Roads & Infrastructure July 2019

JULY 2019

& INFRASTRUCTURE

TIME TO GET TO WORK

Michael McCormack’s vision for the next decade

MELBOURNE’S WEST GATE TUNNEL Complex project relies on collaboration

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ROADS AUSTRALIA The role of data in developing better road systems

AUSTRALIA’S ONLY SPECIALIST ROAD MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS MAGAZINE

JULY 2019 CONTENTS

& INFRASTRUCTURE UP FRONT

16 Vision for the future

Australia’s Minister of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack shares his vision for the future.

PROJECT REPORT

20 West Gate Tunnel update

With one of the biggest roading projects in Melbourne underway, Roads & Infrastructure gives an overview of its development as work is amped up.

INDUSTRY PROFILE

24 Women in Industry

Diana Delac was recently given the Rising Star Award at the Women in Industry gala night held in Melbourne in June.

ASPHALT NEWS

27 Maintaining roads

Road Maintenance is a specialist in sealing bitumen on roads. It uses a specialised formula that works.

28 Pavement rehabilitation

The Smart Pavements Now event will be a masterclass on pavement rehabilitation.

30 Dust suppression

Dust is a health risk when building roads. Dust-A-Side has the technology that can keep this hazard to a minimum.

32 Mobile plant

Versatility was one of the key reasons the iNOVA 2000 was used in the construction of the Toluca-Naucalpan highway.

34 AustStab The CEO’s report plus details of the Annual General Meeting.

36 AAPA Conference

AAPA is preparing for the 18th International Flexible Pavements Conference and Exhibition.

SAFETY

37 Worker protection

Hummingbird Electronics on why its inclinometer is different from similar products.

INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE

38 Looking to the future

An overview on Victoria’s largest transport conference.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

42 3D mapping

How 3D mapping makes it easier for

companies to plan projects.

44 Future roads

New materials with sound-absorbing properties.

DESIGN SOFTWARE

46 3D design

How Leapfrog Works helped Jacobs visualise their Emu Swamp Dam Buisness Case.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

48 C ollaboration and data

The Roads Australia Conference highlighted why collaboration is key when it comes to new projects.

SUSTAINABILITY

52 Noise reduction

HushClad helps reduce noise in working environments.

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

54 Why crawling is uplifting

SANY crawler cranes are playing an important role in a range of highprofile projects in Oceania.

55 Problem-solving equipment

Less downtime in remote areas is one reason QH & M Birt decided to invest in a mobile hose container from Hastings Deering.

56 Sealing Asphalt Solutions

The HAMM DV+ 70 VT roller has a multitude of benefits – not just in functionality, but operator usage.

REGULARS 4 Editor’s note 8 News 58 Events diary

roadsonline.com.au

3

& INFRASTRUCTURE

PROMISES, PROMISES THE ELECTION IS DONE AND DUSTED AND NOW IT’S TIME TO get down to work. That is the message from the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, who spoke exclusively to Roads & Infrastructure Magazine about where he thought the sector is heading. He spoke about the priorities of the incoming government and what his passions are. It’s a good read and will give an indication to Tier 1, 2 and 3 companies, as well as their suppliers, about the government’s priorities in building new roads, bridges and tunnels.

Roads are obviously a big ticket item in getting the country moving, along with inland rail.

However, the Deputy Prime Minister also sees water storage via dam projects, research and development, as well as congestion as issues that need urgent attention.

In an olive branch to the states and territories, he also says he is willing to collaborate and work with all government infrastructure ministers to get the job done.

Talking of congestion, on the back of our story on Sydney’s NorthConnex project in the last issue, Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel project has been put in the spotlight. The number of jobs and the scale of the project means it will take a good three to four years to complete. However, it is the effect it will have on traffic flows that is the real story.

The movement of freight, of people to the western suburbs of the city, as well as the lessening of ever-increasing congestion, will be the true sign of whether the project is a success or not. With Melbourne tipped to be more populous than Sydney by 2050, getting these projects up and running and completed in a timely manner is half the battle. All the contractors we spoke to are confident it will meet its deadline.

Finally, Roads Australia had its annual conference recently. It was interesting to see how some of the academics and industry leaders see the future of traffic and roading over the next couple of decades. A couple of things were evident. With the inevitable introduction of electronic vehicles and driverless cars, infrastructure will need to be developed to take these pieces of technology into consideration. Also, data is going to have a big say in what comes next in developing the country’s roading needs. And not only in mapping future congestion spots or where money can be best spent, but even indicating more immediate information that can benefit commuters. For example, how about having an app that can predict – due to previous data that has been collected – the likelihood of your usual route to work being congested due to the weather or the chances of an accident. We get similar information from real-time updates on our GPS device, but this is taking it one step further.

Overall, it’s exciting times for the roads and infrastructure sector. And if Deputy Prime Minister McCormack has his way, projects will be coming online faster, therefore incorporating the needs of local communities sooner rather than later.

PUBLISHER Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au EDITOR Mike Wheeler mike.wheeler@primecreative.com.au JOURNALISTS Holly Keys holly.keys@primecreative.com.au Lauren Jones lauren.jones@primecreative.com.au DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au ART DIRECTOR Blake Storey DESIGN Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Nick Markessinis nick.markessinis@primecreative.com.au CLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au HEAD OFFICE Prime Creative Pty Ltd 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 Australia p: +61 3 9690 8766 f: +61 3 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au www.roadsonline.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS +61 3 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Roads & Infrastructure Australia is available by subscription from the publisher. The rights of refusal are reserved by the publisher.

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

COPYRIGHT

Mike Wheeler Editor, Roads & Infrastructure Magazine

4

ROADS JULY 2019

Roads & Infrastructure Australia is owned and published

by Prime Creative Media. All material in Roads & Infrastructure Australia is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without the written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in Roads & Infrastructure Australia are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

JohnDeere.com.au/ANewDay

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NEWS

ATA DISCUSSES HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW REVIEW The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has confirmed that its Safety Committee and Transport and Economics Committee has held discussions regarding the first issues paper from the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) review.

The issues paper seeks views on how to help make the law outcome focussed and less prescriptive, while ensuring safety and promoting productivity.

ATA CEO Ben Maguire says industry could not afford to underestimate the impact of the review and legislation likely to follow.

“Today’s meeting saw committee members work closely together on developing our submission,” Mr. Maguire says.

“Members discussed how the structure of the HVNL could be radically changed to make the law more responsive, so it

can deal with evolving technology and the diverse nature of our industry.”

Mr. Maguire says valuable contributions at the meeting were made from SA Road Transport Association’s Steve Shearer, Queensland Trucking Association’s Gary Mahon, Victorian Transport Association’s Greg Cain, NT Road Transport Association’s Louise Bilato and National Transport Insurance’s Adam Gibson.

“Members agreed on the need to retain the primary duties in Chapter 1A of the HVNL and its current approach to executive officer liability,” Mr. Maguire says.

“The meeting is a prime example of how our members are working together in the best interests of the industry and collaborating to deliver positive outcomes. I thank them all for their contribution and expertise.”

ATA CEO Ben Maguire.

NEW SPECIFICATION TESTING FOR MODIFIED BINDERS Austroads has announced updated specification testing for polymer and crumb rubber modified binders in sprayed seal and asphalt.

Updated specs include adding a definition for field-produced crumb rubber modified binders.

8

ROADS JULY 2019

According to a spokesperson for Austroads, modified binders are used by material processing companies to enhance the performance of binders on heavily trafficked

or distressed pavement surfaces.

“The test method has been revised following a review of current modified binder manufacturing, testing and application experience,” the spokesperson says.

“Specification limits are framed around the results of nationally coordinated field trials and laboratory studies, supplemented by Austroads jurisdiction experience.”

Changes include: • Adding an alternative Standards Australia method for determination of viscosity at 165˚C. • Adding a stress ratio binder property.

• Removing the consistency and elastic recovery binder properties.

• Replacing the rubber content by analysis binder property for the class S45R binder with a stipulation that this binder class be manufactured from crumb rubber derived from used vehicle tyres.

• Adding a definition for field-produced crumb rubber modified binders.

“These specifications aim to achieve satisfactory design performance in the field for both sprayed seal surfacing and asphalt pavement applications,” the spokesperson says.

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NEWS

INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITY DECLINED SLIGHTLY IN Q1 2019 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) official figures show construction activity dropped 1.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 and total construction is now worth $50,787.9 million.

In that time, civil construction activity dropped back nearly four per cent compared to last quarter, engineering work fell nearly four per cent, while commercial building grew by 3.6 per cent.

“Unfortunately, the decline in civil construction activity during the opening quarter of this year will not be a surprise to the industry. The time taken for government infrastructure announcements to translate into real, visible activity on the ground is often far too long,” says Master Builders’ Chief Economist Shane Garrett.

He said the re-election of the Morrison Government will boost confidence in the industry and will be welcomed by the hundreds of thousands of small firms active in building and construction.

Despite growing populations around the country every state has experienced construction work decline.

Civil construction dropped nearly four per cent.

In the Northern Territory, construction work has fallen for the past six quarters.

Both New South Wales and Victoria have also seen construction work fall for the

past two quarters.

Master Builders are hopeful that the Government’s renewed mandate will drive new energy to get more projects started.

CITY OF SYDNEY TRIALS INDUSTRIAL WASTE CONCRETE The City of Sydney is testing concrete made using industrial waste from coal-fired power stations and steel manufacturing on a busy inner-city road.

A 30-metre section of Wyndham Street in Alexandria has been constructed using the ‘green concrete’.

The council laid 15 metres of traditional concrete and geopolymer concrete, which is a sustainable blend of concrete and recycled materials to test its durability.

Made from fly ash and blast furnace slag, it’s estimated geopolymer concrete generates just 300 kilograms of CO2 per tonne of cement, compared to the 900 kilograms from traditional cement production.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the city was committed to finding new ways to lower carbon emissions.

“I’m proud that the City of Sydney 10

ROADS JULY 2019

was Australia’s first carbon-neutral local government and that we’re continuing to take significant steps to reduce our carbon footprint,” the Lord Mayor said.

Wyndham Street is a major road leading to Sydney Airport with a high volume of traffic. Nine sensors have been placed under the concrete to monitor and compare how the ‘green concrete’ performs.

The results from the trial will then be used by University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney researchers and the Cooperative Research Center for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL) to create industry guidelines for geopolymer concrete.

Mr. Moore said 70 per cent of concrete produced goes into pavements and footpaths leaving great potential to further reduce emissions while providing quality infrastructure.

The low CO2 concrete has the potential to put 400 million cubic tonnes of waste from the coal and steel industries to good use.

The UNSW Sydney researchers will monitor the road’s performance for up to five years.

Professor Stephen Foster, Head of School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is the CRCLCL project lead and described the trial as “a huge step forward.”

“Concrete contributes seven per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions and in 2018 the world produced about 4.1 billion tonnes of cement, which contributed about 3.5 billion tonnes of CO2,” Professor Foster said.

“This trial is important because we need demonstration projects to accurately assess the performance of geopolymer over time so that there can be broader uptake.”

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NEWS

NSW METRO SEES 1M TRIPS IN TWO WEEKS Two weeks since the opening of the North West Metro in New South Wales, the network has already conducted more than one million trips.

“Patronage in the Metro’s first two weeks has been amazing with an average of 72,000 journeys on weekdays – a huge result for a brand new mode of transport,” says Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

The North West Metro runs from Chatswood to Rouse Hill and is intended to

be a “turn up and go” service.

Peak hour trains run every four minutes and the line has the ability to run trains every two minutes at peak in the future.

The line has 13 new stations, all accessible with a lift and level access between the platform and train, and 4000 new commuter car parking spaces.

“The success shows just how much commuters appreciate the delivery of this game-changing project, which connects

the area by rail like never before,” says Ms. Berejiklian.

So far more than 3,400 train services have run, with Thursday May 30th being the busiest day with 75,876 trips.

Minister for Transport Andrew Constance says customer feedback had been positive.

“We are now getting on with the job of extending the line from Chatswood, under the Harbour, through the CBD and onto Bankstown,” says Mr. Constance.

There have been 72,000 journeys a week since the Sydney Metro opened.

ROADS AUSTRALIA RELEASES INDUSTRY CONFIDENCE SURVEY A critical skills shortage remains the number one concern of transport infrastructure leaders, according to a new Roads Australia industry survey.

The Roads Australia Industry Confidence Outlook shows while short-term confidence is running high, industry leaders believe there’s an urgent need to take strong collective action to attract and retain the skilled workers needed to deliver projects beyond 2020.

Results are based on responses from 50 senior executives from contracting and consulting firms and industry suppliers.

Of those polled, 87 per cent said they have confidence to invest in plant, people and equipment in Australia over the next year.

According to a Roads Australia statement,

on a scale of one to 10, the average confidence rating is 7.6, across those who responded positively.

Additionally, 89 per cent of those surveyed expect to increase or maintain staff levels in the next 12 months, with only 11 per cent anticipating a decrease.

Roads Australia President David StuartWatt said the lack of a skilled worker pipeline and ‘fit-for-purpose’ procurement processes rated as highest areas of concern.

“Skill shortages are the number one risk to delivering Australia’s record infrastructure pipeline and if not addressed may lead to cost blowouts, delays and unprofitable projects,” Mr. Stuart-Watt said.

“Government and industry need to work together to identify strategies to encourage

more women and young people into the industry. Gender diversity, in particular, remains a very big problem in our industry and we need to redress it far more quickly than we’re doing at present.”

Mr Stuart-Watt said the survey also shows current procurement processes as a potential blockage on industry’s ability to deliver future work on time and budget.

“There are a lot of inefficiencies and inconsistencies that add to the overall cost of bidding, and which could be addressed through greater standardisation of contracts and processes,” Mr. Stuart-Watt said.

“Industry and government also need to find the middle ground on project risk. We need to come up with a more balanced, partnership-based approach.” roadsonline.com.au

13

DOWNER BEGINS LARGE-SCALE TRIAL OF SHREDDED PLASTIC IN ASPHALT Downer has recently been awarded a 10-year contract from the New Plymouth District Council in New Zealand that covers urban and rural roads in the district. The contract covers several aspects of roading, including road maintenance, CBD cleaning, water and wastewater reticulation renewals, as well as small to medium bridge maintenance.

Downer’s General Manager of Transport Technology, Murray Robertson, says this contract presented the right opportunity for the first large-scale trial of Plas Mix, which was delivered last month in New Plymouth.

Plas Mix is raw, shredded plastic that goes into asphalt.

Plas Mix is raw shredded plastic that goes into asphalt. Common types of plastics used are containers for margarine, yogurt, cottage cheese, butter, bottles for cleaning products and more.

“The creation of Plas Mix is a collaboration between two commercial companies actively working together to solve significant local and global waste minimisation issues.

The team are tasked with developing a meaningful outcome that can successfully repurpose waste plastic while not compromising the integrity of the pavement solutions,” says Mr. Robertson.

A spokesperson from Enviro New Zealand, who is working with Downer, says the main benefit of Plas Mix is the prevention of waste to landfill, which in turn eliminates the need to transport materials thousands of kilometres overseas for processing.

The trial in New Plymouth was the first example where plastic has been used to surface a public road in New Zealand.

The trial consumed 500 kilograms of hard plastic waste in 100 square metres of road.

Downer said this is the equivalent plastic waste that 1,300 people would generate in one week.

Downer’s road science laboratories have gone to great effort to identify the optimum plastic mix and the size needed for a successful product. It is laid and paved in the same way as traditional asphalt.

One of the benefits Downer found in testing was that the performance of asphaltic road surfacing was enhanced by adding the plastic, especially in the areas of waterproofing and rutting.

“Developing practical and cost effective solutions to sustainability challenges remains front and centre for our team. Reducing solid waste from entering landfills while reducing our carbon footprint and providing high quality cost effective outcomes is a challenging yet motivating assignment for us,” says Mr. Robertson.

REGIONAL COMMUNITIES HAVE THEIR SAY ON ROAD SAFETY The Victorian Government will hold eight road safety community roundtables across the state to seek views on reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on regional roads.

The roundtables follow last week’s

Road Safety Summit, where experts and community leaders gathered to discuss what could be done to address the Victorian road toll.

Key themes to emerge from the summit include enforcement, speed limits,

Speed reduction will be a key feature of the roundtables.

14

ROADS JULY 2019

technology and infrastructure. The roundtables will explore these issues with a local focus.

Roads Minister Jaala Pulford says the majority of the year’s road deaths occurred on regional roads, with 86 people killed compared to 47 at the same time last year.

“Country people are dying on their local roads. More than two thirds of people killed on country Victorian roads this year, have died within 30 kilometres of their home,” Ms. Pulford says.

“Overall, 143 people have died on the state’s roads this year, compared with 88 at the same time last year – an increase of 63 per cent.”

Ms. Pulford says government would consider ideas from the summit and community roundtables as part of the next road safety strategy, which is currently being developed.

NEWS

AUSTROADS RESEARCH TO INFORM AUSTRALIAN STANDARD Austroads has released a report, Relationships Between Cutter Oil Properties and Sprayed Seal Performance, to inform the update of Australian Standard AS 3568 Oils for Reducing the Viscosity of Residual Bitumen for Pavements.

The standard is used by Australian government agencies to specify the properties of hydrocarbon oils used during sprayed seal construction.

Australian Road Research Board Principal Technology Leader and report author, Robert Urquhart, says the standard had not been updated since 1999.

“The existing AS 3568 specifies some materials which are no longer commercially available. Some cutter oils that fail AS 3568 requirements also appear to perform satisfactorily during sprayed

seal construction,” Mr. Urquhart says.

“The current issues with AS 3568 have required many agencies to maintain their own local specification standards. We are aiming for agencies to adopt the updated AS 3568 to save themselves time and extra work.”

In Australia and New Zealand, cutter oils are added to hot binders when sprayed seals are constructed at cooler temperatures to enhance the adhesion between binder and aggregate.

“The objective of the research in this report was to produce an updated version of AS 3568 which was performance-based and that also allowed the use of currently available commercial oils,” Mr. Urquhart says.

“We blended seven commercially available cutter oils with C170 bitumen and

assessed their sprayed seal performance using four different laboratory tests. The main factors that affected sprayed seal performance were the cutter oils’ final boiling point and viscosity at 40°C.” The new AS 3568 Standard report will contain the results of the study and input from Austroads Bituminous Surfacing Working Group members.

“Proposed changes include removing tests from the specification which do not provide information about the performance of cutter oils and deleting the specification table for heavy flux oil as this material is no longer used in Australia or New Zealand,” Mr. Urquhart says.

“Flux oil used in sprayed sealing operations will be required to comply with national specified requirements for automotive diesel fuel.”

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Collaborating with state infrastructure ministers is essential to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack’s vision of making sure Australia’s infrastructure needs are met well into the future.

PRIORITIES ON THE

PACIFIC HIGHWAY ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE TALKS TO DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MICHAEL MCCORMACK ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S PROJECT PRIORITIES AND COLLABORATING WITH STATE GOVERNMENTS.

T

he Ride Levett Bucknall 2018 Crane Index examined the masses of cranes dotting skylines in Australian capital cities. According to the index, 735 long-term cranes stood tall at the time of writing, a seven per cent increase from six months prior.

RLB Global Chairman, Stephen Mee, credits the increase with high-performance rates in the infrastructure sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, expressed similar sentiments when he spoke to Roads and Infrastructure Magazine. He cites the number of cranes lifting across 16

ROADS JULY 2019

the country as evidence of an everaccelerating infrastructure boom.

“If you go to Sydney or Melbourne, you can actually see it for yourself, they are everywhere,” Mr. McCormack says.

Earlier this year, the Federal Government allocated $100 billion to infrastructure projects – to be rolled out over the next 10 years.

According to Mr. McCormack, the Coalition’s infrastructure agenda is designed to help manage Australia’s growing population, meet the national freight challenge, and improve road safety.

Key programs include the $4 billion

Urban Congestion Fund, which is designed to directly target traffic bottle necks through road widening and capacity improvements. Then, there is the $44 million Inland Rail Interface Improvement Program that aims to enhance the benefits of the Inland Rail project for regional Australia by integrating regional lines.

There is also the $1.1 billion Roads to Recovery Program, which provides local councils with road safety infrastructure investment opportunities, and finally, the City Deal program, which coordinates city development projects through all levels of government.

UP FRONT

THERE’S A RENEWED EMPHASIS ON THE PACIFIC HIGHWAY, AS THERE SHOULD BE. IT’S A HUGE STRETCH OF ROAD GOING THROUGH SEVERAL STATES AND WE NEED TO EMPHASISE THE WORST BLACK SPOT AREAS TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT WORK DONE. THE PIPELINE Mr. McCormack credits his government’s ability to discuss and action large-scale infrastructure projects such as the Inland Rail, though to individual roundabouts and intersections, as playing a critical role in their recent re-election.

“People looked at what we were doing, not just want we were saying,” Mr. McCormack says. “They saw the bulldozers.

They saw the excavators. They saw the high-vis and they said, ‘this government is actually getting things done to benefit communities’.”

Infrastructure Australia’s 2019 Infrastructure Priority statement argues governments need to invest in transformational technology, forward planning and strategic investment to mitigate the pressure population growth is placing on infrastructure networks.

Federal infrastructure policy is working on several fronts to plan liveable cities, develop infrastructure decisionmaking principals and facilitate corridor protection, within the funding pipeline.

Initiatives include engagement with community during planning processes, greater decision-making transparency and investment in development studies.

Raised on family farms in Marrar and Brucedale in regional New South Wales, Mr. McCormack was elected The Nationals’ Member for Riverina in 2010.

Serving multiple roles as the Deputy Prime Minister, Nationals Party Leader and Federal Infrastructure Minister, Mr. McCormack takes a holistic approach to infrastructure spending, one he says is informed by his background living and working in regional Australia.

According to Mr. McCormack, his experience gives him the capacity to better understand the needs and wants of the eight million Australians living outside a capital city.

“I think we (the Federal Government) have had a very balanced approach to infrastructure, and I think having myself, coming from a regional background, in the senior portfolio role has obviously helped regional infrastructure priorities,” Mr.

McCormack says.

He also says developing a balance between the needs and wants of the cities, and those of regional Australia, is a core principal of his government.

He notes the importance of collaborating with the government’s separate Cities and Urban Infrastructure portfolio, occupied by Alan Tudge.

“This government has put a significant amount of money on the table for urban infrastructure,” Mr. McCormack says. “We are committed to making sure people don’t have to spend hours and hours looking at break lights just to get to and from work, which is why I will be working very closely with Alan Tudge over the coming years.”

Mr. McCormack estimates the cost of congestion in Australia’s capital cities at $24 billion per year, projected to reach $40 billion by 2030. Congestion is largely attributed to a pairing of population growth and a slow project development process, which has stopped the transport network from growing with cities.

“We want to make sure people get home sooner and safe, which is a matter of talking to individual ministers,” Mr. McCormack says.

“I recently spoke with Andrew Constance in New South Wales to see what we could do to help increase traffic flows, not just in the middle of Sydney, but also in the Western Suburbs.”

Key government projects for Australia’s cities include the $500 million M1 upgrade in Queensland, the $1.14 billion Melbourne suburban roads upgrade and $2 billion Melbourne to Geelong fast rail.

PRIORITY PROJECTS Although Mr. McCormack’s role as Infrastructure Minister requires he approach the network as a whole, he does have a few personal passion projects.

“I don’t want to finish my political career without being able to point to some major projects and say, that happened in my time,” Mr. McCormack says.

“I’d really like to see the Pacific Highway finished and I’ve made that commitment – the work the government has already

done on the highway has saved a significant amount of lives.”

The Pacific Highway Upgrade is one of the largest road infrastructure projects in Australia, and involves improvement works such as lane widening, dual carriageway construction and paving.

Federal Government estimates show fatal crashes have halved since works began, down from 40 each year to 20 in recent years.

The 2019-20 federal budget allocated $1.6 billion to the Pacific Motorway Extension in New South Wales and $500 million to the Pacific Motorway Upgrade Program, including Daisy Hill to Logan Motorway in Queensland.

“There’s a renewed emphasis on the Pacific Highway, as there should be. It’s a huge stretch of road going through several states and we need to emphasise the worst black spot areas to make sure we get that work done.”

Building better water storage infrastructure is another priority for Mr. McCormack. He says he plans to dedicate a lot of his short-term efforts on projects like the $10 million Lakeland water storage project, which aims to establish a largescale water storage facility in Far North Queensland.

“More water storage and dam projects need to get happening as far as I’m concerned,” Mr. McCormack says.

The Inland Rail is another favourite project of the Deputy Prime Minister, one he calls “massive” and “nation building”.

Once completed, the Inland Rail will create a direct rail freight connection between Melbourne and Brisbane, capable of moving double stacked freight containers. The project aims to removing freight trucks from roads and open regional communities up to investment and export trade.

“The project has the potential to cut freight costs by an average of 76 dollars per tonne. Given the business case was predicated on a 10-dollar saving per tonne I mean that’s massive,” Mr. McCormack says.

“A lot of local businesses are benefiting from the work on the Inland Rail - I like to call it a 17-hundred-kilometre corridor of commerce.”

Mr. McCormack says he was recently discussing infrastructure priorities in Queensland, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Transport Minister Mark Bailey. roadsonline.com.au

17

Upgrades to the Pacific Highway are a passion of Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.

He says the three spoke about the infrastructure needs of the state, notably the Inland Rail.

According to Mr. McCormack, the project highlights the benefits of state and federal collaboration. He says two out of the three effected governments have already signed off on the intergovernmental agreement, enabling construction to begin.

COLLABORATING WITH THE STATES: Mr. McCormack says he is always excited and willing to speak with state and territory governments, no matter their political persuasion.

“I recently met with Premier Gladys Berejiklian in New South Wales, I’ve meet with Jacinta Allan in Victoria and Stephan Knoll in South Australia,” Mr. McCormack says.

“I don’t want to just be a part of the Transport Infrastructure Council, I want to meet all the infrastructure ministers face to face and talk about what their priorities are.”

Mr. McCormack says interstate collaboration allows all governments to meet somewhere in the middle and leads to an acceleration of both regional and urban projects.

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ROADS JULY 2019

While the Pacific Highway, Lakeland water storage plan and Inland Rail are Mr. McCormack’s legacy projects, he says it’s not just history making infrastructure that is important.

“I was in Emerald Queensland recently and quite a number of people came up to me at the Emerald show,” Mr. McCormack says.

“They were really impressed with the fact our government was actually getting to work on the Springsure Tambo Road project.”

Works on Springsure Tambo Road involves extensive sealing and is estimated to cut eight hours off the round trip from Tambo to Springsure in Queensland’s Central Highlands.

“It’s little things like that which make a huge difference for people,” Mr. McCormack says.

Mr. McCormack also makes note of the Newell Highway in New South Wales, saying constructing byways is particularly important to keeping the country moving.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: Aside from physical road upgrades and congestion busting public transport

developments, the government is also invested in supporting research into road technology and innovation.

Mr. McCormack says the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) in particular is undertaking cutting-edge research that highlights what governments across the country should be investing in.

“The ARRB is working to design better structures and make sure the roads Australian’s drive on conform to the right, and best, international standards,” Mr. McCormack says.

“They take crumbling sections out of, in some cases, brand new roads. Roads that were laid only months earlier and are already showing signs of wear and tear.

ARRB studies the section and tries to work out what went wrong.”

After attending the opening of ARRB’s new lab and office in 2018, Mr. McCormack says he hopes to spend more time looking into research and innovation.

“I’ll be looking into what we, as a government, can learn from the researchers at ARRB and other places - ensuring the work is being properly utilised across the country.”

18–20 SEPTEMBER A three-day Masterclass Event featuring hands-on learning in an interactive setting. If you’re in the pavement industry, Smart Pavements Now is a must-attend event.

NATIONAL TRANSPORT RESEARCH CENTRE, 80A TURNER ST, PORT MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH THE

WEST GATE?

ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE TALKS TO KEY WEST GATE TUNNEL STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT PROGRESS ON ONE OF VICTORIA’S MOST SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

M

elbourne is the nation’s fastest growing capital city and is on-track to overtake Sydney as Australia’s largest within 40 years.

While population growth might not be inherently problematic on its own, it does bring a range of challenges, notably stress to city infrastructure and road networks.

The Victorian government, in partnership with Transurban, is attempting to mitigate these challenges with the West Gate Tunnel (WGT) project.

The state government WGT project summary highlights Melbourne’s west as one of the city’s fastest growing regions.

According to the summary, this is due to a combination of land use changes, urban renewal in the inner suburbs, and residential development in the outer suburbs.

Melbourne drivers will likely attest this growth is being felt on the West Gate Bridge, which is nearing capacity and sees up to 220,000 vehicles each day. The project summary estimates this will grow to 270,000 by 2031.

Additionally, the summary notes Melbourne’s role as a national import and export logistics hub as a driving force behind the WGT concept.

“Container trade through the port of Melbourne is forecast to grow steeply, reaching eight million standard containers a year by 2035 – 3.5 times the current level,” the summary indicates.

“Growing freight activity is increasing demand for the movement of goods on the city’s freeways, changing preferred access routes to and from the Port of Melbourne and leading to additional heavy freight traffic moving from the port through the inner west.”

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ROADS JULY 2019

The WGT intends to shift Melbourne’s reliance on the West Gate Bridge and facilitate new connections to the city.

Roads and Infrastructure Magazine explores how.

PLANNING The WGT construction contract was awarded to a joint venture between CPB Contractors and John Holland in 2017. The project’s engineering and design contract was awarded to a Aurecon and Jacobs Joint Venture (AJJV) in 2018.

AJJV was awarded the contract after developing a concept for the project, involving extensive stakeholder and community engagement and technical investigations to enhance the initial proposal.

Design Director, Mark Percival, says the West Gate Tunnel will provide a second Yarra River crossing and alternative route to the West Gate Bridge, improving the local amenity of the region and upgrading connectivity from the city to the developing western suburbs.

According to Mr. Percival, the project will improve connections between Melbourne’s west, the city centre and it’s major ports.

“Jobs like this are few and far between, and a single consultancy would struggle to mobilise a large enough team to deliver detailed design during the peak delivery period. Jacobs and Aurecon are culturally aligned companies and we have worked together successfully in the past,” says Mr. Percival.

“The complexity and size of the project relies on a collaborative team effort, which cannot be achieved without setting the right culture from day one.”

Mr. Percival says public and media attention on the WGT has centred largely on the tunnel itself, with many unaware the project encompasses three distinct work zones - surface works to the west, twin bored tunnels and 20 kilometres of

PROJECT REPORT

IN ADDITION TO THE TUNNEL ITSELF, OUR DESIGN INCLUDES FOUR ADDITIONAL LANES ON THE WEST GATE FREEWAY, RAMPS BETWEEN THE WEST GATE FREEWAY AND HYDE STREET FOR TRUCKS CARRYING DANGEROUS GOODS, A TUNNEL UNDER YARRAVILLE CONNECTING THE WEST GATE FREEWAY WITH THE MARIBYRNONG RIVER, THREE NEW BRIDGES OVER THE MARIBYRNONG RIVER, A VELOWAY AND NEW CYCLING AND WALKING PATHS. elevated road structure in the east.

“In addition to the tunnel itself, our design includes four additional lanes on the West Gate Freeway, as well as ramps between the West Gate Freeway and Hyde Street for local trucks. Then there is a tunnel under Yarraville that connects the West Gate Freeway with the Maribyrnong River, new bridges over the Maribyrnong River, as well as a 2.5 kilometre veloway and 14 kilometres of upgraded cycling and

walking paths,” says Mr. Percival.

The twin tunnels under Yarraville will measure four kilometres outbound and 2.8 kilometres inbound.

WGT Authority Communications Deputy Director, Kim Payne, estimates the project will remove up to 9,300 trucks from local roads in the inner west each day.

“With a direct route to the port, trucks will no longer have to rely on residential streets, which will protect residential

areas from the impact of the forecast growth in the metropolitan freight task,” Ms. Payne says.

The Victorian government has announced it will enforce a 24-hour truck ban in the inner west, following project completion.

Ms. Payne says traffic modelling carried out for the WGT Environment Effects Statement showed the project would save motorists up to 20 minutes in travel time from the west and 13 minutes to the Port of Melbourne.

“The modelling also showed that by offering an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, more than 8,000 trucks are diverted away from the bridge each day.”

To minimise traffic disruptions, Ms. Payne says the WGT Authority will attempt to keep all lanes open on major roads The twin tunnels will measure four kilometres outbound and 2.8 kilometres inbound.

roadsonline.com.au

21

A disassembled TBM Vida arrives on-site.

during peak periods, organise traffic works to happen at night and provide clearly signposted detours where required.

“Additionally, we will work with VicRoads, local councils, Bicycle Network Victoria and other key stakeholders to implement traffic changes.”

WEST GATE FREEWAY WIDENING According to Ms. Payne, there are currently 3,500 people working on the WGT in fields ranging from construction, The project is expected to create 500 jobs over its lifetime.

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ROADS JULY 2019

engineering, design, environmental management and community relations.

“Over the course of the project there are expected to be over 500 jobs for apprentices, trainees and graduates. About 400 jobs will be dedicated to residents of Melbourne’s west and 150 jobs for people affected by closures in the manufacturing industry,” Ms. Payne says.

“At the peak of tunnelling, 500 people will be working at sites in Footscray and Yarraville, which will be the hub of tunnelling activity.”

Construction on the project’s West Gate Freeway Widening section began in 2018 and is scheduled to continue until 2022.

“Works are well underway to widen the West Gate Freeway by creating an additional four new through lanes.

“This will result in a total of 12 through lanes, plus additional auxiliary lanes,” Ms. Payne says.

“New electricity monopoles were recently installed, replacing two of the lattice towers. These new monopoles will take up less space, allowing the extra lanes to be built.”

According to Ms. Payne, work is also underway diverting a large sewer line that runs under the West Gate Freeway at the Williamstown Road interchange.

These works will facilitate access once tunnel boring machines reach the space next year.

“Works are also progressing on the Millers Road area of the West Gate Tunnel project.

Recent achievements include completion of piling and retaining walls under the West Gate Freeway on both sides of Millers Road, installation of temporary noise walls along

the West Gate Freeway and trenching along Paringa Road to underground additional power lines,” Ms. Payne says.

“Further east of the project, residents will begin to see more activity around Footscray Road, as piling rigs move in to prepare to build the elevated road that will connect the tunnel to CityLink and the city.”

Ms. Payne says piling will soon start in the Maribyrnong River area to prepare for the construction of a new bridge over the Maribyrnong River.

TUNNEL BORING MACHINES In the coming months, two large-scale tunnel boring machines (TBM) will be launched at the WGT’s northern portal site in Footscray, so tunnelling can begin south west towards the West Gate Freeway.

The WGT’s TBMs are the largest in the southern hemisphere, standing at 15.6 metres in diameter, 90 metres long and weighing an estimated 4,000 tonnes each.

The first of the two TBMs, Bella, arrived from China in December 2018.

The machine took 12 months to build and was tested in China before being disassembled and shipped to Melbourne.

Reassembling Bella took a team of 30 people working 24/7 for 75,000 hours.

Additionally, 250-tonne and 500-tonne gantry cranes were required to complete construction. The second TBM, Vida, recently arrived in Melbourne and will soon begin the process of reassembly.

The cutter head of both TBMs exerts a rotation force of 85,000 kilonewtons (kN) per metre.

“The TBM’s will bore up to 40 metres

PROJECT REPORT

HIGHLY SPECIALISED CREWS WILL OPERATE THE TBMS AND BEHIND THEM CREWS WORK TO BUILD THE ROAD SURFACE AND INSTALL ELECTRICS, VENTILATION AND SAFETY SYSTEMS. under the ground at the deepest point, the bottom of the tunnel, while also installing a concrete lining, forming the walls, roof and base of the tunnel,” Ms. Payne says.

Bella and Vida will excavate rock and soil with a rotating cutter head, before moving forward to make space for the concrete lining.

Ms. Payne says the TBMs will then stop moving and install lining using a specialised rotating machine.

“TBMs of this size need 10 megawatts of power per machine. A new substation has been built on site at the northern portal, to ensure enough power is supplied to keep the machines moving 24 hours per day, seven days a week,” says Ms. Payne.

“Highly specialised crews will operate the TBMs and behind them crews work to build the road surface and install electrics,

P L A N T

.

ventilation and safety systems.”

According to Ms. Payne, the WGT Authority has recently achieved two project milestones – completing construction on the rock and soil handling shed, and finalising works on the TBM launch site and portal.

The rock and soil handling shed was designed to keep noise and dust at a minimum for nearby residents and businesses, while construction excavates 1.5 million cubic metres of rock and soil to build the central tunnel.

Ms. Payne says over 12,000 work hours went into building the 180-metre-long and 90-metre-wide structure.

“Rock and soil will be taken from underground on the conveyor to the launch site, over the top of Somerville Road on a covered conveyor and then into giant bins before being trucked away,”

E Q U I P M E N T

.

P A R T S

.

according to Ms. Payne.

The second project milestone is the Footscray launch site. Coming in at over 300 metres long, 40 metres wide and 22 metres deep, it is roughly two times the length of an AFL oval.

The Footscray portal was built using a cut and cover method. This involves excavating a trench, before covering it with a concrete deck to form a roof.

In the coming months, two TBMs will be launched at the northern portal site in Footscray and start tunnelling south west towards the West Gate Freeway.

“The TBMs are expected to bore nine metres a day, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” says Ms. Payne.

“Work will start on the four-kilometre outbound tunnel first, closely followed by the 2.8-kilometre inbound tunnel. The longer tunnel will take an estimated 18 months to excavate.”

In the 18 months since work started, 6.3 million work hours have been clocked up.

Ms. Payne says the project is on track and still scheduled for completion in 2022.

S E R V I C E

&

S U P P O R T

ASTEC AUSTRALIA PAVING SOLUTIONS

EQUIPMENT TO BUILD AND RESTORE THE WORLD’S INFRASTRUCTURE ASTEC AUSTRALIA.

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Diana Delac put her hand up to help run the night shift on the Monash Freeway Upgrade project.

DISRUPTING THE

CIRCADIAN CLOCK FULTON HOGAN SITE ENGINEER DIANA DELAC HAS BEEN NAMED RISING STAR OF THE YEAR AT THE 2019 WOMEN IN INDUSTRY AWARDS.

T

he circadian clock is a small part of the brain that monitors the amount of light you see. At night, when the level of light reduces, the ‘clock’ notices and prompts a flood of melatonin to the brain – telling the body to fall asleep.

To minimise disruption and potential traffic chaos, large-scale road works regularly take place at night. Thereby forcing a circadian clock disruption for the crews of workers and engineers undertaking nightshift.

This is a feeling known all to well by Women In Industry’s 2019 Rising Star Award recipient Diana Delac.

The Women in Industry Awards aims to showcase Australia’s best and brightest by recognising achievement across the mining, engineering, manufacturing, waste, logistics, bulk handling, infrastructure, rail, and road transport industries.

This year’s awards intended to raise the profile of women within industry, promote and encourage excellence 24

ROADS JULY 2019

and offer invaluable networking opportunities for industry trailblazer’s to exchange ideas and share their unique approaches to leadership.

The Rising Star Award, sponsored

by Atlas Copco Compressors, aims to recognise individuals who show significant promise within their chosen industry, or who have reached new goals at the start of their career. The award was presented to Ms. Delac at a gala event on June 6, in Melbourne.

The Monash Freeway Upgrade (MFU) project, which was awarded to Fulton Hogan, involved the construction of 44 kilometres of additional traffic lanes – widening the freeway from four to five lanes in each direction between the East Link interchange and South Gippsland Freeway.

To complete these works, the company required an engineer to work a continuous 12-month night shift.

Fulton Hogan HR Manager, Matthew Inkster, says when the position was first

announced, Ms. Delac immediately put up her hand. He notes Ms. Delac’s commitment and resilience as what inspired him and the larger Fulton Hogan team to nominate her for the Rising Star Award.

“Night shifts are a challenging environment for any young engineer, with limited support and needing seamless coordination with day shift requirements,” Mr. Inkster says.

“With difficulty to drive productivities and efficiencies, night shifts require quick problem-solving techniques.”

According to Mr. Inkster, within the first month of work on the MFU project, Ms. Delac had established herself as the go-to person for her diciplines night shift activities.

“Her planning, coordination and attention to detail were exemplary,” Mr. Inkster says.

“Ms. Delac coordinated multiple crews across a 44 kilometre-long project, including required traffic, safety and

supervisory resources.”

Ms. Delac has worked at Fulton Hogan as an engineer for the Southern Construction team since August 2016. Joining as a graduate, Ms. Delac was quickly promoted to site engineer.

“With limited experience and a quiet disposition, Diana approached the nightshift challenge head on,” Mr. Inkster says. “Her determination to prove her abilities and gain the respect of crew workers is highly regarded by management.”

As the appointed Fulton Hogan Site Engineer for the MFU, Ms. Delac independently coordinated five night shift crews to install 130 kilometres of optic fibre, 29 kilometres of power cable, more than 200 terminations and splices, 400 pole installations, 634 wireless vehicle detectors, as well as 39 distribution boards.

According to Mr. Inkster, Ms. Delac increased team productivity by minimising wastage and improving frayed relationships with some of the subcontractors that are also part of the project.

“To ensure seamless coordination with

day shift crews, Ms. Delac was always the first person on site and the last person to leave – her work ethic is excellent,” he says. “The crew relied on Ms. Delac’s advice – I can honestly say I do not recall Ms. Delac making one mistake.”

According to Ms. Delac, working as a female graduate in a heavily maledominated environment can create challenges. However, by taking the experience on head first, she was able to overcome and develop an efficient working relationship with her team.

“It’s crucial to gain the crew’s support and respect to ensure we can work collaboratively to deliver outstanding results,” Ms. Delac said.

“At first, the crews hesitated taking direction from a graduate engineer, however after working with the team closely for a few weeks, they began to lean on me for ongoing guidance and assistance.”

To help other young female engineers, Fulton Hogan have recently established the Southern Construction Diversity Committee, of which Ms. Delac is a member. The group aims to raise

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Diana Delac receiving her Women in Industry Award at the ceremony held in early June.

awareness, develop new policies and improve Fulton Hogan’s approach and tactics to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

“Fulton Hogan has been very supportive of our efforts, and it’s great to work in a place that supports the idea of equality in the industry,” Ms. Delac says.

T

he Emu Swamp Dam is a proposed 12,100 megalitre urban and irrigation supply dam on the Severn River in Stanthorpe, Queensland. Jacobs, one of the world’s leading providers in technical, professional and construction services, was contracted to complete a detailed business case, including a reference design.

Jacobs used 3D subsurface modelling solution Leapfrog Works to assess risk and communicate that risk effectively to stakeholders.

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18th AAPA International Flexible Pavement Conference & Exhibition 18 – 21 August 2019 | International Convention Centre, Sydney For more information go to www.aapa.asn.au/aapa-conference-2019/

50 50 Years CE

L E B R AT I N G

Years

A A PA

Celebrating of AAPA

1

ASPHALT NEWS

HIGH PERFORMANCE SCRAP RUBBER/SPRAY SEALS

WITH MORE THAN 35 YEARS OF BLENDING OLD TYRES WITH BITUMEN, CRACK-SEALING SPECIALIST, ROAD MAINTENANCE, HAS FOUND THE RIGHT MIX.

R

oad Maintenance has been blending old tyres with bitumen for more than 35 years. This mixture helps create a product that is ideal for sealing bitumen on roads.

When the company first started mixing the two products, it was under an agreement to blend for Mobil/Emolem using given formulas that had a lot of segregation in transport, which wasn’t an ideal situation.

After the sale of Emolem, the owner of Road Maintenance, Max Fitzgerald, knew that he could make a product that was better than was currently available, so he set about doing just that.

“I was able to work on improving the blends and minimising segregation and a smother mix for ease of spraying,” says Mr. Fitzgerald.

“We have developed a blend that helps to bond to stone and also has an odour suppressant for built-up areas.

“For rubber blends, I found that to get best results, the blend had to be mixed for a minimum of four hours at the correct temperatures.

“I also found that with 5 part it was harder to stop segregation than 18 part.

When tyres are manufactured, a lot of different ingredients go into them.

“Some of these ingredients are harder to blend, but with the right approach, they are able to blend into the mix.”

What Mr. Fitzgerald found was that, after some experimentation, he was able to make the blend smoother than previous iterations.

It was also smoother than some of the other brands that are available in the marketplace.

More importantly, when he was developing the blends, Mr. Fitzgerald was not only thinking of the end result,

WE HAVE DEVELOPED A BLEND THAT HELPS TO BOND TO STONE AND ALSO HAS AN ODOUR SUPPRESSANT FOR BUILT-UP AREAS.

An example of a smooth rubber blend.

but of those whose job it is to apply the product to the asphalt – something that some other companies do not take into consideration.

“The main problem is that a lot of spray crews have not handled rubber blend before, and add cutters to get the viscosity,” says Mr. Fitzgerald. “Rubber blend needs a higher temperature to get right viscosity. Heating and blend requires hot oil heating.

“Unfortunately tube/box/electric heating destroys the quality of the blends.

This is the method some producers use.

We don’t, which is why our product works well for the end user.”

A example of poor rubber blend.

roadsonline.com.au

27

HANDS-ON PAVEMENT THE AUSTRALIAN ROAD RESEARCH BOARD’S LATEST MASTERCLASS WILL GUIDE PARTICIPANTS THROUGH SMART DESIGN, ASSET MEASUREMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING SAFER ROADS.

T

here are more cars on the road than even before and Australia’s $300 billion road network is feeling the pressure.

Research conducted by the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) shows the nation’s basic infrastructure is at risk of degradation due to an increase in passenger and freight traffic, particularly in high population growth areas.

According to ARRB National Leader Future Transport Infrastructure Matthew Bereni, if further investment in pavement rehabilitation, structural strength and innovative material isn’t prioritised, Australian roads might be unprepared to meet future demands.

This is why ARRB developed its upcoming Smart Pavements Now event – a three-day master class held 18-20 September.

“The event will showcase the latest trends and emerging issues in the pavement industry and provide cost-effective solutions to existing problems. Participants will receive hands-on knowledge transfer about pavement technology, recycled materials in asphalt, advanced pavement modelling, road data collection and lower-cost material,” Mr. Bereni says.

“We want local government, road agencies and representatives from the private sector to really understand the work we are doing, and how they can apply that work to costeffective applications and best practice.”

On day two for example, participants will be given a private tour of ARRB’s accelerated loading facility (ALF), providing them with the opportunity to ride the structure as it runs up and down the test pavement. Mr. Bereni says hands on learning like this is the central drive of Smart Pavements Now. “ARRB believes in closing the gap between research and application and making it easy for participants to understand complex concepts in plain English,” Mr. Bereni says.

“There is absolutely no point hiding ourselves behind technical jargon. The 28

ROADS JULY 2019

Matthew Bereni says Australian roads need to be prepared to meet future demands.

priority for me is to make sure all presenters, lab staff and workshop technicians are delivering information in a way that is accessible to people in the room.”

ARRB researchers use the ALF to simulate heavy vehicle traffic on pavement structures.

The facility has been in use for more than 25 years and conducted over 250 experiments.

According to Mr. Bereni, the structure has applied over 32 million load passes and stimulated well over 300 million equivalent standard axel loads.

“The ALF allows us to measure the rank relative performance of materials, parameters used in pavement design and assist with network deterioration models though fullscale proof testing,” Mr. Bereni says.

“Watching the ALF in action will allow people to better appreciate how we model pavement performance, which will ideally result in participants better understanding how to approach their road responsibilities and contacts – the experience will be significantly more interesting than reading studies in a textbook.”

Additionally, Smart Pavements Now will feature classic presentation sessions,

similar to those you might find at a regular conference. These include discussions on lower-cost pavement material, new developments in binder and sprayed seals, including foamed bitumen, and real-life recycled material application case studies.

“The more traditional sessions will be held in the morning, with plenty of time for questions and participatory conversations,” Mr. Bereni says.

“In the afternoons the practical sessions will begin, with workshops and classes in ARRB’s independent and state-of-the-art research lab, and multiple site visits.”

Mr. Bereni says workshop participants will be able to observe the testing methods ARRB uses to push knowledge in the smart pavement space.

“As a trusted source on pavement deterioration processes and testing, we have a wealth of knowledge to share about new material research, how to design strong pavements, how to fix existing problems and how to enable more resistant roads,” Mr. Bereni says.

“We will also show participants the tests used for crumb rubber innovation, reporting our findings and looking at how using these developments can be both cost-effective and environmentally sound.”

According to Mr. Bereni, data collection and asset measurement is another Smart Pavements Now focus.

“We want to show participants how ARRB researchers actually collect the data we use to inform the engineering of road pavements, such as what material will be best suited to specific traffic conditions and weather,” Mr. Bereni says.

“At ARRB we are lucky to own and run some of the most sophisticated tools in the southern hemisphere and we will be showcasing that to participants.”

Mr. Bereni says ARRB’s most advance piece of equipment is the Traffic Speed Deflectometer (TSD.) The TSD, or iPAVe, is a high-tech vehicle

ASPHALT NEWS

with the ability to scan literally thousands of kilometres of road in high speed traffic conditions. ARRB uses it to scan roads and collect data for their clients, often road managers, with a Doppler laser system that measures the velocity of the pavement to provide data on bearing capacity.

According to Mr. Bereni, sharing knowledge with road managers leads to more informed and cost effective decision making when it comes to maintenance policies and programs.

“There is no point having a million different data points if you don’t understand the information or how to apply it,” Mr. Bereni says.

“It’s about understanding the link between road characteristics and the performance road users can expect from different types of pavement, in different types of situations.”

Mr. Bereni says ARRB is expecting at minimum, 100 participants on each of the three session days.

Sharing knowledge on road deterioration will mean less maintenance in the long run.

“We are offering individual tickets for each day, but do recommend participants attend the entire conference,” Mr. Bereni says.

“We have been leading the research in this space for nearly 60 years and have a lot

PANEL DISCUSSION: UNDERSTANDING THE BUILD ENVIRONMENT OF THE FUTURE

of information to pass on – If people are in anyway linked to the road industry, they will get a lot of value out of this exciting event focused on the research methods we conduct to make their lives easier.”

WESTCONNEX – PROJECT UPDATE

SYDNEY METRO PROJECT UPDATE

UTILISING TECHNOLOGY TO MAXIMISE INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH

IDENTIFYING AND PRIORITISING CRITICAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NSW

PROVIDING LONG-TERM WATER SECURITY TO BROKEN HILL

THE BAYS PRECINCT – AN URBAN GROWTH DEVELOPMENT

DELIVERING ACCESSIBLE TWO-WAY CYCLEWAY CONNECTIONS

DUSTING UP

WITH SAMI

DUST-A-SIDE GENERAL MANAGER, NEIL HOSKIN, TALKS TO ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE ABOUT AUSTRALIA’S UNSEALED ROAD NETWORK AND THE COMPANY’S DUST SUPPRESSION SOLUTIONS. SAMI is working with specialist companies to develop solutions using bitumen emulsion to help with dust control management on gravel roads.

M

uch of Australia’s road network is made of unbound granular material without a sealed

surface.

Raised dust from unsealed roads creates a number of challenges for the road user, asset owner, neighbours and the 30

ROADS JULY 2019

environment. These include impaired visibility and the risk of impacting community health and amenity for the rural farming industry.

By applying a proper dust suppressant, matching the gravel road condition specific to the site, dust emission can be

reduced. This aims to provide a healthier air environment, an increase in road safety and ride comfort and reducing the cost of vehicle repair, road maintenance and aggregate replacement. It can also lead to increased crop and fruit yields for adjacent farmers which has financial benefits for the economy.

ASPHALT NEWS

WE OFFER FULL ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE SERVICES ON HEAVY VEHICLE HAUL ROADS AND LIGHT VEHICLE ACCESS ROADS ACROSS INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA. SAMI Bitumen Technologies is working with specialist companies like Dust-a-Side (DAS) to develop solutions using bitumen emulsion to help asset owners of gravel roads in dust control management.

DAS, a global specialist in dust control management, was first established in South Africa in 1973. Noticing dust control as a major problem for the Australian civil and construction industry, the company expanded into Australia in 2005.

General Manager, Neil Hoskin, says the business has developed a unique management system of treating gravel haul roads with SAMI bitumen emulsion to reduce dust generation and maintenance costs.

“We offer full establishment and maintenance services on heavy vehicle haul roads and light vehicle access roads across industry in Australia,” Mr. Hoskin says.

“DAS is an emulsion of bitumen in water specially formulated to suppress dust on roads, hardstands and laydown areas in heavy industrial environments such as mines, quarries and construction sites,” Mr. Hoskin says.

“Optimal results have been achieved by incorporating the product into the surface-wearing course layer via a stabilisation process. This has been proven

to yield the most productive roads at the lowest lifecycle cost.”

Mr. Hoskin says the DAS product is delivered in a concentrated liquid form ready for use.

“It is typically diluted in a water cart at a concentration of 2.5 per cent right up to 50 per cent depending on the specific requirement,” Mr. Hoskin says.

“Case studies show the product leads to an operational dust reduction of 90 per cent, water savings up to 95 per cent, and wider operation cost savings and efficiencies due to the reduced need for water carts.”

Additionally, DAS case studies show the product provides faster recovery times after wet-weather and reduced likelihood of tyre damage due to the use of a road sweeper to maintain clean running surfaces and spillage reduction.

Mr. Hoskin says following profiling to specification, the prepared surface is ripped and mixed with the product to provide a stabilised wearing course.

The surface is then sealed to deter any water ingress, with the roads bladed and compacted to shape.

“Heavy-duty haul trucks can be used as part of the compaction process, with

Specialists in stability management

newly established roads opened to normal traffic immediately after establishment.

The product does not leach out once bonding and stabilisation have occurred,” Mr. Hoskin says.

After application, DSA product forms an impermeable seal so roads and other dustbearing surfaces are dust and mud free, and functional in all weather conditions.

“For dust control and surface sealing results, our product can simply be used as a spray-on treatment,” says Mr. Hoskin.

“Dust control and management capabilities not only address and significantly reduce dust issues, they also contribute to safer infrastructure, reduced water consumption and improved production gains on site, or in operating plants across the supply chain.”

Mr. Hoskin says tightening dust emission control regulations, smarter operational requirements, water scarcity and environmental management, as well as ongoing expectations of delivering a healthier work place, all feature heavily in current civil operational plans.

DAS is currently operating from locations in Brisbane, Perth and Newcastle, and investing heavily in its sales and operational capability to deliver organic growth for the company.

“We’re also excited about exploring new opportunities in the market with SAMI, as both businesses look to expand their horizons,” Mr. Hoskin says.

Hummingbird Electronics are specialists in electronic vehicle and machinery safety solutions.

We offer a suite of safety focused products designed to protect operators and equipment in the mining, civil, industrial, machinery hire and agriculture industries.

Designed and manufactured in Australia to the highest standards, Hummingbird is a brand you can trust to improve safety on your worksite.

Dual Axis Inclinometer – Elite

GPS Trip Meter – Elite

HMDS8000 We offer a range of digital inclinometers that provide operators of machinery with highly visible pitch and roll measurements. Our Elite model features configurable warning and alarm levels for pitch, roll and speed. It’s also capable of data logging these events to its internal memory.

HMGT8000 Our GPS trip meters are a popular choice for councils and road authorities. Easy to install and operate, they are used for marking road locations for repair, measuring sign and cone positioning for lane closures and traffic control as well as road length measurements.

1300 155 541

hmbe.com.au Hummingbird

Electronics

Electronic solutions for all vehicles

5748-181009

MOBILE PLANT FOR

MAJOR PROJECTS CIBER’S INOVA 2000 WAS THE MOBILE ASPHALT PLANT OF CHOICE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF IMPORTANT HIGHWAYS IN MEXICO’S FOREMOST ECONOMIC REGION.

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urrently, Mexico is among the 10 largest car producers and five largest exporters in the world. It is projected the country will produce six million vehicles by 2022 with more than half to be exported.

Many of the main car manufacturers for several automobile brands are located in the central region of the country, just 67 The iNOVA 2000 speeds up production time.

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ROADS JULY 2019

kilometres from the nation’s capital. Due to the industrial and economic importance of the region, one of the main highways, the Toluca-Naucalpan highway, has been under construction since 2014.

The works for the project included the construction of the A4 highway with two lanes in each direction for a total length of

39 kilometres, budgeted at $398 million. The road has a capacity of 30,000 vehicles daily and connects five municipalities.

It brings social and economic advantages to the region channelling vehicles from the northern and western region of the Valley of Mexico to the city of Toluca. Vehicles from these places currently travel on the

ASPHALT NEWS

Chamapa-Lecheria Highway, which operates with low traffic volume during peak hours.

The Toluca-Naucalpan highway has been affectionately dubbed the “Green Road” because of the benefits it is expected to bring to surrounding areas in terms of environmental sustainability.

Mezcla Asfáltica de Alta Calidad (MAAC) has been carrying out the works for the project. Founded in 1999, the company represent the benchmark in production of asphalt material within the quality standards and specifications required by the Federal Communications and Transport Department and the international entities of the sector.

To aid the construction of the highway, MAAC chose to partner with Ciber, an established asphalt plant manufacturer.

MAAC decided to use Ciber’s iNOVA 2000 mobile asphalt plant.

The iNOVA 2000 provides versatility for the large production volume required by the project. It has a production range from 100 to 200 tonnes per hour, which makes it a good fit for a project such as the highway.

“The iNOVA 2000 is an automated plant, which speeds up production time, reducing execution times and the duration of work, ensuring fuel efficiency,” General Director of MACC, Alberto Luthe says.

The continuous mobile asphalt plant features four feeder bins with individual weighing capability. It has new aggregate drying technology that ensures maximum thermal efficiency for low fuel consumption.

The plant has a Ciber Total Air burner to give a constant burning, and an external mixer to ensure quality of the asphalt mixes.

Customers are also able to use Reclaimed

The iNOVA 2000 can be used on either small- or large-scale projects.

Ciber carried out more than two years of testing before bringing the product to market.

Asphalt Pavement up to 15 per cent depending on its configuration.

The iNOVA 2000 also has a new command centre, with a diagnosis and remote monitoring system to give control of production.

The machine can be used on a range of projects from small to large job sites where daily production is a requirement. Ciber also offer a range of similar mobile asphalt plants to suit any project or site.

The plant used on this particular project was the first to be manufactured in the series and is available in three continents.

Ciber had carried out more than two years of testing before bringing the product to market in order to guarantee its performance and the equipment’s functionalities.

Mr. Luthe says the mobile installation of iNOVA 2000 facilitates the use of the equipment for jobs carried out by the company.

“The flexibility of the equipment and the

ability to adapt to the evolutionary needs and stages of the project, as well as ease of use and transfer speed make it easy to complete the works,” he says.

The new technologies featured in the iNOVA 2000 ensure the productivity of the mobile asphalt plant, regardless of input materials and what the project involves. It also helps to ensure clients meet quality requirements that are in line with the parameters specified for the project.

Ciber, a member company of the Wirtgen Group, offers a complete line of equipment for building, maintaining, and repairing pavements.

Focussing on application technologies, the company invests in research and development, constantly qualifying equipment produced and always keeping in mind the demands and needs of its customers.

The iNOVA 2000 adds high technology to the customer’s requirements, offering new devices capable of reducing impact on the environment, such as the new aggregate drying technology, enhancing the experience for the people who work with the machine, whether it be operators, or the people living close to the building sites.

The company is always available to help solve any concerns clients may have for a range of issues – from customer services or support, to spare parts or training.

“The efficient operation of our equipment ensures a fast and simple logistic cycle for the provision of material, saving time for customers and carriers alike.

These advantages put us in a position to accomplish the main goals we have as a company,” says Mr. Luthe. roadsonline.com.au

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AUSTSTAB JULY

CEO REPORT

AUSTSTAB’S 24TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE WILL HAVE A RANGE OF FANTASTIC SPEAKERS SAYS CEO GRAHAM HENNESSY.

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he key event for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) is the Annual Gala Dinner on the 24th of July, which is proudly sponsored by Caterpillar.

At the dinner, winners of the annual Awards of Excellence will be announced.

The Awards are open to any individuals and Australian private and public organisations working in the field of pavement recycling and stabilisation.

Entrants do not need to be members of the Association to be eligible although contractors completing the work must be registered in accordance to the AustStab and ARRB accreditation scheme.

Further information that includes the AGM three-day program, AustStab membership details and information on the AustStab/ ARRB accreditation scheme are available on the AustStab website.

The nominations for these awards are now closed and voting is currently underway.

There have been strong submissions in all of the following categories: • Work Health and Safety.

• Industry Excellence in Consulting, Research or Education.

• Excellence in Sustainability or Innovation.

• Excellence in Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation in Local Government.

• Young Stabiliser of the Year.

This year, AustStab have included additional technical content in the program.

After lunch on Wednesday 24 July, there will be four guest presenters covering topics directly related to improving the industry. Three of these presentations have been confirmed and brief details of the presenters and their topics are as follows: 34

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Joe Grobler’s specialty includes initial and detailed pavement assessments.

DR. JAMES GRENFELL, SENIOR TECHNICAL LEADER, AUSTRALIAN ROAD RESEARCH BOARD Since joining ARRB in February 2017 Dr. Grenfell has focussed on current Austroads projects by looking at improving knowledge of foamed bitumen stabilised pavements and the use of lightly bound pavement materials in pavement construction.

In particular, Dr. Grenfell will cover Austroads project TT2046 – improving the cost effectiveness of foamed bitumen stabilised pavements.

The project aims to provide an improved understanding of the performance of foamed bitumen stabilised (FBS) pavements through full-scale

accelerated pavement testing.

One half of this project is to assess the fatigue performance of these foamed bitumen stabilised pavements under Accredited Loading Facility (ALF).

Three test strips comprising of a 100 per cent granite host material, a 50 per cent granite – 50 per cent Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) lane and an 80 per cent previously cement treated – 20 per cent granite material, each stabilised with 3 per cent foamed bitumen and 2 per cent hydrated lime are being assessed.

The three test strips have been constructed and are being subjected to accelerated loading using ALF. Initial pavement loading was undertaken using an ALF load of 40 Kilonewtons (kN).

This was undertaken up to 286,000 passes in each lane. At this point, the load was increased to 60 kN to accelerate pavement failure. Traffic loading is continuing at 60 kN and at present more than 600,000 load passes have been applied to each test strip.

During the ALF testing, the test pavements were continuously monitored to assess their fatigue performance. This presentation will detail to the findings to date.

DR. IAN VAN WIJK AND DR. BARI THOMAS, AURECON Dr. Van Wijk is Technical Director, Infrastructure and a pavement management and pavement engineering specialist with more than 35 years’ professional experience across the world.

Dr. Bari Thomas is the Ground and Underground Engineering Lead for Queensland at Aurecon with over 20 years of international experience.

Their topic will be the use of stabilisation to improve the performance of unsealed

roads and the selection of additives for the stabilisation of subgrades.

The first part will use condition deterioration predictions and sustainability outcomes to quantify the performance and benefits of the stabilisation of unsealed road pavements.

The second will report on the results of laboratory-based research into the effects of temperature, mellowing and admixture composition on stabilised clay soils.

This topic is of great interest as AustStab has carried out a number of lime stabilisation trials of unsealed roads over the past few years.

AustStab welcomes the input from a leading consulting organisation such as Aurecon, which is also a member of the organisation.

JOE GROBLER, PRINCIPAL PROFESSIONAL LEADER – FUTURE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, AUSTRALIAN ROAD RESEARCH BOARD Joe Grobler is a specialist pavement

engineer and Principal Professional Leader at the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB). His experience includes initial and detailed pavement assessments, material investigations, mechanistic modelling, detailed design, material specifications, and construction phase services.

Since joining ARRB in 2016, Mr. Grobler has been involved with a number of strategically significant research projects focussed on asphalt technology, crumb rubber modified binders and stabilised materials.

As ARRB’s Agreement Manager for the National Asset Centre of Excellence (NACOE) in Queensland, he is also responsible for the delivery of the multimillion dollar annual research program in collaboration with the Queensland Department of Transport in Main Roads.

Mr Grobler’s presentation will cover designing and constructing resilient pavements to deal with extreme weather, as well as some of the key lessons learnt from earlier floods in Queensland.

AustStab CEO, Graham Hennessy.

roadsonline.com.au

35

ASPHALT NEWS

FUTURE OF

FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS CARLOS RIAL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE AUSTRALIAN ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION, TALKS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PAVING INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA.

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APA is in preparation for its largest event, the 18th International Flexible Pavements Conference and Exhibition, 2019.

This year’s event, held in Sydney, will run over three days from the 18 to 21 of August.

The focus on “our everlasting roads – enabling future mobility”. “‘Our everlasting roads’ is really about sustainable transport infrastructure for Australia, which is going to be here for many years to come,” says Carlos Rial, CEO of the Australian Asphalt Pavements Association (AAPA). “One of the industry’s current opportunities is to support circular economy practices reducing and reusing waste. One of the pressures in Australia at the moment is how do we shift to circular economy thinking and how do we get a better use of materials especially waste material, in our sector? The flexible pavements industry is well placed to meet this challenge,” he says.

“Roads in are government’s biggest asset by value, so moving forward we need our roads, our essential infrastructure, to be stronger, last longer and to perform better for the money spent,” Mr. Rial says.

The theme of this year’s conference will be about looking at what technology exists in the sector that can be better utilised, how best practices from overseas can be transferred to Australia, and how consumers can get the best value for money for their road infrastructure.

“The flexible pavements industry is well versed in using crumbed rubber in asphalt and in spray seal. It is also doing it in a way where we can get an improved performance in our road network. In asphalt, we also can incorporate a certain level of glass and this helps to contribute to government waste management policy outcomes,” Mr. Rial says.

The conference will also look to reinforce ideas already introduced in Australia such as the perpetual pavements concept.

“This is an international engineering method where the structural strength of the 36

ROADS JULY 2019

flexible pavement is such that the loadings applied to it don’t wear down its strength over time. It’s only the wearing course on the top surface that is consumed.” Mr. Rial says.

Using the perpetual pavements concept could mean repairs in the future would only involve the wearing course as opposed to more expensive rehabilitation treatments.

Then, Mr. Rial says, the cost over the life of a road becomes cheaper for government when this engineering concept is applied.

“If I was to look across the country at the moment, the maintenance backlog across many states is about four times higher than maintenance funding available, so we need to do business differently,” he says.

When asked about the investment needed to grow specialised skills in perpetual pavements and circular economy, Mr. Rial voiced his concerns with funding uncertainty.

“Funding the boom-and-bust cycles when the government only has yearly funding cycles is hard for industry to manage,” Mr Rial says. “To some degree, the flexible pavements industry can transfer resources across borders year to year, but it’s very difficult to plan, resource and justify the capital infrastructure needed moving forward. It would be better if longer term funding commitments are made to assist the private sector to better plan and support the delivery challenge.”

An example Mr. Rial points to, is the ability to transform the pavement industry to a circular economy. To do this, in some cases, the industry will need to invest in new technology and equipment to support government policy objectives. This is hard when funding is not consistent or committed over longer time periods. It is Mr. Rial’s hope that the Flexible Pavements Conference can bring together both the public and private sectors of the industry to work through challenges and opportunities.

“I think of AAPA like Switzerland, where all parties come together on neutral ground to work through challenges. We are going

to talk about appropriate procurement mechanisms, establishing sustainability frameworks, the technical side of the sector, the most appropriate way of introducing international best practice into this country, and transitioning knowledge to not only the private sector, but also to government representatives,” he says.

In preparation for the future, Mr. Rial is aware of some challenges and opportunities the industry could face.

“Currently, we get a small proportion of the fuel excise tax. As we shift towards electric vehicles, obviously the tax income from fuel is going to decrease. Therefore, we are going to have to see a new funding model moving forward.” Mr. Rial says. He also says the industry cannot ignore climate change.

“If you think about all of the natural disasters Australia is starting to see, such as the flash flooding in Queensland and other environmental issues around the country we are going to need our infrastructure to be more resilient,” he says.

He also recognises Australians are moving towards autonomous and “smart” vehicles and this will transform the network.

“As our vehicles get smarter, our roads will need to be better maintained and be in better condition to support a connected transport future. I believe the demand for other transport modes will decrease as a connected or autonomous vehicle fleet increases demand on our roads. This means the government should invest in the condition of our existing road infrastructure to prepare for this future” he says.

He says connected vehicles should allow greater capacity on existing roads, as vehicles will be able to travel safely closer together. “This would delay the need for major upgrades that could be an assistance for some time. We could then see greater loadings on our pavements, so the need to have stronger pavements will increase, which again comes back to our perpetual pavements concept,” he says.

HEALTH & SAFETY

INTEGRATING

SAFETY SENSORS HUMMINGBIRD ELECTRONICS NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, MARK BRUCE, TALKS TO ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ABOUT THE COMPANY’S LATEST PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, A FULLY INTEGRATED COMPACT INCLINOMETER.

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key principal of workplace health and safety is for workers be given the highest level of reasonable protection in specific circumstances.

Falls from civil construction equipment can result in serious injury or even death.

Plant operators and service personnel are therefore placed in a position of risk when adequate safety measures and equipment are not in place.

For Australian safety electronics manufacturer, Hummingbird Electronics, clear messaging presents a number of safety solutions to help operators build on, and improve, the warning systems already in place in their machinery. Part of the Redarc Electronics group since May 2015, Hummingbird specialises in bespoke sensor products focussed on driver safety, both for trucks and construction equipment operators in the Australian civil construction and transport market.

Hummingbird National Sales and Marketing Manager, Mark Bruce, says the company’s products encompass all aspects of driver safety, measuring everything from temperature, pitch and roll, through to speed and force of a vehicle or machine.

“Hummingbird Electronics offers a range of vehicle stability monitoring devices including inclinometers and tilt switches, focussed on improving safety, based on dual axis tilt and roll sensing of mobile machines,” Mr. Bruce says.

“Our products can be the difference between a near miss and an accident, which is why Hummingbird are excited to announce our new product, the Integrated Compact Inclinometer (HMDS0400).”

Drawing from past Inclinometer technology, the new device incorporates an integrated accelerometer, or tilt sensor, into

The inclinometer works to reduce the risk of rollover to help keep accidents to a minimum.

the compact colour display.

“Like all units in our range of tilt safety equipment, the HMDS0400 provides machinery operators with a configurable and highly visible pitch-and-roll measurement display,” Mr. Bruce says. “What makes the HMDS0400 unique is the incorporation of the accelerometer into the physical unit – doing away with the sometimes cumbersome externally mounted sensor.”

Hummingbird Electronics consults with equipment suppliers to the transport and mining sectors to identify opportunities for new, innovative products. This is how Hummingbird developed the HMDS0400 concept, says Mr. Bruce.

“Our team identified a gap in the market for smaller machinery operations. Companies didn’t want to scrimp on safety, but existing Inclinometer devices were large and difficult to manage on small equipment,” Mr. Bruce says. “We established that there was a market for a new product. It is designed and manufactured in Australia using in-house and outsourced resources.”

According to Mr. Bruce, the HMDS0400 inclinometer is suitable for small machinery applications, such as those associated with material handling, civil earthmoving and agriculture.

“These types of applications often inherit a high centre of gravity, which means a large portion of their weight is carried high up off the operating surface,” Mr. Bruce says.

“When this is combined with uneven or stable work surfaces, it can cause the machine to be vulnerable to rollovers.”

The Integrated Compact Inclinometer works to reduce the risk of rollover by alerting operators if a dangerous predetermined angle has been reached.

This allows users to take the necessary precautions and steps to avoid the accident, which improves both the driver’s and machinery safety. “The Integrated device requires no external sensor and will update pitch-and-roll measurements 10 times each second,” says Mr. Bruce. “Additionally, the easy-to-follow integrated menu allows for a fast interpretation of pitch-and-roll angles in either degrees or per cent gradients.”

According to Mr. Bruce, the unit also allows for flexible and cost-effective installation.

“The HMDS0400 is powered by simply plugging the unit into a cigarette lighter socket or directly hard wiring to machine power,” Mr. Bruce says. “The full-colour display of the unit can be positioned in a range of orientations allowing it to be customised to suit any individual need.”

Furthermore, the Integrated Compact Inclinometer’s alert system features multiple alert thresholds and buzzer levels.

“This product provides customisation of sensor response times to allow maximum flexibility in various applications, such as vehicles travelling along rough surfaces, which could be susceptible to false triggers,” Mr. Bruce says. “Due to the size and integrated compact design, the HMDS0400 makes for an inexpensive and cost-effective OH&S initiative.” roadsonline.com.au

37

PROBLEMS ABOUND, BUT

SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE FOR VICTORIA’S INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THE VICTORIAN TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE JOINED KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS FROM ALL OVER VICTORIA AND AUSTRALIA TO GATHER INFORMATION, NETWORK AND GROW AS AN INDUSTRY.

T

he Victorian Transport Infrastructure Conference 2019, the state’s largest transport infrastructure conference, attracted around 250 delegates.

The theme of this year’s event, Transporting Victoria Forward, saw an array of speakers from across the industry look to, and plan for, the future of infrastructure in Victoria.

Day one of the conference, on May 1, addressed the planning and delivery of present and future infrastructure projects in Victoria. In speaking to presenters Roads and Infrastructure asked them about their views on Victoria’s current developments in the transport and roads sector.

Peter Kartsidimas, Senior Manager Transport, Planning and Infrastructure at the 38

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Royal Automobile Club of Victoria believes Melbourne is hitting a perfect storm in regard to transport issues.

“Our population is continuing to grow, our economy is strong and a lot of the jobs are in the CBD area. Everyone wants to travel at the same time and in the same direction and that’s putting pressure on the network,” he says.

Kate Roffey, Director of Deals, Investments and Major Projects at Wyndham City Council thinks Melbourne, in particular, is only now catching up to critical transport infrastructure projects. “I think after many years of talking about it we are doing what is critical – the city loop rail system – which is a main congestion area. The government is taking steps to

address that. The level crossing removals are another major problem being tackled.

Looking to the future however, there is still more to do,” she says.

Allen Garner, from Major Road Projects Victoria, gave an insight into the organisation’s project-focussed view, the increasing need for community engagement, better road safety, and connectivity for the future of Victoria.

Mr. Garner also provided updates on a few of the many projects operating around the state, such as the Western Road Upgrades and the Monash Tullamarine and M80 projects.

Catherine Rooney from Infrastructure Victoria gave the audience an overview of the update of Victoria’s 30-year

INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY & CONFERENCE EQUIPMENT

Delegates at the conference were told that growing relationships between the government and industry was essential for Victoria’s infrastructure to reach its potential and serve the public.

infrastructure strategy.

Mrs. Rooney explained how Infrastructure Victoria would focus on getting the most out of the transport network to accommodate population growth. “We’ve done modelling that shows between now and 2051, trip times will get longer and, more importantly, we think they will get more unreliable,” she says.

Mrs. Rooney also spoke about one of Infrastructure Victoria’s top recommendations to government – transport network pricing.

“At the moment, the way the community pays for travel is very inefficient. For example, on the road network we have very high upfront charges like car registration, but then very few charges on how you might use the network. This doesn’t provide any incentive for people to use the network in an efficient way,” she says.

Mrs. Rooney says it is similar for public transport pricing. “We have a very flat public transport structure. We essentially have no peak or off-peak differential in our fares, which again means there is no incentive for people to use the system in a way that would better manage demand.”

Victoria’s future connectivity then became the centre topic. Ed Walker from Inland Rail, and Peter Sammut from the West Gate Tunnel Authority, spoke about how their projects both have major government investment and will help to keep Victoria connected not only inside the state but to

the rest of Australia.

Mr. Walker’s goal is to increase the market share of freight rail between Melbourne and Brisbane.

Mr. Sammut explained how the largest tunnel boring machines in the southern hemisphere are being used to create the West Gate Tunnel.

Throughout the event there were many opportunities for industry leaders and innovators attending the conference to network. Growing industry relationships was key, be it at the conference or the cocktail function.

The second round of presentations focussed on major rail projects in Victoria, examining what the future of the rail industry might hold.

Speakers included William Smith from CPB Contractors, who worked on the Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal, and Brendan Bourke from Port of Melbourne, who looked at the port’s freight potential.

Campbell A. Rose from VicTrack talked about how population growth can affect transport systems, and Ian Sturdy from High Capacity Metro Trains gave an update on the progression of the project.

The last session for the day provided an insight into emerging technologies, such as augmented intelligence and paperless job sites.

Scott Harvey from PlanGrid demonstrated its construction software and how it can save time on site by keeping all paperwork

digitalised and accessible for the whole team.

Tony Butler then explained the opportunities available for projects to use augmented intelligence and 3D technology to create immersive designs.

The final panel discussion of the day covered how the industry could transform public transport services, connect metropolitan and regional centres and boost development across the state.

Dr. Crystal Legacy, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning at the University of Melbourne, was one of the panellists and she shared her views with Roads and Infrastructure Magazine with respect to decentralising.

“If we are going to decentralise across the state and we are committed to supporting these regional centres then we need to consider how we might better support the transport and infrastructure needs of those regional communities. A good example of that is, if we are going to build high-speed rail to Geelong, why not consider the expansion of its bus fleet or even a light rail project to build in transport connectivity locally and regionally?” she says.

DAY TWO: With Victoria’s population expected to hit 6.38 million by the end of June, the second day of the Victorian Transport Infrastructure Conference prioritised projects of mass movement.

Mrs. Rooney spoke to Roads and Infrastructure specifically about public roadsonline.com.au

39

transport. “In a city like Melbourne, we do have very low public transport use. I think about 12 to 13 per cent of our trips at the moment are on public transport. Our modelling shows while public transport will increase as a share of all transport, going forward we will still be a car-dominant city,” she says.

The European Railway Agency’s prior Head of Unit, Richard Lockett, opened the second day, with a presentation on best optimising a tri-state hub across modes and energy supplies.

Using the north-west Victoria and southwest New South Wales district Sunraysia as a case study, Mr. Lockett stressed the importance of balancing passenger travel with a holistic transport network.

Wyndham City Council Major Projects Director, Kate Roffey, echoed this sentiment.

“Public transport is fantastic if you live near it and it takes you where you want to go. But it is never going to be as flexible as roads. There are essential reasons that we have roads and we need to make sure we are investing equally in roads and other forms of mass transport, because not everybody can access public transport.”

Royal Automobile Club of Victoria Senior Manager Peter Kartsidimas said, “We need an integrated approach to solving the congestion problem. This includes providing quality walking, cycling and public transport facilities in our growth suburbs from day one to reduce the reliance on the motor vehicle.

Mass transit with good connections into the suburbs is going to help us with some of the bigger transport issues, such as congestion.”

Transport Infrastructure Parliamentary Secretary, Vicki Ward, delivered the Ministerial Address– replacing Transport Minister Jacinta Allan who was occupied with pre-election commitments. Ms. Ward discussed level crossing removals, the Metro Tunnel and Geelong’s proposed fast rail.

Revolutionising the way Victorians move around is a core concern for government according to Ms. Ward, who said a world class “turn-up and go” train network was not far away.

Similarly, Transurban regular speaker Major Road Projects Program Director, David Clements, provided a rundown of Transurban’s recent infrastructure projects, considering connection and efficiency.

Mr. Clements reviewed the West Gate Tunnel and the CityLink Tulla Widening projects.

Monash University’s Director of 40

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“IN A CITY LIKE MELBOURNE, WE DO HAVE VERY LOW PUBLIC TRANSPORT USE. I THINK ABOUT 12 TO 13 PER CENT OF OUR TRIPS AT THE MOMENT ARE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT. OUR MODELLING SHOWS WHILE PUBLIC TRANSPORT WILL INCREASE AS A SHARE OF ALL TRANSPORT, GOING FORWARD WE WILL STILL BE A CAR-DOMINANT CITY.” Infrastructure Professor Graham Currie covered the Melbourne Airport Rail Link.

Mr. Currie said under working route designs, traveling from the city to the airport will be faster on the Sky Bus given a “dog-leg” through the Victorian suburb of Sunshine. In contrast, he argued the case for a more direct route involving greater land development opportunity.

Running on the contention that Melbourne’s population will reach eight million by 2050, a panel discussion on how to best address road congestion was the final presentation before lunch.

Mr Kartsidimas, City of Melbourne Councillor Nicolas Frances Gilley, Bicycle Network CEO Craig Richards, and Mrs. Roffey talked infrastructure planning, sustainability, peak hour congestion taxes and how to best decide project prioritisation.

In speaking to Mr. Kartsidimas and Mrs. Roffey, Roads and Infrastructure Magazine asked what the focus should be for Victoria looking to the future.

“I believe mass transit as in trains should be the main priority, they move a lot of people very quickly and efficiently and that is, I believe, the most efficient and appropriate way to move the amount of people we need to move in the right directions,” Mr. Kartsidimas says.

Mrs. Roffey says, “I think in terms of catching up we are doing the things we need to. Going forward, I would like to see that we think of some alternatives to the systems we are traditionally using because that will give us quicker and more cost-effective transport connectivity.”

Following lunch and networking, Major Road Projects Victoria Program Director, Brendan Pauwels, examined Victoria’s first continuous flow intersection.

According to Mr. Pauwels, the intersection in Richmond, Melbourne will reduce delays for drivers travelling north-south once completed – cutting wait times by 45 per cent.

Mr. Pauwels told the audience introducing p-turns at the intersection had also eliminated the need for right turn green lights, forcing drivers to go through the

intersection before making a u-turn.

Rail Futures Institute President, John Hearsch, discussed the Melbourne rail plan, a 30-year development blueprint to maximise connectivity between the CBD and Melbourne’s inner suburbs.

Mr Hearsch stressed the importance of maintaining and upgrading existing systems and assets, creating a multi-modal grid network of high-frequency services and developing connections to national employment clusters.

Each of the speakers at the event provided comprehensive insight into the current and possible future state of transport in Victoria.

When Roads and Infrastructure Magazine spoke to four of the key note speakers they all shared a common idea that planning and research is central to forming a connected future Victoria.

“We did some important community research to inform our 30-year plan, which showed one quarter of people travelling in the morning peak could actually travel at another time in the day and that one in three people on the roads in the morning peak said they could move to public transport,” says Mrs. Rooney. “As the population grows, if we can tap into nearly 30 per cent of people that don’t actually have to be on the road in the morning peak, you can make a lot of difference.”

Mrs. Roffey thinks we are doing the heavyweight projects that we need to do but that we do need to plan to focus on other, less costly, methods, which will join the heavyweight lines using intermodal connections.

Dr. Legacy noted when assessing infrastructure needs, those needs are often assessed with a preferred mode in mind, which typically is a road. When planning she says we need to consider alternative transport options in our assessment such as public transport, too.

“Let’s plan for the population boom and increase in transport and let’s try to maintain Melbourne’s high liveability through this growth period because if we don’t plan there will be issues going forward,” says Mr. Kartsidimas.

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GOING THE DISTANCE

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TIME TO GET TO WORK

Why spray sealing contractors are using SAMI Bitumen’s long-haul crumb rubber binder

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BUILDING THE FUTURE Upskilling for the infrastructure boom EXCELLENCE IN MOTION Dynapac machines make their mark

Why there needs to be national standards for key test methods for asphalt process control and product acceptance.

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ROAD REFORM Alternatives on how to deal with road congestion TRAINING AND EDUCATION Using big projects to upskill staff

Michael McCormack: his vision for the next decade

MELBOURNE’S WEST GATE TUNNEL Complexity of project relies on collaboration

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ROADS AUSTRALIA Data and its role in developing better road systems

AUSTRALIA’S ONLY SPECIALIST ROAD MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS MAGAZINE

AUSTRALIA’S ONLY SPECIALIST ROAD MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS MAGAZINE

AUSTRALIA’S ONLY SPECIALIST ROAD MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS MAGAZINE

AUSTRALIA’S ONLY SPECIALIST ROAD MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS MAGAZINE

AUSTRALIA’S ONLY SPECIALIST ROAD MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS MAGAZINE

AUSTRALIA’S ONLY SPECIALIST ROAD MANAGEMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS MAGAZINE

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Dynapac machines make their mark EXCELLENCE IN MOTION Upskilling for the infrastructure boom BUILDING THE FUTURE

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Using big projects to upskill staff TRAINING AND EDUCATION deal with road congestion Alternatives on how to ROAD REFORM

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better road systems Data and its role in developing ROADS AUSTRALIA Complexity of project relies on collaboration MELBOURNE’S WEST GATE TUNNEL

With increasing emphasis on the need to upgrade Australia’s road network, nationally and locally, and the need to deal with worsening congestion in our cities, ROADS provides a window on developments in the roads construction sector.

Roads & Infrastructure Australia is published monthly and contains articles/segments from industry associations and advocacy groups, technical papers from roads related conferences, details of major projects being undertaken around the country, specialised sections, a news roundup and new product releases. The specialised sections include road safety, intelligent transport systems, road building equipment, road and pavement maintenance, safety barrier systems and road marking.

Roads & Infrastructure Australia is a “must read” for policy makers, roads authorities, designers and constructors; in fact anybody associated with the roads industry.

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HOW CAN NEARMAP’S 3D MAPS AND AI

HELP CONSTRUCTION? ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPOKE TO SHANE PRESTON, NEARMAP’S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT SALES, TO FIND OUT HOW ITS NEW 3D PRODUCT AND AI TECHNOLOGY WILL IMPACT THE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRIES.

W

e live in a three-dimensional world, so why should the construction industry try solving 3D challenges with 2D content?

This is one of the leading questions behind Australian aerial imagery company Nearmap’s new browser-based product, Nearmap 3D. The company began as a small online

startup in Perth and has now become an ASX200 technology company, with more than 80 staff dedicated to research and development. It specialises in capturing aerial images, which are crisper and more frequently updated than satellite images, and provides them to business and governments.

Thousands of photos are taken each day

from a plane and stitched together to create detailed images of what’s on the ground, which subscribers can access on a web browser. It now has the capability to visualise cities in 3D. Shane Preston, Nearmap’s Executive Vice President Sales, says this has the potential to fundamentally change how construction, architecture, urban planning, local Melbourne visualised in 3D.

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES

THE 3D MODELS NEARMAP HAS CREATED HELP USERS VISUALISE AND ADD CONTEXT AT EACH STAGE OF THE DESIGN PROCESS. governments and councils shape cities across Australia and the Unites States.

“The 3D models Nearmap has created help users visualise and add context at each stage of the design process,” he says.

“For example, architects, engineers and geospatial professionals can easily see how a proposed project or design will interact with its environment. We have found it is particularly helpful in the preconstruction, feasibility and pre-design phases, allowing businesses to respond quickly to requests for proposals.”

Nearmap 3D gives users the ability to measure distance, height, width and pitch within the application. Users are also able to size up an area and export up to 50 square kilometres of space, which can be downloaded in a matter of minutes or hours depending on the size of the footprint, and then used across a wide range of other design programs. Across Australia, 22,890 square kilometres of land have been captured and are available on the app, including 12 major urban areas.

The 3D imagery has already been used by a Sydney-based council undergoing major development. Currently, the local government has an eight-storey limit in its central business district but had multiple proposals from developers for 30-storey towers. The local council was able to use Nearmap’s 3D models to visualise how these developments could potentially impact the surrounding community.

Mr. Preston says a core part of the design philosophy was making the technology so simple that anyone could use it.

“It was really important to us that we had insanely simple adoption. There’s no point of having all this amazing content if it’s difficult to access,” he says.

“That’s why we made sure it was easy to get our data into the hands of 3D experts and novices alike. For people who do complex analysis with sophisticated software, Nearmap 3D enables to easily export the 3D content and bring it into

Nearmap 3D gives users the ability to measure distance, height, width and pitch.

other programs.’’

Nearmap aims to make its content accessible to organisations of all sizes, from a small family business to a multinational infrastructure giant. It is part of the company’s goal to democratise 3D content. This can be important for smaller builders, which may not have the resources to access technology such as drones or helicopters in order to create their own 3D models.

“Traditionally, 3D content has had significant requirements that make it inaccessible to smaller builders. For example, if an organisation needs to get 3D content of a project area, it could take days or weeks in order to get it,” Preston says.

“Now, subscribers can get that information within minutes, letting them respond quicker to deadlines and bids.

Improving construction productivity is vital, especially with the amount of money being spent on infrastructure each year. We can’t afford to use the same technology and methods we used 10, two or even one year ago.”

Alongside the announcement of Nearmap 3D, the company is also launching the beta of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) product. After two years of research and development, the

company has built machine learning models and deployed them on a wide scale.

Millions of aerial images, captured multiple times a year over a decade, have now been turned into datasets which can be used to accurately measure change and quantify attributes, such as construction activity, solar panels, roofs or pools.

It aims to reduce the amount of site visits, generate more leads, and reduce the time involved when inspecting properties manually. Mr. Preston says the two main functions of the AI system are change identification and object identification.

“Up until now, our customers have beenusing their eyes to identify objects and how a certain area of land changed over time. By using cloud computing, AI and our data, they’ll be able to do it much more effectively,” he explains. ‘’Construction companies could use it to find car parking spaces, road hardware, or identify what’s changed on a construction site over the years.’’ While still in beta, the Nearmap AI product aims to level the playing field for companies that wouldn’t be able to access this type of data. The company is hoping to get feedback from the market to learn what it needs to add for the next stages. roadsonline.com.au

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ROADS OF THE

FUTURE

SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS HAVE REPURPOSED A WELL-KNOWN MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE NEW MATERIALS WITH SPECIAL PROPERTIES CAPABLE OF ABSORBING SOUND AND SEISMIC WAVES. ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE SPEAKS TO PROFESSOR XIAODONG HUANG ABOUT THE RESEARCH.

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hen looking to create metamaterials capable of traffic sound absorption and earthquake proofing, the Swinburne University engineering research team started with a design method called Bi-directional Evolutionary Structural Optimisation (BESO) and advanced manufacturing techniques.

The BESO method, an intelligent design approach to create building structures, is a computer software that enables engineers to input conditions, such as loading or 44

ROADS JULY 2019

boundary restrictions. Professor Xiaodong Huang, Leader of the Swinburne research project says the software presents the best structural option for infrastructure projects.

The method was created 10 years ago and has gradually been developed, starting with designs for mechanical or civil infrastructure, which aids projects to hold more volume efficiently.

In recent years, the research team extended the BESO method to include the design of material used for infrastructure projects.

By integrating physics with the BESO method, researchers have found they can create materials with scientific properties, which help with other design problems, such as noise attenuation or stabilisation.

Professor Huang is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, who joined Swinburne in 2017 after nearly 13 years at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He created the gradient BESO method and is an expert in topology optimisation. “The generalised BESO method, called

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

THE SIZE OF THE METAMATERIAL STRUCTURE DEPENDS ON THE FREQUENCY RANGE OF WAVES THE STRUCTURE NEEDS TO REFLECT AND ABSORB. THE DESIGN OF EACH METAMATERIAL, ALL WITH DIFFERENT PROPERTIES, IS AIMED AT SPECIFIC INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS.

Topological optimisation has the potential to help engineer architected materials.

‘topological optimisation’, can be used to determine the spatial distribution of materials needed to achieve the best performance while satisfying multiple objectives and constraints,” Professor Huang says.

He says multi-discipline topological optimisation is a popular topic in academia and industry because of its potential to help engineer architected materials and metamaterials with desired properties.

The BESO method, integrated with physics, allows researchers to design a metamaterial structure with properties capable of controlling electromagnetic, acoustic and mechanical waves, making the structure capable of finding certain solutions such as energy absorption or vibration isolation.

Metamaterials can be any size and be customised to have many different properties, including those to reflect and absorb sound or seismic waves.

The size of the metamaterial structure depends on the frequency range of waves the structure needs to reflect and absorb.

The design of each metamaterial, all with different properties, is aimed at specific industrial applications.

“We use the concept of metamaterials because the metamaterials create a band gap. A band gap allows the structure to reflect or absorb the waves that hit the material. The design structure of a metamaterial can manipulate the structure to reflect the sound that usually goes

through it,” Professor Huang says.

An example he gives is a structure that could block low-frequency noise from a busy highway.

“We can design a structure, say a row of columns beside a freeway. The columns would have an internal structure that enables the absorption of sound waves.

Essentially, this blocks the sound waves from coming through the row of columns, eliminating the low-frequency noise from surrounding buildings,” Professor Huang says.

This concept of property-enhanced metamaterials uses the BESO method to determine what shape the structure should be to achieve best performance, combined with topological optimisation and 3D printing.

In 2017, Swinburne researchers coauthored a paper on the design of a 3D acoustic metamaterial that could block low frequencies for sound cloaking in spaces such as road tunnels.

They found that using metamaterials can not only help projects structurally, but the method could have health benefits too.

“Low-frequency noise especially, is not healthy for people to hear. Building a wall, low-frequency noise cannot be blocked or reflected, but this technology enables that,” Professor Huang says.

The same idea applies to seismic waves and could have major benefits for infrastructure such as buildings or bridges.

“This method will enable structures to

be built to surround an important building so when a seismic wave approaches the structure, the wave can be reflected back into the earth to increase the stability of the building,” Professor Huang says.

While Professor Huang says the metamaterial structure won’t completely protect a building during an earthquake, it has the potential to lessen the damage.

These metamaterial structures can be built around the building, or if it is a new building, the structure can be built underneath.

The idea to create a metamaterial capable of reflecting seismic waves was developed in 2018 when Swinburne’s research team created an algorithm that optimises the understanding of damping and natural resonant frequency in macrostructures.

That algorithm could improve earthquake resistance through the design of the microstructure of building materials.

The team has also found they can create metamaterials to affect ‘superlenses’, which take microscopes beyond the natural diffraction limit.

“The research method to create metamaterial structures involves some trial and error.

“After inputting all of the conditions into the optimisation program, the computer then produces the structure that should be able to reflect the wave,” Professor Huang says.

Once the correct property is found that can reflect or absorb the wave, the team is then able to derive the structure.

The project is still in the research stage.

Swinburne’s engineering research team have built structures in the lab and are currently undergoing testing.

Once commercialised, Professor Huang says this multi-discipline topological optimisation technology is expected to usher a new era of engineering. roadsonline.com.au

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DYNAMIC 3D DESIGN

ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE EXPLORES HOW SEEQUENT’S LEAPFROG WORKS SOFTWARE HELPED JACOBS AUSTRALIA VISUALISE AND COMMUNICATE THEIR EMU SWAMP DAM BUSINESS CASE.

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he Emu Swamp Dam project, a proposed 12,100 megalitre urban and irrigation supply dam on the Severn River in Stanthorpe Queensland, aims to increase security and agricultural proficiency in the state. It specifically caters to the Southern Downs Region, known for drought and subsequent water supply issues.

The project has been ongoing since 2006, when the initial advice application was submitted. Since then, private farmers and developers have committed to funding 29 per cent of the project, with the Federal Government announcing it will look into co-funding earlier this year.

The project is designed to provide a surety of additional water supplies,

enabling increased cultivation and benefit to the local economy.

Additionally, the project is estimated to secure 700 local jobs, while increasing production for Queensland fruit farmers and viticulturists, who have been previously forced to truck water in from New South Wales.

Jacobs Australia, an engineering and technical services firm, was engaged by the Granite Belt Chamber of Commerce to develop the Emu Swamp Dam business case and reference design.

Jacobs Technical Director Engineering Geology, Graeme Jardine, says developing the business case involved providing engineering expertise, stakeholder communication, environmental works to offset harm, baseline

Risks associated with any dam project are considerable.

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economics and provisional water sales assessment.

“The project faced many challenges including determining an economic and safe design, securing water resources without affecting downstream flows, and incorporating the project into state water plans,” says Mr. Jardine.

“Jacobs was also required to liaise and communicate with a variety of stakeholders, from local councils, chambers of commerce and government to private farmers, developers and the local community.”

To assess project risk and communicate that risk effectively to stakeholders, Jacobs used Seequent’s 3D subsurface modelling solution Leapfrog Works.

Leapfrog Works is a 3D subsurface modelling solution, specifically designed for the civil engineering and environmental industries.

The software produces highly visual 3D subsurface models to help users understand the geological risks of a project, which can then be accurately communicated to all stakeholders through a range of collaborative sharing tools.

Mr. Jardine says the risks associated with any dam project are considerable, not least due to the risk of valley bulging and associated permeability.

“By using Leapfrog Works to create a subsurface model, Jacobs were able to gain a clear understanding of the geology and mitigate the risks they faced,” Mr. Jardine says.

“This included proposing a grout curtain to stop seepage and piping failure.

The subsurface model also identified weathered decomposed granite in the south-east abutment, which meant the dam footprint could require widening

DESIGN SOFTWARE

Leapfrog Works produces subsurface models to help users understand the geographical risks of a project.

and/or the use of anchors.”

According to Mr. Jardine, the model also allowed Jacobs to plan for the use of spillway rock in construction work and helped determine clay for the embankment dam would need to be hauled from outside the local area.

“Other identified environmental considerations included use of the rock from the spillway excavation in construction work, and efficient management of the significant surplus.”

Mr. Jardine says identifying all of these sources quickly and accurately is essential, as they have an impact on the overall project cost and delivery.

“We’re delighted Leapfrog Works helped deliver the business case for what could be a landmark project in Queensland,” Seequent’s Civil & Environmental Product Manager Pat McLarin says.

Mr. Jardine says 3D visualisation gave the project clarity and meaning by allowing Jacobs to effectively communicate to all stakeholders. He adds that 3D visualisation was particularly beneficial when dealing with people with no technical background.

“We used Leapfrog Works specifically as a communication tool at the community and non-technical forums to show them what we’d discovered through our drilling programme. Communicating in 3D really helped people understand and visualise the

project,” Mr. Jardine says.

“We were also able to use Leapfrog Works’ movie feature to create fly throughs, which we could easily pause during consultations to explain key aspects. These impressive visualisations really helped to bring the project to life.”

The Leapfrog movie function has a high frame rate of up to 60 frames per second and works by dragging 3D scenes into a storyboard inside the modelling software, with the ability to add transitions automatically.

“The real benefit is you don’t need to be a graphic designer – the geologist themselves can produce a quality fly through tour of the project without any specialist movie making training required,” Mr. McLarin says.

According to Mr. Jardine, the software is versatile and enabled his team to interact with building information model designs and ground investigation databases, such as gINT and Holebase.

“This meant we could bring all information into Leapfrog Works’ highly visual environment, giving us a holistic view of the whole project and further helping reduce risk in decision making,” Mr. Jardine says.

“It is likely the decision regarding the Emu Swamp Dam’s go ahead will be made in 2019 and could result in more borehole drilling to fully understand ground permeability – the Leapfrog model will help inform this work, when the project progresses to the detailed design phase.”

If required, new drilling data can be easily incorporated into the subsurface model using Leapfrog Works’ dynamic updating feature.

“Dynamic updating means new data, gained from the field, can be loaded into Leapfrog Works and will automatically flow through to the end model and rapidly update it, with associated time saving and efficiency gains,” Mr. Jardine says.

Jacobs are now using Leapfrog Works as their preferred geological modelling tool for other projects in the Asia-Pacific region, and are looking to expand its application into the UK and North America.

“Leapfrog Works had a very positive impact on our understanding and communication of geology challenges involved in this project,” Mr. Jardine says.

“The software was able to save us considerable time as it’s designed to meet the specific needs of the industry. We don’t need to switch between software packages, we can carry out all of the modelling in one place,” Mr. Jardine says.

3D visualisation gave clarity to the dam project.

roadsonline.com.au

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REDEFINING JOURNEY

RELIABILITY

ACCESSIBILITY, TECHNOLOGY, USER COMFORT AND SAFETY WERE THE BIG ISSUES OF THE DAY AT THE REDEFINING JOURNEY RELIABILITY SEMINAR AT THE ROADS AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SUMMIT 2019 HELD IN SYDNEY AT THE END OF MAY.

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wo leading questions at the Redefining Journey Reliability seminar at the Roads Australian Transport Summit 2019 were: has journey reliability improved over the past few years? And what are some of issues that will arise over the next decade when it comes to congestion of roads?

Seminar panellist Ian Christensen is the managing director of iMOVE, a not-forprofit company that is co-funded by the government and industry. Its brief is to marry various organisations and businesses together to take specific actions that will improve the movement of people and freight. He says that when you measure transport and roading reliability, the only thing that matters is people’s perception of how long their journey will take.

“I know we have some of the best road designers and builders at this conference, but the thing is people don’t really care how beautiful or how well built a road is – they just want to get to work on time,” says Mr. Christensen.

He says that most road authorities realise it is not just about the volume of traffic or average speed that matters, it is elements of the journey that are important. He says that people are not using the roads because they like driving, they are using the road for one purpose only – to get from A to B. “We need to measure the road’s contribution to meeting that purpose,” he says. “To that end, all road authorities are making measures of reliability and some are quite advanced. Perth is one example.

I know they measure the reliability of all the road links in the Perth metropolitan area. They have been doing that on a continuous basis and have been recording it quarterly since about 2014. On nearly every segment of those road links bar two, 48

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they’ve shown a marked improvement in journey reliability.”

However, he says that if a commuter is trying to get into Sydney via George Street, or trying to get through Melbourne’s CBD, then there are some serious challenges to journey reliability.

“We are lacking visibility in some areas because we can’t improve it until we measure it,” he says. “I’m not sure if we are measuring from the point of view of the person doing the travelling. I think we measure it in the simplest way we can measure it because we can count a car here or there. That’s not necessarily what helps make journeys more reliable.”

Soren Tellegen is the executive vice president Asia Pacific of Kapsch TrafficCom, a company that specialises in finding sustainable solutions for transportation in both the private and public sector. Mr.

Tellegen says that he thinks there is one area where governments can help with infrastructure and roading and that is to make all the data it collects publicly available. This would help councils, road authorities and other stakeholders make informed decisions about population growth in particular areas, he says. This in turn would make it easier to decide where new railways, roads and other transport infrastructure should be integrated into the communities they serve.

Mr. Christensen said data could also serve a real time purpose for road users. This would include knowing things like what the traffic on a particular route is going to be like the following day based on historical data. Is it due to rain that day? What are some of the weather outcomes that might affect the journey? What if there were alternative routes that might be available?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

“How do we build into that process a warning of what the risk is of you running into a traffic jam on the journey you are about to take that day?” he says. “If the system can predict to you that the risk is about five per cent, then you might be happy with the predicted outcome. But if it tells you that you have about an 80 per cent risk of running into a traffic jam of unknown duration, then you might say to yourself, ‘Remember that deal that Vic Roads was offering for guaranteed journey times? It might be worth paying the price today for a shorter journey.’

“Now, some people are asking themselves, ‘Hold on, what is this guaranteed journey trip?’ It doesn’t exist yet, but there might be a commercial opportunity around it. Could we treat roads as a service? How would we treat roads as a service? If we are going to treat roads as a service, what is the universal access obligation to users? It’s not so much a technology solution as much as a business and social construct solution. It’s taking a different approach to this road asset we have in a road network and overlaying some management processes to allow for better outcomes for people.”

Tellegen states that he thinks there are a lot of great technologies out in the ether that would help the roading and infrastructure industries. However, the issue was not the amount of technologies available – there are plenty of new ones being rolled out all the time – but the recalcitrance of companies, governments

State and local governments need to embrace new technologies that will help lessen congestion on Australian roads.

and people wanting to take them up, or taking their time in utilising them.

“It’s very easy to talk about a technology solution where you wake up in the morning and you have a series of travel options. For example, there might be an option that says I can take a shared bike to a tram station, then take the tram for a couple of kilometres and then take an Uber the last kilometre, which means I get to my destination 20 minutes earlier than would in my private car. I think we are a long way from that,” he says. “However, with guaranteed journey times there are solutions that can help road asset managers create innovative ways of dealing with the road space that we do have to share.

“For example, in the US they have pod lanes, where they actually build expansions to existing road infrastructure and they charge money just for the extension. So the existing road they leave free – anyone can use it – and people can make decisions throughout the day in real time about using the extension. They use a pricing mechanism to manage the demand on those lanes.”

Tellegen says that journey reliability is a different thing, as this doesn’t really encompass getting faster to a destination.

He thinks people want reliability and predictability so their frustration gets reduced.

“I saw something in Thailand recently, and I wonder why we don’t have them here,” he says. “They have count down timers on their traffic lights. It’s very basic technology but if you think of the amount of frustration that would diminish, then you wonder why we don’t do it. It gives people something to focus on. Simple things like that can be effective uses of technology.

However, caution is still needed with some technologies when it comes to new projects and how the community sees these new pieces of technology – the use of artificial intelligence, for instance. This is the view of Priya SaratChandran from Futureye, a company that helps companies navigate through emerging technological issues within a variety of industries.

“Microsoft Australia commissioned us to look into how people perceive AI within communities,” she says. “They don’t do that unless they see the value of getting that sort of input to lay a foundation so that AI can thrive and be innovative while being socially acceptable at the same time.”

Tellegen mildly disagrees about the level of community involvement required when

it comes to new technologies.

“If Henry Ford had gone to the community to ask for their advice when it came to transport, they would have asked for faster horses,” he says. “You need to have a helicopter view of what needs are being met. There needs to be some separation.”

Christensen says that a good example of where government is doing well with informing the community is Transport for NSW. For the past few years, the state body has been good at keeping the public up to date with what is happening in real time on the transport channels within the state, he says.

“That was in response to the travelling public wanting to know what was happening real time,” says Mr. Christensen.

“They didn’t want to know what was on the timetable – they wanted to know the real time a bus was going to arrive.”

And it hasn’t always been that way, he says. He believes that most states got lulled into a lack of investment in infrastructure, which, combined with a population increase, is now starting to cause strain on certain transport networks.

“They are really scrambling to match supply and demand,” he says. “I think there is some concern that even with the billions of dollars being spent on capacity expansion right now, in the end that will not be sufficient to level out the supply and demand. This includes the supply of road space and the supply of movement opportunities. In the end, my expectation is that we are seeing more contemplation of demand and management of supply. We can increase the supply, but if that is not going to be sufficient to satisfy the surging demand, then we are going to have to start looking at demand management, too.”

Tellegen believes the country is already at that stage.

“We have to do demand management now.

That is where technology comes into play,” Mr. Tellegen says. “The government has to pull those levers itself, or at least influence those levers.”

“We have to design a demand management system that is socially acceptable,” says Mr. Christensen, “which doesn’t negatively impact access to the network but that encourages behaviour change around the times that people travel and the modes that they use. We have to support the range of alternatives with better information systems so that we do have some levers to pull on in the demand management space.” roadsonline.com.au

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

CONTRACTS

-- IN BRIEF

ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE MAJOR PROJECT CONTRACTS AND TENDERS RECENTLY AWARDED AND OUT TO MARKET ACROSS THE AUSTRALASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR. NORTHERN TERRITORY $26M contract awarded The Northern Territory Government has awarded a $26 million Litchfield Park Road construction contract to local company Ostojic Group. The company will bituminise the Litchfield Park Road Loop and undertake 12 kilometre’s of upgrade and sealing works. Construction will involve the installation of a new bridge over the Finniss River and a sealed two-lane, two-way rural arterial road with a speed limit of up to 100 kilometres an hour.

NEW SOUTH WALES Sydney Metro awards $26M upgrade contract Sydney Metro has awarded a $26 million contract to help deliver the upgrade of the T3 Bankstown line. Metron T2M, a joint venture between Arcadis Australia Pacific and Mott Mac Donald Australia, have been awarded the contract. The pair will deliver design services for the stations and the railway corridor between Marrickville and Punchbowl.

QUEENSLAND Cross River Rail contractor to deliver accessibility upgrades Six stations on Brisbane’s southside will receive upgrades to coincide with the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project. The accessibility upgrades to existing platforms will be delivered by the current contractors for the Cross River Rail project, the PULSE consortium and the UNITY alliance. The upgrades come as part of a $57 million boost to Queensland’s existing $300 million accessibility upgrade program.

TASMANIA Tenders open for 2.5M Great Eastern Drive upgrades The Tasmanian Government has allocated a further $2.5 million for stage two of the Great Eastern Drive upgrade. The tender, which includes safety upgrades to the Coles Bay junction, as well as installing dedicated right turn lanes at Basin Creek and Flagstaff Road, is now open.

VICTORIA Designer appointed for $15.8M Bendigo Station upgrade The Victorian Government has appointed a local company, e+ architecture to re-design the iconic Bendigo Station building. The refresh comes as part of the $15.8 million Bendigo and Eaglehawk Station upgrades.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Main Roads WA awards $24M upgrade contract Main Roads Western Australia has awarded the $24 million design and construction contract to upgrade the Roe Highway and Karel Avenue interchange. Georgiou Group has won the contract, which also includes widening the Karel Avenue bridge. The works, according to Main Roads WA, will support the construction of the Thornlie-Cockburn Link by extending the Karel Avenue bridge across the freight railway line located immediately south of Roe Highway.

Contractor starts final works on $77.5M project in WA The upgrades to Perth’s remaining section of Reid Highway have begun. Contractor Decmil will make modifications to the intersection of Reid Highway and West Swan Road among other upgrades. Decmil’s contract will be the first delivered under the WA Industry Participation Strategy ensuring local work and job creation.

INTERNATIONAL Major contract won for Auckland International Airport works Auckland Airport has chosen its preferred proponent to deliver the international taxiway and remote stands project. This will be a critical component in the airport’s major capital works program.

CIMIC Group company, CPB Contractors, has won the airport contract.

Contract awarded for $60M New Zealand interchange A $56 million rail and bus interchange will be built at Puhinui in Auckland, New Zealand, to connect transport to the airport and South Auckland. The Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract has been awarded to joint venture McConnell Dowell and Built Environs.

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DURABLE

SOUND REDUCTION ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE TALKS TO HUSHPAK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF ITS ORIGINAL NOISE ATTENUATION CLADDING FOR INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

A

t a time when constrained layer damping was becoming popular for attenuating noise in deck plates and hulls of ships, the original owner of Hushpak Engineering came up with an innovative idea to use a polymer laminate material for cladding of buildings.

This was the origin of HushClad, highquality noise attenuation cladding used in steel frame buildings to enable workplaces to achieve the noise limits required for their operations.

One of the first applications of HushClad was for a woodchip mill in Victoria. Hushpak installed the cladding on one of the mill buildings and the customer was very happy with the result. Since then, HushClad has been used successfully across many industries.

“In certain situations, companies have heavy machinery and processes that are inherently noisy, such as pneumatic tools, grinding or impact noise, but they are unable to do much in terms of sound reduction at the source. In those cases, HushClad can be used to bring the outside noise levels down,” says Michael Neville, Managing Director of Hushpak Engineering.

It can also be used in bespoke applications for specific machine enclosures.

“In some cases, companies don’t want to clad an entire building. If there is just a single piece of equipment that needs sound attenuation then customers can use HushClad for a specific enclosure,” Mr. Neville says.

There are two common reasons for the use of HushClad. The first is to ensure noise compliance outside an industrial building or workshop. This is environmental noise that 52

ROADS JULY 2019

HushClad can reduce sound escaping from a noisy workshop.

could affect neighbours. The second is work health and safety noise, where sound from machines or processes could affect workers inside the building.

“Often in the case of enclosures inside a building, it comes down to work health and safety regulations, the customers have to make sure they are not exposing people in the building to excessive noise,” Mr. Neville says.

One recent Hushpak client used HushClad to reduce sound escaping from a noisy process inside the workshop. The noise level could not exceed 85 decibels.

“The customer was getting around 103 decibels outside a work booth and they used HushClad to reduce the noise escaping from that process, which helped the company meet the regulations,” says Mr. Neville.

HushClad is made to fix easily onto steel frame structures, either buildings or enclosures. It screws onto the purlins or girts,

as would any standard cladding.

“The beauty of HushClad is that it installs just as easily as any other product.

Sometimes we get enquiries from customers that want to replace existing steel cladding with HushClad, as it has higher noise attenuation properties,” Mr. Neville says.

Installing a standard Colorbond sheet on a steel-framed building does not provide a high level of sound attenuation, he says.

Alongside the ease of installation, the weight and durability of HushClad are two features that make it stand out from other cladding products.

HushClad only weighs around eight kilograms per lineal metre. So it can usually be installed directly in place of existing cladding.

It lasts as long as the life of Colorbond steel. “Colorbond steel is a well trusted, durable material, which is popular in the industry. We know our customers can trust in

SUSTAINABILITY

HushClad is available in two sound attenuation ratings.

it,” Mr Neville says.

HushClad is also not susceptible to vermin or wash down water and contaminants.

“Other noise attenuation products have a mineral fibre or attenuation material that can be affected by these things. As HushClad places the polymer material between two steel sheets it is not affected by wash down water or vermin and is also fire resistant,” Mr Neville says.

“If a company is considering a steel-frame building but have a potential noise problem with standard steel cladding then using HushClad may make this a viable option,“ says Mr Neville.

HushClad is available in two sound attenuation ratings. The first is HushClad Premium, which has a Sound Transmission Class of 25. The other is HushClad Ultimate, with a Sound Transmission Class of 28, which is a rating of how well it attenuates sound across a range of frequencies.

Recently, Hushpak finished replacing the original cladding on a washery building with HushClad. Mr. Neville said the customer had problems with neighbours that were complaining about noise from the washery building.

The customer is now in the process of getting an independent consultant to verify the noise levels achieved using HushClad. “In the meantime, we have been told how much quieter it is now outside the building when

the plant is operating,” he says.

HushClad can also be used as a solution for rail infrastructure. “It is quite common for railway service buildings to be located in urban areas so HushClad may be a good alternative to consider for these buildings,” Mr. Neville says.

Often rail can be adjacent to residential areas so noise attenuation is critical and HushClad may be used in place of other materials like concrete or timber panels.

HushPanel is another product of Hushpak that uses HushClad to construct noise

THE BEAUTY OF HUSHCLAD IS THAT IT INSTALLS JUST AS EASILY AS ANY OTHER PRODUCT. SOMETIMES WE GET ENQUIRIES FROM CUSTOMERS THAT WANT TO REPLACE EXISTING STEEL CLADDING WITH HUSHCLAD, AS IT HAS HIGHER NOISE ATTENUATION PROPERTIES. barriers next to roads or railways. HushPanel is a modular version of HushClad and is designed in easy to install panels.

Hushpak can manufacture and install HushClad for their customers and has the equipment to measure and analyse noise levels at any operation. This allows Hushpak, an Advitech Group company, to provide advice on whether the installation of HushClad will help a customer to achieve compliance.

“We can also contract someone to install HushClad, so we can supply and install it, as well as completing the testing to ensure it will achieve the right outcome,” Mr. Neville says.

“Not only can we ensure that the customer is getting the correct level of noise attenuation, but we know HushClad is a durable, corrosion-resistant and easy-toinstall product. It is manufactured in Australia and has been tested in a NATA-approved acoustic testing laboratory.”

HushClad is not susceptible to vermin or wash down water and contaminants.

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53

ON THE JOB

CRAWLING

GOUGH INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER, DEREK LIU, TALKS TO ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE ABOUT FLEXIBLE CRANE LIFTING AND HIGH-PRESSURE JOB SITES.

I

n August 2015, three SANY SCC8300 crawler cranes were delivered to the Wheatstone Liquid Natural Gas Project, which is situated in Ashburton North, Western Australia.

The Chevron-operated Wheatstone project is the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the country. Wheatstone is estimated to produce 8.9 million tonnes of LNG per annum and power 1.8 million local homes.

Gough Industrial Solutions Product Manager – Braking, Nick Hope, says over the life of the project, Wheatstone is forecast to deliver significant benefits to the Australian economy, including 30,000 jobs and an additional $194 billion in gross domestic product.

Crawler cranes are specifically designed to work in difficult terrains and steep gradients, often operating under harsh conditions that might overwhelm a standard piece of equipment.

According to Mr. Liu, the average temperature during construction of Wheatstone was 40˚C. Additionally, he says, the ocean-surrounded job site posed high requirements on machine corrosion resistance.

“The construction and engineering team at Wheatstone had very specific needs for their machinery and equipment, so they engaged Gough Industrial Solutions,” Mr. Liu says.

“We supplied three SANY SCC8300 crawler cranes that helped construction finish on schedule and won the contractor’s recognition for maximum efficiency, increased uptime and precision control.”

Eighty SANY crawler cranes are currently in use on high profile Oceania region construction projects, according to Mr. Liu – suggesting challenging construction sites have jumped in number from 2015, which suggests that the construction industry is in a

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state of growth in some areas.

“A SANY SCC8300 300-tonne crawler crane is at work on the Citic Pacific Sino Iron Mining site. The crane is operated by Karridale Group, who were contracted to do the maintenance work,” Mr. Liu says.

“The cranes were also used on the Brisbane bridge construction and at the Port of Gladstone coal terminal.”

Likewise, Mr. Liu says, SANY crawler cranes are used extensively overseas. He lists a 400-tonne crane being used at a mine rescue in Chile, a 150-tonne crane being used at the Thailand National Train Station, as well as a 250-tonne crane helping to build the Niagara Tunnel in North America as examples.

Sany, a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, has an exclusive Australian dealership agreement for concrete equipment with Gough Industrial Solutions.

“Sany remains ahead of the curve in terms of technological innovation and their product offering compliments the Gough portfolio well,” says Mr. Liu. “The crawler crane range is in high demand in the Australian market, with many enquiries forthcoming over the past year.”

“It’s a premium high-performance crane, built to be highly durable and consistent CE certification requirements,” Mr. Liu says.

“Also, the real-time display of machine gravity and levelness, off-line stop, emergency electric control, lightning protection and closed-circuit monitoring guarantee the safety and reliability of the crawler crane.”

A SCC8300 crane can function in an environment between -30˚C and 50˚C and can operate at an altitude less than 2,000 metres.

The crane has a boom-luffing time of two minutes, a main hoisting speed of 142 metres per minute, a swing speed of 1.85 revolutions per minute and a travel speed of

1.3 kilometres an hour.

“The crane’s winch can be dragged by the clutch for easy reeving and to remotely control the assembly and disassembly of the main machine,” Mr. Liu says.

“To support self assembly and disassembly, a quick-change rope connector and winchwire rope head is enabled.”

Mr. Liu says the SCC8300 is designed according to ANSI B30.5 EN13000 and GB3811 standards, with its transport dimension and weight complying with domestic and international road transport regulations.

He also says that the crane has a universal design that complies with Euro IV emission regulations.

“Sany currently own 100 crawler crane patents, which ensures the machines offer maximum safety, stability and flexibility in whatever operating environment,” Mr. Liu says.

“SANY crawler cranes have the highest operational efficiency, with lifting capacities ranging from 55 tonne to 1,600 tonne.”

SANY SCC8300 crawler cranes are in high demand in Oceania.

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS

PROVE SMART

WHEN HASTINGS DEERING AND QH & M BIRT FORMED A RELATIONSHIP BUILT ON TRUST AND EFFICIENCY, PROBLEM SOLVING EQUIPMENT BECAME A NECESSITY.

F

or Civil Construction contractors QH & M Birt, the remote locations of project sites often require extensive forward planning and can lead to lengthy equipment downtime. With a specifically developed customer solution, a Hastings Deering 20FT Mobile Hose container, the company has decreased downtime and increased productivity.

Codey Simpson, Workshop Supervisor at QH & M Birt, says investing in a mobile hose container supplied by Hastings Deering, a supplier of Caterpillar parts and products, was a good decision. It can be used on Caterpillar equipment and many other machines as a cost-effective and quality aftermarket solution. “Production hours have increased dramatically since the mobilisation of our hose container, and the inconvenience of breakdowns has been reduced,” says Mr. Simpson.

QH & M Birt have been using the mobile hose solution for the past three years and have experienced less downtime as a result.

“I can confidently say this is directly linked to ease, convenience and support from Hastings Deering and the hydraulic hose container,” says Mr. Simpson.

QH & M Birt is a delivery-oriented contractor with more than 40 years’ experience in the construction industry and have become used to a delay in parts arriving, due to working in remote areas.

“We’re always looking for better ways to help clients and find customer solutions that create less downtime in remote regions.

Hastings Deering initiated the mobile hose container solution which helps multiple machines if not all, onsite,” says Dan Ware, Customer Support Manager at Hastings Deering.

Hastings Deering sell, rent and offer support and parts distribution services for customers across a range of industries including mining, construction, civil transport

and commercial construction.

Mr. Ware has delivered products and solutions to QH & M Birt for nearly seven years. He realised sustainable options such as the mobile hose container would be a great advantage to assist with problems in remote project locations.

The first installation of the mobile hose container was for QH & M Birt at its Wepia site. This proved so successful in its first year that another a mobile hosing container was ordered for the commencement of the Groote Eylandt project.

The Groote Eylandt project, located on an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria off the Australian coast, is remote. It proved to be an ideal test for the mobile hose container and also proved a great success.

The unit helped QH & Birt to process, haul and place more than 50,000 tonnes of specifically graded rock materials, construct a decant ring and install earth settlement plates, along with other tasks.

“For Groote Eylandt, the idea surfaced through the success and results the business had seen throughout the Amrun Project in Wepia,” Mr. Simpson says. It also helped reduce air freight costs.

The Amrun Project required the construction of access and servicing roads, heavy vehicle haul roads, an engineered truck dump facility and much more.

Mr. Ware points out companies sometimes disregard Caterpillar Hosing Solutions as a viable product, particularly for after-market use. Often customers choose price over quality. “Caterpillar hose and couplings are high-quality products compared to the general market.” He says customers find a lower failure rate when choosing the Caterpillar product. It enables less downtime on site, so much that Hastings Deering says it can enable remote projects to reduce downtime of two or four days to just hours.

“Having the Hastings Deering Mobile

Workshop solution, minor hose issues that would normally be let go or left for a little longer, clients can now proactively sort issues easily. This means the overall quality and maintenance of the fleet is improved, along with productivity through greater machine availability,” Mr. Ware says.

The ability to easily sort issues or concerns with Hastings Deering is also a major advantage for QH & M Birt.

Mr. Simpson is happy with the strength of his company’s relationship with Hastings Deering over the years and puts this down to simplicity. “Many times, I’ve had some difficult questions, scenarios or issues and when I relay that information it’s always a welcoming voice that answers the phone.

The reaction time is always impressive, and the follow-up is great,” Mr. Simpson says.

Having a strong relationship with customers has always been a key focus for Hastings Deering, enabling customers to learn in order to increase productivity.

“We provide onsite staff training, which is an up-skill to individuals, the employers and also means employees can change sites to assist elsewhere. Anything that QH & M Birt can self-service or do onsite, keeps the equipment working productively with little if any, downtime,” Mr. Ware says.

Hastings Deering supplies a range of hose and coupling solutions, with each unit being tested and carrying a warranty.. The equipment is not limited to Caterpillar machines and can perform on all kinds of equipment.

“The credit for this goes to the team we have on the ground and the system we have in place. With time, it’s become transparent how much easier the job has become with the correct tools,” Mr. Simpson says. “It’s taken some trial and error to find the desired stock levels, and whatever we don’t have here on the island, is mostly always available in Darwin.” roadsonline.com.au

55

SEALING ASPHALT

SOLUTIONS

PATCHES ASPHALT CATERS, BUILDS AND SEALS ROADS FOR LOCAL COUNCILS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SPOKE TO OWNER, NORM MCMAHON, ABOUT WHY HE CHOSE THE HAMM DV+ 70 VT TO INCREASE CAPACITY, PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCE FATIGUE FOR WORKERS.

W

hen looking for the right product to cater to Patches Asphalt needs for road sealing, owner Norm McMahon looked to HAMM. As a return customer, he knew the DV+ 70 VT combination roller would aid the company across multiple sealing projects.

“Primarily, this machine will do bitumen sealing for us. It can do other things beside sealing, but we have it programmed specifically for that function,” Mr. McMahon says.

Patches Asphalt has used the machine for road sealing work in Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council, Wagga City Council, Hilltops Council and for work in the Snowy Mountains.

“On the front drum, we have a rubber coat, which allows us to drive safely and easily on the aggregate. Without the rubber coat, the DV+ 70 VT can be used on construction or asphalt, wherever you like,” Mr. McMahon says.

The unit also features a steel drum on the front and a combi roller on the back.

Mr. McMahon says there are multiple benefits to the machine including the ability to crab walk, a reversible cabin seat, ease of operation to load, float and manoeuvre.

The reversible cabin seat is a key safety component for Mr. McMahon. He says that when his operators get to the end of a run, they press a button and the seat turns around. This way, the driver is always facing forward and never has to reverse the machine. He says it makes the work much easier on the operator and eliminates the safety, ergonomics and collision risks on both the operator and ground personnel that is normally attributed to reversing.

“On any other machine, the operator 56

ROADS JULY 2019

The HAMM DV+ 70 VT is operator friendly and helps reduce fatigue.

could be twisting their back and looking over their shoulder a lot of the time. The DV+ 70 VT reduces these movements, ultimately reducing fatigue and saving us in time and expense,” Mr. McMahon says.

And able to swing the seat at the push of a button makes it easy and intuitive.

The panorama cabin on the unit also gives free visibility of both the drums and

surrounding area.

“Being able to crab walk the machine, with a clear view, the operator can cover a wider area than a standard machine. The vibration on the front reduces rolling time by 15 to 20 per cent, so it’s a substantial increase in productivity and therefore, quality,” he says.

Mr. McMahon says the ability to walk

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

the machine sideways nearly up to 3m wide stands out. At a standard 1.5m wide, the machine covers a width of around 2.8 metres when in full pivot steer. Mr. McMahon says a standard machine movement is about 2.2m at most, so the DV+ 70 VT covers a wider area and will vibrate at the same time.

The machine comes standard with Hammtronic, which is HAMM’s premier machine management system that can be installed to manage the roller.

Hammtronic acts as a virtual copilot to supervise and optimise actions automatically. For example, the system can adjust the diesel engine performance to specific operating conditions producing low fuel consumption. It features engine management, drive control and anti-slip control, and vibration control to help free the machine operator for other activities.

Customers can also run the HAMM Compaction Quality system (HQC) with the machine. This bundles together all HAMM solutions for compaction measurement and documentation.

For asphalt compaction specifically, the HCQ offers the HAMM Compaction Meter to measure and display the rigidity and the HAMM temperature meter to measure the surface temperature of the asphalt.

“The rollers have ergonomic controls either on the dash, or in the case of the DV+70 VT, on the armrest. HAMM and The Wirtgen Group were the first ones to bring in these really high-quality machines, so I have stuck with them. After buying one of their rollers, we bought several as they worked very well. So, we kept purchasing with them,” says Mr. McMahon.

He also says the training for this machine is a lot less extensive than with other options. “It takes a little bit of getting used to, especially with the crab walking, but once workers have got it under control, I won’t say they fight for it, but I do find they really like the machine,” Mr. McMahon says.

Mr. McMahon adds that it also reduces fatigue in his workers due to the reduction in twisting their back or necks. “In turn, it gives my workers a longer life in the industry and just helps them physically as they aren’t having to twist around all day.”

HAMM is part of the Wirtgen Group Company and offers first-class equipment and technology for construction and earth works. The Wirtgen Group is always involved with the customers after purchasing the equipment. The company aids with technical support, spare parts and even education for clients about the

machines and their application This is something Mr. McMahon values.

“The Wirtgen Group are contactable and helpful. Because of where we are based, we have to deal with them a lot over the phone but it works well,” he says.

Customer focus is a major priority for Wirtgen and HAMM, which offer handson training for their machines as well as brand dedicated product specialists that can answer 99 per cent of the super technical enquiries locally. This investment avoids customers having to wait for technical responses from their overseas manufacturing plants.

HAMM prides itself on creating rollers that find a perfect balance of technology and ergonomic design, combining functionality and an attractive form.

Mr. McMahon hopes to purchase another HAMM roller from the Wirtgen Group by the end of the year.

He already uses many of HAMM’s units having purchased six rollers, and also uses other Wirtgen Group products including Vögele pavers, a profiler and material transfer vehicles.

“We have multiple projects all over the place, whether it is asphalting, or sealing.

So, we’ll be using Wirtgen Group product a lot,” he says.

The HAMM DV+ 70 VT comes with Hammtronic, a premier machine management system.

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57

EVENTS DIARY

18TH AAPA INTERNATIONAL FLEXIBLE PAVEMENTS CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 18-21 AUGUST

WORLD ENGINEERS CONVENTION 2019 20-22 NOVEMBER

Sydney, Australia

Hear national and international speakers reflect on the legacy of engineering achievements over the past 100 years – and define the future of engineering disciplines for the next 100 years. Co-hosted

by Engineers Australia and the World Federation of Engineering Organisations, the World Engineers Convention 2019 gives attendees the chance to build networks with leaders in global engineering practice, all while enjoying the natural beauty and quality of life for which Australia is renowned.

Under the title “Our Everlasting Roads – Enabling Future Mobility”, the 18th Australian Asphalt Pavement Association (AAPA) International Flexible Pavements Conference & Exhibition refers to the changing demands that society and transportation technology place on the long-term investment that is road infrastructure. It also refers to the increasing technical ability to build perpetual pavements, roads that will last for an indefinite amount of time, while only requiring regular surface maintenance. The event will bring together the leaders and key industry stakeholders of the flexible pavements industry to discuss the future of the sector.

Melbourne, Australia

www.wec2019.org.au

www.aapa.asn.au

NATIONAL ROADS & TRAFFIC EXPO 17-19 SEPTEMBER

CORROSION AND PREVENTION 2019 24-27 NOVEMBER

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Bringing together the roads transport ecosystem and creating opportunities for the roads, traffic and infrastructure industry, the National Roads & Traffic Expo is a free event taking place on 17-18 September 2019 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The show unites government, road agencies, operators, industry leaders and innovators, providing key organisations with a platform to meet, network and engage with the industry. With 300 speakers, 200 exhibitors, 3,000 attendees and an Innovation and Start-Up Zone, The National Roads & Traffic Expo features 280 free information sessions that run alongside a free-to-attend exhibition.

The Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) will host the Corrosion and Prevention 2019 (C&P 2019) conference on 24-27 November at the Crown Promenade in Melbourne, Australia.

This annual conference and trade exhibition will bring together leading researchers and industry practitioners who combat corrosion on a daily basis. Topics covered will include concrete corrosion and repair, steel corrosion, water infrastructure, cathodic protection of pipelines, asset management, hightemperature corrosion, non-ferrous metal corrosion and microbiologically influenced corrosion.

www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/road-traffic-expo

www.conference.corrosion.com.au

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ROADS JULY 2019

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