products that we deliver, end-users and tenants will have peace of mind long into the future.

“Further, our teams in Australia and New Zealand are there to support you through the entire process, from the early planning phase through to installation handover and maintenance.”

Even as its elevators or escalators come to end-of-life, KONE is there to help renew the product’s lifecycle using the latest sustainable and advanced modernisation technology.

The company’s combination of support, service and solutions is helping improve buildings in all facets of the built environment.

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FOCUS Heavy vehicle safety

Big loads, big responsibility Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia has launched two new interactive online training courses, providing vital knowledge and guidance for drivers and workers across the construction supply chain.

“Tyre management is absolutely vital from a safety perspective, but also from a productivity perspective.”

An outcome of Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia’s (HVIA) Safety Through Education project, the new Load Restraint Fundamentals and Best Practice Tyre Management courses provide construction professionals with an opportunity to take a proactive approach to safety on the job.

Both courses were built on the same successful platform as HVIA’s popular HV101, an induction-style course introducing concepts and terminology to people entering or working with the heavy vehicle industry, which has proven to be a great success since its launch.

Developed for anyone working in or around the transportation of loads, the Load Restraint Fundamentals and Best Practice Tyre Management courses create an avenue for improved safety outcomes across heavy industries, particularly construction.

Steve Power, national manager strategic projects and business improvement at HVIA, says the interactive online learning education courses will be transformative for the construction industry.

“HVIA represents the manufacturers and suppliers of heavy vehicles in the on-road sector,” says Power.

“That doesn’t just include highway trucks, but also a huge number of construction vehicles.

“We developed the Load Restraint Fundamentals and Best Practice Tyre Management courses – which are funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) and supported by the Australian Government – on the back of collaboration and discussions with our valued members and the NHVR, as well as key findings from National Transport Insurance’s (NTI) latest NTARC Major Accident Investigation report.”

The safety-critical nature of load restraint and tyre management practices has been consistently highlighted in NTI’s NTARC report series and is further underscored by industry concerns around these areas.

“There’s quite a lot of information out there about load restraint, including a great guide now owned by the NHVR, but most of it is deep and complex,” says Power. “We realised that there’s a real gap in this space for something that is practical, hands on and testable, which can be comprehended by learners of all levels from all industries.”

“It’s the same with tyre management – vehicle tyres are the largest consumable,

Load Restraint Fundamentals: Position your load for vehicle stability, steering and braking.

Steve Power, national manager strategic projects and business improvement, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA).

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Best Practice Tyre Management: Regularly examine tyre and wheel condition.

aside from fuel, for transport businesses.

“Tyre management is absolutely vital from a safety perspective, but also from a productivity perspective in terms of savings that you can make through efficient management of your tyres and wheels.”

By nature, a construction business’s profession isn’t trucks, they just use them.

In the construction industry, moving a load using a truck and trailer is just a matter of doing business, says Power, as opposed to someone who works in road freight where it’s their tools of the trade. For that reason, knowing that load restraint and tyre management are not front of mind for most construction businesses, HVIA hopes to highlight the importance of bringing these areas to the fore.

“It’s well known that construction professionals are proud of their tools and want to know that those tools won’t let them down,” says Power.

“But it’s more than that because the outcomes of not looking after your tools doesn’t just affect your ability to do business, it also affects your ability to do it safely and to look after the people around you.”

“When a truck loses its load the potential for the outcome to be catastrophic is high – it’s important for construction professionals to place just as much importance on load and vehicle management as they do any other tool they use in their day-to-day.”

Packing, loading and load restraint requirements are relevant to almost everyone in the construction supply chain and should

be well understood and enforced by all stakeholders, every day. The Load Restraint Fundamentals course transforms the complex written guidance information that’s currently out there into a simple, immersive, practical online education course that construction professionals can utilise to put effective systems in place.

Similarly, the Best Practice Tyre Management course guides operators to develop their own procedures including maintenance, rotation and replacement policies. HVIA chief technical officer Adam Ritzinger says correctly specified and maintained tyres and wheels improve the safety outcomes of the most critical and most consumable heavy vehicle component. With a majority of construction companies using heavy vehicles in their dayto-day operations, whether it’s moving a load onsite or transporting machinery and goods on public roads to another location, it’s vital that they have an effective tyre management system in place to ensure the safety of their workforce and the community.

“The safety outcomes of these courses include saving lives,” says Power.

“We don’t want people finding themselves doing these courses as a way of saying sorry for something, we want them to do it because they want to be sure they’re doing the best they can for their business and for the people that it serves.

“It’s all about using the right equipment for the right task and taking care of that equipment – that applies to everyone in the construction industry.”

“It’s important for construction professionals to place just as much importance on load and vehicle management as they do any other tool they use in their day-to-day.”

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FOCUS Heavy vehicle safety

Load Restraint Fundamentals: Use a suitable restraint system.

“It’s all about using the right equipment for the right task.”

Whether it’s the driver of the truck, the person packing the load or the boss of the business, everyone in the construction supply chain has the responsibility to know that a job has been done properly and to call it out if it hasn’t. The new load restraint and tyre management courses are an accessible way for construction professionals to understand basic principles and know where to turn if they need more information.

Each course takes less than a day to complete or, if the person has previous relevant training, just a few hours. That said, the courses can be broken down and completed during the trainee’s own time.

Best Practice Tyre Management: Choose tyres and wheels that are fit for the task.

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INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

HVIA has been working on the Load Restraint Fundamentals and Best Practice Tyre Management courses for over two years, working with industry and government to ensure that all professionals in heavy industry can benefit from them.

Over the course of 12 months, 1,000 people completed the HV101 course.

“I foresee the Load Restraint Fundamentals and Best Practice Tyre Management courses to exceed this number by a long way, because the audience comprises all heavy industries,” says Power. “If someone is accountable for moving anything, particularly heavy equipment, then it’s absolutely crucial that they get it right.”

“If you do your basic checks every day, then errors are unlikely to happen, so just as you would wake up and have a coffee as part of your daily routine, construction professionals should have a daily mental system for load restraint and tyre management.

“Our team has been working hard to ensure the courses address these important safety concepts in a way that engages their audience; the generous assistance and guidance invested by so many parties during the project has really paid off.”

Both courses can be found on the HVIA Training website and a launch special for all purchases before the New Year reduces the cost of registration.

Weighing up the short time it takes to complete these courses with the positive safety outcomes they present, it’s a nobrainer that Load Restraint Fundamentals and Best Practice Tyre Management can be transformative for safety in the construction industry.

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FOCUS Power resilience

Power surge On the back of an industry report highlighting a need for construction businesses to consider power resilience strategies in preparation for the upcoming summer months, Isuzu Power Solutions is ensuring the industry has the resources to power through scorching conditions.

“Rain, hail or shine – our Isuzu Power Solutions customers will have a power supply they can wholeheartedly rely upon no matter the conditions, which in the construction industry is particularly valuable for time sensitive projects and demanding deadlines.”

While many construction outfits rely on utilising onsite grid power across majority of their projects, a forecast for potential power supply issues arising during the hot summer months ahead indicates the need to be prepared – an area in which Isuzu Power Solutions comes to the fore.

The 2023 Electricity Statement of Opportunities report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has called for urgent investment to ensure reliability of the National Energy Market (NEM) as demand from businesses and households continues to increase.

With high demand for new residential and commercial builds as well as the continued rollout of infrastructure projects across the country, access to reliable power is, as always, vital.

However, with the Bureau of Meteorology only recently declaring Australia officially in an El Niño weather pattern, a long, dry and extremely hot summer is already on its way and with it, an extremely high chance of more frequent power outages across state capitals.

While many larger businesses and essential services have standby generators in place to maintain power supply in the event of a mains

outage, Isuzu Power Solutions (IPS) sales manager Troy Lawson says the AEMO report highlights a further need for ‘power resilience’, to ensure operations can continue without interruption – particularly for those who may not have a backup power plan in place such as smaller businesses and trade services.

“In the past, we have found enquiries regarding standby power options such as generator sets spike following events like storms, floods and bushfires, especially during the recovery periods,” says Lawson.

“Unfortunately, the AEMO report predicts that power outages will occur outside of these events during our upcoming Australian summer weather pattern.”

Inquiries about generator sets to Isuzu dealers have been increasing nationwide, Lawson explains. Businesses in the construction sector are fully aware that having an outage, even for a small amount of time, can be costly in loss of stock and productivity.

“With the release of the AEMO report, we anticipate many construction businesses will turn that enquiry into a serious purchase consideration,” says Lawson. “Indeed, due to the amount of enquiry already this year, IPS

An Isuzu Power Solutions 20kVa generator set on the worksite.

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INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

s

An Isuzu Power Solutions 37kVa generator set.

has increased production of generator sets so that we can get them to our customers before the summer heat arrives.”

Isuzu’s diesel-engine enclosed generator sets are ideal as a backup power option and are designed with a compact footprint for easy installation and usage.

At the smaller end of the scale, IPS offers a 20kVA unit well-suited to small construction businesses and mobile applications such as trade field services, as they can be mounted on the back of a work truck and driven to location.

The medium 37kVA and larger 50kVA units are designed with heavier load requirements in mind, such as full-time refrigeration for perishables, but can also be applied to a host of other trade related applications and industries.

The fully enclosed generator sets feature ultraquiet technology, achieved by redirecting both incoming and outgoing air through a series of sound attenuated baffles. Rated at 51 decibels at seven metres, the IPS 20kVA unit is quieter than the average conversation. This of course ticks the compliance boxes on larger construction worksites in metropolitan and residential areas.

Each generator set can be directly connected to mains power supply, plus has a series of single and three-phase power outlets depending on the size of the unit. All come protected with a Residual Current Device as standard, ensuring they are ready to work.

All-weather canopies constructed from thick gauge steel with a powder coated finish for heavy-duty and long-life operation mean guaranteed performance and peace of mind, regardless of external environmental conditions.

Manufactured in Japan, IPS generator sets are rigorously tested to Australian standards and engineered for local weather and working conditions.

The generator sets can also be configured with an online cloud-based monitoring and control system, meaning operators can access and control the unit via a supported mobile device remotely, without needing to travel to site.

On the service and maintenance side, a high-quality air filtration system with air filter restriction indicator keeps operating temperatures under control. A three-way fuel valve is positioned at the bottom of the unit for easy switching from internal to external fuel tanks, with an air bleeding and fuel priming system for easy start up. An external fuel tank attachment allows for additional hours of run time without the need to refuel the generator internally.

Combined with adjustable voltage and frequency regulators, a lockable battery isolator and generator circuit breaker, it’s a set and forget package that operators can trust to get the job done with minimal intervention.

“Our products are further backed with a two-year warranty plus full engineering support from our expert Isuzu Power Solutions team.”

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FOCUS Power resilience

Isuzu Power Solutions’ generator sets feature an ultra-durable all-weather outer enclosure with a powder coated exterior.

“The quality and service that Isuzu Trucks customers have come to expect is extended to Isuzu Power Solutions.”

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Those looking to add a generator to their standby power strategy, says Lawson, can find detailed information and view options in person at Isuzu dealerships across the country.

“All customers can expect the same reliability of product, and excellence in service and customer care experienced by Isuzu Trucks customers, with support from their local dealership to ensure the correct generator set is specified for each business need,” says Lawson. “Our products are further backed with a two-year warranty plus full engineering support from our expert IPS team.”

With the relaunch of Isuzu Care earlier this year, aimed at taking the aftersales experience to the next level, customers within the construction industry can expect to be supported far after the sale of their IPS product has concluded. With the needs of Isuzu customers set to evolve in the coming years, with the advent of new technologies, Isuzu Care is making moves now to take customers on that journey. “No less than 30 Isuzu Trucks dealerships across Australia are stocked with

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

Isuzu Power Solutions product and are ready to provide the same outstanding sales and aftersales experience enjoyed by Isuzu Trucks customers,” says Lawson.

“The quality and service that Isuzu Trucks customers have come to expect is extended to Isuzu Power Solutions.

“Rain, hail or shine – our IPS customers will have a power supply they can wholeheartedly rely upon no matter the conditions, which in the construction industry is particularly valuable for time sensitive projects and demanding deadlines.”

The support service unique to Isuzu Australia is vital for customers, especially with the looming summer season around the corner.

Isuzu Care offers peace of mind that there is someone only a phone call away, no matter the query or question, for all Isuzu customers.

This comes off the back of Isuzu Australia marking its 34th consecutive year of local Australian market leadership at the close of 2022, with record volume growth and total market share.

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PEOPLE Profile

Saji Srivelan: Making an impact Saji Srivelan has an unwavering drive to have a positive impact on the world – a drive that has seen her deliver sustainable innovations and infrastructure that will have a lasting impact.

“I’m also proud to have stepped up as co-chair of John Holland’s Celebrate Women Committee – a group focused on showcasing women’s achievements, promoting gender equality and driving a cultural shift.”

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Quite left field to the role she’s in today, Saji Srivelan studied a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Science at university before discovering her passion for sustainability.

As she neared completion of her university degree, Srivelan made the decision to take a new career path, steering away from chemical engineering after discovering its strong focus on the oil and gas industries.

She had also worked at a pharmacy during her studies, again realising it wasn’t a field she wanted to pursue.

“I wanted to feel good about my career and what I was putting into to the world, and working in the oil and gas industries didn’t seem to align with this,” says Srivelan.

“Similarly, working in the pharmaceutical field wasn’t allowing me to make the large impact on society that I hoped to make.”

“So, I started putting in applications everywhere I could, particularly targeting the energy sector – I viewed renewable energy as a path where I could use my degree, that I would enjoy and feel good about – and that’s when I came across John Holland’s graduate program.”

Srivelan applied for the program, made it through all interview stages and was asked if, having studied chemical engineering, she was sure civil construction was what she wanted to do. But she says she was excited to give it a go and saw sustainability as a great pathway that aligned with her strong interest in making a significant difference in the world and joined the John Holland team.

“I ended up working in sustainability on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project for two years, which ignited my love for sustainability and the scale of impact I could have through my role,” Srivelan says.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Before starting her role as sustainability graduate on the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project, Srivelan met the manager at the time who spoke to her about the industry and the challenges that come with it, but says nothing could have prepared her for her fi rst day or even fi rst few months onsite.

Srivelan spent the fi rst six months of her role discovering what sustainability in construction is and what she could bring to the table with a chemical engineering

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

background, while also learning the lingo and acronyms used within the industry.

“Coming from chemical engineering rather than civil engineering, it took me the longest time to work out that a pile was actually a column in the ground, rather than a literal pile of dirt,” says Srivelan. “It was very much trial by fire – a massive learning curve.”

“While it was daunting starting in an industry that I knew nothing about, I found that I was able to quickly find my feet regardless of my educational background.”

In 2022, Srivelan moved across to the Pakenham Level Crossing Removal Project, joining the North Western Program Alliance (NWPA) as a coordinator to lead the sustainability deliverables on the project. It’s the biggest Level Crossing Removal Project the NWPA has delivered to date, which involves the removal of three level crossings and the building of two new train stations.

On this project, the NWPA is targeting an Infrastructure Sustainability Council asbuilt rating as one of its key deliverables, which involves the project meeting certain sustainability criteria, while also addressing the Level Crossing Removal Project’s client requirements.

“Something that I love about the alliance is that we have specific targets around energy reduction and the reduction of emissions from materials used on the project,” says Srivelan. “These targets really put sustainability on the agenda for our entire alliance.”

As part of the NWPA, Srivelan embraced the opportunity to be part of both the design and delivery phases of the project. Srivelan started on the project during design in February 2022, and the project is scheduled for completion towards the end of 2024.

During Srivelan’s time with the NWPA, she has been given opportunities to step into complementary roles to increase her skills in both depth and breadth. In May of this year, Srivelan had the opportunity to work as the acting sustainability development lead, providing her with exposure to the tender process. She also put her hand up to step into a lead role for the Knowledge and Innovation Team to help drive innovation culture on all projects alliance-wide. “These senior roles have enabled me to deliver more for the Pakenham project, because they’ve

given me that background knowledge of what innovations we can implement,” says Srivelan. “For instance, one of our innovations, a permeable kerb product, recently went into the ground.”

The Waste Tyre Permeable Kerbs; Design, Testing and Field Monitoring project is supported by the Circular Economy Markets Fund, delivered by Sustainability Victoria under the Victorian Government’s circular economy policy – Recycling Victoria: a new economy. The project involves the NWPA partnering with Porous Lane and the University of Melbourne to develop a permeable kerb product, which allows water to flow through it to mitigate flooding risks and additionally support passive irrigation of landscaping minimising potable water use. To be able to support step changes like this, says Srivelan, is what’s so exciting about her role.

“It’s been rewarding being able to deliver positive environmental outcomes, but also key social outcomes,” she says.

Throughout her time with John Holland, Srivelan says the company has provided many opportunities for professional growth.

For instance, John Holland has recently given Srivelan the opportunity to work across both the Pakenham Level Crossing Removal Project as well as Sydney Water’s Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) project.

“The AWRC project is giving me the opportunity to develop my technical skills in the lifecycle analysis and materials modelling space, which are both areas I’m passionate about,” she says. “John Holland cares about its employees’ career journeys and consistently offers new opportunities for professional development.”

In 2021, Srivelan was nominated by the Melbourne Metro Tunnel team as employee of the month. Last year, as part of the NWPA, she was again nominated as employee of the month for managing the NWPA’s emissions submission in relation to the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act. “I’m also proud to have stepped up as cochair of John Holland’s Celebrate Women Committee – a group focused on showcasing women’s achievements, promoting gender equality and driving a cultural shift,” says Srivelan. “But what I feel most proud of are the initiatives that probably often go

Saji Srivelan, sustainability coordinator, John Holland (North Western Program Alliance).

under the radar, because they happen in the day-to-day life of a project.”

“For instance, school programs we seek to run can impact many young people, and while we don’t necessarily get to see the results of the initiative, I know the impact on them, and their families will be huge.”

In her role at John Holland, Srivelan hopes to continue making an impact to society through the delivery of sustainable infrastructure and solutions.

“It’s been rewarding being able to deliver positive environmental outcomes, but also key social outcomes.”

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PEOPLE Profile

Ashley Beeby: Inspiring the next generation In her short six-year career, Ashley Beeby has achieved more than some professionals achieve in their lifetime, already inspiring the next generation of diesel mechanics.

“As a VET Champion I attend local schools and industry events to talk about my VET experiences and career, and advocate for not only women in trades, but also for VET pathways.”

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Bright, brave and humble, Ashley Beeby is a qualified diesel mechanic with an impressive resumé, to put it mildly. Kicking off her apprenticeship straight out of school in 2017, Beeby has since worked across multiple industries, run her own business and been awarded multiple accolades – exemplifying that a career in heavy industries has no bounds with the right attitude.

Yet surprisingly, Beeby found her career by accident. During school, when it came time to undertake work experience, she signed up to repair trucks in Cummins’ heavy vehicle workshop without knowing what it was she had signed up for.

“I had no mechanics in the family, no interest in cars or vehicles, and when I found out I was going to be working on trucks I didn’t want to go anymore,” says Beeby.

“Fortunately, my parents convinced me to not waste a good opportunity.”

“I attended a week of work experience in overalls that were three times my size, in the heaviest pair of shoes I had ever worn with steel caps in the toes, and it turned out that I loved it.”

After that she kept going back for more, also taking on an automotive subject in her high school studies. By the time Beeby finished Year 12, having completed a wealth of work experience and graduating with an ATAR in the top 5 per cent of the state, she knew that being a diesel mechanic was the career for her.

Beeby then completed a four-year diesel mechanic apprenticeship with Cummins in the transport industry where she rebuilt engines and highway trucks – winning the Inspirational Young Achiever of the Year Award at TAFE for the study component of her apprenticeship.

Upon completion of her studies, Beeby moved into the mining industry. Joining BMA, she flew in and out of Daunia Coal Mine – a joint venture between BHP and Mitsubishi – in Queensland to work on heavy earthmoving machinery and, during her weeks at home, ran her own local business as a diesel mechanic.

“I have recently been working as a diesel mechanic with BildGroup, working in the road maintenance and civil construction sectors fi xing machines on sites across Victoria,” says Beeby.

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

“I started with BildGroup in May of last year after spending some time working for them as a subcontractor through my own business.

“In this role I spent around 50 per cent of my time in the BildGroup workshop and 50 per cent out on customers’ sites, doing anything from servicing equipment and fi xing broken parts to carrying out diagnostics and working on anything from an onsite generator to an excavator, bulldozer or smaller digger.

“I also spent time working on road profilers and asphalt pavers as part of the business’s road maintenance team.”

Now having worked across numerous industries – going from transport to mining and then construction – Beeby found that while there’s an overlap and many similarities in the machinery used, each time she moved into a new industry she discovered there was a whole new layer to the world that she hadn’t known before.

“Each industry unlocks new opportunities to learn and grow as a professional,” she says.

“Working in the construction industry, I’ve quickly learned that the opportunities are vast.”

“There’s so much that happens in this industry and being in that world has shown me the diversity of roles, people, options and potential that exists within a career in construction.”

Beeby says the best part about her job, especially her job at BildGroup, is the diversity within her role – getting to work on different machines, solve different problems and carry out different repairs.

“The diversity is what makes the job so rewarding, because it’s very hard to get bored when every day is different,” she says.

“I not only have to use my body to get the job done, but also my brain to figure out the best way to go about a repair or problem solve any challenges that arise.”

During her time at BildGroup, Beeby worked on notable projects such as the Barwon Heads Road Upgrade, part of Victoria’s Big Build. Throughout this project, she upgraded and fi xed machines, carried out repairs and checked in on the site to make sure all the machines were running smoothly so that the project team could do their job.

Now, Beeby is moving onto a new venture, which she is excited to be announcing in the coming weeks.

Ashley Beeby, diesel mechanic, former BildGroup.

Adding to her already accomplished career, Beeby is a Vocational Education and Training (VET) Champion for Victoria’s Department of Education. The VET Champions initiative showcases high-achieving Victorians who have risen to success through a VET pathway.

“As a VET Champion I attend local schools and industry events to talk about my VET experiences and career, and advocate for not only women in trades, but also for VET pathways,” she says. “It’s led to lots of great opportunities including speaking at expos, sharing my journey with school students and engaging with other businesses that are trying to drive change.”

“As much as I enjoy my role as a diesel mechanic, find it engaging and enjoy the mindfulness of getting the job done, engaging with schools brings a new level of appreciation for what I do.

“Having conversations with students, opening their minds to a career in construction or as a diesel mechanic, and seeing their faces light up when they realise that being a diesel mechanic is a viable career option for both men and women is a great feeling.”

For those looking for a career in diesel mechanics – or in the construction industry – Beeby says the best advice she can give is to sign up for work experience, because the opportunity to take a career for a test drive is invaluable. Work experience laid the foundation of Beeby’s passion for a career in diesel mechanics and today she is thriving, working on heavy machinery for major projects across Victoria.

Looking at all she’s achieved in her short six-year career, it’s clear it’s only just the beginning for Ashley Beeby.

“Working in the construction industry, I’ve quickly learned that the opportunities are vast.”

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ASSOCIATIONS National Precast Concrete Association Australia

An innovative gamechanger Located in Tasmania’s mid-north, the Greater Meander Irrigation Scheme is an extensive agricultural endeavour aimed at efficiently managing water resources to support agricultural activities in the region.

Project Greater Meander Irrigation Scheme

Client Tasmanian Irrigation

Master Precaster Hudson Civil

By National Precast Concrete Association Australia.

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During the winter months, water is captured in the Meander Dam, then delivered over a 150-day period throughout the district during summer by releases into the Meander River and via pipelines along the river.

Deteriorating inlet structures At the heart of the scheme, pump station inlet structures play a crucial role in the distribution and regulation of water flow to various agricultural fields and areas. But the efficiency and reducing capacity of many of the original structures was compromised from consistent issues with blockages and siltation. To avoid costly ongoing and complex maintenance, and to maintain service to its customers, Tasmanian Irrigation embarked on the replacement of the most badly affected units.

Innovative and durable Working collaboratively with designers, sub-contractors and installation contractors, National Precast Master Precaster Hudson Civil provided a bespoke precast solution that would meet the client’s requirements and stand the test of time.

According to the company’s general manager Jason Lanham, Hudson Civil’s technical specialists spent a lot of time in the lead-up working directly with Tasmanian Irrigation designers – Sub-41 – to develop a more robust solution that offered greater intake capacity, ease of maintenance and which would be able to withstand the regular floods experienced on the river system.

Factory-made The solution incorporated the precaster’s unique uniculvert system, which is manufactured using specialised moulds that allow high tolerances and deliver exceptional quality. Structural steel and aluminium works were divided between the factory and onsite, with steel elements including the sub-frame fabricated and test fitted in the factory.

These simpler foundation and placement arrangements resulted in safe, accurate and efficient installation that could have never been achieved using in situ elements or poorer quality products.

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

Hudson Civil’s unique uniculvert system is a gamechanger in Tasmania’s civil construction industry.

Uniculverts pave the way forward This project is an example of the Tasmanian civil construction industry using innovation and new advances in precast technology to achieve successful project outcomes. The uniculvert system has many uses and is a gamechanger. So much so that Tasmanian Irrigation has now adopted this system for all its intake structure replacements and new installations, as it continues to work closely with Hudson Civil to deliver its program of capital works successfully and safely.

M w s B

Precast serenity Nestled in the charming suburb of New Farm, Brisbane, Botanic Residential stands as a boutique apartment complex, offering a chic haven of tranquillity amidst the bustling city.

With its exquisite design, lush surroundings and prime location, Botanic Residential has become a sought-after residence for those seeking a blend of sophistication, comfort and natural beauty.

Aesthetic appeal and functionality Designed by Joe Adsett Architects, Botanic Residential boasts a stunning architectural design that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding environment. The precast concrete exterior features sleek lines, expansive windows and modern finishes, creating an elegant and contemporary aesthetic.

Meticulously designed with a focus on both luxury and functionality, use of high-quality materials was high on the architect’s agenda.

Being factory-manufactured, precast was specified to achieve the desired shapes and finishes. National Precast Master

Precaster Advanced Precast was engaged to manufacture and supply over 180 precast elements for the project. Stunning ‘M’ and ‘V’ shaped wall panels and custom bright white stained, triangular-shaped façade spandrels have ensured an outstanding realisation of sleek modern external lines, while lift core panels and columns provide the functional structural core of the project.

Standout landmark Botanic Residential in New Farm, Brisbane, is an exceptional boutique apartment complex that offers a peaceful sanctuary amidst the vibrant city life. Its exquisite design, emphasis on green spaces and luxurious apartments set it apart as a desirable residential address. With its prime location and an array of amenities, Botanic Residential provides an idyllic lifestyle for those seeking a perfect blend of urban convenience and serene surroundings.

Project Botanic Residential

Location New Farm, Brisbane QLD

Master Precaster Advanced Precast

Precast staining ECOTONE

Builder Tomkins Commercial

Architect Joe Adsett Architects

Engineer EDGE Consulting Engineers

Striking V-shaped wall panels realise the project’s sleek external façade.

Master Precaster Advanced Precast was engaged to manufacture and supply over 180 precast elements for Botanic Residential.

www.insideconstruction.com.au INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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ASSOCIATIONS Formwork Industry Association

A framework for collaboration What should the framework for collaboration look like to genuinely change the culture around safe work in the Australian formwork industry?

“Over the past three years the Formwork Industry Association has worked tirelessly in developing relationships with key stakeholders.”

I was asked a similar question as part of a panel at the recent Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Show in Sydney. Panel members were discussing this question in relation to working at height in construction. All very relevant, considering that height related incidents in our industry are a major cause of injuries.

My research uncovered some interesting points on the subject of ‘collaboration’ – something that is essential if change in culture and improved safety is to happen – as well as a tool that was referred to as being critical for success in the 24 recommendations outlined in the Building Confidence report

by Peter Shergold and Bronwyn Weir. So, in this issue I thought we would look at the research findings and how we, as an industry association, are working towards changing the culture around safe work in the Australian formwork industry.

Collaboration requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach involving various stakeholders. A suggested framework for collaboration would involve the following: 1. Stakeholder identification and engagement Identify and involve all relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, industry associations, formwork companies, workers, unions, safety regulators, safety consultants and educational institutions.

Over the past three years the Formwork Industry Association (FIA) has worked tirelessly in developing relationships with key stakeholders. Each stakeholder provides unique challenges, but collaboration with each is key if change is to occur. Safe working environments in the construction industry require better collaboration than we have already and as the only industry body for formwork in Australia, it is our role to advocate for change to improve safety and send workers safely home to their families.

By Michael Sugg, chief executive officer, Formwork Industry Association.

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2. Research and data gathering Conduct thorough research on the current state of safety in the formwork industry.

Collect data on accident rates, near misses and common safety violations. Regularly analyse safety data to identify trends and areas that need special attention. Share these insights with industry stakeholders.

INSIDE CONSTRUCTION October/November 2023

Government departments make their decisions based on data. Yet surprisingly there is very little data available specifically on formwork. It would be great to have specific formwork related data on incidents and common safely violations, so we can advocate on specific safety issues and design specific safety awareness education programs.

Looking at data in the wrong way resulted in the Federal Government subsuming the only formwork qualification into carpentry, which had massive ramifications. The FIA successfully campaigned to have this reviewed, and we are in the process of establishing a new formwork qualification for the industry. The FIA has also requested specific formwork data from the regulators, so that we can assess and identify trends and areas that require safety training.

3. Regulatory compliance and enforcement, safety audits and inspections Strengthen and enforce existing regulations and standards related to formwork safety.

Ensure penalties for non-compliance are sufficient to deter unsafe practices.

Regularly conduct thorough safety audits and inspections of formwork sites.

Provide feedback and recommendations for improvement.

Collaboration is essential if change in this area is to happen. We all know the culture that exists in our industry. If this is to change, collaboration across various stakeholders is key. The FIA is working hard with the regulator and government to ensure regulations and standards are fair and easy to follow and understand. The collaboration with industry and the negotiations with the regulator to re-write the proposed NSW Formwork Code of Practice resulted in a far better document and whilst not perfect, provided a much better result for all. The WHS laws impose a high standard, and the regulators are extremely active in investigating and prosecuting safety breaches. FIA is advocating rewards for those operators who have and maintain compliant work practices.

4. Education and training Develop and implement robust training programs for formworkers supervisors and managers. Include modules on safety

procedures, hazard identification and emergency response.

Whilst the regulators’ role is to enforce compliance, a key role of industry associations is collaboration with stakeholders on education and training, to produce ‘meaningful and relevant training’ and compliance under the WHS Act. Formwork specific training has been a major discussion point over the past four years and the lack of any education and skills pathway has held the industry back. As we have written in past issues of Inside Construction, the FIA has developed a new skills and education pathway to improved safety within the Australian formwork industry, and the new Safe Formworker Program is becoming an essential tool for every formworker.

5. Safety culture promotion and incentives for safety excellence Foster a culture of safety by encouraging open communication, reporting of hazards and participation in safety initiatives.

Recognise and reward safe behaviour and establish awards and recognition programs

for companies and individuals who excel in maintaining a safe work environment.

This is an essential part of a change in safety culture, however, many simply pay ‘lip service’ to it and very little is done. Whilst the regulators call out bad practice – and we are seeing a growing rise in prosecutions and fines – we additionally need to look at a program that rewards good behaviour. The FIA is working on an industry accreditation program that highlights those companies that do employ a good safety culture.

Construction companies are keen to collaborate with us on this program when looking at their tender process to identify formwork companies with good safety practices. They understand too well that improved and good safety practices also lead to good quality and productivity.

One thing we all have to remember is that cultural change takes time and sustained effort. We need to regularly review and adapt the framework based on lessons learned and evolving industry needs. Collaborative efforts will be key to making lasting improvements in formwork safety in Australia.

“One thing we all have to remember is that cultural change takes time and sustained effort.”

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ASSOCIATIONS Australian Constructors Association

Removing investment roadblocks Why is it so difficult for construction firms to invest? Australian Constructors Association head of policy Robert Sobyra explains.

“If we can give industry the financial space to invest, productivity will flow organically.”

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The Australian Constructors Association’s (ACA) latest report, Nailing Construction Productivity, prompted a lot of people to ask me this question. Our key recommendation is that government lead the development of a National Construction Strategy with a singular focus on lifting the rate of construction productivity from its current low level (zero) to the national average.

The challenge I’ve been getting goes like this. Why does government need to solve this problem for us? Why can’t construction fi rms simply go ahead and invest in innovative technologies? After all, there’s no shortage of technology out there – you just need to adopt it.

It’s a fair question. Industry bodies are often guilty of asking governments to cure all their ills. But I want to convince you that’s not what’s going on here. We need to start from fi rst principles.

Construction fi rms struggle to invest not because they’re technologically backward,

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as some would have it. If that’s all there was to it, new entrants would have disrupted the industry long ago. That’s how capitalism works. But a lot of very capable entrepreneurs have died on that hill. It’s not quite that simple.

Fundamentally, construction fi rms don’t invest enough because the construction market doesn’t produce dynamic, innovative fi rms. The question we really need to be asking ourselves is, why should this be the case?

Here’s the issue. We’ve got this product, ‘construction services’, and we sell that product into a market that rewards, above all else, the lowest priced bid. Now there’s nothing wrong with that sort of market.

It works really well when there’s little uncertainty in production costs – say, an office lease or software subscription.

Of course, things are anything but certain in construction. Think ground conditions, weather or industrial action.

“Our key recommendation is that government lead the development of a National Construction Strategy with a singular focus on lifting the rate of construction productivity from its current low level (zero) to the national average.”

Construction projects are beset by any number of unknowables that make any initial budget more guesswork than science and the scale of the ‘budget illusion’ rises in direct proportion to the complexity of the project.

So, we have a market that takes something inherently uncertain – a construction project – and treats it like a simple product where you can quantify all that uncertainty and price the risk accordingly. This drives a particularly corrosive set of commercial practices.

It means that, for any tender, the winning bid is not the one that has done the best job of quantifying the uncertainty – because the uncertainty is inherently unquantifiable. It’s the one that has taken the biggest gamble on that uncertainty. The company that wins the job is the one that’s willing to bet it can dodge all those unquantified risks and come away fi nancially unscathed.

From time to time, that approach will make money. But over time, across many projects and many fi rms, the law

of averages inevitably kicks in. Firms get caught in a downward spiral into razor-thin margins and a high risk of insolvency – a race to the bottom.

We end up with an industry operating in constant survival mode, focussing only on where its next meal will come from.

It’s like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. You can’t indulge in higher-order activities like creativity and innovation until you clear that survival hurdle.

If you’re asking why construction fi rms underinvest, it’s because the basic structure of the market actively works against it.

That’s why the ACA’s Nailing Construction Productivity report says the most important thing we can do to drive productivity is to create the conditions for companies to innovate. The government, because of its spending power, is best placed to reshape the market incentives. If we can give industry the fi nancial space to invest, productivity will flow organically.

By Robert Sobyra, head of policy, Australian Constructors Association.

www.insideconstruction.com.au INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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ASSOCIATIONS The National Association of Women in Construction

Be the change In light of her talk at the recent Inside Construction Expo, the National Association of Women in Construction’s Christina Yiakkoupis shares her career journey in hopes of inspiring industry change.

“While we are seeing more women on boards and in senior leadership positions, these numbers are still not sitting at 50/50.”

By Christina Yiakkoupis, national chairperson, National Association of Women in Construction.

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At the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) our vision is to achieve 25 per cent female participation in construction by 2025. Given we are currently sitting at just over 13 per cent overall and only 2 per cent in trades, this is a huge goal. While we won’t hit 25 per cent in the next two years, our vision is helping to start conversations and encourage industry and government to take real steps towards change.

At NAWIC, we refer to the challenges associated with attraction and retention in the construction industry as the “leaky pipeline”.

This is my personal journey and how I navigated the leaky pipeline to have a career that I thoroughly enjoy in the construction industry.

High school When I was in high school, I told my careers councillor that I wanted to be an architect. She looked at my grades, saw I was good at maths and physics and suggested I also put down engineering courses in my preferences. Had I not had this conversation I wouldn’t have ended up where I am today. I had no idea what an engineer does or what a career in construction would look like.

University In my first lecture, there were around 500 males and approximately 50 females in a giant lecture room. We were asked to raise our hand if we knew what an engineer does.

About 20 per cent put their hands up. We were then asked to put our hands down if a parent or a relative is an engineer. There were very few hands left up.

Making the construction industry more visible and open not only to students but also to parents is crucial in spreading the word and making everyone aware of the diverse careers that exist within construction. Dropout rates for university and apprenticeships are very high for males and even higher for females. More needs to be done as a bit of a ‘try before you buy’. There are many companies that are running great school programs, site visits for students and try-a-trade days. These sorts of schemes rolled out formally nationally would be a gamechanger.

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Early Career Straight out of university I was employed by a Tier 1 builder as part of the structure team on a major project in South East Queensland.

I was doing minimum 12-hour days, six days a week and I had a one and a half hour drive each way to get to and from work. As structure was wrapping up my work hours reduced. The hours of the rest of the team doing services and fitout increased. My manager pulled me aside and said that other team members had made him aware that I wasn’t working as many hours as the rest of the team. He asked if I thought this was okay.

When I pointed out to him that I had done my long hours at the peak of structure, he agreed but said I needed to show the rest of the team that I was working hard and as such, I needed to increase my hours. This is a major challenge of the industry. The long work hours are not sustainable, and many people are not interested in making their whole life about work. There are companies doing great things in this space. My current place of work has genuine flexibility with work hours and as long as your job is done there are no questions raised. As a result of this flexibility, when there is work, we are happy to do big days. When things are quieter, we are encouraged to make the most of it. This should be the industry norm.

Parenthood I am not a parent but in my role at NAWIC I have had many conversations with people who are. Childcare and other related challenges are often viewed as a “women’s issue”, but this is not the case. The men in the industry want to be there for their kids – some are single parents; others want to be able to help out more at home. Onsite hours do not align with childcare hours and job sharing and part-time roles are hard to come by. A genuine shift in the expectation of long work hours in construction and a realignment of childcare hours is necessary to enable parents to work if that is what they choose to do.

Mid-career According to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, the gender pay gap in Australia sits at 13 per cent. In construction, the pay gap is 30.6 per cent. That means that women have

to work an extra 79 days to earn the same as their male counterparts. Many companies have identified this issue and have put in place processes to eliminate the gap over the next couple of years. We can and should do better.

the construction industry, flexible workplace practices and policies.

• Fix pay gaps.

• Implement diversity, equity and inclusion training for staff and supportive mentoring systems.

Late career While we are seeing more women on boards and in senior leadership positions, these numbers are still not sitting at 50/50. Implementing quotas is one way to start a real shift. Assessing boards with a diversity lens and making sure that there is representation will make a real change from the top down.

What can you do?

• Educate – from in school education through to senior leadership. Teach our next generation about the construction industry. Encourage lifelong learning for those around you. Individually continue seeking learning opportunities and be inclusive as your career progresses.

• Advocate – speak up when something isn’t okay. Do not be a bystander. Share stories of success and celebrate positive outcomes for all people.

• Community and culture – help each other out. Be part of the change you want to see for the industry.

Studies have found that real cultural change occurs at 30 per cent female participation.

By implementing real change, we not only make the industry more inviting for women but also better for everyone who is already part of it. Remember, you can be what you can see.

Every action, no matter how small, is part of the shift and the change we want to see.

We rise together.

What can companies and government do?

• Stop talking and start being the change.

• Develop curriculum-based school programs.

• Implement Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (CICT) cultural standards as part of procurement requirements.

• Keep striving towards a national gender equity strategy and get on board with local state-based initiatives.

• Put gender on the tender – quotas for female participation and management representation.

• Develop childcare reforms to suit

“By implementing real change, we not only make the industry more inviting for women but also better for everyone who is already part of it.”

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ASSOCIATIONS Empowered Women in Trades

Empowering people through language

In the ongoing journey to gender equality, and the attraction of diverse cohorts into trades and tradesbased roles, one influential yet often overlooked tool is language. Empowered Women in Trades is putting a spotlight on the power of language in transforming trades-based industries.

“Inclusivity, driven by language, creates safer worksites.”

By Hannah Keirl, Head of Commercial, Empowered Women in Trades.

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The impact of language on the inclusivity of women, non-binary, LGBTQI+, cultural and linguistic diversity, and other diverse groups of people in trades-based industries cannot be overstated. Language plays a key role in fostering a culture of respect, collaboration and empowerment.

Language might seem like a minor player in the realm of inclusivity, but its effects ripple throughout an organisation. In fact, it can have an impact before one is even employed. Let’s take job listings as an example. Traditionally, they’ve been riddled with gendered language that subconsciously discourages women and non-binary people from applying. By adopting genderneutral language, companies signal their commitment to a diverse workforce, encouraging more women and non-binary people to pursue careers in these industries.

For example, a construction company that previously advertised for a “tradesman” now seeks a “tradesperson”. This simple shift in language opens the door for a wider pool of applicants and brings new perspectives and skills into the industry. It’s regularly forgotten to check the body of the job advertisement’s copy; where you often find an ad for “apprentice carpenter”, then in the description there is reference to “reporting to the site

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foreman...” or “...assisting other tradesmen”.

Language also plays a pivotal role in fostering a culture of respect on worksites. When communication is respectful and inclusive, it sets a standard for behaviour and interaction.

This, in turn, leads to better teamwork and a more positive work environment. For instance, instead of using derogatory slang to describe female colleagues, and workers in trades and trades-based industries, people can choose to use respectful and genderneutral language, creating a culture where all individuals are valued for their skills and contributions rather than their gender. Let us start simple. Addressing your crew at pre-start as “team” rather than “guys” or singling out the “ladies” can go a long way.

Let’s turn to safety culture. In industries like construction or manufacturing, safety is paramount. When everyone on a worksite feels valued and heard, they are more likely to speak up about safety concerns without fear of retribution. This open communication can prevent accidents and save lives. Inclusivity, driven by language, creates safer worksites.

Beyond the worksite, language can work towards the transformation of the perception of women and non-binary people in trades and trades-based industries. Encouraging stories and language that highlight successful

women and non-binary people in these fields can inspire the next generation. When young people hear stories of all genders thriving in construction, engineering or civil, they are more likely to pursue these careers themselves, bridging the gender gap from the ground up.

The impact of language isn’t limited to job descriptions and worksite interactions; it extends to company policies and initiatives.

Gender-neutral policies for parental leave, flexible work hours and mentorship programs can make it easier for women to navigate

trades and trades-based industries. Allowing men to have these same opportunities helps to bridge the gap. Language used in these policies signals that the company values work-life balance and career growth for all employees, irrespective of gender.

The power of language to create a better culture on worksites, across teams and throughout industry attraction and retention programs is an important pillar of diversity and inclusion.

When in doubt, just remember – jobs don’t have genders.

“Language plays a key role in fostering a culture of respect, collaboration and empowerment.”

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OPINION Sustainability

A global viewpoint on sustainability “The construction industry needs to take a systems approach and involve all stakeholders, globally, to solve complex sustainability problems.”

By Dr Gretchen Gagel.

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Dr Gretchen Gagel looks at sustainability in the construction industry, and more broadly, through a global lens.

Sustainability is a tricky topic. It is a word we are all using more regularly, but what does it really mean? What progress are we making?

How do we achieve sustainability in our industry and more broadly? These questions are being asked of us in the construction industry, and we need to have answers. I felt it would be good to discuss sustainability more broadly before thinking about our industry.

Defining sustainability In broad terms, sustainability is the process of avoiding depletion of natural resources through responsible extraction and usage and reducing or eliminating human impact on the natural environment. At the moment, we only have one planet. I would be devastated if future generations pointed to us and said, “you used it all and ruined it for us”.

Garret Hardin first coined the term “tragedy of the commons” in 1968 to describe an economic theory conceptualised by William Forster Lloyd in 1833. It describes how we are influenced to make decisions that serve our own individual needs, regardless of the negative impact that decision may have on others. In a 2019 Harvard Business Review article, Alexandra Spiliakos shares five relevant examples of the tragedy of the commons – one being the overconsumption of coffee, which has led to major habitat loss.

How many of us, when we drink a cup of coffee, think about the impact on biodiversity? At a recent International Women’s Forum conference in Helsinki, I was introduced to the concept of marrying the typical food pyramid with the environmental pyramid. It turns out that, in general, the foods that are good for us are also good for the environment. It’s given me an entirely new lens to think about what I eat. Similarly, the construction industry needs to take a new lens to its approach to sustainability.

Construction companies need to be thinking about the impact their operations have on the environment, actively working towards reducing that impact, and playing their role in the world’s shift towards a zero-carbon future.

At its current pace of resource consumption, the construction industry’s future looks dire.

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Sustainability progress Although we still have a long way to go, research indicates that we are making progress on sustainability.

• According to Deloitte, 57 per cent of companies are providing employee training on climate change/climate action and are using more climate friendly equipment, technology and machinery.

• According to Harvard Business School, “An estimated 90 per cent of companies on the S&P 500 index published a corporate social responsibility (CSR) report in 2019, compared to just 20 per cent in 2011.”

• According to Accenture, nearly a third of Europe’s largest corporations have committed to a net-zero by 2050 strategy.

However, measurable progress is the key, and as to this last point, at the current rate of emissions reduction, only 9 per cent of these European companies will achieve their goal. In fact, a recent speaker on the topic of sustainability suggests that less than half of senior leaders believe their organisation’s sustainability strategy is achievable.

At this same Helsinki conference, I was introduced to a new term – ‘green hushing’.

Most of us have heard of ‘green washing’, where companies market their sustainability efforts in such a way as to make them look like heroes, when in fact they lack the resources or commitment to achieve their sustainability goals. Green hushing, in contrast, means that a company remains quiet about their sustainability goals to avoid a tarnished reputation or being labelled ‘green washers’.

The downside to this – it reduces the positive impact of sharing strategies and successes across companies.

Next steps What are we, as leaders, to do? I offer up the following suggestions: • Transparency: I believe that transparency regarding the construction industry’s current state as well as transparency of sustainability strategies to all stakeholders – employees, investors and the public – is critical. We are all in this together, whether we want to be or not.

Consumers and investors have tremendous power to influence via institutional and individual investment and purchases. Highly ethical construction companies understand the necessity of transparency.

• Collaboration and systems thinking: We are not going to solve these problems alone.

Who wants to stop drinking coffee? But will we drink it if we know we are killing off species of animals? The construction industry, and society as a whole, need to take a systems approach and involve all stakeholders, globally, to solve complex sustainability problems.

• Humility: I learned a great deal about the value of humility during my PhD studies. It starts with being able to say, “I don’t have the answer”, which leads to asking for help. We need all members of the construction industry providing great thinking to solve these sustainability problems at every level for the betterment of the industry and wider society.

Each of us can make an impact on the sustainability of the planet via the decisions we make and the strategies we put in place to improve sustainability. We in the construction industry are uniquely positioned to assist our society as we grabble with these complex issues.

I look forward to hearing about many of our successful future strategies.

Dr Gretchen Gagel is Chair of Brinkman Construction (US), a member of the National Academy of Construction (US), a member of the Construction Industry Culture Taskforce (AUS), and an affiliate professor at the Australian National University and the University of Denver. As President/Managing Director of Greatness Consulting she continues to advise organisations within the construction industry on optimising capital program delivery and developing talent. You can hear more from Gretchen on her Spotify podcast, “Greatness”.

“We in the construction industry are uniquely positioned to assist our society as we grapple with these complex issues.”

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EVENTS Women in Industry Awards

Supporting outstanding women The Women in Industry Awards is returning in 2024, recognising and rewarding the achievements of women working within the construction, engineering, mining, manufacturing, process control and commercial road transport industries.

Providing a unique opportunity for progressive businesses to demonstrate their support of women in their workplace and the industry, the Women in Industry Awards is returning on 20 June 2024 in Sydney.

On the back of 95 per cent growth and the gala dinner selling out for the first time in its history in 2022, this year’s event saw a record 160 nominations across 10 categories. With Komatsu, Fulton Hogan, Atlas Copco, SEW– DRIVE, COG Advertising and Paccar already on board as sponsors for the 2024 event, these numbers are expected to soar even higher for next year’s edition.

Fulton Hogan Australia CEO Graeme Johnson says the company is proud to be sponsoring the Woman of the Year award for another year. “This sponsorship demonstrates our commitment to supporting and driving

“This sponsorship demonstrates our commitment to supporting and driving change within predominantly male industries, doing what we can to make heavy industry more attractive and accessible for women to join and stay.”

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change within predominantly male industries, doing what we can to make heavy industry more attractive and accessible for women to join and stay,” says Johnson.

“Fulton Hogan recognises that diversity is not only essential for us to change, adapt and grow, but is also good for business and results in happier workplaces with a better culture leading to better retention of our people.”

The Women in Industry Awards will again recognise the women who are driving change in their industry, breaking down barriers and creating new possibilities for the next generation.

Komatsu director strategy and performance Christine Morris says the company takes great pride in supporting the awards.

“Our participation reflects our company’s commitment to fostering

Women in Industry Awards 2023.

an environment where women’s contributions are not only acknowledged but also celebrated,” Morris adds.

Award categories: • Rising Star of the Year – Proudly sponsored

by Atlas Copco • Business Development Success of the Year – Proudly sponsored by COG Advertising • Industry Advocacy Award – Proudly sponsored by Komatsu • Mentor of the Year • Safety Advocacy Award • Excellence in Construction • Excellence in Engineering – Proudly sponsored by SEW-EURODRIVE • Excellence in Manufacturing – Proudly sponsored by PACCAR Australia • Excellence in Transport • Excellence in Mining • Woman of the Year – Proudly sponsored by Fulton Hogan

Fiona Halliday, HR business partner at Atlas Copco, says the 2024 Women in Industry Awards are an opportunity to recognise the contribution of women in industry and their inspiring examples for the generations to come.

“Atlas Copco sponsors the awards to show our commitment to females in non-traditional industries and how we can find a better way towards equal representation,” says Halliday.

“We love taking our team to the celebration and showing them the example that is set by all of these amazing women.”

Nominations for the 2024 event are now open – visit the Women in Industry Awards website to nominate a deserving colleague for one of the 10 award categories.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available and with over 30 individual media mastheads set to carry marketing about the event, now is the time to secure your spot for the 2024 Women in Industry Awards.

“Atlas Copco sponsors the awards to show our commitment to females in non-traditional industries and how we can find a better way towards equal representation.”

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EVENTS Foundation Awards

Winners’ circle The winners of the 2023 Foundation Awards were announced during a glamorous night of celebration on Wednesday 20 September, as part of this year’s Inside Construction Expo.

Sarah Marshall, executive general manager – people, safety and sustainability at Fulton Hogan.

Mammoet’s innovative solution played a pivotal role in the Cross River Rail construction project in Brisbane.

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Shining a light on the Australian major construction and civil infrastructure industries, the Foundation Awards recently recognised the individuals and businesses promoting initiatives, innovation and safety across major and local projects. Against a wealth of innovative products, leaders, projects and initiatives, these winners came out on top.

Industry Leader – Sarah Marshall, Fulton Hogan The Industry Leader Award recognises a leader who holds a senior position (executive, manager, director or equivalent) in a private, not-for-profit or government organisation who has effectively shaped their business’ success, delivered financial growth, significantly and positively impacted the business’ culture and championed the industry widely.

As executive general manager – people, safety and sustainability at Fulton Hogan, Sarah Marshall brings more than 25 years of experience to the construction industry, from many years of working in corporate leadership positions and her time working ‘on the ground’ on projects across Australia. Sarah has spent her professional career spearheading positive change in the construction sector. This includes driving infrastructure sustainability, improving the culture, reducing the stigma of mental health issues, increasing Indigenous engagement and procurement, workforce employment, skilling and training, and driving improvements in gender diversity.

Sarah is also a board member of the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) and executive sponsor of ACA’s Capability and Capacity Board Committee, co-chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee at Roads Australia, and chair of the CILF Capability and Capacity Group.

Operational Excellence Award – Cross River Rail construction project, Mammoet Australia The Operational Excellence Award recognises an individual or team that has achieved demonstrable improvements in efficiency, best practice occupational health and safety, and impeccable records.

Mammoet’s innovative solution played a pivotal role in the Cross River Rail

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Cross River Rail construction project.

construction project in Brisbane. The project aimed to ease congestion and enhance transportation in the city. However, the confined and congested site posed significant challenges, demanding precision, efficiency and safety. Kenny Constructions, the civil engineering contractor, faced the challenge of installing 59 concrete trusses, each weighing up to 70 tonnes, deep within the underground station cavern. Overcoming restricted headroom, a minimal clearance of a few millimetres on either side of the trusses, and complex construction sequencing hurdles, while ensuring minimal disruptions were paramount considerations. Mammoet devised a custom packing structure placed on self-propelled modular trailers (SPMTs), enabling the simultaneous transportation and installation of multiple heavy trusses.

Thorough preparation, onsite rehearsals and expert execution led to the successful and safe installation of all 59 trusses, including four extra-large ones, within the confined space. This accomplishment contributed significantly to the Cross River Rail project, which is set to reduce travel times, accommodate more passengers and support economic growth. Mammoet’s approach has established a new industry standard, showcasing replicable technologies and methodologies that can serve as best practices for others to emulate.

Safety Program Award sponsored

by Blackwoods – Contractor Safety Management Program, ARTC The Safety Program Award recognises a program, project or initiative aimed at promoting and improving safety, either within a business or across the broader construction industry.

The ARTC has significantly improved contractor safety through its Contractor Safety Management Program. The program has delivered improved behaviour from ARTC staff in relation to contractor management, ensured continuous improvement and implemented a proactive approach to safety.

Contractors are better supported and trust

T s M

between ARTC and its contractors has increased. Improved safety performance has resulted in an increase in leading indicators such as safe work interactions and a reduction in lag indicators such as total recordable injury frequency rate (TRIFR), demonstrating the program’s success in improving safety outcomes for ARTC and its contractors.

The ARTC has improved contractor safety through its Contractor Safety Management Program.

Sustainability Initiative of the Year sponsored by SAMI Bitumen Technologies – Material Processing Centre 2 (MPC 2), BINGO Industries The Sustainability Initiative of the Year category recognises a company with a product, technology, system, initiative or project that has developed and carried out an innovative, environmentally focused, sustainable program to protect, preserve and/or rehabilitate the natural environment, contributing to decarbonisation and/or reducing waste and/or waste emissions.

BINGO Industries has constructed a worldclass recycling facility known as Material Processing Centre 2 (MPC 2) located in Western Sydney, to enable more diversion of waste from landfill. Fitted with some of the world’s most advanced resource recovery technology, the plant is capable of processing approximately 1.5 million tonnes per annum and up to 7,000 tonnes of inert building and demolition (B&D) and commercial and industrial (C&I) materials each day, diverting up to 80 per cent of C&I and B&D waste materials from landfill – with the number expected to increase in the 2024 financial year. MPC 2 is helping close the resources loop, allowing more materials to be circulated back into the economy aligned with BINGO Industries’ vision of a waste free Australia.

Material Processing Centre 2 (MPC 2).

Technology Solution Award sponsored

by FRAMECAD – Autodesk Construction Cloud, Autodesk The Technology Solution Award recognises a supplier of technology to a construction business, equipment manufacturer or subcontractor that improves a process, delivering tangible benefits across financial, safety or sustainability measurements.

Autodesk Construction Cloud connects teams and project data from design to handover – reducing risk, protecting profits and increasing predictability. Collaboration happens seamlessly with powerful, simple software that connects critical workflows.

Linked workflows move information between teams quickly and critical context doesn’t get lost along the way. Autodesk Construction Cloud links project teams through the entire project lifecycle using a single unified platform. Autodesk software helps its customers to design and make a better world for all.

BINGO Industries has constructed a world-class recycling facility known as Material Processing Centre 2 (MPC 2) located in Western Sydney, to enable more diversion of waste from landfill.

Autodesk Construction Cloud.

Local Government Project Success sponsored by COG Advertising– Northern Rivers Rail Trail, Hazell Bros (QLD) The Local Government Project of the Year category recognises the completion of a stage of a local government project, or complete project delivery, that has been delivered with demonstrably positive results in the areas of www.insideconstruction.com.au INSIDE CONSTRUCTION

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H

EVENTS Foundation Awards

Cl

For

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

budget, safety, social target and sustainability.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail – Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek is a 24-kilometre-long active transport corridor through the Tweed Shire LGA. The repurposing of the railway represented an opportunity to preserve a significant body of local and state heritage that had been deteriorating each year since its decommissioning in 2004. Delivered under a design and construct model, Hazell Bros worked closely with NSW Public Works and Tweed Shire Council to provide a social and economic benefit to residents, businesses and tourists. The project is the first section of the 130-kilometre Northern Rivers Rail Trail, which once complete, will stretch from Murwillumbah to Casino through Tweed, Byron, Lismore and Richmond Valley.

Ensconced in the scenic Tweed Valley, the environmental challenges were great, but the quality of the finished project is a veritable success as attested to by both stakeholders and current users.

Sarah Frankson, asset allocation manager at Fulton Hogan.

Woman of the Year – Christina Knorr, CJK Fire and Safety The Woman of the Year category recognises a woman in the industry who has driven change and continues to do so, leading to progress in breaking down barriers and creating new career prospects for the next generation.

Christina Knorr is a special expert in fire safety and the founder and managing director of CJK Fire & Safety (CJK). She is extremely passionate about her profession, education and women working in the construction industry. CJK is a boutique consultancy providing expert witness, fire safety engineering and educational services to construction industry professionals. Christina is well-regarded amongst her peers and enjoys sharing knowledge and educating her team, clients and the general public about fire safety.

Christina speaks at conferences and mentors graduate engineers. She is often consulted by other professionals about opening their own businesses and she is always happy to share her experience as an engineer, a woman in industry, an immigrant, a business owner and a mother. Christina is proud to be a woman in the construction industry and encourages others to follow their career goals in maledominated industries by sharing her positive experience in the industry.

Our purpose is ‘Providing a Better Life’ - today and into the future.

Rising Star of the Year sponsored by Moddex – Sarah Frankson, Fulton Hogan The Rising Star of the Year category recognises an individual aged 35 years or younger at the date nominations close, who has impressed their colleagues and counterparts with their contribution to and impact on their organisation, and excellence in service.

Sarah Frankson’s passion and dedication has seen her quickly progress and drive real change within Fulton Hogan, exceeding the expectations of her role time and time again. Commencing in the industry as a land advisor in March 2021, Sarah’s ability to quickly identify areas for improvement, her positive attitude and willingness to share her learnings with the broader industry saw her promoted to the role of asset allocation lead just nine months later. Sarah was the driving force behind a new asset allocation process which has resulted in great success in this field. She has also been instrumental in the establishment of a Women in Construction Steering Group and mentors other females in the industry. It is impossible to ignore Sarah’s positive impact on the business in the short period of time she has worked in the industry.

Sarah Frankson’s That’sand why sustainability, in all its forms, is considered in passion dedication has every project, process and product across our business. seen her quickly progress and adopt and innovate to make our footprint We adapt, drive real change smaller and our positive legacy larger. within Fulton Hogan, exceeding the expectations of her role time and time again.

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Our purpose is ‘Providing a Better Life’ - today and into the future.

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Group procurement manager Trent Chamberlain reveals how Winslow Group is introducing biodiesel to its plant and equipment with the help of Viva Energy.

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