Roads and Infrastructure September 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021

BUILDING THE PORTALS Premier Cranes lifting for West Gate Tunnel

PULSE OF THE INDUSTRY Insights from InEight’s first Global Capital Projects Outlook report

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SEPTEMBER 2021 CONTENTS

& INFRASTRUCTURE 40 Cat PM300 Series Cold Planers The new compact Cat PM300 Series is designed as one of the most compact one-meter machines on the market.

42 Brightening the industrial job site Introducing MX FUEL, a new portable, battery-powered tower light/charger from Milwaukee Tool.

Patten Pavement Services recently expanded their crushing business with new Wirtgen and John Deere machines. Read the story on Pg 38.

COVER STORY

14 Building the portals for West Gate

We go behind the scenes at the West Gate Tunnel Project to see how Premier Cranes and Rigging helped CPBJH JV shape the tunnels’ portals.

PROJECT REPORT

18 Industry Insight InEight’s Executive Vice President for the APAC region, Rob Bryant, shares insights from InEight’s first Global Capital Projects Outlook report.

AfPA

22 Roads meeting safety An overview of discussion on the first day of AfPA 2021 Symposium.

24 AfPA member profile Peter Ozoux, Managing Director of Austek Roads, talks about his career journey and more.

ISCA

26 A new benchmark for sustainability The Infrastructure Sustainability Council has released the latest version of its Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Scheme’s Design and As Built tool.

NATIONAL PRECAST

28 Precast poles Precast concrete is a suitable choice for utility poles in bushfire prone areas.

Master Precaster Rocla has the solution.

ROADS REVIEW

30 Roads Review

In this edition of Roads Review, industry leaders look at what the infrastructure sector could do better to narrow the existing skills gap.

EMPLOYMENT

32 The economics of loyalty With construction companies struggling to retain their workforce, migration expert Monica Gruszka says employers should be open to sponsoring skilled migrants.

ASPHALT IN ACTION

34 Innovation meets SAMI SAMI Bitumen’s innovative low-viscosity crumb rubber binder is helping the VSA Group carry on sealing in the colder season, without using kerosene cutters.

MATERIAL HANDLING

36 Taking control of the concrete mix Antec’s volumetric concrete mix technology ensures quality concrete is produced right on the construction site.

TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT

38 The combined power The Wirtgen Group officially became part of John Deere in 2017. We look at what the merger means for Wirtgen’s customers in Australia.

44 Compacting with confidence Hastings Deering has debuted Caterpillar’s GC Series vibratory soil compactors in Australia, starting with the 12-tonne CS12 GC model.

46 Simple and efficient Dynapac’s CA35 Soil Roller combines simplicity, agility, robustness, and comfort for operators, all while not compromising performance.

SAFETY

49 A road planer for the safety-conscious The new Simex PL1500 asphalt planer comes with a suite of safety and performance benefits.

EVENTS

50 Digging for a cause Underwriting Agencies of Australia is supporting the Dig Deep Event, a construction industry fundraiser aiming to raise $1 million for mental health awareness within the industry.

CONTRACTS AND TENDERS 54 An overview of the latest tenders and contracts from around Australia

REGULARS

4 Editor’s note 6 News 53 People on the move

roadsonline.com.au

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PUBLISHER Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au MANAGING EDITOR Sarah Baker sarah.baker@primecreative.com.au EDITOR Tara Hamid tara.hamid@primecreative.com.au

HEEDING THE WARNINGS AS I WRITE THIS NOTE, DEVASTATING WILDFIRES ARE RAVAGING THROUGH PARTS OF GREECE, Turkey, Italy, Spain and Lebanon. In recent months there have been fires in the US, heatwaves in northern latitudes, and devastating floods in China and Europe. Scientists warn that this may become the norm unless climate breakdown can be stopped.

On August 9, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its muchanticipated sixth assessment report, months before vital UN talks that will determine the future course of life on Earth. The IPCC report, which culminated eight years of work by hundreds of the world’s foremost climate scientists, publishes comprehensive assessments of the world’s climate situation almost every seven years. But this time, it is different.

IPCC’s previous work has shown that the 2020s are a crucial decade, in which greenhouse gas emissions must be halved in order to limit heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, established by previous IPCC reports as the threshold of safety, and the lower of two goals in the 2015 Paris agreement. Therefore, this would be the last IPCC assessment that can make a real difference in policy terms before we exceed 1.5C and the ambitions of the Paris agreement.

With humanity at such a critical juncture, the consequences of inaction by any government or sector would be severe. The roads and infrastructure industry is no exception. With roads having typical age of 20 to 40 years and bridges designed for 100 years, the decisions made by the sector today will impact generations to come.

It is timely that the Infrastructure Sustainability Council has released an updated Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) Rating Schemes Design and As Built tool as benchmark for sustainability performance for the infrastructure sector. The updated tool recognises and builds on the progress the industry has made in recent years.

This edition also provides a glimpse into the conversations from the Australian flexible Pavement Association’s 2021 Symposium, which focused on circularity within the pavement industry. In the subsequent editions, we will dig deeper into the topic covered at the AfPA Symposium, helping shed spotlight on the latest research and development in the area.

The first day of the AfPA 2021 Symposium also shed light on the importance of mental health within the construction industry, an issue that’s coincidentally attracting support from the industry with CRE Group organising the Dig Deep Event in Melbourne in November. The inaugural event is aiming to raise $1 million for Beyond Blue in support of mental health and is aiming to raise awareness around the issue of mental health within the constrction industry.

Finally, in our Roads Review section, we asked industry leaders how the infrastructure sector can help narrow the skills gap currently faced by the sector. I encourage you to read their responses and to flip the page over to what Monica Gruszka, Principal Director of Sydney-based Gruszka & Associates, offered as her take on the issue.

Tara Hamid Editor, Roads & Infrastructure Magazine 4

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

JOURNALISTS Tom O’Keane tom.okeane@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 Brad Marshall brad.marshall@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

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.

Industrial Special Plant and ProCon underwritten

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NEWS

BRISBANE’S INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN FOR 2032 OLYMPICS GAMES With Brisbane being named the host of the 2032 Olympics Games, the city’s venues for the games will be a mix of new and old.

Over the next 11 years, facilities throughout Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast will prepare for the games, with an emphasis being placed on using existing facilities.

According to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic master plan, 84 per cent of venues used will be existing or temporary. This will include three main hubs throughout the state, which will host 28 different sports.

Of these venues, 21 will be in Brisbane, seven on the Gold Coast and four on the Sunshine Coast.

The Gabba stadium will host athletics events, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. The stadium will also receive a $1 billion rebuild, which will increase the

Brisbane’s venues for the Olympics Games will be a mix of old and new.

stadium’s capacity from 42,000 to 50,000 seats.

The remaining 16 per cent of venues will be new venues, including a 15,000-seat aquatic centre in Brisbane’s CBD, a 12,000seat basketball facility and a 10,000 seat gymnastics and boxing centre.

An athlete’s village will be built on the Brisbane waterfront, with alternative accommodation available on the Gold

Coast, Sunshine Coast and Kooralbyn.

For spectators, travel throughout the games will be aided by the completion of the Cross River Rail, Brisbane Metro and Coomera Connector.

Event organisers admit that more public transport will be required to support the growing population, which is expected to increase by 1.5 million by 2041.

The games will have an initial operating budget of $4.5 billion, which does not account for new road infrastructure, public transport, security, or staff. The full costs of the games are still unclear.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the games were expected to bring in almost $18 billion in social and economic benefits to Australia.

The games will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2032, with the Paralympics scheduled to follow.

WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT METRO GREEN-LIGHTED, FIRST MAJOR TUNNELLING CONTRACT AWARDED

Artist’s impression of Sydney’s Aerotropolis Station. Image courtesy of NSW Government.

The New South Wales Government has granted planning approvals for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project, with Acciona and Ferrovial Joint Venture awarded the first of the three major tunnelling contracts for the project.

Construction will begin immediately to deliver 11 kilometres of twin metro rail tunnels between Sydney Olympic Park and The Bays, and mega tunnel boring machines will be in the ground before the end of next year.

The new milestone was achieved 6

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

following community consultation, which resulted in changes to the initial plan, including measures to reduce parking impacts on local communities and the relocation of a temporary bus interchange.

The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project will deliver about 23 kilometres of rail between St Marys Station and the future Western Sydney Aerotropolis in Bringelly.

Six stations are proposed to be built along the alignment including two

stations at Western Sydney International airport, one at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and one at St Marys – from where customers will be able to connect to the existing Sydney Trains suburban T1 Western Line.

The first tunnelling contract, valued at $1.96 billion, was awarded following a competitive tender process involving three shortlisted companies. Due to the scale of the project, tunnelling and excavation works have been split into three packages, with the second package involving nine kilometres of twin tunnels between Westmead and Sydney Olympic Park.

Once operational, the new Metro is expected to transport up to 7,740 passengers each hour in each direction, while also taking about 110,000 vehicles off local roads every day, significantly reducing local traffic.

It will take just five minutes to travel from the airport to the Aerotropolis, about 15 minutes from the airport to St Marys and 20 minutes from the Aerotropolis to St Marys – where customers can connect to the rest of Sydney’s rail network.

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NEWS

FOUNDATIONS NOW IN PLACE FOR THE NEW NOWRA BRIDGE

All 39 pile casings for the bridge are now installed.

The construction of Nowra bridge in New South Wales is powering ahead all 39 pile casings and two of 19 bridge deck segments now in place.

The $342 million project to deliver a new four-lane bridge over the Shoalhaven River will provide upgraded intersections, additional lanes and improve traffic flows to ease congestion throughout the NowraBomaderry area.

Senator for New South Wales Jim Molan said with the pile casings in place, it provided the foundation for the next stage of work on the new bridge.

“This project is proving a game changer for locals, supporting 200 jobs during its

construction and delivering valuable skills training and work experience with high levels of Aboriginal, female and youth participation,” he said.

“These piles were built by vibrating and hammering steel casings through the river bed and into the rock layer deep below the river.

“Excavating and removing river sediment inside the top segment of the pile casings and replacing this with reinforced concrete is continuing.”

State Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock said that motorists will soon be able to drive on a new section of Illaroo Road to allow for widening work

to nearby roads.

“The new bridge is being built using a specialised technique known as incremental launching, and the double-T bridge deck segments are being built on site then launched out over the river,” she said.

“Each double-T bridge deck segment requires 360 cubic metres of reinforced concrete and up to 60 concrete trucks.

“These segments are then incrementally launched across the Shoalhaven River using hydraulic jacks.

The Federal and State Governments have each committed $155 million to jointly fund construction of the new bridge.

Major work started in mid 2020 and the project is expected to be complete by mid 2024.

Other work in coming months will include building the northern end of the new bridge, piling for Bomaderry Creek Bridge, asphalting a new local road named Shearwater Way and installing street lighting, kerb and gutter across the project.

NEW ENGLAND HIGHWAY’S BOLIVIA HILL BRIDGE TAKES SHAPE The $134 million Bolivia Hill upgrade project on the New England Highway is powering ahead, with all 61 concrete segments of the new bridge now in place.

SRG Civil and Georgiou Group are delivering the project, which is due for completion later this year.

Planning for the Bolivia Hill upgrade, which began since 2013, has involved development of route options and identification of a preferred route. The bridge construction was the most complex part of the project, in large part due to the nature of the site and terrain.

Deputy Prime Minister and Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce said the Australian Government’s $98 million contribution to the $134 million project would ensure the project crosses the finish line by the end of the year.

“This upgrade will be a game changer for the estimated 1,500 vehicles, including 500 heavy vehicles, that use this route between Glen Innes and Tenterfield every day,” Minister Joyce said.

Work on the $134 million upgrade project is on track to finish later this year.

“We’re getting on with the job of making this stretch of road safer for all those who use it, building on our record investment in road safety right along the New England Highway, including the $700 million Singleton Bypass, the $136 million Scone Bypass and the $5.6 million Bald Nob Road upgrade,” he added.

New South Wales Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole said the New South Wales Government had

also increased its funding commitment to the project by $10.74 million, allowing Transport for NSW to deliver the works despite extremely challenging terrain.

“The new 320-metre concrete balanced cantilever bridge will remove a recognised ‘black spot’ on the highway, so vehicles will no longer have to negotiate a dangerous curve when it opens to traffic later this year,” Minister Toole said.

“Work to build retaining walls approaching each end of the bridge and roadwork on the southern side of the bridge is also complete.

“Roadwork on the northern side is about 80 per cent complete and work is continuing to install safety barriers, railings and bridge joints, and to carry out asphalt surfacing and line marking,” he added.

While this project has taken longer than originally forecast due to unanticipated geotechnical conditions combined with drought and bushfire impacts, the project is on track for completion later this year. roadsonline.com.au

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NEWS

AUSTRALIA RISKS LOSING ON INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIPS AUSTRALIA WARNS

Photo by Abraham Barrera on Unsplash.

Australia is still the destination of choice for infrastructure investors, but a lack of investment opportunities, the cost and complexity of bidding, and policy instability risk Australia losing out on capital, according to a new report from Infrastructure Partnerships Australia and commercial law firm, Allens.

Based on a survey of international and Australian investors who collectively own or manage more than $570 billion of infrastructure assets across the globe, the report reveals that 84 per cent of investors remain ‘highly likely’ to invest in Australia, down from 90 per cent in 2019.

According to the report, 44 per cent of investors see competition for assets as a key challenge to investing in Australia.

Meanwhile, 76 per cent say the cost of bidding hinders investment, and 73 per cent agree that uncertainty in Australia’s policy and regulatory settings limits their willingness to invest.

“While Australia still performs well among its international peers as a leading destination for infrastructure investment, a lack of opportunities, the

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ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

cost and complexity of bidding, and policy instability are starting to bite,” said Infrastructure Partnerships Australia Chief Executive, Adrian Dwyer.

“The message from investors is clear – capital is a coward, it will go where it is treated well.”

With the United States set to pass a US$1 trillion infrastructure package and Europe gearing up for a major investment drive in renewable energy, Dwyer said Australia risks losing out on capital unless we get our investment and policy settings right.

“The grass isn’t quite greener in the other paddocks yet, but they are being wellwatered and we need to be watchful,” Dwyer said.

“The capital is available to finance Australia’s recovery, but we need government to put their deal pants on and get brokering,” he added.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has become a growing investment driver for traditional and emerging assets, with 93 per cent of participants agreeing that ESG has grown in importance over the last two years. This is while only 22

per cent see the availability of stock as an attraction to the Australian market.

“Investors have told us there is an insatiable appetite for ESG friendly investment opportunities, with investor preference for renewable energy and social infrastructure assets a clear favourite in the market,” Dwyer said.

“While there is strong demand for ESGfriendly opportunities, investors have made clear that Australia risks being left behind by more capital-hungry markets unless we develop a coherent set of decarbonisation policies.

“Greater policy and regulatory clarity in the energy sector could catalyse investment in more sustainable energy, transport, waste and construction projects and see Australia outperform global peers.

“Australia has one of the best infrastructure investment reputations in the world, underpinned by a strong track record of infrastructure business, knowledgeable market participants, and good economic fundamentals – but reputations are hard won and easily lost,” Dwyer said.

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NEWS

VICTORIA’S LEVEL CROSSING REMOVAL PROJECT EXTENDED

Another 10 dangerous and congested level crossings will be removed in Victoria by 2025.

Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Project will see 10 additional level crossings removed by 2025, bringing the total to 85 level crossings removed from the earlier plan of removing 75.

The additional level crossings will be removed on the Pakenham, Lilydale, Belgrave, Frankston, Sunbury and Mernda lines, with the projects expected to create up to 4000 new jobs.

Removing these extra crossings will make

the Cranbourne/Pakenham and Lilydale lines level crossing-free, allowing more trains to run on the network, more often, without frustrating boom gate delays.

The Level Crossing Removal Project authority came to the decision to utilise the existing crews on the ground to extend the work, noting that it would use existing contracts to remove the additional 10 crossings.

The project will also see five new stations built at Croydon, Keon Park, Narre Warren, Parkdale and Ringwood East.

On the Pakenham line, the last five of 22 crossings will be gone for good, including two crossings in Beaconsfield and another in Narre Warren. A new train station will be built in Narre Warren.

The last level crossings on the Lilydale line will go in Ringwood East by building a rail trench and a new station, and in Croydon

with a rail bridge over the road and a new station.

The dangerous level crossing will be removed in Keon Park on the Mernda line by building a rail bridge over Keon Parade and a new Keon Park Station to address the alarming safety record at this crossing where there has been one collision and 24 near misses in the past nine years. A new train station will be built at Keon Park.

Since 2016, the Victorian Government has removed 46 level crossings, with the number expected to reach 50 before the end of the year. On average, one level crossing is being removed every four weeks in Melbourne.

Further engineering assessments and community engagement will be undertaken on these projects.

Site investigations will begin in the coming months, followed by early works, with construction to be completed by 2025.

NEW TESTING TO EVALUATE POLYMER MODIFIED BINDER PERFORMANCE

Austroads is working on a new test method to evaluate rutting performance of PMBs.

Austroads has released a report detailing the development of a new test method to evaluate the rutting performance of polymer modified binders (PMBs) before they are used in road construction.

Ross Guppy, Austroads Transport Infrastructure Program Manager said the current test method uses equipment that is no longer available, and this work will help ensure the tests can be carried out using technology that is widely available.

“Road transport agencies purchase around $1 billion worth of bituminous binders annually to build and maintain road networks in Australia and New Zealand. Binders of the right properties are essential to ensure asphalt has adequate resistance to rutting on 12

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

the road. Significant research has therefore been undertaken to ensure the related national specifications and test methods are able to identify materials that would perform on the road consistently,” Guppy said.

Austroads’ national PMB specification controls rutting performance by requiring binders be subjected to consistency 6 per cent at 60 °C tests. The tests have been traditionally undertaken using an elastometer but this equipment is no longer being manufactured. The new test method will instead use a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) to conduct consistency 6 per cent at 60 °C tests.

The research found that the developed DSR consistency 6 per cent at 60 °C test method

can produce test results that are equivalent to elastometer consistency 6 per cent at 60 °C tests for all binders. The DSR test method is therefore expected to be an appropriate alternative to the elastometer test method when those devices can no longer be used.

The DSR tests conducted during this study used a cup-and-bob setup as it provided test sample sizes comparable to those used for elastometer tests. The test sample sizes used in both tests are sufficiently large to effectively characterise crumb rubber binders which are widely used in Australia. The cup-and-bob setup was also found to have many benefits for testing conventional PMBs and bitumens over other types of setups available for the DSR. The report provides detailed information on how to conduct DSR consistency 6 per cent tests. A plan for future work that may be needed to fully implement the new DSR test method is also discussed.

The research was undertaken by the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) under the guidance of the Bituminous Surfacings Technical Group on behalf of the Austroads Pavements Task Force.

WEST GATE TUNNEL PROJECT:

BUILDING THE PORTALS

ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE GOES BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE WEST GATE TUNNEL PROJECT CONTRACTORS CPBJH JV AND THEIR LIFTING PARTNER, PREMIER CRANES AND RIGGING, TO LOOK AT THE CHALLENGES IN SHAPING THE TUNNELS’ ENTRY AND EXIT PORTALS.

F

or Sam Clark, a professional crane operator of nine years, picking the first concrete segment for the West Gate Tunnel’s southern portal was the most memorable one.

It was not every day he would pick a 60-tonne precast concrete section and place it on surveyed marks at a 48-metre operating radius with a beast of a machine, the 350-tonne Liebherr LR1350/1 crawler crane.

“Together we would be lifting bigger loads in the end, but that first lift took the longest to plan,” he says, looking back at the nine months he operated the giant crane while the tunnels’ southern portal walls were taking shape.

More than 200,000 vehicles, including a Premier Cranes and Rigging handled all of the heavy lifts for the construction of the West Gate Tunnel’s northern and southern portals.

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majority of Melbourne’s commercial traffic, travel on the West Gate Freeway each day.

The West Gate Tunnel is aiming to provide an alternative to the West Gate Bridge for people travelling to Melbourne from the western suburbs and reduce large vehicle traffic congesting suburban streets.

The westbound exit portal is in Altona North, just to the south side of the existing freeway and it’s where the outbound tunnel will re-surface and cars will join the surface freeway. This is where Premier Crane’s 350-tonne crawler was stationed for nine months to assist the crew with the heavy lifts to help build the portal’s entrance.

As a preferred lifting partner for the project contractor, CPB John Holland Joint Venture

(CPBJH JV), the Premier Cranes team has been heavily involved with the project from the first days on the project, helping with early site establishment works, utility service re-locations, and removal of existing steel gantries.

Premier Cranes also handled all of the heavy lifts around the construction of the southern and the northern tunnel portals which began in 2018 and are still ongoing.

CPBJH JV started construction at the westbound portal in 2018 with clearing and preparation work on the site, before starting excavation in 2019. Apart from building the tunnels’ walls using a bottom-up approach, the southern portal construction also includes building a collector distributor

COVER STORY

bridge to collect vehicles from Williamstown Road and merging them with the westbound freeway lanes to the west of the tunnel.

With the scope of the project involving a combination of precast installations and in-situ structures erected next to the busiest freeway in Melbourne, and with the excavation level more than 30 metres below the freeway, there were various intricacies involved in the project.

EARLY PLANNING The start and end of each tunnel is being built using the ‘cut and cover’ method.

This involves excavating a trench and then covering it with a concrete deck to form a roof. The cut and cover structure for the southern portal is formed in three levels.

The deepest end of the portal is where the tunnel boring machine (TBM) will be dismantled and retrieved after reaching the finish line. The main carriage way or the road level is built above this level, with two more levels constructed above the road level to house the tunnel’s ventilators.

The Premier Cranes team had begun planning the lifts for the southern portal

The teams from Premier Cranes and CPBJH JV worked closely together on the project. Standing from the left: Aidan Winkler and Joshua Vassallo from Premier Cranes, Nat Lewis from CPBJH JV.

months before Sam sat behind the ‘beast’ for that first lift. In fact, it started when the team was still working on the northern portal and they identified the need to purchase the 350T crawler crane specifically for that part of the project.

Premier Cranes’ Head of Sales, Travis Smith led the charge with acquiring the crawler crane and getting it to the project.

“We knew from the first day that the

southern portal construction would be the most challenging,” he says. “Not only is the site located close to moving traffic and in a narrow strip, but we were also working alongside other civil construction teams on the site, so we wanted to make sure there was as little disruption to their works as possible.”

The Liebherr LR1350/1 crawler crane that the Premier Cranes team acquired, offered

Premier Cranes acquired the 350-tonne Liebherr LR1350/1 crawler crane specifically for the project.

roadsonline.com.au

15

certain advantages that ensured a smooth operation. Among these, Travis says, the easier set-up for the super lift tray meant considerable time-savings by the team.

“The LR1350/1 is the top of its class in crawler cranes. The main advantage for us was the flexibility in setting up and attaching and detaching the super lift tray. We also did not necessarily have to level the tray for each lift, which saved us at least an hour every day.

If you consider the savings over the duration of about nine months that the crane was on the project, it’s a lot of time and a lot of money saved,” says Travis.

THE CHALLENGES Though the Premier Cranes team ordered the crane early on in preparation for the task, getting the crane to the site was not easy.

This was back in 2020 and COVID-related travel restrictions had just kicked in. Apart from some of the Premier Cranes’ operators having to work on rosters, this meant the team could not travel overseas to inspect the machine before the purchase.

“We had to invest more and rely on Liebherr specialised Mechanical Engineering inspectors overseas to check the crane and to ship it to the site. Around the same time, we began conversations with the CPBJH JV team to plan for when the crane arrived on The Premier Cranes and Rigging team handled loads up to 60-tonnes during construction of the southbound portal.

16

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

the site. A crane that size, you can’t just roll it out. It took us about six months of planning and engineering calculations to make sure the base was ready to set-up the crane.”

Deciding where to position the crane was the next critical task.

Premier Crane’s Program Manager Renier Coetzee and his team worked closely with the CPBJH JV superintendents to identify the best location for positioning the crane to make sure all of the heavy lifts on the project could be handled without re-locating.

“We had to start early and work closely with the CPBJH JV team to plan all of the lifts beforehand. We were very keen on choosing a location for the crane so that the boom could reach all of the required locations, with minimal disruption for the other teams working on site,” says Renier.

Even after the crane arrived on site and was safely anchored to the ground, Sam and the team were conscious of operating the crane in the least disruptive manner.

“It takes a lot of negotiations to get things done right,” says Sam. “For example, the length of the crane’s boom is 72 metres, but it takes 80 metres to lay it all out when we were setting up the crane. I had to make sure that the boom was off the ground so that the other companies could access the area, so that everyone can achieve their work.”

COLLABORATION IS KEY All of that collaboration between the Premier Crane team and CPBJH JV crew on the ground helped orchestrate the perfect lift plans, as Nat Lewis, General Superintendent for CPBJH JV, confirms.

“Nominating craneage and locations for that craneage, given the complex lifts in relatively small areas, has been a major challenge. Incorporating Premier Cranes in with our long-term planning process has been a critical link for the success of the project and it has emphasised the relationship and professionalism of the Premier Cranes’ team,” says Nat. “Premier Cranes’ work is not confined to the southern portals. We have worked with them extensively on the project on either end of the tunnel zone and they have been managing the interface very well in both of those situations. The best thing about them is their flexibility. Their hands-on approach and the relationship of their on-site people with the relevant superintendents has made those complex lifts seem easy.”

Mitchell Lunt, Site Superintendent at CPBJH JV, concurs with Nat. “Every lift undertaken on the job has required a significant amount of time and planning from both Premier Cranes and the CPBJH JV, in turn ensuring every lift was

COVER STORY

well planned, effectively communicated to all personnel involved and carried out in a timely and safe manner,” he says.

“Premier Cranes have always been easy to work with, well organised, highly experienced and always present in a very professional manner,” he adds.

IN THE SPIRIT OF #TEAMLIFTING For Steve Warton, Chief Executive Officer of Premier Cranes and Rigging, the level of coordination between the Premier Cranes’ team and their employer on the West Gate Tunnel project is what the company’s #TeamLifting tag is all about.

“We believe the project has been a success, not only from the timing point of view and the way the works unfolded, but because the performance of our crews and their interactions with the project team network showed how #TeamLifting actually works in action,” says Steve.

“As a company, our culture is driven by the #TeamLifting tag, which ensures that we approach every job with transparency, respect, candor and a can-do attitude,” he adds.

TBMs Bella and Vida, named after exceptional women Bella Guerin and Vida Goldstein, will start their journey at the northern portal in Yarraville and move southwest towards the southern portals on the West Gate Freeway near South Kingsville.

Work will start on the four-kilometre outbound tunnel first, closely followed by the 2.8-kilometre inbound tunnel. The longer tunnel will take around 18 months to dig.

With the bulk of the heavy lifting now completed on the southern portal, Premier Crane’s Liebherr LR1350/1 crawler crane has already mobilised to the next project, but the team has stayed on the ground, helping in the hauls with their fleet of 200 and 250-tonne mobile cranes.

Since its inception, Premier Cranes and Rigging has grown its fleet of cranes, whilst supporting its clients on key projects, from civil and rail to bridges and precast.

Boasting a diverse range, from Liebherr All Terrain Cranes to three Franna AT20s and now the 350-tonne crawler crane, the company keeps upgrading its fleet.

Simultaneously, Warton says the company has been successful in attracting some of

the best talent in the field.

“By creating structured teams, both in the office and in the field, we have attracted, retained and empowered the talent to understand the unique needs of each job in their quest to offer holistic and optimal solutions for our clients,” he says.

Now, Premier Cranes is looking forward to even bigger projects and reaching new heights with each project, according to Travis.

“Every project we work on is trumped by the next one. Everything is getting bigger and bigger,” he says.

As for the 350-tonne Liebherr LR1350/1 crawler, it’s become “hot property” in Melbourne, Travis says.

“This is now one of the busiest cranes in Melbourne!” Travis says. “With the way the infrastructure sector is going, and with Premier’s #TeamLifting approach, we are planning works with major contractors on some of the largest projects in Melbourne.

“There’s also still a lot of lifting to cover on the West Gate Tunnel Project and we will continue to collaborate on the job until we get the result for CPBJH JV.”

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APAC construction sector shows strong optimism and investment post-COVID with digitisation tipped as key growth area, InEight Outlook finds.

TAKING THE PULSE OF THE

INDUSTRY

IN JULY, INEIGHT LAUNCHED ITS FIRST GLOBAL CAPITAL PROJECTS OUTLOOK REPORT. ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SITS DOWN WITH ROB BRYANT, INEIGHT’S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE APAC REGION, TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS FROM THE REPORT.

T

Rob Bryant, InEight’s Executive Vice President for the APAC region.

18

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

he construction industry, like all industries, faced tremendous challenges during 2020. But despite difficulties like border closures, material shortages and scarcity of skilled workforce, construction professionals in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region remain fairly optimistic about the industry’s future, as InEight’s first Global Capital Projects Outlook report found earlier this year.

For its first [with potentially more] of such industry reports, InEight, a global leader in construction project management software, worked in conjunction with a global market

research partner to survey 300 of the world’s largest capital project owners and construction professionals over six weeks in February and March, 2021. Survey questions were designed to gauge general confidence and optimism levels across the industry, and assess track record, plans and attitudes towards digital transformation.

As Rob Bryant, InEight’s Executive Vice President for the APAC region explains, respondents were selected to represent both project owners and contractors, with equal proportion from the three focus regions – namely the Americas, Europe and APAC.

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

“We wanted the report to include a broad range of organisations through the different tiers of the construction industry, both in the contractor space and in the owner space,” Bryant tells Roads & Infrastructure.

OPTIMISM REMAINS HIGH The report paints a positive picture of the level of optimism in the construction sector, with 93 per cent of respondents in the APAC region either fairly or very optimistic about their future, and 89 per cent saying they believed their organisation to be resilient.

Looking at the Australian industry from a privileged position of being able to compare it globally, Bryant attributes this high level of optimism to the rise in capital project spending and how the sector has worked its way through the challenges of 2020.

“With a project pipeline of around $100 billion over 10 years that the Australian Government has either committed to or brought forward, there’s obviously a cascading effect through all the different sectors and players in each sector.

“In 2020, the construction sector in APAC was one of the few sectors able to continue in a fairly seamless fashion.

The industry, of course, faced a lot of challenges, but it wasn’t impacted the way some other sectors were. I think that also helped to make organisations feel that if they’ve been able to get through 2020 and maintain business, they could do that in the next few years as well.”

A GROWING INTEREST IN DATA Understanding the industry’s attitude towards digital transformation was another key objective the InEight Global Outlook report pursued.

In the APAC region, 78 per cent of respondents considered digital transformation as their biggest short-term source of opportunity, with data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning considered most critical for their success over the next one to three years.

For Bryant, the most interesting outcome was to see the level of interest in digitalisation coming from project owners.

“Traditionally, owners did not pay such close attention to project controls and data. They tended to just receive a project from the contractor, and they would expect the contractor to provide all of that information at the point of handover. But what we are seeing now is that government bodies and parties such as Transport for NSW, the North-East Link Project Authority and others are taking a very active part in requiring project data to be provided and expecting not just roadsonline.com.au

19

their organisation, but the contractors’ organisations, to be digitally organised,” says Bryant.

“That’s encouraging because it shows that there’s a level of awareness and a commitment to see a high standard of data around projects,” he adds.

While the New South Wales and Victorian state governments have long been pioneers in adopting digital transformation initiatives, Bryant says Queensland and Western Australia are joining the party.

“I think in order of activities, certainly on the eastern states, New South Wales and Victoria have been first off the block. But we are seeing Queensland and Western Australia also being very active in those initiatives around digital transformation,” he observes.

On the contractors’ side, Bryant says higher levels of digital technology adoption is being regarded as a key differentiator in winning contracts.

“What we are seeing – and it’s brought on, to some extent, by that level of optimism and opportunity in the survey – is organisations that are using technology as a differentiator to appeal to the owners, to say that they’re not just providing the construction and engineering services, but they are also providing that digital component of visibility and transparency around what they do,” says Bryant.

“I think those ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ will become key points for organisations in the future. We are seeing that already, where some contractors are being brought into alliances and becoming desired partners on projects because of their technological abilities, in the same way that organisations previously had a reputation for their technical abilities.”

BETTER DELIVERY OUTCOMES For both owners and contractors of mega construction projects, delivering projects on time and on budget is one of the biggest outcomes they can achieve with higher digitalisation. When asked about the proportion of construction projects that were delivered on or ahead of their original approved schedule in the InEight survey, contractors reported that they achieved this on average 51 per cent of the time.

Similarly, contractors said their projects were delivered on or under the original approved budget 51 per cent of the time, on average.

20

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

“I THINK THOSE ‘HAVES’ AND ‘HAVE-NOTS’ WILL BECOME THE KEY POINTS IN ORGANISATIONS IN THE FUTURE. WE ARE SEEING THAT ALREADY SOME CONTRACTORS ARE BEING BROUGHT INTO ALLIANCES AND BECOMING DESIRED PARTNERS IN PROJECTS BECAUSE OF THEIR TECHNOLOGICAL ABILITY, IN THE SAME WAY THAT ORGANISATIONS PREVIOUSLY HAD A REPUTATION FOR THEIR TECHNICAL ABILITIES.” Delivering projects on budget remains a challenge within the APAC region, with 20 per cent of APAC respondents revealing the average cost of a project that goes over budget is 15-20 per cent over the original approved budget.

Bryant says the observations in the Outlook report are consistent with what InEight had presumed all along.

“A 51 per cent on-time delivery rate is a very low number. That means you can flip a coin and tell whether a project is going to be delivered on time or on budget. So, the opportunity to improve that is quite dramatic,” he says.

looking at that as a point of difference in some cases,” he observes.

The APAC region, in particular, appears to have a greater awareness of the importance of digital transformation, with more than half of respondents saying lagging behind competitors in their digital transformation efforts presented the biggest risk to their organisations, compared to 30 per cent in the Americas and 37 per cent in Europe.

“There is obviously a lot of work to do, but the fact that the contractors are conscious of the challenge at hand is encouraging, because being conscious is the first step,” says Bryant.

DIGITAL INVESTMENT INCREASING Interestingly, there seems to be a high level of confidence among APAC respondents about their organisations’ abilities to deliver projects on time and on budget in the future. While the average delivery delays and budget overruns are more or less the same as the global average, 89 per cent of APAC respondents are confident of completing future projects on or ahead of schedule, and 91 per cent are confident of doing so on or under budget.

Bryant justifies that higher confidence in the APAC region with the quick uptake of digital technologies.

“The construction industry has traditionally been very slow to invest [in digital tools]. If we look back over the last decade or two, construction has had a poor reputation for investing in technology, and the reports conducted by some of the major institutions in the past have highlighted that. Investment in technology from the construction sector was always behind that of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors over the last decade.

“But we are starting to see the construction sector pick up [speed], so the level of investment is increasing beyond that 1 to 1.5 per cent of revenue. It is still very low compared to some other sectors, but the engineering and construction sectors overall are investing more and are

PLANNING AHEAD With the region showing a strong appetite to invest in digital transformation, Bryant says feedback received from the Global Capital Projects Outlook report enables InEight to reflect the results in its roadmap.

“We consult with the industry to develop a lot of the workflow processes that we cater to, and this [report] helps us to do that with more accuracy,” he says.

“So, as we look, for example, at demand around on-time and on-budget delivery, it is helping us to focus our efforts on products such as the InEight Schedule and the InEight Estimate software to help consider and mitigate project risks further and make time-phased forecasting even easier for our clients. These things are really important and [the report] helps us to validate our thinking and feeds directly into our roadmap.”

With InEight’s first Global Capital Projects Outlook report such a success, Bryant does not rule out the possibility if its continuation in the future.

“It’s been such a success for us in validating our thinking and helping to form our roadmap. Though in the future we might re-think the frequency or the regionality of the survey, I think as an exercise, it has definitely been worthwhile as it helps us make sure we are in tune with the industry and validate all the things that we believe we’re right in pursuing.”

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ROADS MEETING SAFETY AT AFPA 2021

SYMPOSIUM

THE AUSTRALIAN FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION’S ‘ROADS GOING FULL CIRCLE’ SYMPOSIUM WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR KEY PLAYERS IN THE PAVEMENT INDUSTRY TO SHOWCASE THEIR LATEST RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGIES. ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE REPORTS.

W

hen the Australian flexible Pavement Association (AfPA) released its Strategic Plan 20202022, health and safety were identified as key priorities in the industry peak body’s vision for the next 50 years.

So it was that the first day of the AfPA 2021 Symposium, ‘Roads Going Full Circle,’ focussed on ways to improve health and safety within the paving community.

Sponsored by Viva Energy, the virtual event brought together over 250 attendees on the first day.

Matthew MacMahon, AfPA Chief Executive Officer, opened the Symposium by explaining why health and safety were strategic priorities for AfPA. “This is the Board strategic priority I am most passionate about. Our people deserve to be healthy and safely go home after a hard day’s work. This is what keeps me up at night and I am proud to lead an association that sees this as a priority,” he said.

“The biggest safety risk areas for our industry remain: working under live traffic, working near mobile plant, burns and explosions; and the mental health of our people – in particular under these uncertain COVID times,” he added.

TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH When considering the safety and wellbeing of those working within the pavement sector, mental health is often discounted or disregarded altogether in favour of the tangible aspect of workplace safety, namely the physical health.

Wayne Schwass, former AFL player and a 22

ROADS AUGUST 2021

Wayne Schwass, former AFL player and a passionate advocate for mental health, engaged the audience in an interactive session.

passionate advocate for mental health and emotional wellbeing engaged the audience in an interactive session wherein he encouraged the attendees to talk about mental health candidly within their workplaces to help break the stigma around the issue.

“One of the things that I’ve consistently heard and seen from people is that there’s this misconception that we need to be clinically trained [to talk about mental health] …It’s actually not accurate. We can be everyday Australians working in the road construction industry... Every one of us has the ability and the opportunity of being able to talk about these types of topics and why they are important,” he said.

WORKERS’ HEALTH IN SPOTLIGHT Khoa Vo, Laboratory Manager at Fulton Hogan’s National Binders Laboratory presented a paper that investigates the use of sodium hypochlorite to reduce the

amount of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas released into the atmosphere when sulphur is used as a cross-linking agent in the manufacturing process of polymer modified bitumen (PMB).

The results of these experiments have shown that sodium hypochlorite is a highly effective and economical method of reducing H2S produced in the manufacturing of PMB. It was also shown that traditional methods of negating odour in PMB plants were completely ineffective at stopping actual H2S from being released into the atmosphere.

This, as Vo pointed out, should be an issue that PMB plants take into account as the uncontrolled and unmonitored release of H2S gas can have a significant effect on the health and safety of those within close proximity of PMB plants and also may significantly impact the environment.

Ben Franze, a Materials Engineer with Fulton Hogan, explained why automated asphalt testing for the determination of asphalt bitumen content is a safer alternative to the AS/NZS 2891.3 methods currently used in day-to-day asphalt plants. A putative advantage of automated asphalt testing machines, he argued, is the reduced need for direct operator involvement, which has the potential to minimise operator exposure to hazards associated with currently used methods. A comparison of automated asphalt test machine with an existing test method by the team at Fulton Hogan had concluded that the automatic method reduced the duration of manual handling tasks by 30 to 45 minutes for every test.

Otta seals to provide a longer lasting and more robust surfacing. These improvements include using crumb rubber modified cutback binder and a no fines precoated graded crushed aggregate. These modifications have led to a seal which can tolerate imperfections in the base course preparation more so than conventional single sized seals.

Colas Australia and its subsidiary SAMI Bitumen Technologies were present at the virtual expo, showcasing a range of products and successful case studies. Among these, SAMI’s Stephen Bernard presented how SAMI’s low viscosity S45R product is enabling crumbed rubber modified bitumen to be sprayed without any cutter, with considerable environmental benefits.

Fulton Hogan’s innovative PlastiPhalt asphalt pavement contains shredded plastic and has already been laid on several council roads.

As an exhibitor on the day, Fulton Hogan showcased its FibreDec heavy duty fibre-reinforced emulsion seal for the rehabilitation and control of reflective cracking in pavements. Fulton Hogan also introduced its PlastiPhalt, an innovative, environmentally-friendly asphalt pavement containing recycled waste plastic. Unlike other asphalts modified with recycled plastics, PlastiPhalt uses specially selected polymers which are fully incorporated into the binder to make a true PMB. INDUSTRY INITIATIVES Initiatives being undertaken by the industry to facilitate safer paving within Australia were discussed at a session led by Norbert Michel, AfPA’s Executive Director for Victoria and Tasmania. Michel offered a snapshot of the joint safety initiative conducted by Department of Transport (DoT) Victoria and AfPA for sprayed sealing operations. Now at the end of its fourth year, the joint project focusses on forward moving aggregate spreading operations.

Nicholas Lee, a Senior Pavement Technology Engineer at VicRoads shared results from a recent major trial involving significant collaboration between DoT, The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) and industry partners with support from AfPA. The trial involved the development and placement of four industry developed crumb rubber asphalt mixes over a

1.4-kilometre length on East Boundary Road, East Bentleigh, Melbourne. Construction finished in March 2020 and the mixes will be monitored over a two-year period. A final report will be published in 2022. The trial is aimed at increasing sustainable outcomes by further developing crumbed rubber asphalts (CRA) resurfacing mixes in Victoria.

Elimination of cutters in spray sealing applications was another topic on the agenda, with Trevor Distin, Technical Marketing Manager at Colas Australia, talking about preservation of scarce resources by surfacing gravel roads with modified graded seals.

Graded seals were first used in Otta, Norway in the 1960’s where alluvial glacial gravel was used in combination with a soft bitumen to surface roads. Colas has made several improvements to these original

MOVING WITH THE TIME Concluding the Health and Safety stream of the AfPA 2021 Symposium, Justin Ganschow, Business Development Manager for Caterpillar Safety Services, talked about how Caterpillar is teaching workers how to avoid danger by immersing them into a safe and controlled environment with Virtual Reality.

When using Cat Safety VR, learners wear a VR headset that fully immerses them into a jobsite. In the experience, learners engage with the foreman on the jobsite and follow specific prompts to study and respond to industry-relevant risks. Using the technology, the Caterpillar team is teaching employees to safely follow work procedures and recognise unsafe behaviours without putting them in danger. *This article is part of a series of articles covering the discussions from AfPA’s 2021 Symposium. The next article will focus on sustainability solutions within the paving industry.

Colas surfaced a gravel road for NSW’s Glen Innes Council with modified graded seal.

roadsonline.com.au

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AUSTRALIAN FLEXIBLE PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION

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AfPA

MEMBER PROFILE

PETER OZOUX, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AUSTEK ROADS, TALKS TO ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE ABOUT HIS CAREER JOURNEY AND MORE. 1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU/YOUR COMPANY BEEN AN AFPA MEMBER AND WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME ONE? Austek Asphalt Services has been a member of AfPA since 2012. We joined AfPA originally to support our industry association, as well as to gain access to industry leading training courses. Networking with our industry colleagues and potential customers was also important. AfPA was able to offer these opportunities in many ways such as industry brekky’s Golf Days and industry briefings.

2. HOW DID YOU START YOUR CAREER IN THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY? I started my career at Pioneer Road Services at the age of 17 in the spray seal division based out of Geebung, Queensland, working under some of today’s industry leaders. Throughout my time at Pioneer, I was fortunate to travel across most of Queensland, completing regional spray seal programs for councils and the Department of Transport and Main Roads, completing major infrastructure projects. While at Pioneer, I was taught many skills most paramount to being successful today and now I have the ability to pass on this knowledge and skills to my own staff.

3. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE? My current role as Managing Director of Austek Roads involves the organisation and strategic guidance to ensure long-term goals are achieved within all of our team. I identify opportunities and develop strategies to execute them.

4. WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT ROLE? The best thing about my role is getting in the trenches with the teams, making things

tyres back into local roads. We recycle 10 passenger tyres per tonne of asphalt produced.

Peter Ozoux, Managing Director, Austek Roads.

happen, celebrating the wins and supporting them in the losses, showing them that it doesn’t matter where you started, it’s where you want to finish, and the relentless effort to succeed. There’s an old saying that says: If you hang around the barber shop long enough, sooner or later you’re going to get a haircut.

5. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN THE INDUSTRY? Investing in our Beninghoven ECO3000 240-tonne-per-batch asphalt production facility at Luscombe. With the help of my innovative team and entrepreneurial mindset, we have developed a world-first innovation called ZEROAD. In partnership with Pearl Global Limited, we basically de-construct tyres back into their three constituents – which is recovered carbon black, fuel oil and steel. These products are utilised in our manufacturing process in a unique way. The recovered carbon black is added into the asphalt matrix via a metred screw conveyor and silo and the fuel oil is a 100 per cent diesel replacement in our drying process.

The social outcome for Queenslanders and Australians is huge as it’s a home-grown innovative solution that re-purposes local

6. WHAT IS A RECENT CHANGE YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE INDUSTRY AND HOW ARE YOU/THE COMPANY PREPARED FOR THAT? There has been a large emphasis on the use of recycled products such as RAP, glass, plastic, recovered carbon black and tyres.

Austek has heavily invested in technology that is leading the industry in this space.

Another step change in the industry that Austek has also invested in is paperless Quality Assurance (QA) systems. We are now looking to connect this technology with our production teams and ultimately adapting other emerging technologies such as machinery that can also communicate with our paperless QA system, giving live compaction results, rolling patterns and real time results.

7. HOW HAS BEING A MEMBER OF AFPA BENEFITTED YOU IN THE INDUSTRY? AfPA has supported Austek from a small owner operator to now becoming an Active Producer member. Over the last 10 years, AfPA has kept us up to date with the industry and the legislative changes, along with providing our teams with informative education programs. AfPA has provided a platform for industry competitors to network and share work/life experiences that rarely happen outside of these events.

9. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE? My goal for the future is to continue to innovate and challenge myself, always building on our brand presence and creating a legacy that will be remembered in the industry. roadsonline.com.au

25

Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia

FUTURE-PROOFING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH NEW

SUSTAINABILITY BENCHMARK

THE INFRASTRUCTURE SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL HAS RELEASED AN EVOLVED BENCHMARK TO HELP FUTURE-PROOF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.

T

he IS Rating Scheme (IS) developed by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council is Australia and New Zealand’s only comprehensive rating system for evaluating sustainability across the planning, design, construction and operational phases of infrastructure programs, projects, networks and assets.

The release of ISv2.1 Design and As Built updates the benchmarks for sustainability performance for the infrastructure sector. The ISv2.1 Design and As Built tool recognises and builds on the progress the industry has made in recent years and focuses on the delivery of outcomes and cultivating best practice within the sector.

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s Chief Operating Officer Patrick Hastings notes that IS v2.1 Design and As Built doesn’t just shift the bar on sustainability performance, but also makes the tool clearer, more intuitive and focused on outcomes.

“In approaching the new version of the IS Rating Scheme, we knew it was imperative that it was created by industry, for industry, as a way of creating a common definition and set of expectations around what good quadruple bottom line performance looks like for infrastructure.

This process of multi stakeholder development has been maintained throughout, with industry instrumental in shaping its new ambition,” he says.

The development of ISv2.1 Design and As Built entailed engaging with more than 700 individual stakeholders who provided more than 1,600 individual pieces of feedback.

26

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

Main Roads WA’s Tonkin Gap Project is undertaking an IS v2.0 Rating and trialling IS v2.1 Credits.

Feedback received to date has been valuable in supporting ISCA’s transition to IS v2.1.

“We have also been working in deep partnership with Western Australia Department of Transport and Main Roads to learn from the scheme and to ensure that the new tool is market ready and delivers the intended impacts on the ground,” Hastings says.

Since 2012, over 180 projects valued at more than $200 billion have registered to undertake an IS Rating certification, with the Scheme mandated for various infrastructure classes across all states, the Australian Capital Territory and into New Zealand.

A common set of benchmarks across the jurisdictions has led a marked improvement in the way the sector approaches and delivers long term benefit through infrastructure and this is clearly demonstrated by the growth in assets receiving a leading rating.

Given Infrastructure Partnerships Australia is reporting Australia is at risk of being left behind by global investors for markets with more progressive Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) polices and regulation, the release of ISv2.1 Design and As Built is timely.

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s annual Australian Infrastructure Investment Report also notes that 93 per cent of infrastructure investors surveyed agree that ESG has

become more important over the past two years, with all respondents agreeing it will become more important in the three years to come.

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council believes Australia and New Zealand have a strong story to tell. Through the IS Rating Scheme, the holistic delivery of economic, environment and social benefit has become standard policy and practice for those mandating asset and program owners.

Over 70 per cent of applicable projects on Infrastructure Australia’s 2021 High Priority and Priority List are expected, or are already, undertaking IS Ratings, with 65 per cent of projects on its Under Construction or Complete List having also undertaken ratings.

With increasing uptake of the IS Rating Scheme and the introduction of the ISv2.1 Design and As Built tool, there are plenty of catalysts for further accelerating the sustainability performance of infrastructure assets. The ever-increasing capability within the sector and focus across the jurisdictions means the time for rapid transition is now.

For further information on the ISv2.1, visit the Infrastructure Sustainability Council’s website at www.isca.org.au or get in touch with the team at info@isca.org.au.

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PRECAST POLES:

WHEN SURFACE SPALLING DOESN’T IMPACT STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY WITH THE AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRE SEASON FAST APPROACHING, IT’S IMPERATIVE FOR LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS TO ENSURE THE COUNTRY’S INFRASTRUCTURE IS BUSHFIRE READY. AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED, YET UNDOUBTEDLY VITAL, PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE UBIQUITOUS UTILITY POLE.

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ost commonly facilitating overhead power lines, but also telephone lines, utility poles are a lifeline to rural communities, both day-today and during a bushfire.

The material properties of precast concrete make it an excellent material choice for utility poles that are deployed to bushfire prone areas. As well as being inherently non-flammable, non-combustible and ember resistant, precast poles ensure a fast construction turnaround, low per-unit cost and high degree of design customisability.

National Precast’s Master Precaster Rocla has taken great pride in protecting electrical and telecommunications services for rural communities for the last 45 years with the supply and installation of their tried and tested, bushfire-safe precast concrete poles.

Maintaining structural strength during a bushfire is important as high winds (creating high loads on poles) are common in bushfires. Poles can collapse due to the complete loss of structural strength or from wind loads acting on poles that have partially lost structural strength during the bushfire.

With Rocla concrete poles maintaining structural strength, electricity supply during and after a bushfire can be maintained.

UNIMPEDED BY SURFACE DEFECTS With temperatures exceeding 660 degrees Celsius (the melting point of aluminium) Australian bushfires experience rare, short-lasting heat fluxes. While prolonged exposure to the high heat loads of a bushfire 28

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

Rocla concrete poles are suitable for use in all bushfire-prone areas.

can occasionally see precast concrete poles exhibit cosmetic, non-structural surface defects known as pop-outs, Rocla’s poles boast little to no structural degradation under these conditions.

It is in the most extreme heat fluxes when the surface layer of precast concrete poles may spall, as the outermost aggregate layers degrade and expose the concrete core. In such rare cases where inner concrete layers have been exposed, the core which retains its original grey off-form colour indicates that the inner, structural layers have not lapsed 300 degrees Celsius, and thus the pole’s structural integrity is not compromised.

EXCEEDING INDUSTRY STANDARDS As an industry leader in the manufacture and testing of precast poles, Rocla’s bushfire testing, which is in accordance with AS3600, has proven precast concrete as an ideal material to withstand both the heat loads and wind speeds that far surpass that of a typical Australian bushfire.

The company has designed a wall thickness of 60 millimetres – double that of the

recommended fire rating standard. Poles have been recorded to endure fire for six hours at 250 degrees Celsius and 20 minutes at 840 degrees Celsius. Both tests pass the typical specification of 115 per cent bending strength.

In the highest risk scenarios, it is not uncommon for precast concrete poles to be coated with additional fire-retardant materials such as vermiculite or cementitious grout. The external joint lug surface is not sensitive to losing the zinc coating and could be repaired if damaged.

Pole joints near ground level are most susceptible to fire. Joints higher up the pole are less likely to be exposed to the heat intensity and duration found near the ground. If the surface of a concrete pole is damaged, the surface can be readily repaired. A cementitious, non-shrink mortar can be applied to the surface after any loose or damaged concrete is removed.

The rough, exposed surface created by high temperatures provides an excellent surface for bonding the repair mortar to the pole concrete.

As precast concrete elements are manufactured off-site in a factory-controlled environment, the cost, consistency and quality are unmatched. With Master Precasters such as Rocla at the forefront of the industry with their innovative, fireresistant products, Australian communities will increasingly be assured of a safer bushfire season.

To find a Master Precaster for your next project, visit www.nationalprecast.com.au.

THIS IS WHAT

OPERATOR FEEDBACK

CAT® COLD PLANERS. IMPROVED BY OPERATOR FEEDBACK. At Caterpillar, we’ve listened to the people who know Cold Planers best – the operators. As a result, we’ve made a range of major improvements.

Our machines are now even more comfortable to operate, more serviceable and include more safety features. Highlights include improved LED lighting, new handrail design and more robust System K rotors.

Enjoy hassle-free maintenance with a Cat® Customer Value Agreement.

LOOKS LIKE

NSW/ACT WesTrac 1300 881 064 QLD/NT Hastings Deering 131 228

VIC/TAS William Adams 1300 923 267 South Australia Cavpower 08 8343 1600

To explore the improvements, speak to your local Cat dealer or visit www.cat.com/profilers-au

Western Australia WesTrac 1300 881 064 NZ TERRA 0800 93 39 39

© 2021 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, LET’S DO THE WORK, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Corporate Yellow”, the “Power Edge” and Cat “Modern Hex” trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

ROADS REVIEW WITH THE INDUSTRY STRUGGLING WITH SKILLED LABOUR SHORTAGES AMIDST A SURGE OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, WE ASK INDUSTRY LEADERS: WHAT CAN THE INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR DO BETTER TO NARROW THE EXISTING SKILLS GAP?

CHRIS MELHAM, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CIVIL CONTRACTORS FEDERATION NATIONAL The immediate reinstatement of civil occupations on the National Skills Needs List is fundamental to narrowing the skills gap in the civil infrastructure industry. These occupations include bridge, road and tunnel constructors, civil plant operators, pipe layers and line markers. With the stroke of a pen, the Government could make the civil construction sector more attractive for potential entrants by ensuring apprentices, VET providers and employers are eligible for government training incentives. Listing civil occupations on the National Skills Needs List takes on added importance in this current economic climate when Australia is looking to bounce back from the impacts of COVID-19.

DAVID HALLETT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, IPWEA VICTORIA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a must to build individual and organisational capability in the fast-moving infrastructure sector. Qualifications provide a solid base and diverse experience is vital, however an awareness and understanding of new technologies, tools and products is key to maintaining skill-set currency.

Victoria’s Professional Engineers Registration Act 2019 recognises this by establishing minimum qualification, experience and CPD requirements for anyone providing a professional engineering service. But CPD isn’t a box-ticking exercise. Meaningful, role-relevant learning is more important than ever for anyone seeking to develop and deliver successful infrastructure projects.

TANJA CONNERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KNOWLEDGE AND PARTNERSHIPS, AFPA AfPA has addressed the skills gap by working with industry to develop a Flexible Pavements Industry Skills Card. The card will comprise of units taken from the Certificate III Bituminous Surfacing qualification that have been designed to form a skills set for various aspects of the flexible pavements industry. These unit are all competency-based and available under the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system. The release of the card will happen in stages. The first stage was the development of the ‘Be Bitumen Safe’ training delivery online. This training is a pre-requisite to additional, more involved training in safely handling bituminous materials. The other stages will target asphalting and spray sealing operations and introduce other industry specific short courses, such as Chain of Responsibility and a National Work Around Mobile Plant course. The card is designed to further add skills sets for all fields within the flexible pavements industry. The resources will be developed by AfPA with industry, for industry, and the VET accredited units will only be delivered by Registered Training Organisations that hold a delivery agreement with the association.

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ROADS REVIEW

MURRAY VITLICH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, COATES Role-based education and on-going training is critical and will help ensure the industry has the right skills for employees to undertake their roles and perform tasks in a safe and efficient manner. However, the last 18 months have also demonstrated to most industries an increased need for workplace education across a broader base of skills beyond capabilities to undertake a role. For example, emotional resilience and well-being techniques that empower employees to manage the uncertainties and challenges that they face at work and in life are increasingly important to help create greater optimism. In addition, the industry will need to further invest in technology-based learning such as virtual reality and augmented reality. These educational aids or technologies will also help ensure the delivery of learning is accessible and more equitable for all learning styles and backgrounds.

SYBILLA GRADY, SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR, ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA The boom-bust cycle that has characterised infrastructure industry in Australia breeds uncertainty and restricts knowledge and skills transfer across different projects. Where there is instability in the infrastructure market, the risk of appropriately skilled people pursuing alternative careers is increased. Government has a role to play in providing greater market certainty. Record funding and acceleration of shovel ready projects is a short-term fix but without strategies to support reform of the culture, planning and delivery process, sustainable productivity is at stake. The sector needs a culture shift. Attraction and retention issues may be addressed through targeted incentivised programs to support diverse participation and upskilling, as well as providing safe and supportive working environments through investment in continuing professional development schemes and tender blackout periods over the summer holiday season.

MICHAEL CALTABIANO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ARRB As the National Transport Research Organisation, ARRB is committed and focussed on the development of next generation talent to serve the ever-changing transport infrastructure sector. It has been a deliberate and focussed effort by the organisation to invest in next generation thinking and bring staff into our business that have skills that are beyond the traditional engineering base such as environmental law, economics, chemistry, physics, psychology, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced programming. The traditional thinking of engineering businesses, even for specialist businesses like ARRB, is being replaced with agility, transparency, collaboration and the new normal, which is skills diversity to solve new and challenging problems.

If you or someone at your organisation is an industry leader and would like to be a part of this monthly column in 2021, please get in touch with Editor, Tara Hamid: tara.hamid@primecreative.com.au

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THE ECONOMIC SENSE OF

EMPLOYEE LOYALTY Migration expert Monica Gruszka believes employers should seriously consider the benefits of skilled visa programs.

E

mployee turnover has long been a significant concern for employers in the construction industry. This is even more critical now as the impact of COVID-19 market fluctuations and government funding boosts has stirred up demand, creating a healthy pipeline of projects in both the construction and the infrastructure sectors.

Traditionally, construction has been among the industries where large number of workers are likely to change their employer rapidly. In its Labour Turnover Factsheet for 2020, the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) ranked construction as the fifth industry with high employee

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WITH CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES STRUGGLING TO RETAIN THEIR WORKFORCE AMID MARKET FLUCTUATIONS AND SURGING DEMAND, ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPEAKS TO MIGRATION EXPERT MONICA GRUSZKA ON WHAT A WIN-WIN SCENARIO FOR EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS COULD LOOK LIKE. turnover rate, noting that 10.1 per cent of workforce in the industry had changed employer at least once in the year to February 2020.1 The arrival of COVID-19 has further complicated things, with companies dealing on one hand with an influx of projects, and on the other hand, border restrictions impacting skilled workers’ abilities to re-locate and fill the gaps.

A surge in housing demand has seen the industry face an unprecedented skill shortage. The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ housing finance data in July showed that the number of new mortgages taken out for construction of dwellings in May 2021 was 89 per cent higher than it was in May last year.2 Similar situations prevail in the infrastructure sector. Peak industry bodies Roads Australia and the Australasian Railway Association called on the Federal Government in June to update the Priority Skilled Occupations List to include specialist skills critical to the delivery of major road and rail construction projects.

This led to the decision by the Federal Government to expand the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) to include occupations such as electrical engineer, structural engineer, geotechnical engineer and transport engineer.

With demand for skilled workforce showing no signs of receding and

with companies continually looking to lower their labour turnover costs, migration expert Monica Gruszka believes employers should seriously consider the benefits of skilled visa programs for their businesses.

As Principal Director of Sydney-based Gruszka & Associates, Gruszka has helped many construction companies find loyal employees through the programs and says she has seen first-hand the benefits for both employers and employees.

“If you look at the history of why the temporary skill shortage visa program was first introduced, it was specifically designed to address labour shortages where businesses most struggle to find locally available workforce. Small businesses are the backbone of the Australian economy, and the skilled visa program was introduced to ensure that businesses can continue to function,” says Gruszka.

“If an employee knows that they could become permanent residents of Australia and benefit from incentives such as Medicare, superannuation, sick leave and annual leave, that increases the chance of businesses retaining the workforce they have trained and supported. From the employee’s perspective, the permanent residency and the chance to become a citizen of Australia is the dangling carrot.

It’s a situation where everyone wins.”

EMPLOYMENT

DIFFERENT VISA OPTIONS The subclass 482 temporary skill shortage visa enables employers to address labour shortages in their industry by bringing in skilled workers for a period of up to four years where they can’t source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.

The permanent employer nomination scheme visa, or subclass 186, on the other hand, allows sponsored workers to stay and work in Australia permanently.

Gruszka says it’s up to the employers to choose which visa type is best suited to their requirements.

“If the individual is more skilled, there is the possibility of direct permanent entry via the employment nominated pathway. But if the company just wants temporary workers for any reason, like if they want to trial someone before offering them permanent residency rights, then we can go down the temporary skilled visa pathway. The costs are actually quite similar for both options.”

Another class of visa that Gruszka believes is often overlooked is the subclass 407 Training Visa.

“This is a fantastic visa and a huge opportunity for companies that want to sponsor an apprentice, but the individual does not have the formal qualifications for a temporary skilled visa,” she explains.

“I have mechanics, carpenters, joiners, brick layers, cabinet makers, who have come from overseas and are here on a student visa. They might have brought with them certain skills or gained the skills through working part-time during their studies, but they don’t meet the qualification requirements for a skilled visa yet.

“The 407 Training Visa allows companies to provide a work-based training program and retain their apprentices for two extra years while they train and get qualified.

The companies are not obliged to provide the individual with the market salary rate, because they are apprentices, but they get to build excellent loyalty and the assurance that their workforce will stay with them beyond the training period.”

A UNIQUE TYPE OF SERVICE In a way, what Gruszka & Associates offers is unique in the construction industry.

Where most migration agents offer advice solely on issues related to visa and residency, Gruszka says her personal connections with the construction sector

The Gruszka & Associates office is located on Castlereagh Street in Sydney.

“IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF WHY THE TEMPORARY SKILL SHORTAGE VISA WAS FIRST INTRODUCED, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS LABOUR SHORTAGES WHERE BUSINESSES MOST STRUGGLE TO FIND LOCALLY AVAILABLE WORKFORCE.” have turned her into a jack of all trades, quite literally.

“When I process any visa application, I often look at their resumes and then I call the companies and say here’s a resume, what do you think? And vice versa, the companies might ask me, do you know anyone? So, I ask for permission from both parties to exchange their information and then it’s up to them to work it out,” she explains.

As the daughter of a migrant, Gruszka is a passionate advocate for immigrants. Having received her qualifications as a migration agent from the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority in 2017, she is currently undertaking a law degree to become a barrister. She also actively participates in providing CPD training for other migration agents.

“The law is constantly changing,” she says, emphasising why companies should consider the services of a professional firms in the area.

“For example, as of last year, companies are required to conduct some additional labour market testing. You need to consult experts because the criteria for advertising the job are exceptionally high. The job must be advertised for a minimum of 28 days on three different paid platforms. Of

these, one must be on the government website JobActive, and that’s where it becomes very technical because the job requirements need to be very clearly specified.

“Applications for subclass 482 visa are among the most scrutinised applications.

That’s because there is a high risk that the advertisements might not be genuine and the Australian government, of course, does not want to deprive local workforce of job opportunities. As a one-stop-shop agency, we take care of everything, from drafting employment contracts to assisting with job descriptions,” she says.

And these days, Gruszka says her team remains as busy as ever, despite the construction sector in New South Wales going through disruptions as a result of COVID-19.

“Nothing has stopped. The companies are still looking for workforce. In fact, our team has been very busy this month. The anticipation is that the lockdown’s impact will not be long-term, and the projects’ pipelines will keep growing. As someone close to the construction sector, I don’t see any sign of things slowing down.”

RESOURCES: 1 Ai Group Economics Fact Sheet Labour turnover in 2020.

2 Australian Bureau of Statistics Lending indicators, May 2021.

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INNOVATION

MEETS SAMI

SAMI BITUMEN’S INNOVATIVE LOW-VISCOSITY CRUMB RUBBER BINDER IS HELPING THE VSA GROUP CARRY ON SEALING IN THE COLDER SEASON, WITHOUT USING KEROSENE CUTTERS. ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE LOOKS AT THE BENEFITS GAINED ON A RECENT PROJECT IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

P

innaroo is the gateway to South Australia when travelling from Victoria and New South Wales on the Mallee Highway. The township was recently the site of a breakthrough highway resealing project conducted by Primal and InRoads – both part of the Victorian Sealing Alliance (VSA) – in collaboration with SAMI Bitumen Technologies.

The work, which involved resealing on 115 kilometres of the Browns Well and Karoonda Highways for McMahon Services team, was unique in many ways. Firstly, resealing was carried out during April and May, a time of year when traditional resealing often poses quality and environmental risks due to cool climatic conditions. The project was also significant for its environmental and safety benefits, with no kerosene cutter used in the spray sealing process.

These, and other efficiency and environmental gains on the project, were

made possible through what SAMI Bitumen Technologies’ Technical Services Manager Iulian Man refers to as a case of “double innovations.”

Primal and InRoads were adopting their German-built synchronised bituminous surfacing technology, called the OBV production unit, on the project. The OBV technology, which the VSA team has been using on a variety of pavement projects in Australia over the past year, offers an innovative alternative to the traditional reverse aggregate spreading technique.

In 2017, the State Road Authority of Victoria mandated against the ongoing use of reversing aggregate spreader trucks on spray sealing worksites due to several significant safety incidents. Whilst much of the surfacing industry subsequently focused on re-engineering the task of spreading aggregate in a forward direction by placing spreader boxes on the front of trucks, VSA

Roads adopted a holistic approach by using the OBV production unit to deliver a safer and more sustainable surfacing solution.

The OBV technology offers significant safety advantages by eliminating the use of reversing tippers, minimising the number of plants on the jobsite – thus reducing the risk of collision – and operating at a reduced speed. The OBV also provides environmental benefits by eliminating the use of hazardous cutback bitumen, the need for stack sites on the edge of the road and significantly reducing aggregate wastage.

Though adopting the OBV unit provided the VSA team with numerous safety and efficiency gains, the other aspect of the double innovation was the binder material used by the OBV crew.

While traditionally kerosene cutters have been introduced at high temperatures to reduce the viscosity of crumb rubber binders in cool periods of the year, the VSA team

VSA Roads uses the OBV technology for spray sealing, which eliminates the use of reversing tippers.

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ASPHALT IN ACTION

adopted a purpose-manufactured, lowviscosity version of SAMI’s S45R crumbed rubber binder, called S45R-LV, to help eliminate the use of kerosene cutters on its projects.

The break-through SAMI product paves the way for using crumb rubber from end-of-life tyres without having to cut back the viscous binder with kerosene to be able to spray it.

In the Pinnaroo project for example, 1.7 million litres of SAMI’s cutter-free S45RLV crumbed rubber binder was sprayed to cover an area of 789,000 square metres.

This helped recycle 40,000 old tyres, which were used to produce 260 tonnes of rubber material.

SAMI’S INVOLVEMENT Brad Richards, SAMI Bitumen Technologies’ State Manager for the Southern Region, says the project is ground-breaking, not just for eliminating the use of cutters and reducing aggregate wastage, but for what it signifies in terms of extending the spraying season.

“The OBV technology drops the aggregates so close to the sprayed binder that it makes the process less susceptible to the cold temperatures. This means you can start spraying earlier, and you can keep spraying later in the season,” says Richards.

Over the past 12 months, SAMI has supplied the S45R-LV binder to VSA for several reseal projects in Victoria and New South Wales, but this was the first time an operation was completed in South Australia. The longer distance from SAMI’s production facility in Laverton to the project site meant the team had to make special provisions to maintain

“IN THE PINNAROO PROJECT, 1.7 MILLION LITRES OF SAMI’S CUTTER-FREE S45R-LV CRUMBED RUBBER BINDER WAS SPRAYED TO COVER AN AREA OF 789,000 SQUARE METRES. THIS HELPED RECYCLE 40,000 OLD TYRES, WHICH WERE USED TO PRODUCE 260 TONNES OF RUBBER MATERIAL. ”

the binder temperature and properties during delivery, Richards explains.

“To satisfy the Department for Infrastructure and Transport in South Australia, a sample of the product was taken and tested at the point of spraying. To do that, SAMI set up a mobile testing laboratory in Pinnaroo with the cooperation of the Pinnaroo local council, who let us use one of their sheds in the council depot. We used some of our spare equipment and an experienced laboratory technician to set up a mobile testing facility on the site,” Richards says.

“This was a first time that SAMI Victoria had to set up a mobile testing facility, though it is done in other states where our products are sent to remote areas. So, the product was tested here at the plant when it was manufactured, then it was sampled and tested as we loaded the tankers and then again sampled and tested at the point of delivery,” he adds.

OPENING NEW OPPORTUNITIES With the safety and environmental benefits offered by the SAMI S45R-LV binder and VSA’s OBV technology, Sylvain Clement, VSA Bituminous Surfacing Manager, is excited about future projects.

“Moving away from cutback bitumen is one of the greatest challenges for the

Australian spray sealing industry and would lead to significant safety improvement whilst reducing its environmental impact,” he says.

“During the Pinnaroo project alone, over 100,000 litres of cutter material was saved in comparison to conventional spray sealing methods, thanks to S45R-LV and the OBV technology,” he says.

The VSA Group has already sprayed over five million square metres of surface with their OBV unit in the past 12 months and they are continuously monitoring the performance of the resealed roads. So far, Clement says the feedback from the industry has only been positive.

“We are still monitoring the road condition, but so far, we have received very positive feedback from our client in South Australia.

The seal is performing as expected, with a great surface texture and aggregate retention,” he says.

“This initiative supports the industry’s drive to eliminate the use of volatile cutters in the spraying of hot binders. This is a win-win for the environment and worker safety. This project was a great opportunity to work in South Australia, where further opportunities were flagged by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport as part as its maintenance strategy for the rural road network.”

SAMI’s S45R-LV crumbed rubber binder eliminates the use of kerosene cutters in cold season.

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TAKING CONTROL OF THE

CONCRETE MIX

ANTEC’S VOLUMETRIC CONCRETE MIX TECHNOLOGY ENSURES QUALITY CONCRETE, WITH ACCURATE BATCHING, IS PRODUCED RIGHT ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITE. JON COLES, ANTEC’S GENERAL MANAGER – CONCRETE EQUIPMENT DIVISION, EXPLAINS FURTHER.

P

re-mixed concrete has long enjoyed a spotlight as the preferred method of transporting concrete to construction sites. And with advantages too. The economics of being able to produce concrete in large volumes at a batching plant and shipping it to the pour site in barrel trucks has often convinced project managers it was the better option compared to site-mixed concrete.

But with batched concrete, comes certain challenges – most notably a lack of control on the consistency of the mix, particularly with transit times and potential site delays having an impact on concrete quality. Now, an innovative concept, the Volumetric Concrete Mixer, is offering the best of both worlds to construction projects.

By storing all of the concrete’s 36

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

The Volumetric Concrete Mixer is ideal for road repairs using quicksetting concrete.

MATERIALS HANDLING

The Cemen Tech Volumetric Concrete Mixer from Antec is a batch plant and mixer in one.

constituents in separate compartments on a truck and mixing them with preprogrammed volumetric ratios on site as per the batch requirement, the technology helps produce fresh concrete with every pour, and with precise mix design.

Antec is a pioneer in introducing Cemen Tech’s Volumetric Concrete Mixer technology to the Australian market. Antec’s General Manager for the Concrete Equipment Division Jon Coles says there are multiple advantages to using Volumetric Concrete Mixers.

“Self-reliance is a big factor that our customers seem to enjoy,” he tells Roads & Infrastructure. “By having a mobile mixer, you have full control on the quality of your concrete and when it’s delivered. You can produce different concrete grades with the one mobile unit. By simply adjusting the parameters on a menu, you can change the mix ratios and pour a different concrete mix for different sections in your project.”

This also comes with environmental benefits, as Coles explains further.

“In large roads and infrastructure projects, you often need to set up a batch concrete plant on the site. But instead of setting up a large mixing plant, you can use two or more Volumetric Concrete Mixers and feed the project with fresh concrete, without all of the environmental controls and expenses in setting up a batching plant,” he says.

“Another key advantage is that there

“BY HAVING A MOBILE MIXER, YOU HAVE FULL CONTROL ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR CONCRETE AND WHEN IT’S DELIVERED. YOU CAN PRODUCE DIFFERENT CONCRETE GRADES WITH THE ONE MOBILE UNIT. BY SIMPLY ADJUSTING THE PARAMETERS ON A MENU, YOU CAN CHANGE THE MIX RATIOS AND POUR A DIFFERENT CONCRETE MIX FOR DIFFERENT SECTIONS IN YOUR PROJECT.” is no wastage. You don’t have to carry a full load of mixed concrete in a barrel and then have to dump the excess on the ground somewhere. Because you are mixing the water on site, there is less water used in the concrete mix and less water required for washing out the mixer.”

Quick-set concretes in particular are a notable application for the Volumetric Concrete Mixer. Coles recalls an example where one Antec customer used the Volumetric Concrete Mixer with advantages.

“Our customers were doing a road repair where they used a fast-setting cement, which goes off very fast; so, having it delivered by a barrel truck wasn’t feasible. Volumetric Concrete Mixers are a really good option for such a situation because they can just mix the concrete on site as it’s required, then wash the truck very quickly and the road is back up and running in a matter of hours. They just do the concreting overnight and by the morning it is ready to drive on.”

Antec’s Volumetric Concrete Mixers are available in different sizes, and with different degrees of computerisation.

Coles says the larger models, namely the M30, M60 and C60 are the most popular in the roads and infrastructure sector.

Where Antec’s service offering makes a difference to customers is also through spare parts and technical support.

Antec’s team receives the units from the US manufacturer and assembles them onto trucks at Antec’s Blacktown facility in Sydney. This allows the team to incorporate some level of customisation as per customers’ requirements and to ensure compliance with the Australian heavy vehicle standards.

“Our spare parts holding adds to the reliability factor of our Volumetric Concrete Mixer units. We have all of the critical and consumable spare parts for the Cemen Tech machines in stock and our technical support is available 24/7 to respond to any customer queries. Antec has 13 branch locations nationally with parts holding capability,” says Coles.

Antec’s Volumetric Concrete Mixers are available in different sizes, and with different degrees of computerisation.

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THE COMBINED POWER: JOHN DEERE AND THE WIRTGEN GROUP THE WIRTGEN GROUP OFFICIALLY BECAME PART OF JOHN DEERE’S CONSTRUCTION AND FORESTRY DIVISION IN 2017. FOUR YEARS ON, ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE LOOKS AT WHAT THE MERGER MEANS FOR WIRTGEN’S EXISTING AND NEW CUSTOMERS IN AUSTRALIA.

D

ecember 2017 marked a new chapter in the Wirtgen Group’s growth journey as the company officially become part of John Deere’s Construction and Forestry (C&F) division and former managing partners Jürgen Wirtgen and Stefan Wirtgen handed over the operative management of the Wirtgen Group to the new Chief Executive, Domenic G. Ruccolo.

Nearly four years later, Wirtgen Australia Managing Director Stuart Torpy says the acquisition has helped the Wirtgen Group continue to deliver class leading equipment – but the real benefits are yet to come.

Long cherished by civil contractors and construction companies in Australia for its reliable range of Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm and Kleemann brand machinery, Wirtgen Australia maintains its pre-existing sales and services structure, but with potential for a broader Australia- and New Zealand-wide presence through the John Deere dealership network.

In May 2019, John Deere Australia appointed two new dealers for its C&F business – AFGRI Equipment in Western Australia and RDO Equipment in all other states and territories.

John Patten, Director of Patten Pavement Services, regards himself as one of the first people in Australia to have sat behind a Wirtgen profiler.

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Both businesses already held dealerships for John Deere’s Agriculture and Turf (A&T) side of the business and as such, had strong existing customer relationships.

A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES Torpy says the merger has opened new doors to Wirtgen’s existing and new customers.

“John Deere’s purchase of the Wirtgen Group unlocks many opportunities for the expanded group, which in the future will leverage existing customer relationships to streamline a range of areas such as equipment finance, servicing and parts,” he says.

“With the local presence that John Deere’s C&F dealers offer, it costs less for customers now to access parts or services for both John Deere and Wirtgen-owned brands.”

From a sales perspective, Torpy says contractors often like to mix-and-match Wirtgen and John Deere equipment to purchase a complete set for their specific applications.

“For example, collectively we can offer Hamm rollers with John Deere graders, or Kleemann crushers with John Deere loaders

and excavators. And they’re just a few of many potential examples.”

And while the Wirtgen Group did not previously own an in-house finance product, with John Deere’s finance arm – John Deere Financial, the group can now provide some financing options on the Wirtgen Group equipment, while also liaising internally with John Deere Financial to work out the best finance solutions for customers.

“Ultimately, customers will be able to have one provider of finance [John Deere Financial], the closest possible access to parts and service technicians,” Torpy says.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR PATTEN PAVEMENT SERVICES John Patten regards himself as one of the first people in Australia to have sat behind a Wirtgen profiler.

“I feel like a dinosaur,” he jokes, recalling how he has worked with every generation of the Wirtgen profiler launched in Australia, seeing the machines’ evolution over time.

“It was around 1987 or 1988 and I was working as supervisor with Blacktop

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

Profiling when they bought the very first front-loading Wirtgen profiler in Australia,” says Patten, now the Director of Patten Pavement Services.

Since launching his own civil contracting and road construction company – initially as a partner with Melbourne Road Profiling in 1998 and later as Patten Pavement Services in 2003, Patten says he has never bought a profiler other than a Wirtgen one.

Today, Patten Pavement Services has a team of over 65 professional operators and provides Profiling, road construction, crushing, civil, traffic management and maintenance services to clients such as VicRoads, Fulton Hogan, Downer, John Holland/CPB, BMD, Decmil, Transurban, as well as many local Victorian councils.

As a preferred contractor on major federal and local government projects throughout Victoria, Patten Pavement Services is heavily involved in freeway and airport runway projects – including on Cairns Airport where the team used their 3.8-metre drum Wirtgen profiler to do the job.

“We specifically bought the Wirtgen profiler for these projects. With a 3.8-metrewide drum and a 2.5-metre wide drum, it is the largest and the only one of its kind available in Australia,” says Patten.

Patten Pavement Services has completed airport runway projects at Melbourne, Adelaide, Launceston, Devonport, Darwin, Amberley RAAF, Woomera RAAF, Proserpine, Roma, Gold Coast, Rockhampton, Moranbah and Cairns airports, to name some.

The list of freeway projects the team are currently on or have completed is just as long, including projects such as the West Gate Tunnel, Monash freeway upgrades (MFU1 and MFU2), Mordialloc bypass, Drysdale bypass, City Link/Tulla freeway upgrade and M80 upgrades The past two years have been particularly busy years for the company in terms of tierone project delivery and expanding the fleet.

Patten estimates they have spent upwards of $4 million on new Wirtgen and John Deere equipment purchases. This includes buying new Wirtgen Profilers, Kleemann crushers, screens and stackers to expand the company’s crushing business, and backing this up with new John Deere wheel loaders and excavators.

Patten is now negotiating with Wirtgen and John Deere to open a single line of credit with John Deere Financial to make it easier for him to finance new equipment purchases going forward.

Patten Pavement Services recently expanded its crushing business with new Wirtgen and John Deere equipment.

“It’s just a lot easier to deal with one company,” he says. “With the current climate in the civil industry, we are just so busy, and we are growing all the time. So, as our business grows and we need more gear, it will be a lot simpler to have a single line of credit with the John Deere Financial to allow us to buy all the new gear easily.”

He is also pleased with the service and backup.

“In addition to our profilers, our Vögele pavers, Hamm rollers and Kleemann crushers are very reliable, and so are the service and backup. Wirtgen has always been very good with spare parts. All of our spare parts come either from Wirtgen Sydney or Wirtgen Melbourne. We purchase the John Deere spare parts from John Deere dealers, and they also come and service our equipment on site.”

A UNIFIED APPROACH Torpy is confident that the unified approach that both John Deere and the Wirtgen Group share towards their customers will result in great benefits for all.

“One of the reasons the Wirtgen brothers sold to John Deere was that they had the same operating philosophy. So culturally, there were no big changes in the way we work with customers. And that’s critical. Too often you see acquisitions result in massive customer facing changes and whilst some of those may be for the better, change at the best of times needs to be closely managed.

“But customers can also see the

potential coming down the road with a unified approach across Wirtgen and John Deere. The potential benefits are immense, and to be honest, it can’t happen soon enough.”

One of those big changes, Torpy hints, is to do with development of common parts to help leverage John Deere parts into the Wirtgen Group machines.

“This will mean wider common parts availability across Wirtgen Group and John Deere. Having common parts and components will also help expand the service capability of the entire network. For customers working in far flung places, being able to get parts and/or service for Wirtgen Group or John Deere C&F products will be significantly easier,” Torpy says.

With so much happening behind the scenes between John Deere and the Wirtgen Group in Australia to streamline financing, servicing and parts delivery, Torpy says “doing things right” is the key priority.

“Our customers are trying to hurry us up.

But critically, we want to do it right, and that’s not an overnight task. Rest assured, we’ve started the ball rolling and we are out of the starting blocks. A bit further down the road, everyone will get a better feel for how big the potential is,” he says.

“Looking forward, I don’t think anyone understands how good this can be for everyone involved – employees, customers, operators, you name it, someone will get something positive out of the Wirtgen Group being part of John Deere.” roadsonline.com.au

39

The new Cat PM300 Series is designed as one of the most compact one-meter machines on the market.

CAT PM300

SERIES COLD PLANERS MILLING MACHINES ARE RECOGNISED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PROCESS FOR ACHIEVING QUALITY PAVEMENT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE LOOKS AT THE EVOLUTION OF CAT COLD PLANERS, INCLUDING THE LATEST PM300 SERIES.

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hen milling machines, also known as cold planers, first came into the road rehabilitation market, their main job was to remove a layer of asphalt as quickly as possible and load it onto a truck via a conveyor, saving valuable time and money.

Production was based only on the tonnage of material removed and loaded per hour.

Today, the requirement for a mill or cold planer has evolved. Production is still required, but grade and slope accuracy, cut texture, operator comfort and environment friendliness are all becoming must-haves.

Above all, safety is paramount. The milling crew are now more connected to the paving crew in terms of material savings and asphalt quality.

To meet the demands of the job sites of today, the new compact Cat PM300 Series is designed as one of the most compact onemeter machines in the market. With both wheeled and tracked variants available for each model, it is suitable for a range of job sites where high manoeuvrability is required.

The Cat C9.3 engine delivers 251 kilowatt (kW) of power, a three per cent increase over the previous model. The 251kW engine 40

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

also meets the Tier 4 Final/Stage V emission standards, while the 246kW engine meets Tier 3/Stage IIIA standards.

Caterpillar’s PM300 Series can be configured with one of three drum widths and a choice of wheel or track undercarriage. These include the oneThe PM300 Series make the maintenance job easier for operators.

metre rotor PM310, the 1.2-metre PM312 and the 1.3-metre PM313. The rotor system is extended inward towards the chassis with wider rotors, as opposed to extending outside the frame like most other machines in the market. This allows the three models to have the same overall machine width despite different widths of cut.

“Sometimes the operators would move the leg inboard to the flush cut position to get it loaded onto a truck. We recommend working with the track or wheel extended to the outside for greater stability during operation, unless when working on a flush cut,” says Luca Mancin, Paving Product Trainer from Caterpillar Paving Products.

THE ROTOR Cat cold planers come standard with Cat System K milling rotors which feature efficient material flow and excellent cutting pattern. Rotors are available with spacings of 8 millimetres, 15 millimetres and 18 millimetres for a wide range of milling applications.

The dual taper retention design of Cat’s exclusive three-piece tool holders used on Cat K rotors makes it one of the easiest to

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

replace in the market. It provides a reliable method for holding the tool holders in the blocks without the need for a retaining pin or bolt.

Reversible kicker paddles also help to increase wear life to reduce cost of operation. In addition, Cat also offers diamonds bits which can last up to 80 times longer than normal tungsten bits.

CONTROLS AND INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY The controls for the PM300 Series are ergonomically designed with backlit buttons as well as the Cat Grade Control system that is integrated into the machine’s main touchscreen display without additional boxes. It has an optional remote display that can be mounted in front or behind the machine for a two-man crew. It is also ‘3D Ready’ for the Trimble 3D system.

“The machine is very comfortable to operate, and the controls are very intuitive, easy to use and to learn. The Standby feature allows operators to stop the machine sequentially, shutting down

DUST ABATEMENT SYSTEM The Cat silica dust abatement system includes two spray bars inside the rotor chamber and a vacuum to capture the dust.

This creates negative air pressure inside the cutting chamber, which helps to make the system more efficient.

“In demanding jobsites, low down-time is critical to get the most out of any machine.

Our 1-meter class cold planers are designed with easy access to service components and eco drain points, helping reduce service and maintenance down-time,” says Mancin.

“On top of that, the machine also comes with extended service intervals, like 500-hours for engine oil and 3000-hours for hydraulic oil, which can help cut operating cost to the end user,” he adds.

the PM300 Series make the job easier for operators.

“With all the greasing points located in one area and fluid checks that are visible on the ground level, the maintenance job is made easy. The auto tensioning of crawlers’ tracks is another beneficial feature. The machine also comes with an integrated rotor turning system which comes with a two-button pendant that simplifies bit removal and replacement.

“Cat’s electrical system comes with colour-coded wiring harnesses, on board diagnostics, large service openings and ground level access. I think it is one of the easiest machines to service in this size class,” Mancin adds.

With Caterpillar’s strong dealer distribution network in Australia, parts and support is just a click or phone call away.

Cat dealers are ready to help customers with service options for both the engine and the machine.

MAINTENANCE As for daily maintenance, Mancin says

For more information, contact your local Cat dealer or visit www.cat.com.

the water spray system, conveyor system, ventilation, and the idle engine. Why push six buttons when you only have to push one?” Mancin adds.

Caterpillar’s PM300 Series can be configured with one of three drum widths and a choice of wheel or track undercarriage.

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LIGHTING

THE INDUSTRIAL JOB SITE WITH THE MX FUEL TOWER LIGHT/CHARGER HIGH OUTPUT LIGHTING IN REMOTE WORK SITES HAS TRADITIONALLY RELIED ON POWER GENERATORS AND BULKY CORDS. A NEW PORTABLE, BATTERY-POWERED TOWER LIGHT/CHARGER FROM MILWAUKEE TOOL OFFERS A BETTER SOLUTION. PRODUCT MANAGER CHRIS PARKER EXPLAINS.

Milwaukee Tool’s new MX FUEL Tower Light/ Charger offers portable, high-output batterypowered light.

M

ilwaukee Tool is cutting the cord on industrial job site lighting, with the new MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger (MXFTL-0). This portable, high-output battery-powered light was designed to withstand the harshest job site conditions. As part of the revolutionary MX FUEL Equipment System, the MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger was engineered by Milwaukee Tool specifically to solve safety, power and performance challenges for the world’s most demanding trades.

“For years, high output area lighting options have been tethered to a cord or powered by a diesel or petrol engine.

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ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

Users have to spend time setting up generators in remote applications and are dealing with lighting that is difficult to move around the job site,” says Chris Parker, Product Manager for Milwaukee Tool Australia and New Zealand.

The MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger has four multi-directional LED light heads that can cast up to 20,000 lumens of task and area lighting when equipped with an MX FUEL REDLITHIUM XC406 battery (MXFXC406). It also gives users the option to plug in to AC power, if available, to output up to 27,000 lumens. The four adjustable light heads can be manoeuvred into multiple orientations so that light can

be directed to wherever it’s needed.

“We’ve integrated the MX FUEL Charger into the light that acts as an MX FUEL battery charger – a great added functionality on site,” says Parker.

Powered by Milwaukee Tool REDLITHIUM high output batteries, the MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger is a strong alternative to corded or petrol- and diesel-powered lights. By offering high output with DC power, the MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger eliminates the danger and frustrations of needing to make electrical connections in wet or flammable environments. Battery power means fewer trip hazards on site and reduced worries about cutting or splitting cords which can lead to electric shock.

“Not only are we bringing cordless technology into a space where it’s relatively unavailable, but we are solving the problems of portability and stability in these environments as well,” Parker adds.

The Tower Light/Charger features four outriggers that can be effortlessly deployed for levelling on uneven terrains.

Provision of eight-inch (20-centimetre) rubber wheels make it easy to move across uneven ground. This telescopic tower light can be set up in seconds and is able to be extended to a maximum height of three metres with a motorised mast. It can then collapse back down for transportation and storage, with easy carry points for a twoman lift –a better option than large towbehind lights that are difficult to store and

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

position around a site.

The MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger is equipped with ONE-KEY allowing users to track, manage, and customise the light.

Users can customise the Tower Light settings based on application, optimise brightness and run time (when using DC power), program automatic scheduling (when using AC power) and control the light remotely from up to 30 metres away.

If the Tower Light/Charger is ever lost or stolen, users can prevent tampering with remote lockout capability.

A COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION According to Parker, Milwaukee Tool engineered the MX FUEL Equipment System to revolutionise the light equipment market.

“The MX FUEL Equipment range, including the Tower Light/Charger, delivers the performance, runtime and durability demanded by industrial trades without the hazards associated with noise, vibration, the frustrations of petrol maintenance and zero emissions. Users can work indoors, in trenches and in tunnels, without petrol headaches and without the risk of deadly carbon monoxide poisoning.

It reduces diesel and petrol management costs and improves job site safety,” he explains.

“By investing in the MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger you can save money on the recurring costs of renting industrial lights for projects. It’s also cost effective as all MX FUEL batteries fit all MX FUEL

The MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger is designed to withstand the harshest job site conditions.

equipment. These batteries can be used across any product in the MX FUEL range,” he adds.

The MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger assists users across a variety of jobs, from night works on suburban rail lines roads as well as major infrastructure maintenance in occupied areas. While deployed, the light can withstand winds up to 56 kilometres-per-hour. It’s as effective outdoors and above ground as it is indoors or underground, adaptable to suit the toughest conditions and applications whether in construction, plumbing and

electrical, or industrial work.

With their focus on the user and their investment in game-changing technology, the MX FUEL Tower Light/Charger is the latest lighting solution from Milwaukee Tool that can adapt, perform and survive the demands of professional use.

To find out more or to request a demonstration with an MX FUEL specialist, visit: www.milwaukeetool. com.au/system/mxfuel/#mxfuel-signup, or call 1300 645 928. * MX FUEL, REDLITHIUM and ONE-KEY are trademark registered by Milwaukee Tool.

The four multi-directional LED light heads can cast up to 20,000 lumens for task and area lighting.

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Hastings Deering’s Industry Manager Ryan Van Den Broek with the new Cat CS12 GC Vibratory Soil Compactors.

COMPACTING WITH

CONFIDENCE

HASTINGS DEERING RECENTLY DEBUTED CATERPILLAR’S GC SERIES VIBRATORY SOIL COMPACTORS IN AUSTRALIA, STARTING WITH THE 12-TONNE CS12 GC MODEL. ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPEAKS TO INDUSTRY MANAGER RYAN VAN DEN BROEK ABOUT WHAT THE COMPACTOR BRINGS TO THE INDUSTRY.

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yan Van Den Broek, Hastings Deering’s Industry Manager for Road Construction, is busily training the Hastings Deering Paving Division in Queensland and Northern Territory on Caterpillar’s recently debuted 12-tonne-class CS12 GC models when Roads & Infrastructure catches up with him.

First introduced globally by Caterpillar in March this year, Van Den Broek says Hastings Deering had already received first orders from an equipment rental company in Queensland before the first units landed in Australia.

“As soon as we had machines on water and on the way, we had already made our first sales,” says Van Den Broek.

Hastings Deering’s own rental division has also purchased half a dozen units, expecting more interest from the industry as the new machines start rolling out.

To put into context the significance of the new Caterpillar GC Series, one must be familiar with its predecessor: The CS56B vibratory soil compactor.

“The CS56B is class-leading in every part of it,” says Van Den Broek.

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“Over the past five to six years, the industry has tested the CS56B in the most challenging applications, from climbing dam walls to steep batters, and it has proven its performance on those critical projects.”

Where the new GC Series fits in is within the general construction sector, that according to Van Den Broek, comprises over 75 per cent of the market for Hastings Deering.

“The CS56B is very high in performance and specifications, but because we didn’t have an alternative for the general construction, we were being compared to competitors that had lower specifications but were much cheaper. Unfortunately, the way the industry is, it is a very much commodity-driven market so customers would just opt for the less expensive12-tonne rollers, without worrying about the performance,” he says.

But the new Caterpillar CS12 GC aims to change that. Though a lot closer to the average price point for other 12-tonne compactors on the market, Van Den Broek says the model retains the most popular features from the highperformance B-series compactors.

KEY FEATURES Gradeability is among the first features any prospective buyer or user looks at when choosing soil compactors. Here, Van Den Broek says the CS12 GC is in par with every other compactor on the market, sitting only slightly below the CS56B. “The CS56B comes into a class of its own when you are looking at doing some really steep work or big climb, with 55 or even 58 per cent gradeability. But the CS12 GC still has very good gradeability where it gets up to 50 per cent theoretical gradeability with no vibration. That is still a very high capability,” Van Den Broek says.

A high static linear load is another important feature in the CS12 GC. “The best way to know the performance of a soil compactor is the static linear load, which is the amount of weight on the drum that is actually doing the compaction. For a 12-tonne machine, the CS12 GC has a very good static linear load, which we have achieved by keeping the drum weight and other components in the design similar to that of the B series rollers,” he adds.

The CS12 GC retains Caterpillar’s proprietary

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

The Cat CS12 GC Vibratory Soil Compactor comes with Cat’s exclusive pod-style vibratory system.

pod-style vibratory system and the sealedfor-life articulation point – both features that help minimise maintenance work for owners and operators.

“The pod-style vibratory system is a selfcontained pod that’s made in a dustless environment. Being self-contained, you don’t have to worry about any issues related to lubrication. Instead of having to grease the bearings every day and changing the bearings every 1000 hours, you can use the pod for three years or 3000 hours without changing the oil,” says Van Den Broek.

“The sealed-for-life articulation point in the CS12 GC is over-sized, so that it can take the punishment that the heavier weight on the drum puts on it. In some older machines, you’d have to replace the bearings every 1000 to 1500 hours because the operators weren’t greasing the articulation points. With the sealed-for-life articulation point, there’s no daily greasing points, the only greasing points are on the steering cylinder. For rental companies, this means less repair and maintenance cost from operators forgetting to grease on time.”

Among other popular features retained in the CS12 GC is Caterpillar’s Machine Drive Power (MDP) technology, which means the compactor measures energy required to overcome rolling resistance to indicate soil stiffness. MDP works with vibratory system on or off. It measures 30-60 centimetres deep – about the depth of a typical lift. It works on all soil types, granular and cohesive.

The CS12 GC is also available with both smooth (CS) and padfoot (CP) drum models for the compaction of granular and cohesive soils. Dual amplitude and frequency are other features retained in the model, allowing operators to quickly change from high to low

amplitude with a single button.

The GC Series offers improved operator platform access/egress with angled steps, anti-skid entrance and conveniently located handrails, whilst an iso-mounted operator station with rubber floor mat minimises vibration feedback to reduce fatigue. The machine’s design also delivers superior visibility around the compactor, whilst internal and external mirrors provide excellent visibility and an optional rearvision camera further expand the operator’s view toward the rear of the machine.

PARTS AND SUPPORT With interest building up in the industry to start trying out the new vibratory compactor, Van Den Broek says Hastings Deering branches are already stocked up with spare parts. The sales and services teams are also trained to provide the best

level of customer support possible.

“This is an on-going evolution in Hastings Deering,” says Van Den Broek. “Whenever a new machine comes out from Caterpillar, we set our minimum stockings of critical parts across our branch network. We go to every branch in Queensland and Northern Territory to prepare the sales and service teams to best support their customers. We are constantly training and re-training the team.”

FUTURE MODELS And does he see the other models in the GC Series debuting in the market soon?

“Absolutely,” he says. “Eventually I can see this to be a standard across all of our soil compactor rollers, when we get to the 15-tonne and the 20-tonne roller, I can see that having a GC type model will definitely help. We will, of course, still offer the CS56B as a premium product.”

With over 22 years’ experience in the paving industry and a hands-on knowledge of equipment, Van Den Broek often lends his expertise to the team at Caterpillar when designing new products. He says he is impressed with the brand’s vision for the industry.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in providing feedback on the next generation of Caterpillar compactors, profilers and pavers and I can tell you, Caterpillar is very good with forward planning. At any given time, they are not just looking at the next generation of machines coming out, they are looking at the one after. It’s something that caterpillar does very well.”

Cat GC Series Vibratory Soil Compactors deliver dependable, economical production with performance that exceeds expectations.

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LOOKING INSIDE THE

DYNAPAC CA35 SOIL ROLLER DYNAPAC’S CA35 SOIL ROLLER COMBINES SIMPLICITY, AGILITY, ROBUSTNESS, AND COMFORT FOR OPERATORS, ALL WHILE NOT COMPROMISING PERFORMANCE, AS DYNAPAC PRODUCT MANAGER CHRIS PARKIN EXPLAINS.

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tripping back machinery to make them simpler to operate is unusual in the world of construction machinery, which is often dominated by intelligent and modern gadgets.

But as Dynapac Product Manager Chris Parkin tells Roads and Infrastructure, the decision to simplify controls within the Dynapac CA35 Soil Roller comes at no compromise to operators. In fact, it is intentional, he explains.

“Some machines within the industry are becoming quite complicated. That is why the CA35 was developed to be simple to operate,” he says.

This focus on ease of operation has

The CA35 Soil Roller is agile, while still maintaining its 12-tonne weight class range.

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resulted in a purpose-built machine for small and large project sites, where multiple operators may be using the machine.

Rather than a designated operator who may have more time to become familiar with a machine’s operating features, the CA35 Soil Roller has been designed so that operators can optimise the machine’s output quickly and effectively.

“The stripped back approach means you can have different operators using the machines and quickly adapting to its operation,” Parkin says. “All functions are easy to access, it’s all there and marked well.”

LOWER FUEL BURN This is achieved by installing control components which are rationally distributed and easily readable. The machine has also been designed to reduce operating costs, utilising a Cummins QSF3.8 (IIIA) engine with a large fuel capacity of 280 litres.

“New technology used in the QSF3.8 engine means we can draw more power out of a smaller engine package, this leads to a lower fuel burn and emissions output.

This is combined with the large fuel tank capacity allowing for the machine to be used for longer uninterrupted periods,” Parkin says.

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

The CA35 Soil Roller is fitted with a fully enclosed air-conditioned cabin.

“In addition, the service intervals remain longer than many competitor products within the roller category, reducing required maintenance costs over the life of the unit.”

The reduction in size also applies to the overall scale of the machine, which is 5600 millimetres long and 2890 millimetres wide, increasing the agility and speed of the machine during performance.

“The reduced length of the machine means it is more agile and easier to manoeuvre, which is ideal for operating within tight spaces, while not compromising the compaction you expect in this weight class,” Parkin says.

The size reduction, however, does not affect the machine’s output, maintaining its 12-tonne weight class and static linear load of 35 kilograms per centimetre.

and visibility for operators.”

Safety is guaranteed with an operator seat interlock sensor, hydrostatic brake, and failsafe emergency brake, allowing for the instantaneous shutdown of the machine in case of emergency.

While the CA35 does feature a stripped back design, premium features are available for operators. These include an optional GPS installation, which can show fleet owners the location of the machine or the installation of a Compaction Meter system to aid in ensuring the compaction process is being carried out completely and efficiently.

All components are supported by CEA, as Parkin explains.

“Our national network of CEA branches support customers throughout Australia.

We have sites in every capital city except for Darwin. Combined with our regional service agents we are able to support customers for after sales support, repairs and warranty nationwide,” he says.

“Customers can expect quality, reliability and minimal servicing costs all while maintaining maximum compaction efficiency and output. These are staples of Dynapac products.”

Like other Dynapac products, the CA35 Soil Roller ensures that operators can operate with minimal maintenance.

MAINTAINING ROBUSTNESS The machine also does not compromise its robustness, with a fully welded chassis and frame. This includes the drum shell of the CA35 Soil Roller, which has a thickness of 30 millimetres and a diameter of 1510 millimetres.

“The drum shell is substantially thicker than competitors, which results in lower running cost and a longer wear life,” Parkin says.

Easily accessible greasing points also make maintenance easy for operators.

As Parkin adds, cab comfort is another aspect where Dynapac has not compromised. The CA35 Soil Roller also features a fully enclosed air-conditioned cabin.

“Both cabin and operators’ seat are vibration dampened and the seat has a rotation function which increases comfort roadsonline.com.au

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High-tech solutions for ROAD MAINTENANCE

and asphalt remediation PLANERS remove the entire layer of asphalt cut up to and against kerbs milling and stabilising constant milling depth, always width up to 2,000mm and depth up to 350mm dust suppression and built-in watertank

ASPHALT FLOATS trenches, footpaths and road widening large opening - quick asphalt application extend laterally outside of the skid steer wheel adjust the final material thickness

Dealer Network

VIC / TAS

NSW

QLD / NT

Walkers Hammers (03) 9315 3788 walkershammers.com.au

Groundtec Equipment (02) 9642 2030 groundtec.com.au

QLD Rock Breakers (07) 3715 0800 rdw.com.au

SA

WA

Renex Equipment (08) 8345 0555 renex.com.au

Total Rockbreaking Solutions 1300 921 498 totalrockbreaking.com.au

SAFETY

A ROAD PLANER FOR THE

SAFETY-CONCIOUS THE NEW SIMEX PL1500 ASPHALT PLANER COMES WITH A SUITE OF SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE BENEFITS, CRAIG EINAM FROM QUEENSLAND ROCK BREAKERS EXPLAINS. The new Simex PL1500 cold milling planer allows users to mill three-metre wide lanes in just two passes.

D

esigned for milling deteriorated surfaces for resurfacing, the Simex PL1500 is an essential tool for today’s milling and construction industries.

Building upon Simex’s existing range of PL cold planers, the new PL1500 carries the same manufacturing focus, with builtin hydraulic side shift and the optional hydraulic transverse tilt and depth adjustment.

Thanks to its 150-centimetre width, the PL1500 can mill three-metre-wide lanes in just two passes.

The PL1500 also offers optimal visibility when attached to a skid steer or frontend loader with the help of the optional Simex Performer – a performance optimiser which signals operator how to work with Simex attachments to maximise power and performance.

As Queensland Rock Breakers’ Sales Area Manager Craig Einam explains, the PL1500 maintains the robustness of its predecessors, such as the PL1000 and PL1200, making it a cost-effective attachment to maintain and operate.

“With the Simex PL1500 planer, you can get a lot closer to the objects, which removes the need for more manpower and other

equipment like jackhammers,” Einam says.

“Operators that use these planers love the fact that the machine can do a lot of the work for them.”

CONSTANT PLANING DEPTH Carrying the same features as previous planing products, the PL1500 has the exclusive self-leveling system which helps ensure a constant planing depth in any condition.

This is achieved by the installation of lateral slides, which allow for the planer to automatically align to the milling surface.

Both slides move independently, providing greater stability and more precise planing movements.

Hydraulic adjustment is also optional for the PL1500, providing efficient operation over uneven surfaces for workers.

As Einam explains, the PL1500 was designed and developed with modern projects in mind.

“Where it comes to pre-set milling on hard and compact surfaces such as asphalt or concrete, the PL1500 really excels. We have seen benefits for operators not only during the operation, but also after,” he says.

“Thanks to the exclusive self-levelling

system, we have seen operators reuse milled material for backfilling trenches. The PL1500 can create a sustainable outcome for many projects.”

Einam adds that efficiency is no longer an objective for many operators within the construction industry – instead it is a necessity.

“Due to the finite nature of some road base aggregates, reusing or recycling existing road bases through stabilisation is now more important then ever for many operators,” he says.

OPTIMUM ON ALL SURFACES The PL1500 has a proven performance on straight surfaces, but what about sloped surfaces?

Independent depth control is the answer.

With depth controls on either side of the planer, it can create a sloped surface for a wide range of projects.

This is also aided by the PL1500 having a drum tilt capacity of 16 degrees, covering a multitude of sloped applications.

When paired with the self-levelling feature and the traverse tilt system, this ensures that height differences are minimised in the final product, even if a project is over un-even ground.

Depth adjustment, side shift and transverse lift for the PL1500 can all be operated hydraulically, ideal for using the attachment on different surfaces, including walls.

Additionally, most milled material can be contained within the work area, with perfect adherence to surfaces drastically reducing the chances of materials being launched during operation.

Simex planers are available across the country throughout the Simex dealership network which includes Walkers Hammers in Victoria and Tasmania, GroundTec in New South Wales, Queensland Rock Breakers in Queensland and Northern Territory, Total Rockbreaking Solutions in Western Australia and Renex Equipment in South Australia. roadsonline.com.au

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DIGGING FOR A CAUSE

UNDERWRITING AGENCIES OF AUSTRALIA (UAA) HAS THROWN ITS FULL SUPPORT BEHIND THE DIG DEEP EVENT, A CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FUNDRAISER ORGANISED BY CRE GROUP TO RAISE $1 MILLION FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WITHIN THE INDUSTRY.

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ental health affects every Australian industry differently.

For the construction industry, the issue requires more conversation and support. Hence the creation of the inaugural Dig Deep Event.

Arranged by CRE Group, the fundraising event aims to raise over $1 million for Beyond Blue, a mental health organisation focused on supporting people affected by anxiety, depression, and suicide.

Every single year, 65,000 Australians attempt suicide. On average more than eight people take their own lives every day, six of whom are men.

Tragically, a construction worker is lost every second day to suicide, meaning that 190 construction workers take their own lives per year.

That’s why the Dig Deep Event is hoping to ‘keep digging’ and ‘keep talking’ around mental health within the construction industry.

Currently sponsored by twelve of the industry’s biggest players, the organisers are hoping to attract more sponsorship and exhibitors for the event – due to take place in Melbourne in November this year.

Exhibition spaces will grant industry participants great exposure for their brands and products, while also supporting an essential service.

Becoming an exhibitor is not the only way that potential attendees can support the event, however. People are also able to donate to the Dig Deep Event to support the $1 million goal.

With a range of activities, including showbags, music, a petting zoo, a digger park and a food truck zone, the event is catered to support the whole family.

UAA AS PLATINUM SPONSOR Underwriting Agencies of Australia (UAA) is a Platinum Sponsor for the Dig Deep

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Some of the industry’s biggest players, including UAA, have sponsored the Dig Deep Event.

Event. Stan Alexandropoulos, UAA Group Chief Operating Officer, says the UAA management jumped onboard to sponsor the event as soon as they heard about it.

“The Dig Deep Event came to our attention via the CRE Group’s insurance broker, PNO Insurance – themselves an Associate Sponsor for the event. To their credit, they referred it to UAA because they felt that this was a cause that was close to both our organisations’ hearts and we jumped at the chance to support it by becoming a Platinum Sponsor and participating in any way we could to raise awareness and make the day a success,” says Alexandropoulos.

“Anxiety and stress levels are at an all-time high due to COVID and its effects. Financial pressures, health and well-being worries, fear of the unknown, feelings of isolation and loneliness are just some of the things that people are experiencing, both in Australia and

worldwide. The more we can raise awareness on mental health issues and promote the message that it’s OK to feel that way, it’s OK to talk about it and ask for help or just ask your mate if they are OK, the better chance we have to get on top of the issue and prevent people from suffering in silence.”

As an underwriting agency with customers and access to a network of industry service suppliers across Australia and New Zealand, Latin America, Asia and the regions of Pacific Island and Papua New Guinea, Alexandropoulos says UAA invests heavily on mental health within its own team.

“At UAA, the mental health of our people has been a major focus and priority of ours for some time. We have invested heavily in this area, engaging health professionals and experts to conduct ongoing mental health audits and training in our workplaces to ensure that our people feel safe and are

EVENTS

armed with the tools to deal with these stresses,” he says.

“More importantly, we want them to feel safe and confident to start a conversation with their colleagues, managers, and if required, free professional organisations that we provide access to that can help them manage any issues they might be dealing with. The civil construction industry has traditionally been male dominated, although that has changed somewhat over recent years. We know that men don’t tend to talk about these sorts of problems or issues. We need to start this conversation to remove the stigma that still exists around talking about mental health issues and say it’s OK and to have problems, feel down and struggle at times.

The best way to deal with it is to talk about it. The power of a conversation can save lives.”

Championship, the challenge is designed to test the skills of talented machinery operators throughout Victoria.

William Adams Caterpillar will run the Operators Challenge, which will test the operators on certain criteria such as accuracy, precision and work quality.

Operators from some of the state’s best civil contracting companies will compete for a prize, along with the bragging rights to be the inaugural Deep Event champion.

The Dig Deep Event will also be supported by former Western Bulldogs star and current mental health advocate Tom Boyd, who himself has experienced challenges with mental health.

With already significant uptake and interest from within the construction industry, there are also plans to potentially repeat the event next year.

“If we can run a great event that brings our industry together and starts something new, we certainly love to give it another go. We can only imagine the event growing and growing,” Harding says.

The Dig Deep Event will take place on Sunday 14 November 2021, at 324 Perry Road, Keysborough, Victoria. Those interested in attending the event, becoming an exhibitor or making donations can visit the Dig Deep Event website: www. digdeepevent.org.

CRE Group plans to run an Operators Challenge as part of the Dig Deep Event.

INDUSTRY COMES TOGETHER CRE Group Director Michael Harding says he is overwhelmed by the amount of enthusiasm the program has generated within the organising team, as well as with the support received from the industry.

A committee, comprising of five CRE staff members, a legal consultant from Cross The T, and a digital marketing specialist from Build Socialcon make up the committee that meets weekly in preparation for the event.

“Our initial target was to raise $100,000, but when we saw the strength of the committee and with COVID giving us more time, also having seen the impact COVID has had on mental health within the industry, we decided to increase the challenge for ourselves and we set out to raise $1 million,” he says. “And if we can raise beyond that, even better.”

As Harding adds, the money raised will help support services, programs, research, advocacy, and communication activities relating to mental health.

“The people who build our towns and cities need our support. Organisations like Beyond Blue provide vital support to people experiencing depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions and the Dig Deep Event aims to support Beyond Blue in their endeavours,” says Harding.

OPERATOR CHALLENGE One of the marquee events at the Dig Deep Event will be the Operators Challenge. Inspired by Ireland’s Ploughing roadsonline.com.au

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ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE MAGAZINE

SUPPORTS THE INSIDE WASTE INDUSTRY REPORT 2021 If you work in or provide a product or service to the civil works or construction industry, we want to hear from you!

To better understand the markets for recovered materials Roads & Infrastructure is conducting a survey on the appetite, barriers and opportunities for boosting the use of recycled content material in civil works and construction.

Scan the code below and help us map out the demand for recycled materials by taking this 4 min anonymous survey.

To find out more about the magazines that cater to the waste and recovery industry, get in touch with Chelsea Daniel-Young by email on Chelsea.daniel@primecreative.com.au or call +61 (0)425 699 878

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Ph: (03) 9690 8766 ©2021 Prime Creative Media

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE HELPS YOU KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR.

KATE RAYMOND – SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR, AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTORS ASSOCIATION Kate Raymond was appointed to the role of Senior Policy Advisor at the Australian Constructors Association in July 2021. Kate has over 20 years’ experience working within the construction industry, both as a construction lawyer in the private and public sectors and in senior executive public sector roles. Prior to joining the association, Kate was the Assistant Commissioner (Service Trades and Regulatory) at the Queensland Building and Construction Commission. Kate has also had a lead role in establishing the contracts and procurement of many significant Queensland projects and performed a key role in policy development and legislative amendments to building and construction legislation.

BEN WOLTMANN – PROJECT MANAGER TRANSPORT, COATES Ben Woltmann joined Coates as Project Manager, Transport in July 2021. Ben has over 10 years’ experience in management consultancy, working at EY for over six years as well as consulting in business transformation and strategy across Australia and Europe. His clients have included Network Rail, Transport for Greater Manchester, John Holland Group, and Endeavour Energy. Ben is passionate about sustainability and holds a Board position with United Nations Association of Australia. At Coates, Ben is leading the rollout of Transport Management System (TMS) to improve how the business effectively and efficiently transports equipment for customers. “Having been in consulting for over 10 years, I was ready to go in-house and start solving business problems for the same company,” Paul said.

CHRIS NISBET – PBS SPECIALIST, SMEDLEY’S ENGINEERS Smedley’s Engineers welcomes the addition of Performance Based Standards (PBS) specialist Chris Nisbet to its team, to further broaden the knowledge and experience available to its customers, as the company expands its service offerings to greater numbers of truck and trailer builders and operators. Nisbet joins Smedley’s Engineers after more than seven years at Byford Equipment as National Sales and Compliance Manager, following two decades in the dairy equipment sector. He has been an active and indefatigable campaigner for improved access for PBS combinations for operators, interacting with local councils and road managers, a passion he will bring to Smedley’s Engineers.

PAUL WEHBE – UTILITY ENGINEERING MANAGER, UTILITY MAPPING Paul Wehbe has joined Utility Mapping as Utility Engineering Manager in Sydney. Utility Mapping is a provider of subsurface utility mapping and digital engineering solutions to private and public markets in key industries and sectors. In his newly created role, Paul will be responsible to build the Utility Engineering team, leveraging his extensive experience across significant state and federal infrastructure projects in the Australian and New Zealand market. Paul brings a strong passion and understanding of Digital Engineering and its implementation into complex projects, having provided technical advice to key government and contractor clients in previous roles. He was recently part of Transport for New South Wales’ Digital Engineering Working Group, in charge of developing the new Utilities Schema.

roadsonline.com.au

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CONTRACTS & TENDERS

CONTRACTS IN BRIEF ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE CONTRACTS AND TENDERS RECENTLY AWARDED OR PUT TO MARKET ACROSS THE AUSTRALIAN INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR. NEW SOUTH WALES First major tunnelling contract awarded for Sydney Metro West The first of the three major tunnelling contracts for the Sydney Metro West project has been awarded to the Acciona and Ferrovial Joint Venture.

Valued at $1.96 billion, the contract will involve construction of 11 kilometres of twin metro rail tunnels between Sydney Olympic Park and The Bays.

Additionally, the contract includes excavation and civil works for five new stations at The Bays, Five Dock, Burwood North, North Strathfield and Sydney Olympic Park.

Under the contract, two double-shield, hard rock tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will be in the ground before the end of next year. The TBMs will use more than 70,000 concrete segments to line the twin tunnels.

Sydney Metro West will double rail capacity between Greater Sydney and the Sydney CBD, with customers able to get from Parramatta to the Sydney CBD in around 20 minutes on a fast, safe and reliable driverless metro train.

The contract award follows a competitive tender process involving three shortlisted companies. The remaining two tenderers John Holland, CPB Contractors and Ghella Australia Joint Venture (JHCPBG JV) and Gamuda and Laing O’Rourke Australia Joint Venture (GALC JV) will now bid for the Western Tunnelling Package, which is expected to be awarded by the end of this year.

Completion of the tunnelling contract is expected in 2025.

John Holland, Fulton Hogan share $400M Sydney rail freight projects The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has awarded the contract for design and construction of the Port Botany Rail Line Duplication in Sydney to John Holland, with another major contract awarded to Fulton Hogan to deliver a 54

ROADS SEPTEMBER 2021

passing loop at Cabramatta.

The two contracts have a combined value of $400 million and form part of the Federal Government’s plans to improve freight movement on Sydney’s rail network and encourage a shift in freight from road to rail.

The Botany Rail Duplication will duplicate the remaining 2.9-kilometre section of single line track between Mascot and Botany, while the 1.65-kilometre Cabramatta Loop will allow freight trains up to 1,300-metres in length travelling in either direction on the Southern Sydney Freight Line to pass each other.

With one train able to move around the same amount of containers as 54 trucks, the project will support the New South Wales Government’s targets to increase the rail mode share.

The project will help meet future demand at Port Botany, where the freight task is predicted to increase by 77 per cent by 2036.

Following site mobilisation in the second half of 2021, major construction works on both the Botany Rail Duplication and Cabramatta Loop are scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2022.

Decmil awarded $21M Crookwell wind farm contract Decmil Group has been selected to deliver the balance of civil works for the Crookwell 3 wind farm project in New South Wales, under an engineering, procurement and construction contract.

Located near Goulburn in New South Wales, the 50 megawatt (MW) wind farm is designed to generate enough energy to power 40,000 households. The project was green-lighted last October and is expected to be fully operational in the first half of 2023.

Decmil’s contract has a base value of $21 million, with an exercisable option worth a further $2 million.

Under the contract, Decmil will be responsible for 16 kilometres of road

construction, encompassing both new site access roads and improvements to existing site access roads. Additionally, Decmil will undertake 116,000 cubic metres of bulk earthworks and 6,600 cubic metres of concreting for the towers’ bases.

The Crookwell 3 project is being developed by Global Power Generation (GPG) and will include construction of 16 turbines, providing an additional 50 MW of power to the New South Wales energy market via a 330-kilovolt transmission line.

VICTORIA Melbourne Airport Rail early works tender now open An advanced tender notice for the Melbourne Airport Rail early works package is now live, inviting contractors to pre-qualify for the next stage to deliver essential first works.

Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) is inviting interested parties with the requisite experience, capability and capacity for delivery of the early works package to complete the pre-qualification document.

The early works package will primarily comprise of utility relocation and protection works along the Melbourne Airport Rail Link alignment.

Work is continuing to finalise the utility works required, but at this stage, approximately 250 utilities have been identified as likely needing to be modified/relocated or protected.

Completing early works such as utility relocation and protection is a method that has already been successfully used on other major transport infrastructure projects, such as the Metro Tunnel, paving the way for new infrastructure to be built.

The utility relocation and protection work will be completed in a way that aims to minimise impacts to people’s day-today lives, ensuring a seamless transition between old and new utility locations.

Construction for early works is targeted to start next year, subject to all relevant approvals.

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