Quarry May 2021

DEALER SHIFTS INTO TOP GEAR WITH PARTNERSHIP

Why solutions for root causes and tracking can be as effective as a belt alignment device

Tricon Equipment signs on as distributor for Superior Industries’ bulk materials plant

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ENSURING YOUR CONVEYOR BELT ALIGNMENT IS RIGHT

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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

MAY 2021

THE LOGISTICS, COMPLEXITY OF INLAND RAIL How the nation’s most ambitious rail infrastructure project will transform Australia

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IN THIS ISSUE MAY 2021

VOLUME 29, ISSUE 05

FEATURES 24 TENSION-FREE MAINTENANCE WITH V-BELTS Two belt maintenance specialists explain how a lime operation benefitted from a maintenance-free solution to re-tensioning its belts.

28 OEM INTEGRATES CMS INTO ONLINE PORTAL How Komatsu’s integration of its CMS suite into its online customer portal will improve oil and other lab-based services.

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CONVEYOR ALIGNMENT Why solutions for root causes and tracking are preferable to a belt alignment device.

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TOP GEAR PARTNERS Australian company signs on as distributor for OEM’s bulk materials handling range.

30 MODERN TRUCKS HIGHLIGHT RENTAL SAVINGS How Delta Rent’s modern hire equipment fleet can give quarries significant ‘bang’ for their bucks.

32 GAS-FIRED HAMMER TECH SETS THE STANDARD When sourcing tools and attachments, quarries should consider the full context of their operations.

34 PROCESS, PROWESS OVER POWER FOR ROCK BREAKING Why process and prowess in smaller breakers will win out over power in bigger, bulkier ones.

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LOADS OF LOYALTY An OEM is ensuring its earthmoving equipment has plenty of creature comforts.

MAY 2021

OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF QUARRYING AUSTRALIA

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Tricon Equipment signs on as distributor for Superior Industries’ bulk materials plant

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QUARRY

DEALER SHIFTS INTO ‘TOP GEAR’ WITH PARTNERHIP

Why solutions for root causes and tracking can be as effective as a belt alignment device

Marnie Evans explains why the Inland Rail project is transforming Australia.

42 EMBRACING SELFIMPROVEMENT In the construction materials industry, it is as important to look after one’s own aspirations as the organisation’s.

Peter Ambrose explains.

MAY 2021

www.quarrymagazine.com

ENSURING YOUR CONVEYOR BELT ALIGNMENT IS RIGHT

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INLAND RAIL ON TRACK

THE LOGISTICS, COMPLEXITY OF INLAND RAIL How the nation’s most ambitious rail infrastructure project will transform Australia

COVER ADVERTISER: Tricon Equipment now distributes Superior Industries’ bulk materials handling equipment, including the TeleStacker conveyor (pictured).

For more information, turn to page 23 or visit triconequipment.com.au

EVERY MONTH 04 FROM THE EDITOR 06 FROM THE PRESIDENT

44 SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

08 NEWS THIS MONTH

48 IQA NEWS

16 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

49 FROM THE IQA CEO

Quarry May 2021 3

EDITORIAL

TO COUNTER NIMBYISM QUARRIES HAVE TO PREPARE EARLIER

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early 12 months ago, IQA board director Michelle Connelly wrote a great piece for Quarry about the importance of maintaining community engagement during COVID-19. She stated quarries must have regular communication channels between their projects and stakeholders at all times, even in a pandemic. A communication vacuum can breed opposition or protest and in a digitally connected realm, fearful, ignorant and aggrieved parties will ally and spread misinformation.

For a time, COVID-19 may have subdued some NIMBYism to quarry proposals. However, now coronavirus has been largely suppressed, NIMBYists are raising their voices, most notably in the Marulan region of New South Wales (page 8) and Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula (page 10). Even the Inland Rail project (page 36), one of the most ambitious rail infrastructure projects in the history of Federation, is not immune from NIMBYism.

To quell the number of truck movements on local roads, Marulan residents are lobbying the NSW Government to compel the expanding Gunlake Quarries to explore rail transport options. This is despite clear evidence Gunlake cannot utilise rail infrastructure. Indeed, Gunlake has invested significant funds in a road transport route to better control the impact of its truck flows – a fact that is unrecognised.

On the Peninsula, Hillview Quarries and its governing Ross Trust are under fire for proposing to relocate and expand an existing Dromana quarrying operation to a former site less than a kilometre away. The main criticism of the trust, which donates Hillview Quarries’ profits to environmental causes across Victoria, is that the plan will impact the environment it pledges to protect.

It’s not just a few disgruntled citizens that power the groundswell of

NIMBYism nowadays – it’s a popular range of conservation groups, artists, academics, scientists, architects, farmers, tourism operators, and some sitting politicians. The Peninsula Preservation Group (PPG) campaign, assisted by experienced public relations practitioners, has been very media-savvy. It is not surprising Hillview has struggled to counter the resultant wave of negative coverage and misinformation.

Of even more concern to quarries is the latent support for the PPG’s campaign from politicians. The Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, whose electorate encompasses the Dromana and Arthurs Seat region, very publically opposes the Hillview/ Ross Trust proposal. Further, his allies at state level dispute the development and are pressuring the Victorian (Labor) Minister for Planning Richard Wynne, who will make the final call. This shows that while in the past politicians might have been sympathetic, quarries can no longer count them as allies.

In this post-COVID-19 era, quarries need to re-think the “rules of engagement”. They have to go on the front foot, show they are valuable contributors to communities and local economies. All too often the narrative is already lost if they inform stakeholders about projects mere years from the event.

As Connelly says, engagement goes both ways – stakeholders want to share in the decision-making process and have a meaningful role in how the project is designed. That is best started with a conscious, collective effort within the industry to make itself better known – a point the IQA has identified as part of its strategic priorities to 2025 (page 6). Perhaps the IQA’s strategic plan offers scope for a collective reset, rethink – and earlier stakeholder planning.

Published by:

IN THE POSTCOVID-19 ERA, QUARRIES HAVE TO RE-THINK THE ‘RULES OF ENGAGEMENT’ IF THEY ARE TO COUNTER NIMBYISM

11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 T: 03 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au Publisher John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au

Editor Damian Christie damian.christie@primecreative.com.au

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Business Development Manager Les Ilyefalvy les.ilyefalvy@primecreative.com.au

Client Success Co-ordinator Ben Griffiths ben.griffiths@primecreative.com.au

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

Art Director Blake Storey Subscriptions T: 03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Follow Quarry online: Facebook: facebook.com/quarrymagazine Twitter: twitter.com/2021Quarry LinkedIN: linkedin.com/groups/4314906/ Web: quarrymagazine.com The Publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from the advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. © Copyright – No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

DAMIAN CHRISTIE Editor

retrieval system or transmitted in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

TRIUMPHANT BRANCH MEETING A SIGN THINGS ARE GOING BACK TO NORMAL The Institute of Quarrying Australia

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recently attended the Victorian branch’s first technical session for the year, and it was so good to get back to what felt like normality. In fact, it felt better than normal as it had been such a long time since the last event – in March 2020 – was held in Victoria. It was attended by the maximum number of people permitted under the IQA’s and William Adams’ COVID management plan and was the first breakfast meeting held in Victoria. Dale Elphinstone, the executive chairman of the William Adams Group, once again shared his extensive experience and leadership on several positive and challenging economic issues facing Australia.

It is so important that each year we review progress against our strategic priorities and determine if they continue to be the right priorities, if the objectives need to change, or otherwise. We have had several meetings and by June we will have finalised the current year review and will be communicating any changes leading up to and at the Newcastle conference. A reminder of our strategic framework which is unpinned by the IQA’s horizons of growth can be found in the “About Us” section at quarry.com.au

The breakfast meeting was an enormous success, as it allowed those who have been working from home (and were obviously keen) to get out and mix with their peers face to face.

Congratulations to the Victorian branch for such a momentous event. I am aware of similar successful events being held by our other branches and sub-branches throughout Australia.

I am very much looking forward to attending some of these events as the situation with the borders improves. If you have missed out attending recent branch events and would like to ensure that you attend the next event in your region, visit the IQA website or contact the IQA’s administration, email admin@quarry.com.au

Vision: Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries.

Just another reminder about the IQA’s biennial conference to be held in Newcastle in October 2021. This is not one to miss. What an opportunity and I am sure the program that has been put together, the excellent presenters and speakers, along with the extensive networking and social programs, will offer significant value to our members and the industry. Don’t miss out and book your place now. Visit iqa.eventsair.com/conference This is also a good time to provide an update on behalf of the IQA Board about its work on the review of the Institute’s five-year strategic plan that commenced at the beginning of 2020.

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Quarry May 2021

As outlined in the IQA Strategic Plan 2020-2025, the IQA’s vision, values and strategic priorities are as follows:

Values: • A safe and sustainable environment.

• Diversity and inclusion.

• Working, development skills, careers and life-long learning.

• Networking, connection, trust and communication.

Strategic Priorities: • Maximise outcomes for industry through education and sustainable practise.

Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries

quarry.com.au IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT EACH YEAR WE REVIEW PROGRESS AGAINST OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND DETERMINE IF THEY CONTINUE TO BE THE RIGHT PRIORITIES, IF THE OBJECTIVES NEED TO CHANGE, OR OTHERWISE

The IQA’s Strategic Plan 2020 to 2025 embodies the following vision, values and strategic priorities: Vision: Educating and connecting the extractive and associated industries.

Values: • A safe and sustainable environment.

• Diversity and inclusion.

• Working, development skills, careers and life-long learning.

• Networking, connection, trust and communication.

Strategic Priorities: • Maximise outcomes for industry through education and sustainable practise.

• Increase our relevance.

• A high performing and sustainable organisation.

IQA CONTACTS: Phone: 02 9484 0577 Email: admin@quarry.com.au

• Increase our relevance.

Chief Executive Officer Kylie Fahey

• A high performing and sustainable organisation.

Company Secretary Rod Lester

We would love to hear a contribution to the plan from anyone in the industry (eg what is missing or should be enhanced). For more information, contact IQA CEO Kylie Fahey, who will ensure your comments are considered as we finalise the 2021-2026 strategic plan. Email ceo@quarry.com.au On behalf of the IQA Board and administration, stay safe, stay positive and stay healthy.

SHANE BRADDY President Institute of Quarrying Australia

For all education, member and branch enquires please email: admin@quarry.com.au.

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NEWS

GUNLAKE QUARRY RESOLUTE DESPITE RENEWED PRESSURE OVER DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL Austroad guidelines, Gunlake Quarries has fully funded an upgrade to its primary transport route along the Hume Highway.

Gunlake Quarries has issued a statement in light of recent community concern about heavier truck movements to and from its two million tonnes per annum operation, two hours south of Sydney.

“The design, that was adopted from the Newell Highway and the Kings Highway, created a rural road with a design capacity that is more than capable of meeting the additional truck movements from the Gunlake quarry,” the spokesman said. “The primary transport route is now being recognised as an ‘industry leading’ design, which is being used as a template for other heavy haulage routes in NSW.”

The hard rock quarry, which has been recognised by the New South Wales Land and Environment Court as a Site of Strategic Development, is proposing an increase in maximum daily truck movements by 50 per cent, removing its annual tonnage limit of 2mtpa so the transport of saleable product is restricted by the approved truck movements only, and extending the life of the operation by 30 years.

Residents of the nearby town of Marulan are concerned about the effect the increased number of trucks will have on their roads and are advocating the NSW Government compel Gunlake Quarries to explore a rail transport option, similar to some other quarries in the Marulan district.

Gunlake Quarries has expressed its belief in a statement to Quarry that it has paid its due diligence and received approval from the relevant authorities.

“The Gunlake quarry is not located on rail, our quarry is solely a road-based operation

While Gunlake wouldn’t comment on the viability of the community’s proposed rail transport option, it did attest to its positive impact in the local community.

The primary transport route for Gunlake’s Marulan quarry - before and after the upgrade. Image: Gunlake Quarries.

… In 2017, this was upheld by the Land and Environment Court in its approval,” a spokesman for the company said.

After being advised of how best to develop a road transport route in line with Planning Assessment Commission conditions and

“Gunlake Quarry has an active Community Consultative Committee (CCC) with representatives across the local community who provide good and balanced input,” Gunlake said.

“Moreover, the local community and Council are generally very supportive of the quarrying industry and Gunlake, which is something upon which Gunlake places a lot of value by being a very active and supportive entity within the local community.”•

STATEWIDE INSPECTION BLITZ TO ENSURE ELECTRICAL SAFETY FOR ALL QUARRIES Teams of inspectors have recently been visiting large quarries across New South Wales following an electric shock incident last September.

The campaign has been designed to identify how well quarry operators are identifying and nullifying risk in their electrical engineering control plans.

The NSW Resources Regulator’s chief inspector of mines Garvin Burns said the inspections were completely in the interest of workforce safety.

“Where inspectors form the view that workers may be exposed to serious risk due to a lack of effective risk controls, appropriate compliance action will be taken to protect the safety of those workers,” Burns said.

Should any quarry operators be concerned about compliance standards or need to refresh their knowledge in the

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Quarry May 2021

need for electrical awareness, Institute of Quarrying Australia President Shane Braddy said the Institute is ready to help.

“The IQA has a number of resources available to guide quarries in electrical awareness and we can provide onsite training if required to support the implementation of effective controls,” Braddy said.

While large quarries were accounted for in the inspection blitz, smaller operations will be visited at some time before July 2021.

The Resources Regulator outlined how it plans to tackle similar issues in its compliance priorities for January to June 2021.

The compliance priorities for small operations include the management of respirable dust, hazardous chemicals, contractors and land rehabilitation.

Operators of large quarries across NSW have recently had visits from inspectors to review their electrical safety procedures.

For more information, read the NSW Resources Regulator Compliance Priorities for January to June 2021 at resourcesregulator.nsw.gov.au To learn more about the IQA’s Electrical Awareness Booklet and its Electrical Awareness webinar, email admin@quarry.com.au or visit the IQA website: quarry.com.au •

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METALLICA INCREASES SILICA SAND AT CAPE FLATTERY Metallica Minerals has announced a significant 298 per cent increase to its resources at the Cape Flattery silica sand project in far north Queensland.

The increase brought the inferred resource to 38.3 Mt, and boosted Metallica Minerals’ confidence in the project with an initial indicated resource of 5.4 Mt. Metallica executive chairman Theo Psaros said the development was a big win for the project.

“We are delighted to announce a major upgrade for the high purity silica sand resource at our Cape Flattery project,” Psaros said.

“This resource will provide a solid basis for future exploration that will target expansion of the Eastern Resource Area and increase confidence in the resource to compliment the metallurgical studies that are underway.”

The quality of sand is a highgrade silica resource at more than 98.5 per cent silica and can be used for flooring, mortars, cement and asphalt among other products.

Psaros said the discovery will do well to please such markets as demand increases.

“This is a significant step towards advancing the development of our high quality silica sand project to contribute supply for the growing global demand for premium quality silica,” he said.

Australia was the fifth largest exporter of silica sand as of December 2020, with much of its exports going to China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. •

CHARITABLE TRUST DEFENDS QUARRY PROPOSAL IN THE PAST 50 YEARS THE ROSS TRUST HAS DONATED $139M IN PROCEEDS FROM ITS HILLVIEW QUARRIES

A local philanthropic charity has defended a quarry proposal considered by its critics to be in direct conflict with the trust’s core values.

The Ross Trust has owned Hillview Quarries for more than 50 years, by the will of the late Roy Everard Ross, who acquired the Hillview site in 1968.

Hillview Quarries owns the Hillview Quarry Drive site in Dromana, in Melbourne’s south-east, which actively quarries and supplies brown and grey granite to the local Mornington Peninsula region and wider Victoria.

The quarry’s approved granite resource is projected to be exhausted which has brought about the need to relocate and recommence operations – 850 metres down the road to the previously operated Pioneer Quarry in Boundary Road, Dromana, which Hillview purchased in 1999.

The Boundary Road operation hasn’t been operated for 22 years but its known reserves have the potential to replace the current operating site.

The perceived conflict in the new proposal is that the Ross Trust actively donates all of the Hillview Quarry Drive site’s profits to environmental and social causes across Victoria. Its critics argue the expansion at the Boundary Road site will impact the surrounding environment that the Ross Trust pledges to protect.

Hillview Quarries’ chief executive officer Paul Nitas emphasised the importance of the Ross Trust and Hillview to the region.

“The Ross Trust wouldn’t have been able to support so many social and environmental projects in Victoria if it weren’t for its quarry,” Nitas said.

“Over the past 50 years, the Trust has provided more than $139 million in grants supporting local communities, children at risk, and environmental and biodiversity projects across Victoria.”

Nitas said the proximity of the inactive Boundary Road quarry is more than just a convenience for the 30-plus quarry employees.

The CFS EPM and drill hole locations plotted for the silica sand resource at Metallica Minerals’ Cape Flattery project.

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“Quarry resources are identified in the Victorian Government’s Extractive Resources Strategy as being crucial to meet the state’s growth and demand for services

The idyllic Hillview Quarry Road in Dromana, Victoria.

and infrastructure,” Nitas said.

“It also identifies the need to use those quarry resources, such as rock, sand and gravel, close to where they are needed to keep housing and infrastructure costs down, support local jobs and reduce the environmental impacts of long distance transport.

“There are no other viable hard rock quarry sites on the Mornington Peninsula, which means that in the future, without a quarry operating on the peninsula, the rock would need to be sourced from other areas of regional Victoria, which leads to increased costs for residents, ratepayers, local businesses, state and federal governments.”

Nitas sought to quell the nerves of the local community by emphasising the quarry proposal is in the early stages of the Environment Effects Study (EES). He said that Hillview itself is seeking the scientific studies to learn of the potential environmental impacts in the proposal and how these can be managed.

“We understand there are concerns about recommencing operations at the Boundary Road Quarry, which is why Hillview Quarries was required to undertake a rigorous, thorough and independent assessment via an EES,” Nitas said.

“Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation circulating regarding this process, which is why Hillview Quarries will continue to consult with the community and all of the stakeholders as the EES continues.”

The EES can be viewed online at the Planning Victoria website: planning.vic.gov.au •

NEWS

EX-SAND QUARRY APPROVED TO REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE Cairns Regional Council has approved the repurposing of a former sand quarry owned

by Lemura Sand Company, allowing the facility to host more than 50,000 tonnes of recycled materials.

The quarry was first approved in the late 1980s but has been used as a waste facility in recent years.

To adapt to the Queensland waste levy, which was brought into effect on 1 July, 2019, Lemura’s recent application attempted to minimise its waste products by extending the facility to include non-putrescible materials such as tyres, green waste and construction and demolition waste, which could be recycled and repurposed.

The council report stated the application aimed to “improve the sustainability of their operations through utilising existing, emerging and creating new market streams for reprocessed products”.

The report also stated several provisions, including a six-year timeframe before re-application, no individual household materials, and an adequate vegetation buffer and flood management system.

The latter two provisions were in response to concerns over the smell, noise and safety of the proposed facility, as the site is close to both a residential area and the Barron river. •

BORAL HANDS LAND BACK TO TRADITIONAL OWNERS ‘RETURNING THE LAND TO ITS TRADITIONAL OWNERS IS OF SPECIAL SIGNIFCANCE TO BORAL’ ZLATKO TODORCEVSKI, BORAL CEO

Boral has strengthened relations with indigenous groups by returning 3.6ha of land to its traditional owners.

The Waurn Ponds site, west of Melbourne, saw a ceremony of reconciliation between the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) and representatives of Boral.

Among the Boral team was chief executive officer and managing director Zlatko Todorcevski, who said he felt proud to witness such a special occasion.

“Returning the land to its Traditional Owners is of special significance to Boral, and it has struck a chord with our people,” Todorcevski said. “We are a proud Australian company, and as we celebrate Boral’s 75th anniversary, we proudly acknowledge today’s achievement and what it means to the Wadawurrung People.

“Through Boral’s second Reconciliation Action Plan – our Innovate RAP – we are undertaking a range of important initiatives including employment strategies for more Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people and procurement programs to support Indigenous

The Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) has appointed Groundwork Plus to perform geotechnical analysis on the proposed site of its Bridge Street Quarry Gardens.

TRC’s Infrastructure Committee chair Councillor Carol Taylor said the council is excited to involve Brisbane-based Groundwork Plus in getting things off the ground.

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Quarry May 2021

businesses,” Todorcevski added.

WTOAC chief executive officer Paul Davis emphasised the importance of moments like these.

“The value of this gesture by Boral in returning this site, which holds great significance to the Wadawurrung People, cannot be understated,” Davis said.

The land previously formed part of Boral’s Waurn Ponds cement works, which totals more than 1000ha. The traditional owners plan to convert the space into a hub for cultural and educational purposes. •

TOOWOOMBA QUARRY GARDENS ENTERS PRE-PLANNING STAGE

It is a milestone in a 20-year quest to beautify the area. The old quarry site was a 120-year-old basalt operation and has lain dormant since it was closed in the 1990s.

A former sand quarry in northern Queensland is being repurposed to host 50,000+ tonnes of recycled materials.

Macaylah Johnson (Wadawurrung Traditional Owner), Wayne Manners (President & CEO, Boral Australia) and Zlatko Todorcevski (CEO & Managing Director, Boral Limited) attending the handover ceremony in Waurn Ponds. Image: Boral.

“We were seeking a consultant who understood [the risks of the old quarry site] and how to treat them but also could see the big picture of what the site could be in the long term as a

public space,” Taylor said.

“Groundwork Plus understood this and were keen to work with Council on this project.”

While TRC is yet to secure development funding from the Queensland Government, the Groundwork Plus analysis should allow for a required cost to take shape.

Taylor said the quarry gardens have been a utopian dream a long time in the making.

“This site has been identified as a future tourism landmark with potential for both public and private investment and we’re keen to prepare the site and make it safe for this future development.”

The geotechnical analysis is expected to be complete by August 2021. •

NEWS

DISCOVERY DEFIES PREVIOUS BELIEFS ON ANCIENT SPECIES

ONE PART FACE MASK, 99 PARTS ROAD With more than 6.8 billion face masks hitting the world’s landfills daily, the idea of building them into our roads has been developed on home soil.

Professor Jie Li of Melbourne’s RMIT University gathered his team to research the viability of using shredded face masks in conjunction with recycled concrete aggregates (RCA).

The results showed that a ratio of one per cent shredded face mask to 99 per cent RCA produced an optimal strength and cohesion between the materials.

Professor Li said while the resultant mixture would only be strong enough for light roads, many millions of tonnes of waste could be diverted from the environment.

“The mixture used in our study does not have any binder, so, it can be mainly used for a low traffic volume roads,” Li said. “To make just one kilometre of a two-lane road, it would use about three million masks, preventing 93 tonnes of waste from going to landfill.”

Not only does it save on material wastage but the use of purely recycled materials would allow quarries to maintain their virgin material reserves for larger projects.

Li said the project was funded by an Indigenous group, but still requires further aid in continuing with the endeavour.

“More research is needed to be conducted for future developments and field trials. We are looking for industry support. We are also going to apply for the Sustainability Victoria grant,” Li said. •

‘THE SKELETON WAS PRESERVED ON THE MUDDY SEA FLOOR THAT OVER TIME BECAME A LAMINATED LIMESTONE LAYER’ ROMAIN VULLO, UNIVERSITY OF RENNES, MEXICO

A research team has shared the secrets of a 93-million-year-old fossil uncovered in a Mexican quarry.

The shark species has been named Aquilolamna milarcae, which relates to species of long-winged sharks (similar to manta rays). The fossil, with its 1.9m wingspan, reveals that manta-like species were around 30 million years earlier than previously thought.

When the fossil was found near Vallecillo, in northeastern Mexico in 2012, quarry workers passed the specimen over to a local researcher who donated it to a public museum.

The most recent report on the specimen was not kicked off until 2017, when a team of geologists, palaeontologists and shark specialists formed to learn about how it came to be inside a limestone slab.

Geoscientist Romain Vullo from the University of Rennes told Quarry just how the fossil came to be.

“After the death of the animal about 93 million years ago, the carcass sunk and was deposited on the muddy sea floor,” Vullo said. “Because of the absence of scavengers and strong currents, the skeleton was not disarticulated and could be preserved

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in the sediment that became over time a laminated limestone layer.”

Vullo said that the discovery was in its own class of rarity. “Even if fossils are regularly unearthed in many quarries or natural outcrops, such discoveries (here a complete shark fossil with an outstanding morphology) remain exceptional,” Vullo said.

The fossil will be exhibited in the Museo La Milarca near Monterrey, 120km south of where it was discovered.

Vullo said his team is hopeful further discoveries can be made to unearth more about the ancient animal. •

QUARRY THAT BUILT ANCIENT CITY OF SMYRNA FOUND A 2000-year-old Turkish stone quarry has been discovered in the Aegean province of Izmir, thanks to some fouryear surface research.

It is said to have existed during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, around 300 to 0 BCE. According to Associate Doctor Akin Ersoy, who led the research team from the Izmir Katip Celebi University, the site was one of numerous quarries that helped to construct the ancient Greek city of Smyrna, located at a strategic point of the Aegean coast.

Discarded face masks can potentially be adapted as a substitute for virgin quarrying materials in roadbase.

Fossilised remains of the ancient fish Aquilolamna milarcae. Image: Romain Vullo, University of Rennes, Mexico.

“In ancient times, stone blocks that were delivered to the port were stored in a suitable area and then carried to the construction site by oxen,” Ersoy told the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality website.

“For example, these blocks would be delivered to Smyrna Agora and after their neat work was done, they would be used in the designated place for the building construction.”

Assessing the quality and cost of quarrying, transporting and building with such materials, Ersoy said the stone would have been used to build the area’s more high end buildings.

“The ceramics, blocks, and columns show that in the Roman period, this quarry was used more actively to meet the needs of the magnificent monumental structures that increased in number in parallel to the enrichment of Smyrna,” Ersoy said.

Researchers agree that the newly found site was certainly an important one for its period. •

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Designed to adapt to any challenging jobsite, they can deliver total autonomy such as; Designe automaac lubricaaon, secured hydraulic conneccons and energy recovery system. These, along with many other standard features including a 100% leak free accumulator that enables greater hydraulic efficiency for the next blow means no costly downnme on worksites with constant nitrogen recharging.

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PRODUCT FOCUS

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ENTERPRISING QUARRY SOLUTIONS PROVIDER As the exclusive Australian distributor for Minyu crushing and screening equipment and Maitek sand processing plants, Seymour Engineering Group (SEG) offers quarry producers in-house full turnkey project solutions from OPEX maintenance projects to major CAPEX brownfield/ greenfield upgrades. SEG can also supply slurry and dewatering pumps, dust suppression units, water filtration systems and carry spares for your daily operational requirements. SEG’s services include feasibility studies, design and engineering services, fabrication, project management, construction management, operational business improvement, and repair and maintenance works.

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INNOVATIVE STAGE FOUR CRUSHER The Precisionscreen Trackcrush PV350 VSI provides the solution for stage four aggregate crushing. The shape of the aggregate is the key to success and a VSI crusher uses a spinning rotor to accelerate material, which is then impacted in a highly energised rocklined crushing chamber. Precisionscreen have used innovative design and technology to bring the Trackcrush PV350 VSI to the Australian quarrying industry. It includes flowstream technology, hydraulic adjustments, high capacity production of 350 tph, a three-ply conveyor belt, and a Cat C15 engine.

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THREE-PASS AGGREGATE HAULER The John Deere 844L AH provides exceptional visibility with roof to floor front glass, and sight lines allow visibility to corners of the rear counterweight. Its features include a standard rear camera, factory installed auto-lube system, auto shutdown, optional radar object detection system, tyre pressure monitoring system and payload weighing. Side-hinged doors provide wide, clear access to daily checks and fill points. A standard hydraulic reversing fan makes cleaning fast and easy. With a fuel-efficient FT4 diesel engine and high capacity, heavy-duty axles, this lean, mean, hauling machine is a true three-pass aggregate handler.

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Quarry May 2021

IMPACT BELT SUPPORT SYSTEM Kinder Australia’s K-Shield impact belt support system provides improvement of material containment at high impact conveyor transfer points. Each cradle is custom-engineered to suit a wide variety of heavy material applications – with rigidity to provide extra support under the movement of the conveyor belt, stabilising the load at the transfer point. The 12mm thick UHMW polyethylene wear surface allows the belt to slide freely over the cradle surface, and the smooth curved trough supports the belt over the entire surface. The K-Shield installation ensures that the skirting and seals can work more effectively, preventing belt edge damage and material spillage.

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CONVEYING

A CONSCIENTIOUS PATH TO BELT CONVEYOR ALIGNMENT

Conveyor belt alignment is a challenging prospect for many quarrying producers. As Cameron Portelli explains, it may be tempting to introduce a belt alignment device but there are many solutions for simpler root causes and tracking options that can be just as effective.

E

ven the most holistic approach to belt conveyor system design and construction rarely results in good belt alignment.

Is the structure rigid and installed level?

Check! Are the pulleys and idlers concentric and installed square? Check! No worries then right? Wrong!

The conveyor belt is widely considered to be the most cost-intensive component on the conveyor belt system over the equipment life and given mis-tracking damage can be fatal to the belt, the maintenance of sufficient alignment should be a high priority.

Site conditions change, so even the best laid plans ruin the best of intentions in seeking sufficient belt alignment. All conditions out of the control of site personnel, such as weather conditions (eg temperature, rain, see Figure 1), ground movement and conveyed material changes, contribute to an alteration in the belt path and the way the burden interacts with the belt. These changes often contribute to poor belt alignment on a system that was performing well the previous day.

There are now many ways to achieve belt alignment but an alignment device should only be sought to counter changing conditions, or where a simpler root cause fix does not exist. For example, wind forces often cause belt conveyors to mis-track; this can be countered by simply covering the belt with belt covers or using wind guards (Figure 2).

Another example is the build-up on rollers that causes a mis-tracking belt, by way of varying diameters and friction factors (Figure 3). This should be countered using a belt cleaning or spillage reduction solution such as better skirting.

Machinery designers have long implemented equipment that naturally aids in good belt tracking. Such equipment includes the crowning of pulleys and offset idlers.

These simple solutions may be all that is required to track simple systems. Even the

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troughing of a belt will allow for better belt alignment, when compared with a flat carry belt conveyor system.

Crowned drums work by placing more tension on the side that is tracking to the centre. This creates a curve in the belt that allows it to “climb” the pulley drum taper, centring itself. This principle has been used for many years in power transmission as well as conveyor belt systems.

Offset idlers generally have a lead in the wing rollers (about 2° max) and can also be created using inline rollers by leaning them forward on taper shims (Figure 4). If the belt tracks over to one side, more of the belt is contacting one wing roller than the other. This force imbalance allows the belt to self-centre.

As this is not a symmetrical design, this cannot be implemented on reversible belts.

Doing so would worsen the mis-tracking of a mis-tracked belt.

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TRACKERS When all simple fixes are not getting the job done, belt-tracking devices should be utilised. The oldest solution is the centre pivoting tracking frame and there are some options when it comes to pivot activation.

Most commonly a trailing side guide roller is used, such that when the belt drifts over, offset pressure on the frame creates a torque about the centre pivot, allowing the rollers to

Figure 3. Roller build-up induced mis-tracking.

Figure 1. Severe wind induced mis-tracking on a conveyor belt.

Figure 2. Wind guards prevent wind induced mis-tracking.

F4. Inducing “lead” in wing rollers of an inline frame.

Figure 6. Side guide activated centre pivot tracker.

F5. Poor belt edge condition is common.

steer the belt back to the centre. These are an understood reliable item but the drawbacks are that they are not for reversible belts and they require belt edge contact to activate.

Some conveyor belts in the field have a less than perfect belt edge (Figure 5), usually due to a previous mis-tracking incident, and so may not be suitably solved using the side guide activated centre pivot tracker (Figure 6).

The side guide activated tracker is also considered a passive tracker; it waits for some level of mis-tracking to occur before acting.

This may be suitable for certain applications that drift within limits naturally and use the tracker rarely when conditions change.

On some heavier applications or where conditions are constantly changing, it may not be suitable to utilise this tracker.

As all three rollers (for a trough side design) on this type of tracker perform the belt realignment, they thrive on friction and pressure. These trackers should be supplied at least 6mm higher than the preceding and post idler frames to ensure suitable pressure is maintained. Further friction can be applied to the belt by shimming the frame up to 18mm higher or the use of rubber lagged rollers, which significantly increase the belt to roller friction force. Given rollers in tracking frames tend to wear faster than plain roller sets due to the constant “scuffing” of the roller face, rubber lagged rollers also have a greater

Figure 7. Taper roller.

serviceable life. Due to the added pressure and the want of extra friction, low friction HDPE rollers should not be used in these types of frames. Generally, an RDRT roller also shouldn’t be used in a return training frame as there is less contact with the belt, even if a marginal increase in friction results due to the use of rubber.

The alternative to side guide activated trackers is the taper roller (Figure 7). These use variation in tangential speed across the roller face to incite a “braking” effect, which drags the tracker forward on the side that the belt is mis-tracking toward. The advantage is the design is inherently suitable for reversible belts, there is no belt edge contact and it is an active tracker, ie it is always tracking as

Figure 8. Taper rollers are available for the trough and return side of the belt.

Quarry May 2021 19

CONVEYING

opposed to the side guide activated tracker which relies on contact with the side guide roller before reacting.

The fact that the taper roller tracker is an active tracker is a double-edged sword. Yes, you will have a quicker response before a mis-track situation becomes a major issue but the lagging is constantly in a wear state, even during perfect belt alignment. This can lead the lagging taper shape to wear to a point of ineffectiveness. The Kinder field service team

has seen multiple occasions of customers having the lagging replaced without the taper feature and wondering why the tracker no longer performed afterwards, so a misunderstanding of this tracker is common.

In trough side applications of the taper roller (Figure 8), the centre roller is less important, hence it being plain steel rather than a high friction rubber or grooved polyurethane. The intention of the dual centre rollers is to offset them from the centre, opening space for the

Figure 9. Mass imbalance activated return tracker.

F10. Reversible design mass imbalance activated return tracker.

Figure 12. Ideal tracker placement.

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large end of the taper wing roller to be placed, if required, for steep trough angle systems.

Setting of the wing roller angle depends on the trough angle of the conveyor, and is partly the reason for it being adjustable, but the greatest reason for the adjustment is so the training response can be increased. Usually the wing rollers should be set 2-3° higher than the standard carry frames on the system but they can be further increased in situations where the trainer is slow at responding.

Placing shims under these trainers to increase pressure actually makes the trainer less responsive, as this places more pressure on the centre rollers, taking vital pressure away from the wing rollers.

Other tracking units that exist are primarily for the return side of the belt. These use a belt mass difference across the face of a central bearing supported roller to pivot the trainer and correct the belt. Most use a pivot shaft that runs at 45° toward the belt direction through the stationary support shaft to an inner bearing drum (Figure 9). When the belt tracks over, a mass imbalance about the centre of the roller causes the outer drum to move down and forward. This steers the belt back centrally. This design is not suitable for reversible belts, although the addition of external bearings can flip the shaft when the belt moves in the opposite direction. The

F11. Rubber coupling centre pivot return tracker.

external bearings being smaller and having less friction than the internal bearings allows the shaft to flip and come to a stop using a positioning lever before the outer drum starts to turn (Figure 10).

New technologies developed have allowed for a much simpler example of a mass imbalance activated tracker. This design uses a flexible coupling in the centre pivot, rather than a fixed axis shaft at 45°. This allows for a completely 360° free motion about the centre of the tracker, which has created an inherently reversible design. The steering of the roller is activated by additional mass and friction to one side of the roller, which drags the roller drum forward and steers the belt back to centre. Results in the field have shown there is no downside to this design compared with the fixed axis design, and it has been found that the rubber coupling is a more reliable unit (Figure 11), due to its simplicity and given it is not affected by contamination like a conventional greased bearing.

All previously mentioned pivoting trackers limit the angle of pivot to avoid losing static friction with the belt. This can be likened to understeer in a vehicle, where more steering angle past the limit of adhesion results in no extra steerability and likely, further wear on the tyres. The actual limit angle is when the theoretical force pushing the belt across exceeds the static friction available between the two surfaces. This belt push force is dependent on the tension in the belt, and the friction available depends on the mass of the belt, product and any additional tension forces that are induced via additional pressure of the installation. This is obviously very dependent on the system specifications and running conditions at any one time but it has been shown that no more than 6° of pivot either way should be allowed. Higher tension systems should be further limited as the push force generated by a given angle is so much greater, therefore reaching the friction limit earlier.

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TRACKER PLACEMENT The placement of a tracker is to solve an issue in the area where mis-tracking occurs (Figure 12). There are also recommended locations for tracker placement as a risk prevention measure, such as prior to pulleys where occurrence of mis-tracking would result in dire consequences for the belt. A risk-free system is one that has the following trackers installed: • Prior to every pulley.

• After the head pulley (and drive pulley where these are separate).

• After the gravity take-up (or any other series of non-drive pulleys, such as a tripper).

• After the loading point to counter the possibility of off-centre loading.

• Every 30 to 50 metres of continuous belt.

Obviously, the practicalities of capital and ongoing maintenance costs may not allow for this many trackers to be installed, especially for shorter systems. However, particularly on long overland systems and critical single

CONVEYING

line systems with zero redundancy, it may be some very cheap insurance and something that is only realised after kilometres of belt have been destroyed.

The minimum distance of 3.5 times the belt width of distance between pulleys and the tracker is to allow the tracker to have an effect on the belt, lessening the need to “fight” the pulley with its greater wrap and therefore greater hold on the belt (Figure 13). A tracker is limited by the amount of friction it can apply and therefore the amount of sideways force it can transmit to correct the belt. Placing

the tracker sufficiently far away from pulleys allows greater torque to be applied about the centre of the belt at the pulley for a given tracker applied force, which induces a greater angle difference, allowing the belt to climb the drum after some pulley revolutions, much like how a crowned drum works.

A balance between the practicality of install and the perfect location for tracking performance must be sought. A tracker at twice the belt width from a pulley is better than no tracker at all. Short feeder conveyors have had trackers placed in the centre of the

Figure 13. 3.5 x belt width rule explanation.

Figure 14. Inverted vee trainer forcing belt training.

Figure 16. An example of a spiral roller.

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Figure 15. Side guide rollers won’t stop all belts.

return strand at around one belt width from each pulley and in order to get them to have a sufficient effect, the pressure on the tracker must be so much greater that it warrants a design check of the tracker’s capabilities.

Other options for short centre belts are inverted vee-guide rollers or fixed side guide rollers.

These are a crude last resort. The inverted vee-rollers train the belt via constant pressure and go against a belt manufacturers’ concerns for transitioning belt profiles from troughed to flat over a given distance (Figure 14). Side guide rollers are a hard stop on a belt edge that may be inconsistent and sometimes the mis-tracking situation is so bad the belt folds against the side guide roller (Figure 15).

Return trackers offer more freedom for installation as they can be placed above or below the belt. Above the belt is the clean side of the belt, so more friction may be seen resulting in a greater tracker response but it may be easier to replace a return roller with a return tracker in a more conventional way, due to space constraints. A return tracker is beneficial compared with a trough tracker as it only needs to correct the belt, not the belt and the burden. Return trackers also typically maintain a greater contact area with the belt as the troughed profile lifts at the idler junctions.

OTHER TRACKING OPTIONS Spiral rollers (Figure 16) were soon discovered to generate a tracking force as customers started to fit them in the direction that cleans to the outside of the belt with threads working away from the centre. This can make sense from a cleaning perspective but has an adverse belt tracking response. Hence now they are used for their tracking ability as well as cleaning. They are also easy to fit, replacing any conventional steel roller without the need to change brackets.

Disc trackers are also recommended for light to medium duty conveyors. Made of polyurethane to reduce the severity of belt edge contact, they are a simply installed solution for the belt’s trough and return sides.

This article is by no means an exhaustive list of tracker design options. Features such as pivot and tilt, even hydraulically steered units, are available. Whatever additions are on offer, it is usually the simplest of solutions that look after the belt which offer the best longterm outcome. • Cameron Portelli is the senior mechanical engineer at Kinder Australia.

CONVEYING

TRICON SHIFTS INTO

TOP GEAR WITH NEW OEM PARTNERSHIP

T

of the business that will truly cement it as a leader in the industry.

“This partnership is the next step up that Tricon needed to continue to expand on its business growth,” he said. “Equipment at the high standard of Superior requires a partner who understands the industry, its customers and applications, and who will back it up with the right service, parts and support.”

Like Superior, Tricon is known for delivering world-class products with industry-leading service and support to provide its customers with the best possible solutions to achieve its desired goals. Tricon will deliver the Superior Industries product offering through its established support infrastructure throughout Australia, utilising Tricon’s own fleet of float trucks to transport the equipment direct to customers.

Tricon is well equipped and staffed to handle the large range of products from Superior, with existing facilities in Brisbane, Rockbank in Victoria, and Tomago, the Central Coast and a 2600m² spare parts facility in Warnervale, in New South Wales.

Throughout the east coast of Australia, Tricon Mining Equipment now represents Superior bulk material handling equipment including the TeleStacker conveyor, the Pinnacle conveyor, the Zipline conveyor, and the RazerTail truck unloader. Equipment from Superior is always customisable by application for portable, modular, and stationary applications. •

ricon Equipment has announced it is the east coast Australian dealer for US-based OEM Superior Industries’ bulk materials handling range.

Based in Morris, Minnesota, Superior Industries engineers and manufactures groundbreaking bulk material processing and handling equipment and cutting edge components. The manufacturer supplies bulk crushing, screening, washing, and conveying systems and related parts for industries like aggregates, mining, bulk terminals, agriculture, power, and biomass.

Michael Tripolone, the managing director of Tricon Mining Equipment, described his company’s affiliation with Superior as “the most significant partnership of 2021”.

As a dealer for Superior, Tricon now sell, service and support all product segments including portable, modular, and stationary conveying equipment.

Tripolone said that the “breadth and depth of Superior’s range far exceeds those of its competitors” and the range includes some impressive products not yet seen on Australian shores.

He added the partnership with Tricon “cements” Superior’s footprint in Australia.

With Tricon’s strong presence in Australia combined with Superior’s dominant position in America, Canada, Brazil and Mexico, the organisation now has a truly global reach.

“The team at Tricon is widely known for its broad range of in-stock equipment, experience in material processing technologies, and dedication to great customer service,” said Jeff Gray, Superior’s director of international sales. “We’re wildly

excited to add them as a new dealer in eastern Australia.”

Marcis Pavars, Superior’s equipment sales and business development manager for Russia, the CIS and Oceania said of the partnership: “We are excited to join forces with such a well-known and highly respected company on the eastern side of Australia.

Combining Superior Industries and Tricon strengths, I feel like the sky is the limit.”

This new partnership completes Tricon’s core offering and shifts the company into a new level of bulk material processing and handling equipment dealer in Australia.

With more than 20 years of experience, Tricon Equipment is a multi-award-winning business, with a long-standing history of building and growing bulk material processing and handling equipment brands in Australia.

Tripolone described this next phase for Tricon Equipment as an important evolution

Tricon Equipment now represents Superior bulk material handling equipment on Australia’s east coast, including the TeleStacker conveyor (pictured).

A Telestacker mobile conveyor in action in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA.

A Razertail truck unloader (bottom left) feeds a Telestacker conveyor.

To view the Superior Industries range, visit the Tricon Equipment website: https://www.triconequipment.com.au

Quarry May 2021 23

CONVEYING

TENSION-FREE

MAINTENANCE WITH PREMIUM V-BELTS Two specialists in conveyor belt maintenance outline the causes and impacts of failures in belt drive systems, and explain how a lime operation benefitted from a maintenance-free solution to re-tensioning its belts.

W

hen questioned about the most common causes of belt failures in belt drive systems, industry expert Derek Hill identified “misaligned pulleys and incorrect belt tensioning”.

“A lot of belt failures start right from the moment that the belts are installed,” Hill, who is the national sales manager of industrial at Gates, explained. “Misalignment in the pulleys and incorrect tensioning are major causes of why belts fail.

“This might sound funny but one of the biggest misconceptions about belt installation is that tensioning doesn’t matter,” he continued. “There are a lot of fitters out there who will just over-tighten the drive because that’s what they have always done.”

Hill’s advice for tensioning the belts correctly is to use the right tools.

“The key is to use the correct tool. Don’t just push down a belt to see if it’s nice and tight,” he said. “There are various tensioning gauges available for measuring the belts’ elongation, right from the basic gauges up to

The Gates Belt Drive Maintenance Kit is designed to make drive installation and maintenance easy.

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Quarry May 2021

“The construction is one of the biggest things about the Predator v-belt,” Hill said. “These v-belts are essentially maintenance-free as they don’t stretch. They are also supplied as matched sets, so you do not need to worry about different belt lengths. Because the aramid cords do not elongate when they heat up, you can simply tension and align a Predator v-belt at the start and then have a setand-forget drive.”

Gates’ Predator v-belts are recommended as a belt conveying solution because they do not require re-tensioning after initial installation.

digital gauges and even sonic wave tensioning devices that pick up belt frequencies when you push and release the belt.

“Another thing to avoid is installing new belts into well-worn pulleys. You can check your pulley groove wear quickly and easily by using a set of Gates Pulley Gauges. Worn pulleys will lead to belts wearing and potentially failing a lot quicker.”

For applications where frequent start and stops in the machine can lead to belt slip and subsequent wear to the pulley, Hill recommended premium belts such as the Gates Predator wrapped v-belts.

“When there is a lot of stop and start in the machine, such as in quarry crushers, you don’t want to have any unwanted slippage in the belts beyond the initial slippage at the start-up. Belt slips lead to higher temperatures in the belt and cause a lot more pulley wear,” he explained. “Therefore, in addition to shorter belt life, you end up changing pulleys more frequently, which can be a lot more expensive than changing belts.”

The Gates Predator belts are heavy-duty v-belts with aramid tensile cords in their construction, which in addition to higher strength, make the belt stretch-free. As such, these belts do not require any re-tensioning after their initial installation.

LIME PRODUCER TIGHTENS ITS BELTS A “set-and-forget” drive solution was exactly what a lime quarry in New South Wales was looking for when it contacted its trusted industrial supplier, BSC to help reduce the maintenance hassle for its blower drive.

Matt Thornton, the major account manager at BSC, recommended the Gates Predator as a maintenance-free and costeffective solution.

“Our customer is a major lime producer and they use a powerful blower drive to convey lime out of their aglime plant via pneumatic conveying,” Thornton explained. “This is critical equipment as there are no alternatives for it on the plant and without it, lime cannot be shipped to load the trucks. They were looking to reduce the time that they had to spend on re-tensioning the belts.

“We suggested the Gates Predator v-belts, which they had never tried before. These belts do not require re-tensioning, which is what they were looking for. Additionally, the rubber compound used in the premium Gates v-belts is of a higher standard than the rubber in conventional v-belts, so it offers better heat resistance. These v-belts are also designed to allow for momentary slippage during overloads, without damaging the belt.”

The belts have already proven to be more cost-effective and durable than the plant had hoped for, according to Thornton.

“It is true that the initial cost of premium v-belts is higher, but this is offset by the

long-term saving on maintenance,” he said.

“For example, the lime quarry already had an incident where their drive locked up and spun the pulleys against the v-belts. But the v-belts were still able to run after the machine had failed and the belts had slipped. Our customer has been so happy with the performance that they have started using premium belts in their mill drives, fans and hammer mills as well.”

BSC and Gates work closely to offer on-site training programs to maintenance professionals across different industries, including mines and quarries. These programmes, as Thornton explained, can be customised to fit every industry’s requirements.

“These programs are a good opportunity for us to go through different types of belts and explain the best practices for the installation and maintenance of belt drives. BSC offers these either together with Gates or independently and the programme can be tailored to fit every customer’s needs,” he concluded. •

SONIC TENSION METER 508C Belts, like strings, vibrate at a particular natural frequency based on mass and span length.

Gates’ unique Sonic Tension Meter simply converts this frequency into a measurement of tension.

Here’s how it works: First, enter belt mass constant, belt width and span length into meter using built-in keypad.

Next, hold meter sensor to belt span, then lightly strum belt to make it vibrate. Press “measure” button to obtain reading and the meter quickly converts vibrations into belt tension.

Readings are displayed on a liquid-crystal screen.

Tips for measuring tension: • Don’t use the old “thumb’o’meter” to measure the belt’s tension. Use the right tools.

• Don’t put your idler back to the same position when you install a new belt. It will over-stretch it.

The Gates Sonic Tension Meter analyses sound waves from the belt through a sensor to ensure accurate tension measurement.

Source: Gates Australia

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LOAD & HAUL

LOADS OF LOYALTY,

COMFORT FACTORS IN PARTNERSHIP As operators can spend considerable time in their vehicles, Volvo CE ensures its construction equipment has enough creature comforts to have them looking forward to the day ahead every day.

Quarry spoke to two such professionals to gather what it’s like working with Volvo CE gear.

V

olvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) provides all kinds of options on loaders, haulers and excavators, fit to provide for several applications across the quarrying industry. But without a trusted supplier like CJD Equipment, quarry businesses would be left in the dark, struggling to source the most effective vehicles for their operations.

CJD was founded in 1974 as a supplier of industrial and agricultural equipment.

Where back then it was John Deere and Chamberlain that were prominent in the earthmoving equipment market, CJD has now partnered with Volvo CE for almost 30 years. It was a humble beginning for CJD, with the licence to supply Western Australia with Volvo CE products. However, it took less than 10 years before the company ventured to the east coast to eventually became Volvo CE’s national distributor.

Much more has happened since then, and it’s the company’s countrywide presence that has won it the trust of quarries across Australia. According to CJD regional sales manager Steve Wilson, it’s an “easy sell” to convert potential customers into long-term clients.

“CJD is a national company so you’re not dealing with different suppliers for different gear with branches all over the country,” Wilson said. “That’s definitely a major selling point.”

A mechanic by trade, Wilson has been in the industry and with CJD for 19 years. With an added background in sales, he knows the tips and trends of the market like the back of his hand. On selling CJD’s extensive range of Volvo CE gear, Wilson said it’s simply a matter of getting customers into the vehicles.

“Volvo products speak for themselves once you get into one,” he said. “It’s a matter of trialling one and giving the

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Quarry May 2021

Luke Graham, PF Formation’s managing director.

operators a chance to sit in a seat and see what they can do. Once that happens, very rarely do we miss out on a deal.”

But exactly why Volvo CE’s vehicles are so popular is a much longer conversation, due to the extensive list of advantages that come with the range. “[CJD are] the number one wheel loader choice in New South Wales at the moment, so Volvos are very popular, especially in the sand quarry applications for loading trucks and hoppers because of the geometry of the torque parallel linkage. It gives them a better carry and gets more product from one spot to another without losing it out of the bucket,” Wilson explained.

COMFORTABLE WORKHORSES Managing director of PF Formation Luke Graham swears by Volvo’s wheel loaders and by the service provided

by CJD Equipment. “[The Volvo L150H wheel loader] has

been fantastic for productivity,” Graham said. “It’s very well fit for purpose. We’ve always been able to get the job done but it’s more the availability of the equipment.

They are extremely reliable, we don’t have unscheduled downtimes almost ever, so the availability has been 100 per cent.

“It’s only, typically, our scheduled service intervals where we manage the business to have services carried out intermittently.”

Graham especially appreciates the quality of Volvo’s CE gear on behalf of his operators. Across three sites in Maroota, outside Sydney, the secondgeneration family-owned business has relied on its operators since 1983, so a comfortable workhorse is absolutely imperative.

“The guys like to use them, and they appreciate the comfort over a 12-hour shift,” Graham said. “The operators spend more time in their Volvo than they do in their bed at home so the need for us to manage our business to provide a good and comfortable environment for operators in the machine is important, and Volvo has allowed us to do that.”

Graham echoed Wilson’s point that Volvo CE’ vehicles are perfect for the sand quarry game, which is exactly what PF Formation requires. The operator’s three sites quarry both friable sandstone and tertiary sand which has been used for projects like Canberra’s Department of Foreign Affairs building, the Olympic facilities at Homebush, Star City Casino, and Sydney’s M2 motorway. PF Formation produces more than half a million tonnes of sand each year.

“We’ve got 35 pieces of equipment, including loaders, dump trucks, excavators, and then we have an extensive range of mobile screening and crushing gear,” he said.

BACK TO TRADITIONAL GEAR After a stint with a rival brand, CJD were able to convert Graham back to Volvo CE. He said he came back to the Volvo CE brand in 2015. “Feedback from other quarry operators and plant operators was that the Volvos are a superior loader,” he said. “It’s definitely the operator comfort and feedback, they prefer to drive a Volvo over anything else. “(CJD) came in with good pricing originally, and that was a big enough carrot which was dangled that we could justify switching from my traditional gear.”

Wilson believes there are multiple factors behind PF Formation’s conversion back to Volvo gear.

“They recognised that the Volvos are more operator-friendly,” he said. “The vision that the Volvos have obviously makes them a lot more comfortable because [the operator] can see their surroundings. But also, it’s the way the cab is set up. All the switches

PF Formation’s L150H wheel loader in action at the Maroota sand quarry.

are ergonomically set, easy to reach, and the cab sits on good suspension using viscous cab mounts.

“Also, [PF Formation was] saving more fuel by moving into Volvos, while being a lot quicker on the ground and

moving more product.”

Graham complimented CJD Equipment’s support services, which have enabled his business to maximise its productivity almost constantly.

“All my Volvos are tied up in long-term service contracts with CJD, so they maintain all our Volvos and they’ve been really good,” he said. “[Working with CJD], we don’t have breakdowns virtually ever and the cases where we have, the response has been almost immediate.”

Wilson agreed it comes down to CJD’s friendly support which has maintained not only the equipment, but the partnership too.

“It’s certainly the back-up and the service because we maintain their machines for them as well. It’s the relationship we’ve built with them over the years initially to get them into the Volvos, but it’s sort of an ongoing and all-round relationship,” Wilson said. •

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LOAD & HAUL

OEM INTEGRATES CMS INTO ONLINE PORTAL

Komatsu has integrated its Condition Monitoring Services (CMS) suite of oil analysis and other laboratory-based analysis, testing and evaluation services into its myKomatsu online customer portal.

F

ormerly, the online presence for Komatsu CMS was on a stand-alone website.

Stephen Clarke, Komatsu’s national manager for condition monitoring, said the integration of CMS into myKomatsu provides a more user-friendly, intuitive way of dealing with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

“Importantly, it provides a single log-in that gives access not only to Komatsu CMS, but also ordering and managing the delivery of parts, consumables, components and other Komatsu products and services – a major step forward in customers’ ease of doing business.”

In addition to oil analysis, other analysis and testing services provided by Komatsu CMS cover fuel, wastewater, coolant, lubricants and greases, along with vibration analysis and metallurgical testing.

“The increased functionality through the integration of Komatsu CMS within myKomatsu means the whole process of managing oil sampling will be faster, more efficient, less prone to human error and easier to use,” Clarke said. “Customers see condition monitoring records for their entire fleet at a glance. It also allows them to generate custom reports that extract the data and information they need, to run their equipment more efficiently, productively, reliably and safely.”

Komatsu CMS’s integration into myKomatsu – my.komatsu.com.au/cms – also lets customers use barcoded sample cards to capture machine-specific data. “These barcoded sample cards mean customers just need to enter machine hours when submitting

The myKomatsu app can be accessed on a variety of devices.

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Quarry May 2021

Komatsu CMS is recognised in the industry as having one of the fastest and quality analysis turn-around times of processing samples once they have been received by the lab.

a sample. Everything else is pre-captured,” Clarke said. “This offers significant customer benefits, including far less handling and formfilling, eliminates duplicate information, reduces room for error when dealing with multiple machines, and means we are consistently recording all pre-existing machine data.

“If a sample report indicates a critical issue, customers are notified immediately through their preferred method of contact. We can make the results immediately available on the myKomatsu portal so they can securely log-in and see their detailed results on desktop, mobile or tablet,” Clarke said. “In addition, a self-managed reports function, including customised views and scheduled report downloads, provides customers with what they need to know.”

Clarke said the Komatsu CMS is recognised in the industry as having one of the fastest turn-around times of processing samples once received by the lab, as well as for the quality of its results and analysis. “Our aim is to turn around an oil analysis sample within 24 hours, and we consistently achieve this in more than 98 per cent of samples.”

With the integration of Komatsu CMS results into myKomatsu, the company can also provide more detailed information, reports and trends analysis. “Previously, we couldn’t share some of the data with customers, but now we can

provide more, including ‘filtergrams’, which are similar to oil sample reports, but with images attached of what our technicians see under the microscope,” Clarke explained. “This really complements our standard reports, and helps our customers gain a far more detailed understanding of what’s happening in their machines.”

It is not just the owners of Komatsu equipment who benefit from this expanded myKomatsu functionality. Clarke said the Komatsu CMS provided oil analysis and other services to owners of non-Komatsu earthmoving equipment, as well as industry sectors outside of construction and mining, including road transport.

Todd Connolly, Komatsu’s general manager for construction solutions, said the integration of Komatsu CMS into myKomatsu is the latest development in the company’s continuing drive to ensure it is easy to do business with.

“Our customers can come to a single website, using a single log-in and password, hence ensuring we are easier to do business with,” he said.

Komatsu CMS laboratories are located in Brisbane, Newcastle and Perth and provide CMS for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. • Source: Komatsu Australia

LOAD & HAUL

EXCAVATORS YOUNG AND OLD PROVIDE RELIABILITY FOR LAND PREP BUSINESS

R

ock solid reliability is the key to obtaining and retaining, delicate environmentally sensitive land preparation jobs, according to a young Victorian operator whose making it his specialty.

But, while Alistair Jones, owner of Environmental Vegetation Management (EVM), out of Ballarat, Victoria, is growing his business by buying new machinery that meets ever stringent requirements, he’s also bucking the trend.

The star of his fleet is a 24-year-old, 20,000-hour Komatsu PC300-5 excavator equipped with a heavy-duty vertical mulching tool which he believes is unique in Australia.

“The only reason I keep using it is because I have absolute faith in its ability to keep working without lubricant or hydraulic oil spillage, which these days could disqualify me from any Tier One job,” Jones said proudly.

Jones is one of a new-breed of civil contractors who has made it his quest to comply with the ever-increasing safety and environmental requirements of Australia’s Big Six Tier One construction companies.

Environmental effects studies (or EES) have required contractors like Jones’s EVM to become specialists in touching the ground lightly, working to tolerances which are effectively millimetre certain, and with a view to minimising the use of resources and controlling emissions.

Jones has recently taken delivery of a new Komatsu PC 270-8 excavator with fine touch hydraulic controls, to give his skilled operators the best opportunity to work in highly sensitive areas.

GPS guidance, applied in conjunction with specific tree maps produced for each job, ensure protection for environmentally and culturally sensitive sites.

Komatsu’s exclusive back to base KOMTRAX telemetry on the PC270-8 allows EVM to provide its customers with detailed emission tracking and fuel use data to support the environmental credentials of each of its projects.

EVM’s specialist skills have won it major contracts on sensitive assignments like the

Ballarat Rail upgrade, and the $323 million Echuca-Moama bridge reconstruction, a project with especially stringent cultural and heritage preservation requirements.

EVM started when Jones, a thirdgeneration farmer on his family’s specialist 850-hectare, sheep and wool property at Smeaton, north of Ballarat, the biggest Tukidale stud in the Southern Hemisphere, began sub-contracting with its machinery.

Tukidales are a hardy New Zealand sheep renowned for the use of their fleece in carpets and rugs.

Jones’s father and grandfather had created a labyrinth of pondage and dams on the property to droughtproof it and simultaneously create an aqua-farming opportunity, including a recreational trout farm which today embraces a 120-seat restaurant and four-star accommodation.

Both experiences equipped Jones with an understanding of sensitive land management, and an ability to seek and implement out of the box solutions.

An opportunity to work on the nearby seven-kilometre Buangor Bypass, part of Victoria’s $500 million Western Highway upgrade, led him to a piece of equipment which had become partially redundant: a third-hand Komatsu PC300-5 purposefitted with an American designed vertical mulching tool.

The 900kg head spinning metal teeth at 2000 rpm can progressively cut and mulch a tree from above down to a level 300mm below ground, in one single uninterrupted operation. The mulcher is powered by a separate 300kW motor mounted to the rear of the PC300 in place of the machine’s counterweight.

Jones restored the PC300 with the assistance of Komatsu, and today it forms an integral part of EVM’s fleet of 15 machines run by a roster of 20 skilled operators, all put together in the past six years.

Used sparingly and within contemporary guidelines the mulcher provides great efficiency both in terms of human resources and necessary operating hours.

“The key to its continued use is its

Son and father team Alistair (left) and Robert Jones in front of the newly acquired PC270 excavator.

absolute reliability,” Jones said. “It’s not possible to enter a Tier-One job without a careful inspection by the contractor of the mechanical condition of each machine.

Even the hint of an oil leak can have the machine disqualified from the site. Komatsu simply makes the best excavator, both in terms of reliability and strength.”

Jones and his team, in conjunction with Komatsu, continue to maintain the PC300-5 in order to meet those requirements.

“We tend to limit its use to 1000 hours a year and we think we have another four to five years left in it,” Jones said. “After that, we’ll consider our options.”

His attention has turned to his latest acquisition – the PC270-8.

“It’s a bit like when you get a new car,” he said. “It’s quiet and smooth. And in today’s increasingly demanding world of corporate environmental requirements, it will also help EVM achieve its growth plans. • Source: Komatsu Australia

Quarry May 2021 29

LOAD & HAUL Delta Rent’s ‘hired gun’ Komatsu PC1250SP loads one of the business’s new HD785-7 trucks.

MODERN DUMP TRUCKS

HIGHLIGHT ADVANTAGES OF RENTING Since 2005, Delta Rent, a subsidiary of the diversified, turnkey contracting service for urban and industrial landscapes, has certainly seen its equipment grow in size and quantity, and the latest addition to the family is no exception to that mantra.

I

n February 2021, Delta Rent took delivery of four brand new Komatsu HD785-7 100-tonne rigid dump trucks. These added to an existing fleet of HD785s that are already hard at work around the country.

Con Petropoulos, the owner and director of the Delta Group of companies, has always liked the Komatsu product. “Komatsu’s reliability and value for money make them

Delta Rent has four HD785-7 trucks ‘ready to roll’.

30

Quarry May 2021

ideal for the rental market and nothing beats them for fuel economy, so it’s good for the customer too,” he said.

And that’s what it’s all about in the rental industry: to provide the customer with a low hour, reliable, technically advanced and fuelefficient product that will keep them coming back. To that end, the Komatsu HD785 rigid dump trucks are considered ideal.

For example, the current HD785-7 fleet on hire in a large Victorian quarry is experiencing, on average, between 45 and 50 litres per hour of fuel burn, which is an industry best and proves how new equipment can make a difference to the bottom line. While some people may think hiring is an expensive option, it can provide the quarry with significant savings in fuel costs, maintenance costs, breakdowns leading to downtime and general running costs, particularly when old and unreliable equipment is still being used.

Breakdowns are probably one of the biggest issues in every quarry around the country.

“We’ve all been on sites where the boss would love to buy new equipment, but the CAPEX isn’t there or the company is putting their dollars into other areas they feel are more important,” said Damien Gramola, the national sales manager for Delta Rent.

“Meanwhile, you’re running around in a 10-year-old, 40,000-hour machine that’s on its third rebuild and each day you’re hoping it blows up so you get to go home early!

It’s common in this country and a hire fleet is probably the quickest and most efficient way of keeping your production outputs up, without a massive outlay in costs and fixes the problem of having a machine fail onsite, causing you nothing but grief.”

ADVANCED, SAFER MACHINERY On top of these benefits, the addition of new equipment provides the site with the most advanced equipment, resulting in safe machinery. “There is very little that can go wrong with a new machine and Delta Rent prides itself on having one of the youngest fleets in the country,” Gramola said. “It’s why our customers keep coming back, they see how young our fleet is and they want to keep hiring from us.

(OPEX) on their books, compared to a capital expenditure (CAPEX). “For starters, there is no loan or money lending to be had, so decisions about future quarry production can be made quicker and with no initial outlay, the tax implications are many. You don’t even have to worry about depreciation,” he added.

Finally, Gramola said, equipment hire is about making it easier for the maintenance personnel.

“If for any reason there is an issue with one of these trucks the most amount of effort you will ever need to do is pick up the phone, it’s that simple. Why? Because Delta Rent have a complete 24/7 back-up service that not only involves the OEM and their team, but our own qualified technicians. We have your back 24/7 and can even do servicing at night or on weekends to minimise downtime on-site.”

Currently located in Melbourne, the new HD787-7 units are “ready to roll”, Gramola said. “Give us a call and we’ll do our best to keep your quarry the safest, most reliable and fuel efficient in the game.” •

These new HD785s are brand new, so right from day one you will be significantly reducing the risk of injury for everyone on-site.”

Gramola added that there is another factor people rarely think about – the operator.

“Without a doubt, if you sit in one of these units and spend just one shift at the wheel, you will not want to get out or hop into your old machine,” he said. “The cabin comforts the new machines provide is world-class and the pressurised cabs prevent any dust ingress, which is not only great for the operator, but keeps the cabin clean and it means there is less cleaning. Plus, who doesn’t love that ‘new truck smell’?”

Each of the HD785-7 units is monitored by Komatsu’s Komtrax system. The team at Delta Rent has full access to this data, so they can provide customers with all information about the vehicles being hired, so they can enact changes as necessary to achieve the best cost savings, plus monitor speed and pay loads which contribute to safety and efficiency.

Gramola said there are significant benefits for producers to have an operational expenditure

Source: Delta Rent

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LOAD & HAUL A Caterpillar excavator employs a GC hammer in a quarrying application.

GAS-FIRED HAMMER TECHNOLOGY SETS THE STANDARD Each quarry application requires its own specific tools to get the job done. When sourcing tools which keep their operations running smoothly, quarries should consider the context of their operations, to save time, money and energy.

T

he Caterpillar GC hammer range is fit to satisfy numerous applications, from urban to remote, hard rock to soft. But the most recent additions to the range – the H160GC and the H180GC – hammers are certainly names to remember for those in the regional and remote quarry game.

Caterpillar’s regional work tools sales manager for the Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands region, Jason Zhang, said these hammers were brought to Australia in late-2020 and the market response has been remarkable.

“Before the GC hammer was released in Australia, it did two years in other countries.

Surprisingly, this hammer’s breaking force and performance are not that far from our high-end performance series, which was actually a great surprise to our engineers too,” Zhang said.

On top of breaking force, which Zhang added is what all customers ask for upon

32

Quarry May 2021

inquiring, the two new Cat hammers have a range of important features, ensuring Caterpillar will remain a market leader in the space for now.

The gas-fired hammers include an automatic shut-off system (ASO) – a feature exclusive to these two products – which aids in the longevity of the hammer, while bringing about an added safety feature.

“Once the system determines the tool has dropped to the limiter position and the piston has travelled further, this will trigger another oil passage to allow the high pressure oils back to the machine hydraulic oil tank,” Zhang said of the ASO system.

In line with the focus on durability, Zhang said the Cat hammers are far and away the most resilient of their kind today. This is in part thanks to the engineering of Cat engine parts into Cat’s earthmoving gear.

While other brands may not have the parts or know-how required to fit such piston and cylinder seals, Cat can incorporate the

technology into its hammers.

“The big questions which customers ask are ‘How soon will the high-pressured nitrogen gas be leaking out?’ and ‘How soon do you have to recharge that?’ And the answer with most gas-fired hammers on the market is every 50 working hours, if you’re working every day,” Zhang said.

“With Caterpillar hammers, when our engineers designed the hammer, we asked them for a benchmark because we are the market leaders. So, our hammers can last for six to eight months without gas charge.”

That suggests the Cat GC hammers are at least 10 times longer working hours before gas charge than the market benchmark, when assessing the piston seals required for hammering.

Also adding to the durability of Cat hammers is the versatility of the hammer stroke. With the flick of a switch, operators can let their hammer know what kind of work they are performing.

There are up to 10 Cat GC hammer attachments, ranging from the H110 to the H180.

“The GC Hammers have two firing modes: one is the long stroke, and another is short stroke. This gives customers a choice depending on whether they work with soft or hard rock,” Zhang said.

When powerful hammers work with softer rocks, a lot of energy is wasted if the hammer runs in long stroke firing.

This can lead to premature tool damage

and decreased fuel efficiency.

“As the large hammer breaks the material, it is not necessary to travel inside the rock,” Zhang explained. “It is the stress and breaking power we’ve transferred to that rock that’s important.”

Zhang warned customers should also be aware that only the GC-S series hammers are silenced, while the GC hammers are non-silenced and more appropriate for remote quarry operations where noise suppression is non-essential.

As for maintenance and aftermarket services, Zhang said all Cat hammers are protected for three years with an extended protection plan (EPP).

“So, on top of Cat’s standard 12-month warranty, EPP gives you an additional two years’ factory-backed protection plan,” he said.

“H110 to H180 hammers come with factory-backed EPP because we want to

bring more confidence to customers.

“Caterpillar dealers will send mechanics to the customers regularly, especially for EPP plans, according to an interval schedule without any prompting.”

Zhang said it was important customers knew the three factors for a successful hammer business: good hammers; a good dealership, service and maintenance: and a good operator. He added Cat can deliver two out of these three factors, while the third point is mostly down to the business.

However, to allow operators to be at their very best on the job and to get the most out of their hammers as possible, Cat offers an easy to read pocket manual on the most efficient, effective ways of operating a Cat hammer. It is the little things like this which complement the bigger things Cat offers. Together, they enable Australian quarries to run at maximum efficiency for the maximum amount of time. •

Two Caterpillar heavy-duty excavators pulverise overburden with the assistance of the gas-fired GC hammers.

Quarry May 2021 33

LOAD & HAUL

PROCESS, PROWESS, AND POWER FOR PREMIUM ROCK BREAKING

W

hile businesses can risk rushing into buying the biggest, bulkiest breakers in hopes of harnessing unnecessary amounts of power, better businesses will understand that power will not work alone without prowess. Montabert breakers can provide the best of both worlds.

With the history of a 100-year-old company that brought the brilliance of hydraulic rock breaking to the market, quarrying producers can be confident about the Montabert brand.

No matter the application, the Komatsu subsidiary will take the time to understand producers’ needs and match them to the right machines.

Glen Macdermid, the business manager for Montabert’s Australia and Asia Pacific regions, explained the extensive process that enables Montabert to find the right product for every client.

“We do a lot of work in the background with quarries to understand the type of megapascals (MPa) of rock that we’re looking to break. We look at the application for the breaker – whether it’s primary excavation or secondary. We can then go down into the operating costs of the breaker versus the operation of an excavator.

We can look at maintenance costs on the breaker as well and show the benefits of Montabert in that application based on any specific quarry,” Macdermid said.

“I think the important thing is that when we talk to customers, we understand the breaker is for their needs. We’re not wanting to sell a breaker that’s not fitting their application or their requirements. If we do that filter process and the questions upfront, we then know that we’re going to sell them the product they require.”

The professionalism doesn’t stop at the company’s screening process either.

Macdermid said the most impressive part of Montabert breakers is how they are meticulously engineered.

“Our great competitive advantage is our hydraulic efficiencies and that’s based on our R&D engineering,” Macdermid explained.

“Because of Montabert’s accumulator design, the breaker doesn’t lose any energy, it’s always ready for the next blow. So, whereas a lot of our competitor breakers’ seals start leaking, our percussion system is totally enclosed, and it’s leak-free.

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Quarry May 2021

The Montabert V2500 EVO hydraulic rock breaker has an operating weight of 25 tonnes, an oil flow range of up to 250 litres per minute, a maximum frequency of 800 bpm, and pressure of 155 bar.

“They’re a productive, high hitting breaker. They punch hard, in layman’s terms,” Macdermid quipped.

The manufacturer works globally, supplying companies like Holcim and Hanson, while not forgetting about smaller family-owned businesses. Macdermid said Montabert understands what these clients need, and how integral they are to the industry. He cautioned that producers at the same time should understand that they will pay for the quality they receive. “[Family-owned businesses are very important,” he said. “They’re looking for a quality breaker, they’re looking for an item that’s going to do the job and to last. We make no excuses though; we sell a premium product.

We have a lot of R&D and engineering that goes into our product, there’s a lot of heat treatment, we have raw steel that comes into our factory in France, and everything is manufactured in-house. Whether it’s vertical grinding or CNC machines, it’s of the best.

We design a very good product and I think that’s what our customers are looking for – reliability and performance.”

Another of the Montabert breakers’ competitive advantages is their lack of vibration.

Most breaker operators will know how difficult some rockbreaking can be, and Montabert has taken that into consideration through its design process.

“We don’t have a lot of vibration,” Macdermid said. “Talking with operators, if you have a hammer that shakes a lot, you get all that vibration back up the boom and it’s quite uncomfortable. But I know from talking with operators using Montabert they don’t have that experience.”

Macdermid says if there is two things Montabert drives in the industry, it is quality and hydraulic efficiencies. Along with an extensive screening process and top of the line engineering, customers big and small can be sure that rocks will break and break effectively with a Montabert breaker. •

DRILL & BLAST

E*STAR CONNECTOR

ENSURES RELIABILITY AT ALL TIMES The connector’s back is flat with ample surface area so that the delay time or other pertinent information can be noted.

Built with field conditions in mind, the connectors’ robust construction includes an all-weather-resistant seal, ensuring E*STAR detonators will function as intended even in the rain.

The grip provided by anti-slip contours and the robust fliptop hinge makes it possible to open and close the connector even while wearing gloves.

In fact, a blaster can open the connector using just one thumb, yet once closed, the connector is sealed and secure from dirt, debris and moisture ingress.

At Austin Powder, the details matter in all that the company does.

The new E*STAR connectors are just an example of how Austin Powder is working to ensure that its products contribute to safe, predictable and optimised results. • The E*STAR electronic initiation system is designed for ease of use and safety in harsh conditions.

Source: Austin Powder

A

ustin Powder has launched new connectors for its E*STAR electronic initiation system, featuring innovative capabilities that ensure ease of use and safety in harsh conditions.

Finding a missing connection can be a painstaking, timeconsuming exercise. That is why Austin Powder has focused on creating a rugged new connector for its E*STAR electronic initiation system.

The new connectors are ergonomically designed with built-in features to provide an easy to use, reliable industry solution.

There is so much innovation packed into the new E*STAR connectors to ensure the highest standard of usability, reliability and safety.

Using the new connector with the duplex bus line wire eliminates the need to split wires when making a connection, saving time and decreasing the chance of wire damage.

With E*STAR, the connection is made by simply placing the duplex wire into the connector (in any polarity) and snapping the lid shut.

“The new E*STAR connectors are leading the industry with their innovative ‘double connect’ capability on both the leg wire and duplex wire,” Campbell Robertson, Austin Powder’s global manager for electronic initiation systems, said. “The double connect capability allows for eight contact points on the detonator leg wires and eight contact points on the bus lines. The new E*STAR connector effectively ensures a 100 per cent reliable connection of all wires within the connector, at all times.

“Blasters can also perform through-connector testing without opening the connector, streamlining the testing procedure.”

The new connectors also make both detonator-to-logger and detonator-to-branch connections faster and more reliable.

The wire type and length are identifiable at a glance because of standardised colour-coding.

We’re reaching new heights in engineering.

The sky’s the limit.

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Quarry May 2021 35

SMART BUSINESS

MANAGING THE COMPLEX PROGRAM DELIVERY OF INLAND RAIL

Australia has embarked upon one of its most ambitious rail infrastructure projects – and the program delivery is being guided by an engineer who once aspired to go into outer space.

Marnie Evans explains to Damian Christie why the Inland Rail project is transforming Australia – and why she relishes her work on terra firma.

T

he 1700km Inland Rail project from Melbourne to Brisbane is designed to connect Australia’s growing freight needs via the regional areas of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Inland Rail requires 500km of new tracks and will utilise about 30 million cubic metres of construction materials (including 745,000m3 of concrete and more than eight million tonnes of ballast, capping and roadbase materials) to upgrade 1200km of existing rail corridors (see Figure 1).

During the peak of construction, it is expected to create more than 21,500 direct and indirect jobs along the rail alignment.

When the work is completed in 2027, the rail line will enable the delivery of freight between Melbourne and Brisbane within 24 hours. It will offer Australia long-term, wide-ranging benefits by linking farmers, producers and businesses to national and global markets, satisfying the freight demands of a burgeoning Australian population, generating new opportunities for regional communities and reducing the reliance on roads for moving

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Quarry May 2021

freight (see Figure 3, page 40).

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is overseeing this multi-billion-dollar project in partnership with the private sector. ARTC was established in 1998 and operates more than 8500km of the nation’s rail network in five states. This includes managing the transit of about 450 passenger and freight trains per day across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Since 200506, ARTC has also invested more than $7 billion in key rail infrastructure projects.

The Parkes to Narromine section was completed in 2021 and is one of the 13 project segments across 36 local government areas. (see Figure 2, page 38). Trains are now running on this connection which had almost 100km of existing track upgraded and 5.3km of new rail added. This connection will link up with the east-west transcontinental line to Perth and play a critical role in freighting materials between southeast Queensland, SA and WA. Another six of the 13 segments will be completed in NSW, starting with the Narrabri

to North Star section, which was awarded to Trans4M Rail, a joint venture involving John Holland and SEE Civil. The Narrabri to North Star section will involve upgrading almost 185km of existing rail corridor and constructing 1.7km of new track near Moree, NSW. The other NSW legs include Albury to Illabo, Illabo to Stockinbingal, Stockinbingal to Parkes, Narromine to Narrabri, and North Star to the NSW/Queensland border.

The five Queensland sections comprise the NSW/Queensland border to Gowrie, Gowrie to Helidon, Helidon to Calvert, Calvert to Kagaru, and Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton, just outside of Brisbane. The Victorian section will span Tottenham to Albury and will upgrade 305km of existing rail corridor between Melbourne and Albury-Wodonga.

Marnie Evans, the Director of Inland Rail’s commercial, risk and program assurances, told Quarry that Inland Rail has the potential to transform the Australian industrial and social landscape.

“When you think about it, a lot of freight is

Inland Rail is not designed to replace trucks – it will work in tandem with the road system to freight goods up and down Australia’s east coast.

moved around Australia via road, and given the expansion that is happening in Australia, and our need for freight movement demands, continuing to rely on road to expand is not good for the nation,” Evans said. “It’s increased congestion on roads, increased costs and it increases safety risks. By providing another way to move freight, which what is other nations have done – a blend of freight by rail and road, choosing what is best for you – you’re providing a backbone that allows that transformation for how goods

are moved around Australia to occur, so that we can do it more effectively to meet the necessary demands of our customers and consumers.

“It’s not about competing for road freight today – it’s about understanding that future demand and building that backbone as future demand occurs. You have the ability to choose and meet those needs that suit you as a customer, whether you want to get microwaves up from Melbourne if you’re The Good Guys, or you need to move your products to the ports of Newcastle and Wollongong if you’re in the grain industry.

You have the option to choose what is best for you.

“Rail freight is also safer,” Evans added.

“You don’t have an increasing number of trucks on the road. We’re not planning to remove trucks from the road – that’s not our intention – but the Inland Rail project will mean you’re not having to put trucks on the road that aren’t needed and to me, that is the importance of the safety element. It’s also about diversifying Australia – we have to recognise that Australia is large and more than Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

There is a wealth of regional communities that support the capitals and by connecting them, it transforms the way goods are moved around the nation.”

Marnie Evans is the commercial, risk and program assurance director for Inland Rail.

CONNECTING THE PIECES It was the complexity and the logistics that drew the interest of Evans to this national rail project. When she joined Inland Rail in 2019, Evans already had more than two decades of project management experience in the engineering and construction sectors, including multi-billion-dollar projects in mine development and materials handling, and processing plants for coal, bauxite and zinc

Figure 1. Inland Rail is expected to utilise about 30 million cubic metres of construction materials to 2027.

Quarry May 2021 37

SMART BUSINESS

Figure 2. The current program status of Inland Rail. The Parkes to Narromine (aka P2N) project in New South Wales is the first of 13 to be completed, the second project (Narrabri to North Star – Phase 1, aka N2NS) is currently in construction, and seven more projects are at the procurement phase.

across Australia, Indonesia and the Middle East. Many of these projects were undertaken with international construction and engineering giant Bechtel’s mining and metals global business unit.

“The last big project I was on was in Abu Dhabi, I had five years on the project senior leadership team,” Evans explained. “We developed and delivered a major piece of resource infrastructure for the client. So when I returned to Australia in 2018, it was obvious our country was going through a massive infrastructure boom, and for me it was about looking around and asking: ‘What big projects are happening out there that I can be a part of?

What’s the next big challenge that I can chase?

In what else do you get to be part of such a complex and unique project?

“Inland Rail is required to engage every part of industry to achieve its objectives. How often do you get to be part of public private partnerships (PPPs), multiple design and construction projects, and large constructiononly contracts, working with multiple service providers and engineering houses around Australia? Here was the opportunity to basically realise that vision – and I had the opportunity in my role to ensure that everyone is rowing in the same boat, in the same direction and at the same speed.

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“So that’s the opportunity and diversity that the Inland Rail project brings across as a program. It’s so different to any other infrastructure program. We’re in three states, we’re in the rural communities and we’re also in the cities.”

In many respects, Evans’ approach to Inland Rail also ties in with her reasons for becoming a qualified engineer in the first place. “I’ve always had a desire to understand and ask the question ‘Why?’” she said. “Why do things work? Why do things fit together this way? Why do you get that outcome? That led me into the engineering pathway.”

Growing up, she initially harboured ambitions to join the aerospace industry. “I had a fascination with doing a mechanical and space engineering degree,” she elaborated. “It was the desire to get into something big, bold and challenging. While I never ended up in that industry and travelling to Mars, I ended up working in the resources sector on megaprojects, and that’s why I got interested in project delivery and execution. Often people would say ‘That can’t be done’, and I would say: ‘Why not?’ It’s just a matter of empowering the vision to get there and planning your journey, and making sure you have the right toolkit, the scope and the schedule organised, and that shall happen.”

As Inland Rail’s commercial, risk and program assurance director, Evans said she is responsible for leading key functional organisations including commercial, the program management office and engineering.

These services are integral to support and enable program delivery by providing procurement and contract management, risk management and project control expertise.

Her key activities include driving program execution and assurance, monitoring overall program performance and working across the business ensuring program compliance and accreditation with relevant legislation and regulations.

“It’s about monitoring overall program performance and making sure we are going to deliver on our objectives to our stakeholders and shareholders and to industry and the community,” Evans said to sum up her position.

Part of that responsibility is also engagement between Evans’ operations program division, the delivery teams and the industry partners via face-to-face meetings (when safe to do so) within the 13 segments and 36 local government areas. This interaction is constantly being fine-tuned, with a particular focus on the procurement of local businesses to work along the different

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SMART BUSINESS

happens, you’ll know where you are going to source your materials from.”

Evans said the materials required for Inland Rail range from ballast to capping and structural fill to concrete aggregates. “The supply of concrete aggregates will depend on whether we are building more structures than simple earthworks,” she qualified. “However, when you think about the supply of concrete aggregates, we’ll see how far it goes down the supply chain, whether it comes from quarries that are also concrete suppliers or which supply other concrete suppliers that in turn supply the principal contractor.”

Figure 3. When complete, Inland Rail will link farmers, producers and businesses to national and global markets, satisfy the freight demands of a growing Australian population and generate new opportunities for regional communities.

sections of the Inland Rail alignment.

“When we did our community engagement on Narrabri to North Star, we went out with the principal contractor and held briefings in the community,” Evans explained. “We see our role as an advocate and a connector, as we work to connect the principal contractor with the community as soon as possible. Even as the bidding process is underway, we are doing that connection in the community. We had all the proponents who were bidding on the recent work from the Narrabri to North Star section in the community during the proposal phase, connecting with the local suppliers, including the local quarries, so that they were aware of what the local quarries can provide for them.

“Last year, in recognition of what we were seeing from within industry and responding to requests to get Inland Rail moving as much and as quickly as possible as we come out of COVID, we reviewed our delivery strategy with our greenfield projects, namely where the bulk of the materials will be needed. We have now packaged the works into a civil works program and a rail corridor program so they are smaller packages to be spread across a wider diversity of industry,” Evans explained.

“That way, you are enabling principal contractors to engage more locally themselves.

We are going to work with everyone in this industry and we have already engaged with

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more than 300 companies.

“That’s incredible, when you think about it,” Evans added. “That’s so many different companies for just Inland Rail. How about then when our contractors go out? They will be going out to potentially thousands of more partners. Our change in delivery strategy was heavily focused on getting the right contractor in the right location to deliver, which presents opportunities for local participation for materials.”

To that end, Evans foresees opportunities for medium and smaller quarries along the Inland Rail alignment to provide construction materials for the project. “I suspect that in some areas along the alignment, where there’s not a business that’s been there before, there are possibilities,” she said. “When we did Parkes to Narromine, two quarries supplied product to InLink. On Narrabri to North Star, the contractor is engaged with local quarries, and we anticipate several local quarries will supply the project because it stretches for more than 100km.

“That’s why it’s so important for quarries that are interested in Inland Rail to be prepared, to have their systems in place, have their accreditations current, and be aware of what they can supply because different materials are required in different areas. It’s really important knowing what is available, so as that design

OPENING DOORS TO QUARRYING Another important aspect of engaging with the contractors and their customers for Evans is that it has also brought her into contact with the Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA). Evans hadn’t previously engaged with the IQA and relished the opportunity to present at the IQA’s Queensland Women in Quarrying (WIQ) conference in Brisbane on 19 November, 2020.

“I really enjoyed being part of the WIQ Queensland conference,” she said. “It was an opportunity for me to learn how Inland Rail can actually support the IQA as it supports its members as part of delivering our program.

It’s so important for leaders on the Inland Rail project to recognise the industry advocates, and how they can actually enable our industry partners. We will only be successful if our industry partners are successful. I really see my role as a promoter and a connector, and an advocate for the IQA.” For Evans, the highlight of the conference was learning more about the quarrying industry.

“From talking to the quarrying operators, it was about really understanding the capabilities of the quarries themselves, and some of the expectations or challenges they have from the principal contractors. From my perspective, particularly in the commercial world, it’s about asking: ‘How do we make sure that relationship is a good one?’ Often that starts at the top. If you have good flow-down of your terms and conditions through the supply chain, it means we’re not putting onuses on the sub-suppliers that just aren’t sustainable.

“It was really good to get that one or two level removal, and recognise where we may be disadvantaging or missing opportunities to leverage better. It’s a real opportunity for us to be an advocate for the IQA and women in quarrying.”

WOMEN IN THE CONSTRUCTION SPACE As a veteran of two decades in engineering construction, Evans said project delivery roles for women have traditionally been tough because of the remoteness of projects.

Historically, women may have worked in home offices in major capital cities, and then once the designs were issued for construction, “everything was thrown over the fence to the project site with construction, commissioning, and handover”. She said that today, the execution of project delivery has evolved with more technology and that has “opened up new types of roles” and redefined job descriptions because the roles are no longer confined to any one location.

“It can suit any individual, maybe a woman who is keen to oversee work in a construction modular yard or manage the construction site costs from a home office in Brisbane,” Evans said. “It’s allowed diversity into the industry. Different people now can do the job because the role is different – the job title is just the same.”

While there are more opportunities for women today, Evans said the challenge is still to engage and encourage them “to the table”. She broadly agrees with the notion that organisations should be setting diversity targets – “I think it’s a business imperative.

If an organisation doesn’t have a diversity goal, they’ll be the exception, not the norm” – but added that “practical implementation

at specific levels within targeted industries is very challenging”.

“If you focus on selection of merit, that actually assumes you have candidates at the table, and that assumption is invalid,” she elaborated. “You have to specifically attract people to the table, so that’s through training programs, mentoring, relevant and future selection criteria. I think we have to focus on getting people to the table first, it’s not just about selecting them.”

Evans said women still encounter some gender biases in the sector because of totally innocuous (rather than sinister) misconceptions. “What people continually fail to do is ask women what they want to do with their careers. For example, I once came back from maternity leave, and there was a job for a project controls manager in a regional community in Queensland. I thought it would be a fabulous role and I asked about it. Unfortunately, my manager revealed the role had already been assigned because it was thought I wouldn’t take it being currently located in Brisbane. They didn’t realise I was from the region and it would have suited me perfectly, from a career, family and location perspective. They made the assumption that I would say ‘No’. So my request to readers is that if they don’t know what someone wants to do in their career, just ask the question and don’t assume. You may be surprised at the answer.”

As someone with a mechanical and space

engineering degree, Evans was asked what advice she has for teenage girls and young adult women aspiring for a career in engineering and construction.

“I have two answers here,” she said. “The first one is never say ‘No’. And if it’s that difficult to answer in the affirmative, then ask the question: ‘What do we have to change to make it work?’

The second one is that the job you accept is never the role you perform. You’re actually the master of your own career. So don’t be afraid to change if it’s not working for you. Your worst decision is actually continuing to do a job that you don’t enjoy.”

Evans was also philosophical when asked if she would still like to pursue her original dream of one day working in the space industry. “I have a different answer today to what I had 10 years ago because then I was still chasing moon exploration and I was very interested in asteroid mining. Today I would say my feet are planted firmly on the ground. I’ve grown roots too deep now. But certainly it would be fabulous if one day I could be part of the industry partner that delivered an Australian spaceport for space exploration. If there was a spaceport being built somewhere, I think I’d put my hand up to ask: ‘Can I somehow be part of the team?’”

For now, though, Evans is content to continue the work that has begun with Inland Rail and see it through to its completion in 2027.

For more information about Inland Rail, visit inlandrail.artc.com.au and inlandrail.gov.au •

Figure 4. Inland Rail’s civil works and rail corridor program seeks to engage with Tier 1 through to Tier 4 companies and target businesses along the alignment that are best placed to deliver that section.

Quarry May 2021 41

SMART BUSINESS Teams that know they are valued will stay energised and committed to the organisation.

PERFORMING AT YOUR PEAK:

EMBRACING SELF-IMPROVEMENT In the construction materials industry, it is not unusual for one to put the needs and demands of the business or organisation above one’s own aspirations. As Peter Ambrose explains, for a business to succeed, it is equally important that quarry managers do not overlook the development and growth of themselves and their workforce.

S

o, it’s the end of the month and as a leader of a business or a team you are reviewing your results for the month. Some of these results might cover such things as growth, costs, profit, productivity, asset utilisation, sales and stock, just to name a few. You pull up reports and analyse trends, you provide explanations on variances both good and bad. After many hours you finally hit the send button to your manager’s inbox and await their call for more information.

Now you’re already looking to this new month’s forecast. Sound familiar?

At what point did you spend the same amount of time and effort reviewing your or your team’s performance for the month?

What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that you have set yourself and what would your monthly result report look like?

Did you have a successful month? Did you grow? Was your performance better than the last month and how would you know? You see, as leaders, just like your businesses, you need to be delivering leadership that is high performance in order to achieve high

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performance outcomes. Sadly, for most of us, we are so focused on the needs of our organisation that we neglect to spend time improving our own performance. You see, you are an asset for your organisation that needs to be maintained and perform no different to your quarry equipment!

OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE PLAN If your plant were not performing at its peak with slow output or generally inefficient, what would you do? My guess is you would maybe do some form of monitoring or measurement taking or perhaps try a few tweaks or adjustments. Ultimately you might call in the experts to advise you on how to get the most from your equipment. For you to be successful, you need to be striving for your optimal performance zone.

Optimal performance must start with purpose and a plan. What is your purpose and what does your career map look like?

Do you have a plan and are you on track to achieving your goals? Firstly, I would recommend beginning with nurturing your physical, mental and emotional energy.

Your overall wellbeing across all these areas is key to leading optimally. You will know some things that are impacting these while others may need some professional help. Diet, sleep and exercise are key to supporting overall well-being. Take the time to understand where you can improve in these areas as this will lead to more energy, clearer perspective and greater results.

There are many tools and resources to utilise to understand what your inherent strengths and areas for development are.

Being aware of your natural strengths is important, as these are likely to be well embedded in your DNA and always there to be relied upon. It is a good feeing knowing what you are naturally strong in and have the confidence to know that these strengths are always present and available to use, no matter the situation.

Your development needs are more complex and have greater consequences if you are not aware of them. I call these blind spots for that very reason, as you may not be able to see them. These development areas need to be acknowledged and a

real focus applied to overcoming them.

You may wish to complete a 360-degree feedback type of assessment to gather the perspective of others to further help you understand where you currently are. Some simple initial target areas may be personal effectiveness, meeting facilitation, quality of decision-making, just to name a few.

Again, there is a multitude of resources available to assist you in preparing your own development plan. You must take the time to reflect on your performance (weekly/ fortnightly) to note when things went well and of course when they could have gone better. Personally, I like to use a small notebook – I call it a reflection journal – to make regular notes on my performance so I can keep track of my issues/progress and to keep me from slipping back to old habits.

Now you are taking the time to improve your performance, you are ready to go to the next step. Just like you, your teams need to operate at their fullest potential. What is the culture at your site? Whatever the answer, it is a direct reflection of your leadership because as the leader you set the standard and tone for your team. My experience is a good workplace culture equates to higher safety awareness, a genuine care for others, higher overall engagement and improved performance.

TEAM FOCUS You have taken the leap to improve who you are, now it is time to focus on your team. Do you know their stories, and do they know yours? Take the time to sit regularly one on one to really get to know them and for them to know you. Don’t talk about targets or KPIs, just openly talk about yourselves, your hobbies, your history or even your safety journey, etc. Just taking the time to listen and talk openly will be greatly received and levels of respect and trust will grow enormously.

Remember to listen intently and don’t take anything with you that will distract you such as your phone or laptop.

Do your teams know they are valued, what you need from them, is there recognition when things go well and feedback when they do not? Just like you, we all get energised when we do well and it is recognised.

The other benefit of knowing your team on a more personal level is you will also notice when things aren’t right and perhaps just a little off. It could be a different way they look or are acting, and you just may pick up on some additional needs they could use

By focusing solely on organisational priorities, managers often do not spend enough time setting key performance indicators for themselves.

your help with. We all have issues outside of work and with many of the quarry roles performed in isolation (machine operators, truck drivers, etc), these issues can become overwhelming. It could be resolved with a chat, a role or shift change or referral to your employee assistance program.

Of course, not all sites are perfect and will invariably contain one or more outliers.

These people are detractors from where you want to get to at your business in performance and culture. You should take the time to reset your expectations and look to intensify your coaching and mentoring. Sometimes you will not always get alignment and will need to have some crucial conversations.

OK, so you are now on track to selfimprovement and your team is stronger and more cohesive. Things are going well and it is time to fill a vacancy perhaps and this means someone new to the site. You may intend to seek an experienced candidate or maybe someone new to the industry.

Either way the last thing you need is all this great work to be undone by employing someone who may not fit the culture.

Think about the organisational fit of candidates and what traits you want to attract to balance the culture. You should employ people for compatibility, safety

awareness and then train for competency.

Another point to consider is diversity.

Have you positioned the role considering gender, cultural and generational diversity?

Workplace diversity can improve teams, bring innovation and build a reputation as an employer of choice. Many of us work for companies with head office staff.

Sometimes these staff rarely can be part of the site operations. Is there an opportunity to tap into these resources and for you to provide the ability for your employees to shift between sites?

I encourage you to really focus the needs of you, your team and your organisation.

You can afford to focus on one at the expense of the others. You need to find the right level of balance that will be dictated by where you, your team and the organisational cycle currently are. Being the best you can be will make you a better leader and therefore lead a more committed and engaged workforce. You will reap the benefits of productivity, improved safety and build an improved personal brand that will see you maximise your career potential.• Peter Ambrose is a consultant with more than 30 years of senior management experience in the construction materials sector, and a facilitator of the IQA’s Supervising for Safety course. Email: peter.ambrose@executivecentral.com.au

Quarry May 2021 43

EDUCATION

KNOW YOURSELF:

JAMES ROWE - SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND PERSONAL GROWTH CHALLENGES In this second chapter of a seven-part series on the characteristics of effective leadership, South Australian IQA member and Groundwork Plus director James Rowe recounts his experiences of developing leadership credentials in the quarrying industry, as told to mentor Mike Cameron.

I

n my book The Emerging Leader, I offer the following brief explanation for Know Yourself: Confident leaders apply their strengths judiciously and work on their personal growth and development. They appreciate the value of life-long learning and self-discovery.

THE SEVEN CORE CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP As previously mentioned, the Institute of Quarrying Australia has invited me to present a monthly story or practical example, based on one of the seven core characteristics of effective leadership (see Figure 1).

Rather than write all seven of these scenarios, I have chosen to invite a number of people from a diverse demographic, and a number of industries, to write about their experiences. I hope you will find these stories both enlightening and of real interest for you personally, regardless of your current role and future career aspirations.

The second scenario comes from James Rowe, a Director of Groundwork Plus, based in South Australia, who has selected Know Yourself for his story from the earliest stage in his career to his current position as an effective leader.

JAMES’ STORY I was lucky enough to be “born” into the extractive industry with both my father and grandpa holding Quarry Manager certifications in South Australia and the Northern Territory in past generations. I remember my early childhood days were spent playing at the sand quarry at Rowland Flat (formerly Monier, Amatek, Rocla and now Hanson). As kids, we were able to play on sand stockpiles, ride motorbikes over the hundreds of acres of land and swim in the various silt retention dams!

(Yes, I know how that would be seen in today’s world by both our industry regulator and the

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Figure 1. The Emerging Leader coaching model.

multinational corporations.)

After finishing school I worked at the very sand quarry mentioned above but I wasn’t sure of the idea at the time.

In the decade that followed, I chopped and changed many positions while working in wineries and on the vineyards prior to mining luring me back to the extractive industry in the mid-2000s.

I was working in the Kimberley, Western Australia, at that time, and was loving being

back on the machines as a general operator.

I got to know more about myself and really began to appreciate what I wanted to do in regard to a career in quarrying and/or mining.

I moved back to the Barossa Valley where I took on the role of a machine operator at Penrice Quarry & Mineral, prior to being approached to join their drill and blast crew. I thoroughly enjoyed this position since science and maths were back in my life and I was challenged. This was weird because as a

teenager I hated study and study didn’t really like me! However, I took every opportunity to learn from this point forward.

After successfully completing a Certificate IV in Surface Extraction Operations at Box Hill Institute (BHI), in Victoria, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to further my studies through BHI’s year-long Diploma of Surface Operations Management program. Mike Cameron, who was the course facilitator, certainly challenged us all from a technical standpoint, due to his past quarry management experience and the expertise associatedwith shot surveying and design, drill and blast detonation, bulk explosives and the “rock on ground” initiative through ICI Explosives (now Orica).

I gained accreditation and was appointed to manage Penrice Quarry and Mineral which, at its peak, employed 67 staff and extracted about three million tonnes of rock per annum.

While studying throughout 2012, I was given the opportunity to attend the IQA’s Young Members Network tour of Hong Kong and China. It was an awesome trip, with likeminded people who loved our industry and who strived for ongoing training and their own development. Some of these people have become life-long friends and, as a result of the trip, I was introduced to the Groundwork Plus family through Tegan Smith.

In 2014, I began a phase of serious career growth and development, as a result of being invited to join Groundwork Plus, with my working focus being on South Australia. I had an office, a car, a laptop and a phone but no clients. However, although I was very scared of my own future and the company’s prospects, I was confident that together we could build something special.

Wind the clock forward to early 2021 and we now have 10 staff in South Australia and we have opened an office in Victoria. So we now have the opportunity to further grow our business, with the support of our growing staff members and the actioning of additional training and development plans as, once again, we take on the new challenges that each opportunity will bring.

Why have I related this story – and what does it all mean? I was asked to review one of the seven core characteristics of effective leadership. I have chosen “Know Yourself”. I hated school, I was not a scholar in any shape or form and it took me nearly 15 to 20 years after I left school to really work out what I wanted. I needed to get to “Know Myself”.

Today, as we (Groundwork Plus) build our

James Rowe is an IQA member and a director of Groundwork Plus, based in Adelaide. Email: jrowe@groundwork.com.au Mike Cameron is an IQA member and the principal of Strategically Yours. Visit strategically.com.au Mike will be running 4 x 90-minute online Key Account Management modules for the IQA between June and September 2021. For more information and to register, visit quarry.com.au and click on the ‘Events’ tab on the home page.

KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT – ONLINE WORKSHOPS Although James Rowe hails from a lineage of quarry managers, he believes it took him nearly two decades to fully realise that his career also lay in the quarrying sphere.

business and invest in our employees, we appreciate that some staff may not yet have quite found “Themselves”. However, we now have an opportunity to assist and encourage our employees to look outside the box, work on their personal growth and development, and identify areas of interest - not just in work but life as well.

At the same time, as an innovative and forward-thinking organisation, we find that we are continually investigating and learning more about topics such as environmental management, stakeholder engagement, surveying, town planning and petrographic evaluation (among a raft of other interesting subjects).

I feel that I have yet to learn about some aspects of our industry and I’m keen to take on that challenge. However, looking back, I was very lucky. I had the opportunity to study and be guided by professionals and legends from within the industry.

I believe that the time has come to collectively encourage our staff to take a real interest in the future development and sustainability of our industry.

Members of our staff love visiting sites, meeting supervisors and quarry managers and understanding more about how an operational quarry ticks. On the flip side, for example, operators are interested in learning about how we go about securing an approval for their site. Cross-learning opportunities are important and should be promoted as staff appreciate having the opportunity to learn and grow, as I have been lucky to do. •

Mike Cameron, of Strategically Yours, is delivering four 90-minute online Key Account Management modules for the IQA between June and September 2021.

The workshops will educate participants about establishing key accounts through better understanding the sales process, identifying key people, building appropriate relationships, establishing trust, monitoring buyers’ decision-making, partnering and ethically influencing the final purchasing decision.

The course will cover the following topics: • Establishing the profile of an “ideal” customer.

• Developing Key Accounts for new and existing customers.

• Identifying the strengths and weaknesses within a Key Account.

• Finalising the Key Account Planning process.

• Learning objectives.

Delivery is via four 90-minute modules using the Zoom Online platform. The dates are: Module 1: 9:00am – 4:00pm, Wednesday 16 June, 2021 Module 2: 9:00am – 4:00pm, Wednesday 14 July, 2021 Module 3: 9:00am – 4:00pm, Wednesday 11 August, 2021 Module 4: 9:00am – 4:00pm, Wednesday, 15 September, 2021 The course is tailored for sales managers, operational managers, quarry managers, quarry supervisors, technical sales staff, and laboratory staff.

For more information and to register, visit quarry.com.au and click on the ‘Events’ tab on the home page.

Quarry May 2021 45

EDUCATION & TRAINING

MIKE COOPER:

HUMBLE BUT HARD-WORKING Well renowned in the industry over many decades, past IQA Awards recipient Mike Cooper is not one for attention-seeking or fame – but he is definitely a proponent for hard, yet rewarding work. He spoke to Henry Ballard.

W

orking in the quarrying industry can be as tough as it is rewarding. Like the projects it supports, it can build you up or set you back. For Mike Cooper, a civil engineer and project manager-cumconsultant, the tides of the industry have chipped away at him for more than three decades. But when you’re as generous, humble and hard-working as he is, you’ll find that good things happen to good people.

Mike Cooper’s career began straight out of high school in 1976 as a civil engineering cadet in the depths of western Sydney, which, when he transitioned from quarries to concrete, he says was “lovingly referred to as the Gaza Strip, because of the amount of fierce competition in the area”.

From there he built a 45-year-long resume which shines impressively to the layman or otherwise.

“I had some very good guidance and very good mentors around me at the time, and I learnt through the school of hard knocks,” he said. “I spent time working in the pre-mixed concrete sector in greater Sydney – both as a relief ‘allocator’, as the role was in the day, and later as a trainee plant manager, relief manager and then as manager of a concrete batching plant.”

After six years in quarries, sand and gravel, and concrete plant sites throughout Greater Sydney, Cooper and (new) wife Keryn moved to Queensland in 1982 for greater opportunities, and the promise of affordable housing.

Once certified as “full-on Queenslanders”, Cooper’s first of many major achievements came in 1989 when he managed the building and development of Boral’s greenfield

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As part of the Hap Seng Award, Mike Cooper (right, at the back) journeyed to Malaysia with Hap Seng CEO Ron Delaney (second from left) to inspect and consult the quarrying operation there.

Whiteside quarry near Petrie, 30km northwest of Brisbane. This quarry, which Cooper managed and developed from the ground up, is still in operation, and is one of Boral’s key quarries supplying construction materials to southeast Queensland.

Having worn many hats during his time managing the Whiteside (now Boral Petrie) Quarry, Cooper’s advice on effective project management was to find a strong support network, learn from those with different expertise, and to simply gain as much industry experience as possible.

THE COUNCILMAN At the same time, Cooper joined the Institute of Quarrying Australian Division (predecessor to the now IQA) in 1983 and was graciously invited to join the Queensland branch committee in 1986. For decades, Cooper has played many roles and worked with countless people across the industry. But he humbly concedes his time at the “face” is almost up.

“Having sat on the Queensland branch committee, and held various positions for

(what is now) 35 years, I think it’s time to give the next generation a crack.

“I’m starting to think about how I might transition to a quieter and less demanding work life.”

For those interested in taking a seat in the IQA where Cooper once sat, he advises they should understand the community-focused (aka “team based”) approach required to excel in such a role.

“People need to think less about ‘what’s in it for me’ and more about ‘what have I got to give?’” he said, when talking about involvement and participation in an organisation like the IQA, which is, even today, still reliant on willing volunteers to support its activities.

While maintaining an exceptionally humble façade, Cooper proudly spoke of his success in running the IQA’s 1997 annual conference.

By his own recollections, the conference was one of the more successful of its kind by way of overall registrations and number of people attending from throughout the industry in Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia.

This highlight came during his time on

the IQA’s National Council from 1995 to 2007, which included a five-year tenure (the maximum term) as Vice President. On 30 April 2021, Cooper was formally acknowledged as a Fellow of the IQA. Once Cooper’s time with the National Council, and then the IQA Board, ran its course, he felt the need to free himself from corporate harnesses in search of some personal and financial independence.

IQA AWARDS A calling in construction materials consulting was the natural progression and so Mike founded MD Cooper Consulting.

As a “one man show” with a decades’ long network and a lifetime of industry experience, Cooper explained his favourite parts of the role.

“It has given me the opportunity to work for, and with, many different companies. I have been able to see, and apply, lots of different ways of doing things, and appreciate different approaches to similar issues – all of which helps you then take solutions from one area and apply them in another.

“I’ve been able to build a strong and fruitful network, the learnings from which (I feel) helps me bring better value to any projects I get involved with.”

And it’s this fruitful network that has helped him to receive multiple industry awards over the past 10 years, not that Cooper had planned it that way.

In 2012, Cooper applied for and won the inaugural (now discontinued) Hap Seng Award, which earned him a week-long trip to Malaysia with Hap Seng CEO Ron Delaney.

Cooper was able to inspect and consult the quarrying company there.

“It was interesting to see different philosophies. The philosophy in Australia over the last 30 years has been how to reduce the number of people employed on a job site. Whereas over there in Malaysia, in a somewhat poorer socio-economic community, the idea is to employ as many people as practicable – in the context of businesses seeing themselves as an integral part of a local community – providing employment, supporting grass-roots education, and the local economy.”

Cooper added how the Australian resources industry has changed during his decades in the business.

“Compared to when I first started out in the 1970s, there’s a far more defined and structured focus and understanding of risk and safety management, as well as environmental

Mike Cooper (right) receives the 2018 IQA Supplier of the Year Award from IQA board director Andrew Wilson.

risk management. These have been developments for the better in the industry.

“We’re not all the way there yet as an industry, but we’ve come a long way.”

Cooper also took home the IQA’s 2018 Supplier of the Year award, which came as a shock to him.

“I was fairly humbled as it wasn’t something I had ever aspired to. But I guess it was borne out by what people saw I was doing in the industry, and the commitment that I had made to my clients. It was certainly appreciated and gratefully accepted.”

Amidst his shock at receiving the Supplier of the Year award, Cooper admitted deep down he’s never truly felt like a consultant or a supplier.

“I still think of myself more as a quarrying person than a ‘consultant’.

“I still get kicks out of driving around quarry sites. Particularly developing quarry sites, and engaging with site (quarry) managers, listening and giving some views on their challenges and issues.”

One only need speak with Cooper for a short while before realising how much he places others’ interests before his own. He may see himself as a pretty minor figure in the industry, but his anecdotes dare say otherwise.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a mentor, but the phone does ring from time to time.

“Hopefully I’ve added some value to not just clients (as businesses), but also on a personal and professional level with the many people who I’ve (fortunately) developed relationships with in the industry,” said Cooper.

Humorously, Cooper summed up his

innate ability for sensing the effectiveness of a quarry operation. “I sniff. I listen. I taste,” he professed.

Once retired, as his life will soon allow, Mike Cooper hopes to literally hop back on the bike. For while quarrying holds a dear place in his dusty heart, he doesn’t mind a good cycle either. •

2021 IQA AWARDS The IQA is now taking nominations for its 2021 Awards, which highlight the industry’s merits in education, innovation, community engagement, environmental management, safety and creativity.

The IQA Awards will be presented as part of the national conference from 5-7 October, 2021.

All current IQA members are permitted for award nominations, while a nonmember is permitted to be the nominator.

Historically IQA Award winners have benefited from substantial prizes that have supported professional development and travel to international quarry events and overseas study tours. Through generous sponsorship this year’s IQA Awards will again offer great prizes.

Nominations close on Friday 6 August, 2021 at 5.00pm AEST, with the winners to be finalised in September.

For more information about the awards, turn to page 17 or visit quarry.com.au

Quarry May 2021 47

IQA NEWS RE-ENGAGING THE FUTURE OF OUR INDUSTRY

BRANCH EVENTS WA Annual Lawn Bowls Challenge and Sundowner

IQA2021 Conference Chair James Collings is delighted to confirm a specific site tour for the IQA’s Next Generation cohort. If you are a young person working in the industry there is a dedicated site tour just for you – but it will have strictly limited numbers.

A key component of the IQA’s National Conference Program for many years has been the inclusion of a site visit on day one, providing delegates with the opportunity to tour a range of sites relevant to the extractive and associated industries within the host destination. This year’s conference will continue that tradition by offering a site tour as part of the main program, incorporating a visit to the Port of Newcastle, the world’s largest coal export port in the world, and a tour of Port Waratah Coal Services, a large-scale processing operation, and a visit to a state of the art incident response facility.

“In addition to the usual site tour for delegates we are offering the first ever exclusive Next Generation site tour,” Collings said. “Younger people in our industry will be able to participate in a unique site tour of the Orica Kooragang Island operation.”

Orica’s Kooragang Island site supplies critical products for mining, infrastructure, agriculture, water supply, food, dairy and medical sectors. The ammonia plant uses natural gas (methane) to produce about 360,000 tonnes of ammonia (NH3) per annum. This ammonia is used in the manufacture of nitric acid and ammonium nitrate, and is also sold for use as an agricultural fertiliser and a refrigerant.

On 19 March, the Western Australian branch hosted its seventh annual lawn bowls challenge. The Bowling Stone event, proudly sponsored by the Italia Stone Group, along with catering partner WA Limestone, was held at the South Perth Bowling Club.

The sun shone extra brighter on that Friday afternoon as the WA branch welcomed 87 attendees to the venue for a bowling competition like no other. Eighteen teams went head to head in what can only be described as the best bowling challenge the IQA has ever seen.

A snapshot of the three-day program, 5-7 October.

industry experts, exploring the key changes that impact the extractive and associated industries.

The following sessions are confirmed: • K eynote presentation – Michael McQueen – Re-Thinking the Future.

• L eadership panel - The outlook for the extractive industry.

• N ew mapping/prediction technology – NSW Rural Fire Service Inspector Laurence McCoy, Acting Manager, Predictive Services.

• S afety and mental health – Richard Jones, CEO, Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.

All participants attending the site tour will be invited to the Hitachi Welcome Reception being held at the Newcastle Museum.

The conference platinum partners Caterpillar, Hitachi and Komatsu will present on global innovations as part of the Re-Think showcase.

“We will be buddying participants up with each other and introducing them to senior leaders in the industry during the Hitachi Welcome Reception,” Collings explained. “This will help younger members grow their individual networks and highlight the career networks, camaraderie and friendships that are formed through being part of the IQA.

To register and download the draft program, visit https://iqa.eventsair.com/conference

Steve Della Bona from WA Limestone generously donated his time and talent to make the event an incredible success. Steve, along with Royce Sallur from WesTrac, took on the significant task of catering for the event.

The attendees enjoyed a delicious barbeque, including porchetta, scotch fillet, and Italian sausages, along with salads and drinks.

The winners – the Pewag Panthers, comprising Warran Nugent, Aidan Letto, and Glen Forbes – proudly took home The Bowling Stone, handcrafted by the Italia Group, along with an amazing camping prize. Second place went to the CJD Giants – Luke McPherson, Hayden Grant, James Daniels and Jayden Zannino – with all team members winning a fun AFL footy pack. The WesTrac Roosters – featuring Chris Spinella, Brad Lecocq, John Connell and Ken Russell – took third place and each team member won an Aussie Beach pack. Finally, in last place were the IQA Giants – comprising Daniel Smith and Lindsay Stephens – who took home a wooden spoon along with a six pack of beer.

Congratulations are in order to the bowling

“We’re thrilled with how the conference program is coming together and look forward to offering the opportunity for our delegates to ReThink, ReSource, ReEngage”.

Snapshot of the Conference Program Through an engaging, informative program, IQA2021 will offer delegates the opportunity to hear from a range of insightful speakers and

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Quarry May 2021

WA’s annual Bowling Stone event was hosted at the South Perth Bowling Club.

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

ENGAGEMENT WITH MILLENNIALS

MORE COMPLEX THAN IT SEEMS The Millennial generation – otherwise known as Gen Y, born between 1982 and 2000 – have been in the workforce for about two decades.

Millennials will make up the largest percentage of the global workforce by 2025.1 Figures estimate that in Australia alone they will comprise almost 75 per cent. With Millennials set to wield significant influence on the future of work, understanding their motivations, expectations and attitudes towards the workplace is vital in securing the right talent for business continuity and growth.2 When considering what motivates this group, business leaders need to remember that the Millennial generation is itself a diverse group.

Millennials straddle differing life stages – from university graduates to parents with children, from workforce entrants to middle and senior management. Generalisations can be dangerous. With that said there is a lot written about what motivates Millennials.

MILLENNIAL GENERATION CHARACTERISTICS There are many definitions of Millennials.3 One states that Millennials are confident, ambitious, and achievement-orientated.

They also have high expectations of their employers, tend to seek new challenges at work, and are not afraid to question authority.

Their traits include: • V aluing meaningful motivation.

• C hallenging the hierarchy/status quo.

• P lacing importance on relationships with superiors.

• A n intuitive knowledge of technology.

• B eing open and adaptive to change.

• P lacing importance on tasks, rather than time.

• A passion for learning.

• B eing openly receptive to feedback and recognition.

• B eing free-thinking and creative.

• V aluing social interactions in the workplace.

MOTIVATING, RETAINING GEN Y Millennials are motivated by: - C ompany values that are aligned to their own.

- M aking a positive impact in their communities or society at large.

- C ontributing directly to the big picture through meaningful work that ties into a higher purpose.

- R ecognition, opportunities, and career mobility.

- O pen and encouraging communication.

- Ongoing learning and education.

The IQA is looking to the future of how it will provide value to Gen Y (and then Gen Z) and exploring new services that can be provided.

Access to education and networking will be part of this, but other initiatives to engage and support will be needed to keep pace with this generation’s expectations. In last month’s Quarry, I spoke of the IQA’s upcoming conference in Newcastle, and a new initiative aimed at the Millennials in our industry. We have lauched this initiative and can’t wait to build on it with more opportunities to engage younger people in Young Members Network events and support career development (see page 48).

As we approach membership renewals for 2021-22, we will be reaching out to younger people in the industry and encouraging them to become more involved in networking events. Another great opportunity of recognising emerging talent is to nominate a younger person for an IQA Award. We are hoping to see a diverse range of projects and people nominated this year (see page 17).

KYLIE FAHEY Chief Executive Officer Institute of Quarrying Australia

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING 1. The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2019: Societal discord and technological transformation create a ‘generation disrupted’.

2. Indeed Career Guide. 10 common characteristics of Millennial generation employees. 23 February, 2021. indeed.com/ career-advice/interviewing/10-millennialgeneration-characteristics.

3. HR Asia. The challenges of motivating next generation workers. 13 March, 2020. hrasiamedia.com/featured-news/the-challengesof-motivating-next-generation-worker

IQA NEW MEMBERS GRADE NAME ASSOC ASSOC ASSOC ASSOC ASSOC ASSOC ASSOC ASSOC MIQ MIQ MIQ MIQ MIQ MIQ MIQ MIQ TMIQ TMIQ

Shazeel Faraaz Ben Curtis Paul Ryan Dixy Dix Mitchell Molnar Dave Rodrigues Graham Bowman Damien Gramola Fred Adams Mick Small Peter Marshall Pat Adolph Andrew Proud Luke Donohue Grayden Leaver Jake Gilson Gemma Vote Byron Harrington

BRANCH NQLD NQLD NSW SA VIC VIC VIC VIC NSW QLD QLD SA TAS TAS WA WA NSW SA

Quarry May 2021 49

IQA NEWS sundowner committee, Royce Sallur and Steve Della Bona for their help behind the scenes, and to branch chairman Phil Harris for his welcome speech and presentation. The branch committee is also grateful to Royce Sallur for his MC, DJ, and chef skills, along with Steve Della Bona, and Italia Stone Group for sponsoring the event and WA Limestone for managing the catering.

UPCOMING IQA BRANCH AND EDUCATION EVENTS VICTORIA • 1 4 May

Student Presentation Night

• June (Date TBA) Victorian Women in Quarrying Lunch

Victorian Branch Autumn Breakfast The first Victorian branch face to face event post-COVID-19 was hosted by Major Supporter William Adams at its newly renovated facility in Clayton, Victoria on 24 March. The breakfast was a sold out event, and was followed by an optional tour of the new William Adams facility.

Attendees heard from Victoria branch committee chairman Brad Rooney, followed by a presentation from Glen Slocombe, William Adams’ product manager for Caterpillar GC Product Strategy. Glen delivered an overview of the Caterpillar GC product range, highlighting new technology, fuel emissions, including environmental considerations, and a variety of mini-film clips to display the range.

The keynote presentation was by guest speaker Dale Elphinstone, the executive chairman and industry leader at William Adams. Dale explained how stable and resilient the mining and extractive industries have been to endure the impacts of COVID-19. It was originally thought there would be some challenging years ahead but Australian industry is successful in the region economically and geographically to weather the next years. Dale was optimistic and hopeful about the future and stated that COVID-19 had presented opportunities and proven a different way to do business.

The Victorian branch is grateful to William Adams for its ongoing support and for hosting this branch event.

NORTH QUEENSLAND • 19 May

Dale Elphinstone was a draw card for members who attended the IQA’s autumn breakfast meeting.

implement systems-level change to ensure that workers are mentally safe and thrive.

MEETINGS, COURSES To register for the branch meeting and conferences listed in the right hand column and to also inquire about professional development courses and corporate training, email admin@ quarry.com.au or visit the “Events” page of the IQA website: quarry.com.au To assist NSW members with maintaining their Quarry Manager Practising Certificates, the IQA will be partnering with a Registered Training Organisation to provide access to required accredited training.

If you are interested in undertaking accredited training, visit the IQA website to obtain an Expressions of Interest document or for more information, tel 02 9484 0577 or email admin@quarry.com.au •

Dinner Meeting (Mackay)

• 23 June Quarrying & Mining Safety & Health Conference, Townsville • 23 June Dinner Meeting, Townsville • 23 July

Annual Golf Day

QUEENSLAND • 21 May

27th Annual Golf Day

• 11 June Quarrying & Mining Safety & Health Conference, Brisbane • 30 July Central Queensland Sub-Branch Annual Golf Day, Rockhampton

SOUTH AUSTRALIA • 14 May SA Young Member Network Site Visit • 28 May

Branch Dinner

NEW SOUTH WALES • 19 May Quarries and Concrete Safety Seminar (virtual)

Victorian Virtual Women in Quarrying event This virtual event was delivered in March and hosted by the Women In Quarrying network (WIQ) to provide information on the WorkSafe Victoria WorkWell Toolkit to help create mentally healthy workplaces. The event was delivered via Zoom, with attendees spanning operations, technical, business development and people management roles.

TASMANIA

The online session introduced a preventative approach to creating mentally healthy workplaces, provided insights into the 11 workrelated factors that impact on workplace mental health, and focused on how the workplace can

• June (Date TBA) Business Networking Breakfast

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Quarry May 2021

• 15 June Mineral Resources Tasmania

Core Library Site Tour

and Meeting, Hobart

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The Victorian branch’s autumn breakfast meeting was the first physical meeting for members in 12 months.

• July (Date TBA) Education Social Site Tour

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