Roads & Infrastructure November 2019

NOVEMBER 2019

& INFRASTRUCTURE

FUTURE PROOFING ASPHALT Wirtgen’s batch plant supports multiple mixes

in

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ADDRESSING MOBILITY Interview with NSW Transport Minister AAPA MEMBER PROFILE Erik Denneman’s achievements

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NOVEMBER 2019 CONTENTS

& INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT REPORT

SOFTWARE

ASPHALT IN ACTION

18 AAPA Member Profile Erik Denneman from Puma Energy talks to Roads & Infrastructure about his passions and industry achievements.

28 Digital roads Roads & Infrastructure details Hugh Bradlow’s opening speech at the AAPA conference outlining the possibility of hitting peak roads.

21 AAPA Staff Profile Burninghouse explains how video learning can support the construction sector.

31 Common data advantage 12d Synergy is helping construction companies manage data and documents for projects.

22 Economic asphalt Wirtgen details its Benninghoven ECO batch plant which incorporates a wide range of materials.

TECH & EQUIPMENT

14 Upgrading the Bruce Roads & Infrastructure explores progress on the Bruce Highway Upgrade.

25 Optimising the walking floor Keith Walking Floor highlights the latest upgrades to its walking floor trailers, which increase productivity, reliability and optimise trailer loads.

26 Data provides insight Ian Watt describes how interoperable management solutions are the key to a project’s success.

34 Tiny surveyor A look at how a tiny robot increased worker safety for line marking on the NorthLink in Perth.

36 Machines for Australia French road maintenance equipment company Secmair is expanding its offerings to the Australian and New Zealand market.

38 Future tracking Ctrack highlights its latest equipment to ensure businesses stay ahead of the digital revolution.

INFRASTRUCTURE IN FOCUS

40 A century without maintenance The City of Greater Geelong’s 100-year maintenance-free bridge tender process is highlighting the public sector’s ability to incentivise commercial scaling.

Road maintenance equipment manufacturer Secmair are bringing new products to Australia.

42 Interview with Engineers Australia Engineers Australia CEO Bronwyn Evans details her future priorities for the changing sector.

44 30-minute city NSW Roads Minister Andrew Constance talks to Roads & Infrastructure about growing connectivity in Australia’s most populous state.

48 Creating a brighter Five Dock The City of Canada Bay’s Five Dock Streetscape Upgrade is demonstrating how urban planning can result in measurable liveability impacts.

SAFETY

51 Laser scanning Loadscan’s laser technology is increasing safety and certainty on the Pimpama Home Focus Centre Project.

52 Conveying safety MaxiTRANS is offering its Trout River Live Bottom Trailer for asphalt transportation.

54 Lighting safety Saferoads latest solar light aims to illuminate rural intersections and improve safety.

ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

56 Australia’s tyres Tyrecycle looks at the proposed ban on the export of whole baled tyres and how the industry is prepared to process waste at home.

TENDERS & CONTRACTS

58 Tenders and contracts Roads & Infrastructure details the latest road and construction contracts from around Australia.

REGULARS 4 6

Editor’s note News

roadsonline.com.au

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& INFRASTRUCTURE

LEADING THE MOBILITY REVOLUTION THE CLOSURE OF HOLDEN AND FORD IN AUSTRALIA represented a symbolic end to automotive manufacturing, as input costs became unsustainable.

It was a problem that governments were aware of for up to two decades, but were slow to respond to the winds of change and instead imposed tariffs on car imports.

In what the not-for-profit Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) has dubbed a once-in-ageneration change, mobility as a service (MaaS) offers an opportunity for an even greater level of disruption.

The concept involves doing away with the mass production of private vehicles through connected and automated vehicles and other revolutionary technologies.

Topping up your Myki or Opal will also be a thing of the past, as public and private transport is managed through a consolidated gateway that creates and manages a trip paid for through your bank account.

ITS has established a steering committee, comprising the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, RACV, Public Transport Victoria and Transdev, to contribute to the development of MaaS in Australia.

As part of its 2018 report into MaaS, ITS acknowledges safety, security and performance requirements must be a foundational element of any overarching product.

Like any revolutionary shift, regulations and standards are required to support the transition.

The NSW Future Transport 2056 Strategy highlights MaaS as a future area of investigation, used successfully in areas like Sweden.

Sweden earlier this year launched its own pilot program UbiGo in close partnership with the City of Stockholm and public transport operator Stockholm Lokatrafik. According to the UbiGo Chief Executive, the system means fewer people in Stockholm need to own a own car, easing congestion and increasing travel via public transport.

The strategy also points out a roll-out of the technology in Finland increased passenger journeys by 20 per cent.

The closure of Holden and Ford is a lesson for governments to respond to disruption with policy settings instead of trying to fight the inevitable.

As the NSW Future Transport 2056 Strategy points out, the NSW Government has traditionally been the default provider of transport services.

It highlights how the private sector is increasingly becoming involved in service delivery and the future role of the government will be on ensuring policy and regulatory frameworks support new service models.

The NSW Government’s ongoing role in the everchanging transport network is one topic of many discussed in Roads & Infrastructure’s exclusive interview with NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance on page 44.

While it’s unclear as to what extent MaaS will have on the broader transport network, the question regulators should be asking is not what do we do if it happens, but when?

Toli Papadopoulos Managing Editor, Roads & Infrastructure Magazine

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PUBLISHER Christine Clancy christine.clancy@primecreative.com.au MANAGING EDITOR Toli Papadopoulos toli.papadopoulos@primecreative.com.au JOURNALISTS Lauren Jones lauren.jones@primecreative.com.au Holly Keys holly.keys@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.

NEWS

AAPA TAKES LEADERSHIP ROLE IN CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY TRAINING AND ACCREDITATION Chain of Responsibility became law in Australia on 1 October 2018. This has formal implications and improved compliance for the relevant industry.

COLAS Australia Group has developed an in-house comprehensive training program complying with all requirements of Chain of Responsibility. The program was shared with the NSW and National AAPA Safety Committees comprising key industry and regulatory stakeholders and finalised in consultation with the stakeholders.

Shan Ruprai, COLAS Australia Group’s Regulatory Compliance Executive Group

Manager SCA, and Tanja Conners, AAPA’s Executive Director Knowledge and Partnerships, designed a unique AAPA Accreditation Model that will be linked in the future to the National Competency to add value to the industry. This program was officially launched at the AAPA International Conference in Sydney on 20 August 2019. The model has already won two state awards and was selected as a finalist by the NSW Safety Regulator for the winner awards to be announced on 31 October 2019. More information will be available on the AAPA website.

Shan Ruprai of COLAS Australia is excited to see the new acceditation model.

ARRB GETS $200,000 GRANT FOR RECYCLED CRUSHED GLASS TRIAL The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Victorian Government through Sustainability Victoria to trial recycled crushed glass in asphalt on local roads.

ARRB was issued the grant alongside the Brimbank City Council and the Department of Transport to work on the trial.

Using finely crushed glass in road pavement materials has the potential to create viable markets for vast amounts of glass collected in Victoria.

Over 250,000 tonnes of glass is recovered in Victoria every year.

This trial will look to use especially the glass that is low-value and not easily recycled into other glass products.

ARRB recently presented its significant research in this space at the Smart Pavements Now masterclass event in Melbourne.

This grant is one of nine issued by Sustainability Victoria under its research, development and demonstration grants program. The projects will receive a combined total of $1.6 million in funding.

Swinburne University will also receive $192,950 to evaluate the use of recovered glass, plastics and crushed concrete in

Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Trevor Evans earlier this year met with ARRB CEO Michael Caltabiano.

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foundations for railway structures. The funding aims to increase consumer and business confidence in the quality of recycled content in a range of products.

Other funded projects include the use of e-waste materials such as solar panels and batteries.

Sustainability Victoria’s interim CEO Carl Muller said it’s all part of Victoria’s growing circular economy.

“We need proven recycled content products and markets for those products to make recycling viable.”

ARRB project lead James Grenfell said the potential for the use of recycled glass in asphalt offered great opportunities for councils, especially in helping deal with Australia’s current recycling issue.

“The other exciting aspect is the engagement with a local city council and to have the ability to monitor a field trial for an extended period,” Dr. Grenfell said.

“The collaboration with local government is what we want to get so we can help local government use the waste stream for their road rehabilitation schemes.”

The grant proposal was created by Dr. Grenfell and ARRB colleagues Melissa Lyons and Lydia Thomas.

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NEWS

AUSTROADS RELEASE RESULTS FROM POLYMER MODIFIED BINDER PERFORMANCE IN SPRAY SEALS Austroads has published results of a study to test the long-term performance of polymer modified binders used in Australia for spray seal.

The resistance of non-modified bituminous binders to premature ageing had been assessed in Australasia using the durability test in the Australian/New Zealand specification AS/NZS 2341.13.

However, the test cannot evaluate the ageing performance of polymer modified binders and uses some equipment that can no longer be obtained.

Young Choi, Senior Technology Leader at ARRB and lead author of the report, said Austroads commissioned research into developing a long-term ageing or durability test for polymer modified binders based on widely available test equipment.

“We focused on using international devices, namely the pressure ageing vessel and the dynamic shear rheometer, to firstly age and then test binder samples,” Dr. Choi said.

Austroads’ member agencies collectively purchase over $600 million worth of bituminous binders annually to build and maintain the Australian road network.

In some jurisdictions, up to 40 per cent of resealed roads involve polymer modified binders. These enable constructed seals to be more resistant to cracking and other types of wear.

In 2011-12, two Austroads sprayed seal trial sites were established at Coober Pedy in South Australia and Cooma in New South Wales, which provided fieldrelated information about current and future polymer modified binder grades to be included in the Australian polymer modified binder specification AGPT/T190.

“To conduct the study, we collected unaged samples of binders from the two trial sites and artificially aged them using a pressure ageing vessel for between 30 and 72 hours. Field-aged binder samples were also collected between three to six years after the trial sites were constructed,” Dr. Choi said.

Dynamic shear rheometer stress ratio tests and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy tests were used to investigate the difference between laboratory and field-aged samples.

Sample results obtained from the Coober Pedy trial site indicated that pressure

Austroads member agencies collectively purchase over $600 million worth of bituminous binders annually.

ageing vessel times of 52 and 80 hours were equivalent to binders aged in the field for three and six years, respectively.

The results for Cooma, which has a less harsh climate, indicated that around 23 hours of laboratory ageing were equivalent to six years of field ageing.

“These results will help us assess the longevity of polymer modified binders under the different climatic conditions found in Australia and New Zealand,” Dr. Choi said.

FIRST REVEAL OF $879M LOGAN M1 AND BUSWAY UPGRADE Motorists have been given the first look at the $749 million M1 upgrade from Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill.

Ahead of community consultation next week, new concept footage has been released for the jointly funded eightkilometre project. The project will feature more M1 lanes and a new busway to Springwood and bikeway to Paradise Road.

It will also feature smart motorways technology, including variable speed signs.

This project will work to improve travel times along the motorway along with the $195 million upgrade of the M1/Gateway Merge, which is also under construction.

Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the footage

would allow motorists to experience the state-of-the-art upgrade before it is built.

“Construction from Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill will begin next year and will eventually mean this section of the M1 will be widened from six to eight lanes,” Mr. Tudge said. “That means quicker travel times for motorists, and, most importantly, it will get everyone home sooner and safer.”

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the upgrade will take local traffic off the motorway and get more people on buses and bikes, cutting congestion with more lanes through the busy Springwood section.

Member for Springwood Mick de Brenni

said a key feature of the multi-milliondollar upgrade is the 6.6-kilometre extension of the southeast busway to Springwood and a brand new bus interchange as Rochedale.

“Locals are always telling me they want better public transport in their area and to major hubs in Brisbane and Logan and we’re delivering,” Mr. de Brenni said. “The dedicated busway to Springwood means quicker travel times, less competition with buses and cars on local streets and room for an additional 1.7 million passengers.”

Public information display sessions will take place between 8 and 19 October. The $749 million upgrade is jointly funded by the federal and state governments. roadsonline.com.au

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NEWS

VICTORIA ANNOUNCES $1.6M FOR RECYCLING RESEARCH PROJECTS The Victorian Government has announced $1.6 million for research projects, including roads and rail, that create an end market for recycled materials otherwise sent to landfill.

Research institutions will also contribute funds worth $3.4 million to the nine research projects to help build confidence and demand for recovered materials in local manufacturing, construction and other industries.

The projects will explore new ways to use glass, plastics, paper and cardboard as well as investigating new processing technologies for materials like e-waste.

The projects include roads and railway line

noise walls made of recycled plastic with minimal use of virgin materials and precast concrete walls using waste glass fines.

Likewise, increasing high proportions of recycled crushed glass in hot mix asphalt for road network rehabilitation will also be part of the mix of projects.

The University of Melbourne and Deakin University will work to drive procurement of large volumes of recycled products into the commercial market.

Grants of up to $200,000 are part of the second round of the Research, Development and Demonstration Program and the state government’s broader $4.5 million Market

A range of road and rail projects will use recycled materials.

Development Program.

Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio visited Green Bear Recycling’s resource recovery facility in Tottenham. The facility converts construction waste from housing into materials that can be used to build houses, creating a closed loop.

The facility is backed by $500,000 from the state government’s Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund, which will divert more than 95,000 tonnes of waste from landfill each year.

Green Bear Recycling funding has helped support cutting-edge processing equipment, including water and air separation technology.

Ms. D’Ambrosio said facilities like these backed by funding will help develop an end market for recycled materials, crucial to keeping them out of landfill.

“We’re backing innovative projects that explore new uses for recycled plastics and glass while supporting businesses and creating local jobs,” she said.

The funding is part of the $26.1 million Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund, supporting 60 infrastructure projects that the state government expects to create more than 400 jobs and divert at least 900,000 tonnes of material from landfill each year.

BITUMEN WORKS BOOST QUEENSLAND’S CATTLE INDUSTRY Works to seal almost 17 kilometres of the Clermont-Alpha Road in central west Queensland are now complete.

The Barcaldine Regional Council and RoadTek delivered the $8.71 million project.

It was part of the Northern Australia Beef Roads program, jointly funded on an 80:20 basis by federal and state governments.

The road, which links the towns of Clermont and Alpha, has now been fully upgraded to a two-lane sealed standard.

It will allow for shorter travel times, reduced damage and stress to livestock from roughness and dust generation, improved 10

ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

safety with an eight-metre seal and an improved surface to reduce road wear and heavy vehicle damage.

Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the project presents an important step in further unlocking Australia’s livestock commodity potential.

“We understand primary producers face real challenges with transporting cattle to market which is why the $100 million Beef Roads Program was established,” he said.

“By providing targeted upgrades to key

routes, we are alleviating some of those pressures and securing the future success of an important industry.”

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said sealing sections of the Clermont-Alpha Road would deliver benefits to both the broader beef industry and at a local level.

“The small businesses in and around Clermont and Alpha, and those along connected transport links, will experience an income boost from increased activity in tourism, agriculture and resource sectors,” Mr. Bailey said.

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NEWS

Tiger Brennan Drive opened in October after duplication works were completed.

Tiger Brennan Drive opened in October after duplication works from Dinah Beach Road to McMinn Street. The project is expected to ease traffic congestion further for commuters travelling to Darwin’s CBD. Construction began in June 2018 and was predicted to finish in May 2020.

The project has included the construction of the Garramilla Boulevard and around one kilometre of a new fourlane road to connect Dinah Beach Road with Cavenagh Street.

It also included a full reconstruction of around 800 metres of Tiger Brennan Drive to provide two lanes in each direction between Dinah Beach Road and Bennett Street.

The works required significant underground services, blockwork and concrete retaining walls. Ground improvement of existing mangrove mud, 12

ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

extensive landscaping and the installation of three traffic lights was also included.

Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the new duplication unlocked the potential of Darwin city.

“This is a landmark project which has supported many local jobs,” Mr. Tudge said. “In a week’s time, Territorians will be able to use this road along with Garramilla Boulevard, creating an attractive entryway into the Darwin CBD.” The Northern Territory Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Eva Lawler, said since the opening of Garramilla Boulevard, travelling to and from Darwin City had become a lot easier.

“I thank Territoria Civil and all the local subcontractors that have worked on this project to ensure it was completed nine months ahead of schedule – supporting

more than 540 local jobs.”

The streetscaping for the project was designed in the Northern Territory and installed by Territory contractors. Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the City of Darwin was proud to be a part of the Tiger Brennan Drive Duplication project.

“The project has provided a unique opportunity for all levels of government to work together and we are delighted that it has been completed and delivered to the community,” he said.

“This major road provides an attractive and important additional access route into our city that will improve access and attract more people to the city centre.”

The Federal Government committed $29.5 million to the Garramilla Boulevard and Tiger Brennan Drive Stage 3 project, with the Northern Territory Government investing $25 million and the City of Darwin a further $5 million.

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ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPEAKS WITH MARK BAILEY, QUEENSLAND TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS MINISTER, ABOUT FUTURE-PROOFING ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S MOST SIGNIFICANT FREIGHT CORRIDORS.

T

he Bruce Highway Caloundra Road and Sunshine Motorway Upgrade is one of 400 Bruce Highway upgrade projects. Known as “the Bruce”, the project caters for a one per cent annual exceedance probability flood, meaning a flood event that occurs once every 100 years.

Running from November to April each year, Queensland’s flooding season, known as ‘the wet’, has a significant effect on the state’s infrastructure and transport network.

Damage to road surfaces and structures is common, as are road closures that disrupt freight movements and isolate communities from industry and social services.

According to the Australian Senate’s Cranking up the intensity: climate change and extreme weather events report, high intensity rainfall and flooding has the potential to change ground conditions and alter structural foundations. The report, released in August 2018, also highlights the financial implications of supply chain disruption, lost productivity and increased maintenance and repair costs.

With climate change creating increased weather extremity, the report suggests further investment is needed to ‘weatherproof’ Australia’s infrastructure network.

The concept behind the Bruce Highway Upgrade, Queensland’s largest ever infrastructure project, is similar, with

The Bruce Highway Caloundra Road and Sunshine Road Motorway Upgrade is one of 400 Bruce Highway upgrade projects.

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a focus on increased flood amenity through road design.

In a 2017 Future Proofing the Bruce policy statement, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said flooding, which frequently halts traffic flow along the Bruce Highway corridor, disrupts economic growth opportunities.

Disruption comes in the form of literal expenditure, for example, the Queensland Reconstruction Authority has spent more than $15 billion on reconstruction as a result of natural disasters since 2011.

It also arises in the form of lost future revenue, given the highway’s central role in the nation’s freight supply chain.

As per the policy statement, the Department of Transport and Main Roads

PROJECT REPORT

identified 10 sites of major concern on the Bruce between Gympie and Cairns. Major concern applies to sites where flooding has stopped traffic for a minimum of 12 hours.

Action points include constructing new bypasses and bridges and installing improved drainage systems and culverts.

At the time of writing, the upgrade, which commenced in July 2013, has delivered 51 new bridges, 27 new rest stops, 122 kilometres of safety upgrades and 154 kilometres of wide centreline treatments.

THE LONGEST TRANSPORT ARTERY In his 2019 Freight Strategy Ministerial Foreword, Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said ensuring the freight network remains operational during times of flooding is vital to supporting community recovery efforts.

As a result, he argues for an integrated, resilient and safe freight system that reflects the important role the transport industry plays in Queensland’s overall economic growth.

“While it may not be feasible at this time to provide an entirely flood-free route, roads are assessed to ensure a consistent standard is provided for that specific network link,” Mr. Bailey

tells Roads & Infrastructure.

To mitigate flood impacts and keep the supply chain moving, the 2019-20 state budget awarded $200 million annually over four years to priority upgrades across the full length of the highway between Brisbane and Cairns.

“The Bruce Highway is the backbone of our state, connecting millions of Queenslanders and supporting regional economies with freight and business transport,” Mr. Bailey says.

“It is a vital part of the National Land Transport Network, providing linkages for west-east freight networks, connecting significant resource and inland agricultural production areas to 11 coastal ports and is a major tourist route.”

An Infrastructure Australia spokesperson expressed similar sentiments, suggesting that maintaining freight connectivity was the central factor behind the decision to include four Bruce Highway projects on the Infrastructure Priority list.

Listed projects include Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway, which was added in 2016, Mackay Ring Road – Stage One and Cooray to Curra, which were added in 2017 and Edmonton to Gordonvale Stage Three, which was added in 2019.

“The highway is the major coastal road transport route between Brisbane and Cairns, and with Queensland’s freight task expected to double between 2010–11 and 2025–26, the highway will play a key role in absorbing increased traffic volumes,” the spokesperson says.

“At Infrastructure Australia, we recognise improving connectivity on the Bruce Highway is both nationally significant and strategically important for the prosperity of the state of Queensland.”

To improve freight movement along the Bruce Highway, Mr. Bailey says works are currently underway on the $514 million Haughton River Floodplain Upgrade, which includes reconfigured intersections and 13.5 kilometres of upgraded highway pavement, and the $497 million Mackay Ring Road Stage One, which involves new overtaking lanes and underpass provisions.

The Mackay Ring Road Project was awarded to CPB Contractors in 2017. In a statement at the time, Managing Director Roman Garrido said CPB was committed to ensuring its construction methods achieved all project objectives. Construction is expected to conclude in late 2020.

Other projects currently underway are the $104 million Cairns Southern Access Upgrade Stage Four, which will see an existing four-lane dual carriageway upgraded to a six-lane dual carriageway, and the $121 million Rockhampton Northern Access Upgrade, which involves the duplication of 4.9 kilometres of highway.

Mr. Bailey says over 122 kilometres of roadside has also been upgraded this year as part of the Safer Roadsides Program.

NATIONAL LAND TRANSPORT NETWORK Initially conceptualised as a $8.5 billion 10-year project, the Bruce Highway Upgrade is jointly funded by the Federal and Queensland Government. Since 2013, the program has expanded, with state government estimates suggesting the upgrade will deliver $12.6 billion in works over 15 years.

In response to the project’s expansion, the Federal Government committed an additional $3.3 billion to the project in May, based on the 80:20 National Land Transport Network funding arrangement.

Projects that fall under the National Land Transport Network, such as the Bruce, are primarily the financial responsibility of the Federal Government.

Under the National Land Transport Act 2014, the Federal Infrastructure Minister determines the network, which broadly applies to national and inter-regional land transport corridors of critical importance to national and regional economic growth and connectivity.

According to Mr. Bailey, the Queensland National Partnership Agreement outlines governance and administrative arrangements between the two governments towards the implementation of the federal infrastructure investment program.

The first infrastructure related Queensland National Partnership Agreement was made in 2009, while the Bruce Highway Upgrade falls under the 2014 Major Infrastructure Projects agreement. Despite the recent financial injection, in September Mr. Bailey called for further federal funding.

He specifically called on the Federal Government to sign up to the Bruce Highway Trust and commit to a deal locking in an annual $1 billion investment over the next decade.

The Bruce Highway Trust was announced in 2017 and received a $10 million budget roadsonline.com.au

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Queensland Roads Minister Mark Bailey and Cairns MP Michael Healy are proud to support the project.

Diverging Diamond Interchange The Bruce Highway Upgrade’s largest current project, the $812.95 million Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway upgrade, features Australia’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI).

During peak hours, traffic at each intersection backs up onto the highway from on-and-off-ramps, leading to significant delays and safety implications for throughtraffic. Queensland Government traffic modelling analysis indicates that delays would worsen without significant interchange infrastructure upgrades.

Delivered by a Fulton Hogan Seymour White Joint Venture, with designers Arup and Jacobs, the DDI will allow right-turning and through traffic to move through the interchange simultaneously, reducing congestion and collision potential.

When complete, drivers wanting to make a right turn at the interchange will only have to use one set of traffic lights, while driver wanting to make a left turn won’t need to stop at any signals.

Other project features include provisions for a service road on the western side of the highway, improved facilities for pedestrian and cyclist movement, a new carpool lane and the installation of intelligent transport systems such as CCTV cameras, vehicle detection technology and variable speed limit and message signs.

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allocation in 2019. While it is yet to be established, Mr. Bailey says the council will draw on industry and government stakeholders to identify key investment priorities and centralise project authority.

The council will also develop a 15-year strategic vision for the project.

In the Future Proofing the Bruce policy statement, Ms. Palaszczuk outlines unstable funding commitments as the key cause of project delay and constraint.

“By bolstering the current rate of investment in the Bruce Highway for the next 20 years beyond the current program, the busiest parts of the network will be able to be traversed safely, reliably and efficiently, and investment decisions can be made without worrying about the risks of transport failure,” the statement reads.

“In line with historical funding arrangements, the Federal Government will be expected to meet its fair share of funding commitments consistent with the funding arrangements for the National Land Transport Network.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Infrastructure Minister Michael McCormack tells Roads & Infrastructure that the Federal Government has committed $10 billion to the project over 15 years, through the Bruce Highway Upgrade Program.

This includes $4.4 billion over the forward

estimates from 2019–20 to 2022–23, at an average of $1.1 billion per year, he says.

“The government will continue to work in partnership with the Queensland Government to identify future upgrades required on the Bruce Highway and to ensure the successful and timely delivery of the current program,” Mr. McCormack says.

“The government is considering a request by the Queensland Government to provide a representative to be a member on the Bruce Highway Trust, which is being established as an advisory body to assist with identifying future investment priorities.”

While the future funding arrangement of the Bruce Highway Upgrade is still in question, Mr. McCormack says the highway’s inclusion on the National Land Transport Network reflects its national importance.

“The 1700-kilometre Bruce Highway is Queensland’s major north-south road corridor and supports around 58 per cent of Queensland’s population,” he says.

With extreme weather events set to increase as a result of the world’s changing climate, future infrastructure planning will likely have to contend with higher rates of flooding. Mirroring the approach of the Queensland Government, roads authorities will therefore have to design upgrades in accordance.

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INDUSTRY CHANGES IN EACH ISSUE, ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE PROFILES A MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION. IN THIS ISSUE WE SPEAK TO ERIK DENNEMAN, TECHNICAL MANAGER AT PUMA BITUMEN. Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AN AAPA MEMBER? A: I have worked for AAPA member companies since arriving in Australia in 2012.

Q: WHAT WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT WORKING AT THE ASSOCIATION? A: As the former Director of Technology and Leadership at AAPA, I really enjoyed working with representatives from industry and road agencies towards a common goal.

It is amazing how much was achieved in the space of a couple of years through the work of volunteers from different organisations collaborating for the good of the industry as a whole.

Q: HOW DID YOU START YOUR CAREER IN THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY? A: My first experience with this industry was as an intern working as a site engineer at a medium-sized road contractor in the Netherlands.

Erik Denneman cites presiding over the introduction of crumb rubber modified asphalt as a key achievement.

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ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

Q: WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IN THE INDUSTRY? A: Working together constructively with all stakeholders to bring about meaningful change. This includes supporting the introduction of crumb

rubber modified asphalt and high modulus asphalt (EME2).

Q: WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT ROLE AND WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE? A: I work at Puma Bitumen as Technical Manager for the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

In this role I’m responsible for driving Puma Bitumen’s commitment to new product development and innovation. This encompasses rigorous quality management and delivering industry-leading bitumen products and services.

My role involves transferring new technologies between different countries and jurisdictions to enable the faster adoption of new bitumen products.

I’m also responsible for driving sustainability across the sector. For instance, leading the introduction of crumb rubber from waste tyres as an elastomer in bitumen.

Another example of this is introducing high-performance materials such as EME2. By producing higher performance solutions, we can look towards introducing thinner, more sustainable roads that are also more cost-effective for the industry.

I’m excited to work with an established global team of technical experts who, like me, are focused on developing solutions to industry challenges.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT ROLE? A: It is a really exciting time at Puma. We are working on a whole suite of new products for the industry – watch this space.

Q: WHAT IS A RECENT CHANGE YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE INDUSTRY AND HOW ARE YOU/THE COMPANY PREPARED FOR THAT? A: To reduce global shipping emissions, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will implement a 0.50 per cent global sulphur limit for marine fuels from 1 January 2020, replacing the existing 3.5 per cent limit. This has already created a huge shakeup for both the shipping and the refinery industry and has been called the largest ever change in the oil market.

The global refinery industry needs to meet this surge in demand for gas oil/

THIS (IMO 2020) HAS ALREADY CREATED A HUGE SHAKE-UP FOR BOTH THE SHIPPING AND THE REFINERY INDUSTRY AND HAS BEEN CALLED THE LARGEST EVER CHANGE IN THE OIL MARKET. THE GLOBAL REFINERY INDUSTRY NEEDS TO MEET THIS SURGE IN DEMAND FOR GAS/OIL DISTILLATES AND ALSO MANAGE THE LOST DEMAND FOR HIGH-SULPHUR FUEL OIL – AND THE ONWARDS SUPPLY CHAIN.

distillates and also manage the lost demand for high-sulphur fuel oil – and the onwards supply chain.

Currently many refineries, especially the ones with simple configurations, direct residues to fuel oil, bitumen or base oil for lubricants production. Due to the mandated IMO regulation, there are three approaches refiners may take.

The first is that some refineries may decide to invest and upgrade their facilities in order to produce more low-sulphur products. This will enable them to meet an increase in demand for ultra-lowsulphur fuel oil, but is both time and capital intensive.

Others may change crude feedstocks to sweeter crudes which have naturally lower sulphur content. This might structurally change the sweet-sour crude price differentials.

Lastly, some refineries will have to sell more of the heavy products, including bitumen. This could put the quality of bitumen at risk as more residual streams are directed into bitumen production.

Due to our unique global set-up, we are able to manage the impact of IMO 2020 on the quality and supply of bitumen to our customers.

Q: ARE THERE ANY REGULATION OR SPECIFICATION CHANGES YOU THINK SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN AUSTRALIA? A: Yes, firstly, we need national harmonised specifications for the delivery of all bituminous products. This will greatly benefit the robustness of specification, create cost efficiencies and reduce

uncertainty across the board.

Secondly, we should move away from the paradigm where Australia continues to invent its own unique test methods where international alternatives exist. Changing this will benefit knowledge sharing and very importantly the robustness of the test methods and links to field performance.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS YOU NOTICED AT THE AAPA CONFERENCE? A: The dominant topic at the conference was of course circular economy and the great story our industry has to tell in this space. It was more pronounced this year than ever before.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE FROM BEING PART OF THE AAPA TEAM? A: AAPA’s 2017 conference. We changed the conference format somewhat and put more emphasis on the exhibition and peer review of conference papers. I like to think this has contributed to the success of both the 2017 and 2019 conferences.

Q: WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN AAPA’S BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT FOR INDUSTRY? A: AAPA is the custodian of a great knowledge base built up by members working in collaboration for over 50 years. It contains guides, papers, health and safety notes, training materials and a range of other valuable resources. I think that knowledge sharing underpins the trajectory of this industry and its interaction with client bodies. roadsonline.com.au

19

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1 PM

STORYTELLING

THROUGH VIDEO AS AAPA CELEBRATED ITS 50TH BIRTHDAY AND BI-ANNUAL CONFERENCE, THE ASSOCIATION DEMONSTRATED HOW VIDEO CONTENT COULD ENHANCE SAFETY TRAINING IN THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.

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inkedIn’s 2017 Workplace Learning Report found seven in 10 organisations were starting to incorporate videobased online training in their learning cultures.

The report found when employees are stuck, quick answers are needed and people are more inclined to watch a short video accessible around the clock on any device.

At the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association’s (AAPA) 18th International Conference and Exhibition, videos were used to convey a variety of messages across multiple events. The medium not only served as a prelude for members to apply in their e-learning, but evoked great enthusiasm in celebrating AAPA lifetime members and success stories.

Production crews were hired to interact directly with delegates, providing an example of the simplicity of conveying a business message through video.

The AAPA team worked hard to produce the three-day event in August, which entertained more than 600 delegates.

Throughout the event’s planning, video was a strong feature as the association was able to convey clear messages.

Burninghouse, a visual content agency, was commissioned to create a showpiece video for the AAPA Gala Dinner. The video celebrated the AAPA’s 50th anniversary with members reflecting on decades past and successes yet to come, while also reaffirming the values of the association.

The production company was also tasked with creating video content for conference exhibitors. Each video detailed major industry concerns for delegates and the steps being taken to mitigate that risk.

Tim Anderson, COO of Burninghouse, says in interviewing each company at the event, it became clear a major concern in the industry was safety. He asserts

that video plays an important role in contemporary safety training.

“While technology has enabled the development of some groundbreaking devices in road construction, video looks set to play an ever-increasing role in the efforts to make workplaces safe,” he says.

Mr. Anderson says with the construction industry’s consistent use of heavy machinery and dangerous materials, sometimes in remote locations, keeping workplaces safe in the industry requires constant training.

Likewise, employers and workers require greater flexibility in the delivery of workplace education due to variable working locations and hours.

The AAPA conference provided examples of how video content can be used to deliver a clear message to be accessed at any time.

For construction companies with workers across many sites, access to learning tools is optimised when spread across a range of devices and delivered at an appropriate time.

Mr. Anderson says e-learning, which incorporates video, is being used to train employees remotely.

Within this, educators have developed a process of delivering programs in highly targeted videos in a technique called microlearning.

This involves creating short videos, around three minutes or less, with specific learning aims and outcomes that can be tailored towards any message.

Mr. Anderson worked to create microlearning videos for each of the delegates at the conference to showcase the platform’s simplicity and flexibility. He says the largest opportunity for the construction industry to use microlearning is for safety education.

Burninghouse demonstrated to AAPA exhibitors that tailoring short videos towards a company message allows construction workers and employers to access the information anytime, anywhere.

Video also supports consistent safety reminders and can be regularly updated.

“The videos can be used individually or as part of a series, creating a greater impact if they deliver the exact message rather than sitting through a presentation with irrelevant education,” Mr. Anderson says.

AAPA celebrated its 50th anniversary with members reflecting on decades past and successes yet to come.

roadsonline.com.au

21

FLEXIBLE

ASPHALT

WITH INCREASING DEMAND FOR RECYCLED PRODUCTS TO BE USED IN ASPHALT MIXES, WIRTGEN DETAILS ITS BENNINGHOVEN ECO ASPHALT PLANT CAPABLE OF INCORPORATING RECYCLED MATERIALS AND MAINTAINING PRODUCT CONSISTENCY.

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ocal councils manage around 80 per cent of Australia’s road network, according to Natspec, which in 2015 was reported to cover 873,573 kilometres.

Asphalt plants are required locally in municipalities across the country in order to supply contractors with a variety of asphalt designs. By tailoring an end product to suit local conditions, contractors can

support the traffic demands on thousands of kilometres of roads.

In many areas, one asphalt plant supports the majority of a town’s network, supplying a diverse variety of mixes in a single day.

These cater to an array of construction requirements, from low-traffic driveways, right through to high-traffic demand industrial intersections of highways.

The Benninghoven ECO plant allows manufacturers to maintain a high level of flexibility during production runs.

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ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

Malatesta Road Paving, one of the asphalt manufacturers in Bunbury, Western Australia, was looking for a new batch plant to provide multiple asphalt mixes daily. To meet the demanding task, the company turned to its long-standing

ASPHALT IN ACTION

supplier Wirtgen – providing it with the Benninghoven ECO Asphalt plant.

Wirtgen’s General Manager of Mineral Technology – Greg Astill says due to its strong relationship with Malatesta Road Paving, Wirtgen has an in-depth understanding of the business and its need for quality equipment.

“Companies don’t buy our asphalt plants based on purchase price, we are never going to be the cheapest, but these plants are strategic investments,” Mr. Astill says.

With its previous plant around 25 years old, Mr. Astill says Malatesta wanted longevity and a high degree of flexibility from a new plant.

Malatesta Road Paving owner Teresa Malatesta-Burton says the decision to buy the Benninghoven ECO plant was made after comprehensive assessments of all major asphalt plant manufacturers.

“We looked at quality, functionality, availability, cost and maintenance support provided,” Ms. Malatesta-Burton says.

Bunbury’s location, around two hours’ drive from Perth, meant the company needed a supplier with quality service and availability of spare parts to be called out at any time.

“We have workshop employees trained to respond to general enquiries across Australia. These people can get to site and work with specialists for local or rural plant support,” Mr. Astill says.

Ensuring plant availability is maintained was essential as the plant could be supplying multiple jobs on any given day.

“A continuous batch plant like the ECO allows extensive levels of repeatability for mixes, so you get a high level of consistency out of production,” Mr. Astill says.

The Benninghoven ECO plant allows manufacturers to maintain a high level of flexibility during production runs and ensures Malatesta’s customers are supported with different mix types produced at consistency.

Ms. Malatesta-Burton says the batch plant was chosen due to the demand the business faces for multiple mix types in any one day.

“The Benninghoven batch plant allows for mixes to be changed mid production, and offers significant flexibility in mix design with greater consistency through decreasing variability in the screening of aggregates,” she says.

She says the Benninghoven batch plant also allows for the use of reclaimed asphalt

pavement (RAP), bitumen dosing and a granulate pellet system for stone mastic asphalt (SMA).

“Previously Malatesta did not have this functionality. This opens up a whole new avenue to the Malatesta Group for environmentally friendly and improved technologies to be utilised,” Ms. MalatestaBurton says.

Wirtgen has supplied Benninghoven ECO plants to Australia for a number of years and there are currently seven in operation around the country.

Mr. Astill says there are three distinct reasons companies look to buy the Benninghoven ECO range. The first, he suggests, is for future-proofing.

“It used to be the case that asphalt material and the mixing technology was reasonably static. Plants lasted easily 20 to 25 years,” he says.

Now, Mr. Astill points out the complexity and requirements for different asphalt materials is putting pressure on older plants.

“The industry no longer mixes just rocks and bitumen. Manufacturers will have to consider using glass, plastics, RAP or crumb rubber into asphalt mixes,” he says.

Mr. Astill adds that plants with a variety of materials also need to meet stringent environmental requirements.

For example, the United Kingdom introduced an aggregate tax of two pounds per tonne in 2002 to encourage the use of recycled aggregates.

The European Asphalt Pavement Association states some European countries allow up to 90 per cent RAP to be used in mixes.

“Coming from Europe, Benninghoven makes plants that can be scaled in the future to allow the addition of various recyclables. If you buy a plant today, you can add new segments when and if required,” Mr. Astill says.

Entire life maintenance savings is the second reason he attributes to the Benninghoven plant’s popularity.

All Benninghoven plants are designed, engineered and manufactured in Germany.

“The quality of the build in these plants is exceptional and the standards set by Benninghoven in its manufacture and assembly process is world class,” Mr. Astill explains.

“It’s the little things, like moisture ingress protection, extra shell thickness on the dryer or coating on the inside of the

metal ducting that reduces moisture, that ensure the plants provide exceptional life expectancy,” Mr. Astill says.

He says the machines last longer due to quality materials and the ability to add features in the future to cope with new requirements.

As with Wirtgen’s entire range of asphalt plants, bespoke Benninghoven ECO plants can be created for its customers.

“For Malatesta, a family business, we needed to create a low-profile plant. To achieve this, the mixed asphalt storage silo was moved to the side of the plant instead of the standard design underneath the plant,” Mr. Astill says.

Increasingly, he says there are requests for recyclable streams and different types of storage to be incorporated in the plant design.

He says excellence in design and manufacturing coupled with Wirtgen’s experience in customer support is the third reason companies purchase Benninghoven plants.

While downtime when purchasing plants overseas can be an issue, Mr. Astill says Wirtgen has the parts and expertise on hand across Australia.

“We will have the spare parts needed ready to go, maximising uptime and availability,” Mr. Astill says.

Wirtgen has a local presence across Australia and New Zealand, on top of a specialist team that works only with Benninghoven plants.

“We have a national footprint and the trained support to anyone acquiring a Benninghoven in Australia or New Zealand,” Mr. Astill says.

The Benninghoven plants also come with a BLS3000 asphalt plant control system for further asphalt mix flexibility.

“This provides the operators with in-time viewing of all plant faults and electrical consumption so they can monitor individual plant items and make necessary changes,” Mr. Astill says.

The system can also generate reports showing each batch and kilogram of material going into a mix for historical records.

“The Benninghoven ECO plant can be tailored to meet any requirements, from a basic plant with no storage, recyclables or basic technology, to a complex plant with multiple recyclable streams being delivered to multiple types of storage,” Mr. Astill says. roadsonline.com.au

23

ASPHALT IN ACTION

OPTIMISING THE

WALKING FLOOR KEITH WALKING FLOOR INTRODUCED ITS V-FLOOR ALTERNATIVE TO TIPPER TRAILERS 15 YEARS AGO AS A SAFER ALTERNATIVE FOR ASPHALT TRANSPORTATION. NOW, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TECHNOLOGY ARE WORKING TO ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY.

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s a mix of crushed stone, gravel and sand, aggregates can be a challenging material to transport, wearing down trailer parts.

Durable bearings are needed in a trailer to ensure it can hold highly abrasive materials such as asphalt, aggregate, scrap metal and specialty waste products like fly ash.

The ability to accommodate a variety of heavy-duty materials at increased weights, therefore, enables road construction supply chain leaders to improve efficiencies when transporting larger loads such as asphalt.

As the asphalt industry continuously works to improve safety across project lifecycles, walking floor trailers are enabling transport businesses to optimise trailer performance.

For the past 45 years, Keith Manufacturing Co. has worked to adapt its proven walking floor technology to operators’ needs, resulting in a safer, more efficient and versatile trailer to transport heavy-duty materials.

Fifteen years ago, the company introduced rugged V-Floor slats which work to provide grip on the material as it is unloaded from the trailer.

As a self-unloading system, the V-Floor is powered by a hydraulic drive. As the floor cycles through its movement phases, the material is conveyed or unloaded from the back of the trailer. This enables the trailer to unload material on uneven surfaces or inside buildings as the traditional tipping action for material unloading is eliminated.

Zyggy Reinoga, Keith Walking Floor Australia Manager – Australia Sales, says the moving floor system can provide peace of mind for trailer operators.

“The horizontal unloading action of a moving floor system also eliminates many of the hazards when using tipping

The horizontal unloading action of a moving floor system eliminates many hazards when using tipping trailers to unload products in the field.

trailers to unload products in the field,” Mr. Reinoga says.

To further optimise the transportation of heavy-duty materials, recent improvements to the V-Floor have been implemented.

Bearing support upgrades have been applied to increase the life of both the bearings and the slats – an important factor when transporting abrasive materials.

The upgrades also include an expansion of the floor area which moves the load as well as reducing the weight of the slats.

Mr. Reinoga says the new design is six kilograms lighter per metre, allowing a larger weight of material to be added to the trailer.

“The benefits over traditional belt trailers

include handling a larger cubic capacity and less maintenance as the wear is reduced,” he says.

With increased floor surface now moving the load, Mr. Reinoga says operators experience improved clean-out and more efficient unloading on an inclined surface.

“The upgrades result in better performance in freezing conditions and the ability to haul and unload a greater variety of materials,” he says.

“Keith Walking Floor consistently looks to improve its adapt its walking floor technology to optimise safety for each aspect of asphalt and aggregate transportation.” roadsonline.com.au

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PLUG-AND-PLAY

PROWESS

INEIGHT IS CREATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CAPITAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS THAT EMBRACE MODULARITY AND INTEROPERABILITY, HELPING TO SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION DESIGN, EXECUTION AND MANAGEMENT.

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he ability to leverage previous project information to accurately predict timelines and budgets reduces confusion and generates greater cooperation between contractors and asset owners.

Data capture and advanced project control represent an opportunity to change the face of contracting methods, increasing transparency and reducing the adversarial nature of traditional contracting.

Real-time data displaying accurate information over the course of a project gives all parties visibility into project progress and encourages better outcomes.

Today’s future-focused project controls use datasets electronically collated and presented in simplified dashboards. This information can improve corrective actions, productivity and cost outcomes over the lifecycle of infrastructure assets.

Project controls connect all dimensions of information associated with the feasibility, design, delivery, maintenance and operation of a capital asset through its lifecycle, from concept to decomission.

This data can be used by companies to become more effective and efficient, with the potential to make project outcomes equivalent to expectations.

Ian Watt, Regional Director Asia-Pacific at InEight, says for the past quarter of a decade, organisations have been largely relying on point solutions to manage project control.

Unfortunately, these point solutions create complicated many-to-many data relationships and coding structures that are incapable of working together.

Mr. Watt says the secret to success for a next-generation platform is interoperability, with all modules supplying data and 26

ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

InEight can take existing data-collecting capabilities and implement these into its cloud-based project management platform.

working together to determine the right corrective actions.

Interoperability enables the creation of pre-connected data that is useful throughout the lifecycle of an infrastructure asset, some of which will have lifespans of up to 100 years.

“While this project control information is critical for decision-making in the twoto three-year construction phase, that phase only contributes around five per cent of the whole value invested in the asset. You need to be able to leverage all the dimensions of connected data for the asset’s entire lifespan as a Common Data Environment (CDE),” Mr. Watt says.

A key differentiator of InEight’s cloudbased project management platform is its plug-and-play format. It can take existing data-collecting capabilities and implement these into the platform alongside InEight’s products.

“External solutions can be plugged into the platform to act as independent data

sources. Our connected data schema can reconcile those external sources alongside our internal solutions to form the CDE information knowledge base,” Mr. Watt says.

“The platform also boasts a consistent user interface, reducing the impact of organisational change associated with complete technology reconstruction.”

In the past, he says, project controllers have been forced to make assumptions due to the lack of connected data.

Connected project data within InEight’s platform generates a number of reports and dashboards to provide asset owners with critical performance indicators derived from the data.

The platform uses Microsoft’s Power BI analytics service, embedded in the system, which comes with pre-defined dashboards each user can configure and extend to display the performance indicators needed.

In Australia, more than $50 billion of road and rail infrastructure projects have

SOFTWARE

adopted the InEight platform.

“It gives owners good visibility of exactly what contractors are up to rather than having to wait for claims and progress reports to be submitted,” Mr. Watt says.

He adds that this can have positive knock-on effects for project calculations.

“The platform creates an ecosystem not only for an individual contractor, but for consortiums, public-private partnerships and asset owners. The connected, realtime data removes any confusion as to what the statistics of a project are, or its detailed information,” Mr. Watt says.

This transparent, connected, trusted data then facilitates modern, cost-effective, collaborative contracting methods such as NEC4 as it helps to break down the traditional adversarial nature of contractor/owner relationships.

At a project’s initiation, crews can be out onsite within a week using InEight’s solutions to collect data, almost instantly reporting consistent and usable information.

“This way, when a project’s information

P L A N T

.

“EXTERNAL SOLUTIONS CAN BE PLUGGED INTO THE PLATFORM TO ACT AS INDEPENDENT DATA SOURCES. OUR CONNECTED DATA SCHEMA CAN RECONCILE THOSE EXTERNAL SOURCES ALONGSIDE OUR INTERNAL SOLUTIONS TO FORM THE CDE INFORMATION KNOWLEDGE BASE,”

is sought out in 50 years’ time, companies will know what was put there at the beginning,” Mr. Watt says.

Information can then be viewed visually through InEight’s platform using 3D digital engineering visualisation capabilities or Building Information Modelling.

“Exploring projects visually is going to have enormous long-term benefits that we cannot even conceptualise, and that future generations will be able to make use of in ways we can’t imagine,” Mr. Watt says.

Alongside possible future benefits, Mr. Watt says he’s had a great deal of current positive feedback. While visiting a site earlier this year in America, he met two engineers over the age of 60 using the platform through an iPad.

E Q U I P M E N T

.

P A R T S

.

Mr. Watt recalls one the of engineers had always filed paperwork late and was consistently in trouble for late reports.

“After being introduced to the platform, this man could log his work quickly and easily and was getting home to his grandchildren 15 minutes earlier every day,” he says.

“From the outset of projects right through to 50 years later, this is a platform that is future focused. It represents the next step beyond pieced-together point solutions and the future of capital project management software.”

To learn more about capital project management software solutions from InEight, visit InEight.com/plug-and-play

S E R V I C E

&

S U P P O R T

ASTEC AUSTRALIA PAVING SOLUTIONS

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

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PO BOX 142, ACACIA RIDGE, QLD, 4110 • 1300 278 322 • astecaustralia.com.au

Hugh Bradlow, President of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering predicts the end of road building in the future.

THE END OF

THE ROAD

AUTOMATED VEHICLES AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS EXPECTED TO ELIMINATE FURTHER ROAD CONSTRUCTION, IN WHAT EXPERTS ARE CALLING THE BIGGEST TRANSFORMATION SINCE THE INTERNET.

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t some point in the future, we will hit peak roads. There will no longer be a reason to build new roads, only to maintain the existing ones.

In opening the Australian Asphalt Pavement Association’s International Flexible Pavements Conference, Hugh Bradlow, President of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, foreshadowed a reformation that seemed far from reality.

In the years to come, he said many road construction careers may not be required, but it wasn’t all bad news.

“As road builders going forward there will be plenty of opportunity for the next 20 years.

“However, your children may not find road-building a growing profession,” Prof.

Bradlow said.

Prof. Bradlow explained a group of emerging technologies, used to enhance roads, cars and eliminate congestion, will be the catalyst to hit peak roads.

TECHNOLOGY FOR AUTOMATION “A digital road is one that works with new technology in personal transport, based on digital technology,” Prof. Bradlow explained.

He said the industry is progressing to a road transport system with no human intervention, traffic lights, cars stopping or 28

ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

accidents, and the ability for pedestrians to always move around safely.

“To reach that endgame, we have to use a synthesis of four different types of technologies,” Prof. Bradlow said.

The first is artificial intelligence or machine learning: the process of training a neural network to remember patterns and recognise objects, and using this in vehicles.

“One example is a machine tested to recognise objects. Within five years of testing, a machine exceeded human accuracy for recognising objects such as people, cats or cars,” Prof. Bradlow said.

The next piece to the digital puzzle was situational awareness technology.

Prof. Bradlow said this involves sensors placed on a vehicle acting as eyes and ears to determine situations surrounding the car.

“We have three sets of imaging technology, cameras, radars and ultrasound. We also use acoustics as internal microphones to recognise a vehicle’s speed and acceleration, so it is aware of its situation,” he said.

This technology will work closely with the third element: accurate location-based information.

“We need below 10-centimetre accuracy to make this work. There are two ways to achieve this. One is differential GPS, a fixed infrastructure on the roadside which corrects

the ordinary GPS in cars and increases accuracy,” he said.

The second element is crowdsourced edge mapping, using radars to recognise fixed objects on the roadside. This allows vehicles to locate themselves in relation to objects and records objects in a map, so the next vehicle is also aware.

“We need these two elements because we are not going to have the infrastructure across all seven million square kilometres of Australia.

“The crowd-sourced option picks up data as people go through an area, so if no one goes, there no data is needed,” Prof.

Bradlow said.

The final technology, to put industry on the path to peak roads, is vehicle-to-anything (V2X) communication.

Prof. Bradlow said the implementation of 5G networks will allow millions of devices and traffic to use V2X communications on the system.

It could cope with a city like Sydney hosting millions of connected cars.

He said the network’s information delivery time has to be very low to accommodate V2X communications because a car must have enough time to prevent crashes.

“In the future, there will be circumstances in which vehicles have to communicate

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to each other or the road and there isn’t any network coverage in that area. 5G is designed to enable that to happen so will be extremely important as we move forward,” Prof. Bradlow said.

He said with the implementation of these four technologies to create an autonomous network, road capacity will keep growing until 2035 and then decline.

ENABLING A FULLY AUTONOMOUS NETWORK The most significant step towards driving a fully autonomous network, Prof. Bradlow believes, is V2X communications.

He said that in order to implement V2X communications, regulation is needed.

Recently, the EU mandated that all new vehicles from 2020 are to have an Advanced Driver Assist System which aids emergency braking, adapted cruise control, lane assist driving and parking, a simpler version of V2X. “Road authorities need to specify which technologies they want to use,” he said.

V2X technology can be put into existing cars now using an OBD2 adapter. Prof.

Bradlow said previously communications

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in vehicles have not been compatible with computers. The OBD2 adapter allows a computer to access a vehicle’s network.

“Within two to three years, if we had OBD2 adapters in cars, we could ensure every vehicle had V2X communication and start changing the network.”

With this technology, each vehicle could report its location, speed and destination to a centralised computer system which could optimise the road system.

There is a caveat, Prof. Bradlow said when implementing this technology: cyber security. Prof. Bradlow explained an example where a hacker was able to take over a jeep and control its steering and brakes, which poses serious danger.

But he also explained one company went to the world’s biggest hacking conference and presented a prize car to be won if any of the hackers could access it. No one succeeded.

Another notable element is the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

“The road system can support this because with the help of the vehicle it can determine where each vehicle needs to recharge,” Prof. Bradlow said.

If recharging is allowed to happen ad hoc, he said it will put enormous pressure on the electrical distribution gird.

As more autonomous and electric vehicles are introduced, it will also prompt road regulations to accommodate the transition.

“You could have a congestion zone, like in London.

“Within that zone you could say we are only going to have fully autonomous vehicles and humans aren’t allowed to touch the controls. Or we are going to have lanes on major thoroughfares reserved for autonomous vehicles,” Prof. Bradlow said.

He said either way, cities will have to make decisions.

‘When we reach peak roads is going to be a big question and to some extent, governments can control that with regulation, on the assumption the technology progresses to my predictions,” he said.

Prof. Bradlow said we have the technology now that will solve both new and old problems.

“When peak roads happens, it will be the biggest transformation of our lives since the internet.”

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With you. Â secmair.fayat.com |

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SOFTWARE

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iving employees flexibility, while still ensuring business needs are met, can help create a positive workplace.

While flexible working hours have inherent wellbeing benefits, they’re also a common attribute on infrastructure projects, as staff are often out in the field working in multiple locations.

With data management software, companies are assured employees are working on the right files, whether at home or in the field, enabling a flexible working environment.

As such, reliable document management systems are needed to ensure access to the latest files is consistently available for employees at any location.

12d Synergy is a data management and project collaboration system for architectural, engineering and construction offices. The system is built specifically to manage the tens of thousands of project emails, documents, tasks and gigabytes of data created around infrastructure projects.

The opportunity for flexible or remote working is just one of the many benefits recognised by users of 12d Synergy.

Premise is a multidisciplinary consultancy that provides tailored solutions across a number of sectors. As a rapidly growing company it uses 12d Synergy to enhance its working capabilities.

Premise’s Chief Operating Officer Terry Tran says before using 12d Synergy, the company used Windows Explorer and Dropbox which restricted access to files.

“That system wasn’t ideal for us because it created conflicts and challenged the integrity of the data other consultants relied on,” Mr. Tran says.

The company had to bring third party consultants into the network environment

12d Synergy allows companies to recover data quickly and work remotely.

to gain access to the data, which created security risks.

“With 12d Synergy we are able to recover data quickly and allow staff to work remotely and still effectively on the basis they are working through the local environment rather than a VPN connection,” Mr. Tran says.

He says the end user experience with 12d Synergy is akin to working in the office or

at home. Staff can have flexible working schedules and accommodate more time with family while still getting the job done.

“It means staff can go home and have fun and spend time with their kids and then be back online at night to get the job done, rather than staying in the office,” he says.

Mr. Tran says enabling flexible working conditions has been a big factor in the business’s growth. roadsonline.com.au

31

“WITH 12D SYNERGY WE HAVE SAVED ABOUT $20,000 A MONTH ON TRAVEL COSTS. IT’S HELPED US SIGNIFICANTLY TO IMPROVE THE WAY WE’RE ABLE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY ON JOBS, RATHER THAN HAVING STAFF TRAVEL AND SPEND TWO WEEKS IN AN ON-SITE OFFICE TO GET THE JOB OUT.”

The system also features permission controls which enable companies to control access to certain files for employees or clients working on projects.

“You don’t run the risk of someone working from a previous version or a file that has been superseded which can have a knock-on effect down the track,” Mr. Tran says.

Furthermore, with offices sharing large engineering data, Premise previously experienced a congested internal network.

12d Synergy’s Intelligent Data Transfer has streamlined this by only transferring the changed files, not the full project.

“The infrastructure we have in play now doesn’t need to be as sophisticated and as expensive as back in the day to produce documents at speed,” Mr. Tran says.

The 12d Synergy package is hosted in Microsoft’s Azure platform, a cloud computing service which links with 12d Synergy’s local file replication servers. This enables workers to download files faster from the replication server as opposed to the master server, often in a different location. Mr. Tran estimates that Premise’s

12d Synergy supports architectural, engineering and construction offices.

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migration to the cloud has reduced IT costs by around 40 per cent.

“There isn’t dependency on a single office now. We’ve got 11 offices in the Premise group, nine have file replication servers. Previously the main server was hosted in Brisbane but if something happened there, all sites went down and lost the connection.”

He says it’s improved the end user experience significantly and created a layer of redundancy which means other offices can access the data far quicker than before.

Premise has also managed to eliminate robust file copies, saving a significant amount of backup space and time. This is achieved by 12d Synergy only storing the byte-level versions of files.

Premise can leverage specialist skills across the country, which is proving to cut costs and enable expertise across multiple projects.

“With 12d Synergy we have saved about $20,000 a month on travel costs. It’s helped us significantly to improve the way we’re able to work collaboratively on jobs, rather than having staff travel and spend

two weeks in an on-site office to get the job out,” Mr. Tran says.

“With collaboration we are able to have employees from other offices working on projects rather than an individual doing long hours to get a job done,” Mr. Tran says.

One recent challenge for Premise was its recertification from ISO:9001, quality assurance.

“Since our last recertification we acquired three businesses. This certification was to bring all of the businesses in alignment with one quality standard,” Mr. Tran says.

“The auditors were very impressed with the system, the document control and different layers of redundancy. They also noted the simplicity of the system, which was reassuring to hear,” he says.

The auditors also stated Premise’s document management system set the company apart as this is one of the biggest risks for organisations. If documents are incorrectly named or if employees are working off the wrong file version this can complicate and delay works on-site.

ISO auditors told Mr. Tran how important document management is for businesses from a professional indemnity point of view. He said they recognised how 12d Synergy could help to reduce certification premiums by demonstrating a company is at the forefront of managing risks.

Mr. Tran views 12d Synergy as a competitive advantage when tendering for projects as the company can use specialist staff effectively from different locations and offices and demonstrate data integrity.

“Places seem to go through construction booms at different times so we can pull our resources together and deliver projects in different locations,” Mr. Tran says.

He says this enables the business to be robust to economic fluctuation as busier offices can support quiet ones in order to retain staff.

“Out of all the software applications that we have, the support we get from 12d synergy is by far the best.”

“I think 12d Synergy is far superior and obviously is a lot better bang for buck then it’s competitive products.

“I’ll recommend 12d Synergy all day, every day. If we started this business from scratch.

12d Synergy would definitely be there. I don’t think I could picture life without it.”

THE ONE

LAS VEGAS YOU NEED

SHOW TO SEE

NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST CONSTRUCTION TRADE SHOW

CONEXPOCONAGG.COM MARCH 10-14, 2020

|

LAS VEGAS, USA

The Tiny Surveyor was introduced by Position Partners as an alternative to manual line marking.

ROBOT ROAD

MARKING

THE TINY SURVEYOR FROM POSITION PARTNERS IS MAKING A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON PRE-LINE MARKING JOBS AROUND THE COUNTRY INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY, IMPROVING SAFETY AND REDUCING COSTS.

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he $1.05 billion Northlink project in Perth, WA includes a new 37-kilometre highway from the intersection of the Tonkin and Reid Highways in Malaga to the Great Northern Highway at Muchea.

To ensure drivers can be safely directed along a new route, accurate line marking needs to be installed following the construction of the road.

Traditionally manual pre-marking of road lines saw workers exposed to live traffic on road sites for 34

ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

extended periods of time.

Exclusively distributed by Position Partners in Australia, the Tiny Surveyor is a tablet-controlled robot programmed to complete pre-line marking. The robot was introduced by the company in February 2018 as an alternative to manual line marking, helping reduce risks for workers on live traffic sites.

The three-wheeled Tiny Surveyor uses a GNSS receiver or total station from any manufacturer, like Topcon, Trimble or Leica, to accurately drive the unit and can

work eight hours on a single charge.

In the sweltering heat, pre-line marking jobs can lead to body fatigue, an experience that Karl O’Toole, Position Partners Product Application Specialist knows all too well.

Mr. O’Toole explains he has performed pre-line marking jobs in 40-degree days on black asphalt roads and says that a safer solution was needed.

“Line marking is fairly repetitive and there is a lot of body strain for workers resulting in employees having sick days,

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

“THE TINY SURVEYOR WAS PURCHASED TO MARK OUT VARIOUS FEATURES, THE CENTRE LINES, EDGE LINES AND ALSO PEDESTRIAN PATHS, CYCLE PATHS AND BARRIER LINES. IN TOTAL THAT SINGLE SURVEYOR HAS DONE 520 KILOMETRES OF MARKING FOR THE NORTHLINK.”

which is one of the main issues with line marking,” Mr. O’Toole says.

As an alternative, the Tiny Surveyor is operated by a rugged tablet, which can be used in the rain and heat.

“An operator has to be in control of the robot at all times using the tablet.

“You can get up to 100 metres away from it before it will automatically stop until you’re back in safe working range,” Mr. O’Toole says.

It will operate after the user has uploaded design files for pre-marking locations.

The Tiny Surveyor can be operated from a car or another safe location.

“Operators drive the robot from within the safety of a vehicle. There is usually one in front and behind the robot to ensure nothing interferes with its work,” Mr. O’Toole says.

“It also reduces business costs for road closure and traffic management as there are many equipment requirements for worker protection when manually marking lines.”

Mr. O’Toole says the second trial of the Tiny Surveyor saw a large truck come within about 40 metres of the machine.

He says that this is when he realised the full safety potential of the machine as a person could have been in its place.

Time savings are another factor Mr. O’Toole attributes to the Tiny Surveyor’s appeal.

“The robot does not need to slow down and bend to mark the lines. It also does not need to walk back to a car after kilometres of marking, like a worker would,” he says.

Time is also saved by reducing the need for traffic management set-up and transfers.

“Essentially the robot eliminates human

error. As long as the correct design is loaded in, it will mark out every point accurately the first time.

“It helps to save time additionally by reducing re-work due to human error. When I have done line marking, I’ve found it’s very easy to wander after hours in 40 degrees under a hot sun. It is easy to make mistakes,” Mr. O’Toole says.

Line marking, however, is not all the Tiny Surveyor is capable of. Being rugged, the robot can be used in a number of environments, including on gravel, sand and grass.

The biggest Australian project using a Tiny Surveyor is the $1.05 billion NorthLink project in Perth.

“The Tiny Surveyor was purchased to mark out various features, the centre lines, edge lines and also pedestrian paths, cycle paths and barrier lines. In total that single surveyor has done 520 kilometres of marking for the NorthLink,” Mr. O’Toole says.

He says Position Partners customers should have an open mind for the Tiny Surveyor’s

capabilities on road projects as it isn’t restricted to pre-line marking.

“Every customer that has purchased a unit has used it for a different reason. They aren’t just using it for roads but for many other features as well,” Mr. O’Toole says.

As at October 2019, Position Partners have not had any faults with its Tiny Surveyors across Australia and New Zealand.

“We do carry at least one spare part for each component of every robot and the repairs are quite simple.

“If a motor in the wheel breaks, for example, we will replace the whole wheel and look at repairing it internally,” Mr. O’Toole says.

Low downtime and maintenance for repairs on the Tiny Surveyor is another benefit for companies. Operators only have to ensure the robot is clean, charged and has pumped the tyres for use.

“For big or small projects, the Tiny Surveyor is reducing costs for traffic management, increasing productivity and simplifying a straining manual job,” he says.

The Tiny Surveyor’s rugged nature makes it an asset in a number of environments, including on gravel, sand and grass.

roadsonline.com.au

35

SEALING AUSTRALIA’S

FUTURE

ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPEAKS TO SECMAIR, A FRENCH DESIGNER AND MANUFACTURER OF ROAD MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT, ABOUT THE COMPANY’S LATEST PRODUCTS TO HIT THE AUSTRALIAN ROAD MARKET.

C

hip-sealers revolutionised road maintenance, helping workers to spread aggregate and spray a binder at the same time, evenly and efficiently. In 1983, Secmair created its very first chip-sealer.

After 25 years of growth, Secmair joined the Fayat group at the end of 2008. The company now has over 130 staff and eight different machine types. With its main headquarters based in French town Cosséle-Vivien, the company has an extended network, with other bases in Germany, Australia and the US. As specialised designer of road maintenance equipment globally, Secmair is increasingly moving into the Australian and New Zealand markets.

David Redelsperger is the Secmair Area Sales Manager for Australia and New Zealand based in Melbourne. He says the company is excited to promote its capabilities down under.

“Our innovation, quality and design services have been the keys to the company’s success for over a century and we want to bring this to Australia,” Mr. Redelsperger says.

Complete control over its production processes enables Secmair machines to be designed specifically for projects, according to the different needs of its customers such as various application types and the desired daily output.

Secmair have realised the importance of offering a new range of machines in Australia for the diverse array of construction work currently underway.

A report released in early 2019 by the National Roads and Motorists Association in Australia revealed a $2.2 billion backlog in funding required by councils to maintain local roads across NSW alone.

An infrastructure funding boom, coupled with a maintenance backlog, prompts the need for adaptable machinery to get jobs done on time and on budget.

The company has identified its machines as a good option to supply to maintenance work throughout Australia and will use its ability to make premium machines within a performance package as an advantage.

Sprayers, chip-sealers, chip-spreaders, emulsion tanks, pothole repairers, crack-sealers and micro-surfacing or slurry machines are just some of Secmair’s equipment range.

“When we create machines at Secmair, everything from manufacturing the machine to developing the software happens with us, designed from our engineering office for specific customer needs,” Mr. Redelsperger says.

The first chip-sealer Secmair created was designed for patch repair. There are now nearly 1000 Secmair chip-sealers operating around the world performing wide road chip-sealing, tack coats and patch repair.

Secmair has also recently designed and manufactured a chip-spreader – known

Secmair have realised the importance of offering a new range of machines in Australia for the diverse array of construction work underway.

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ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

Most Secmair spreaders are able to be used on both large and small road construction sites.

as the Kangaroo – that moves forward to provide a solution to the emerging needs of the Australian road maintenance industry.

Using existing technology from its wellknown chip-sealer, the company were able to combine a conveyor belt and spreader box to enable aggregates to be sprayed while moving forward.

Alongside chip-sealers and chipspreaders, Secmair also has a complete range of sprayers, offering its premium model Edensprayer, which accurately distributes any kind of binder through a fully telescopic spray bar.

“With a short overhang and wheel base, the Edensprayer can move around sites with

Secmair has partnered with Construction Equipment Australia to offer machines and service support nationwide.

ease,” Mr. Redelsperger says.

Designed with telescopic capabilities, most Secmair spreaders are able to be used on both large and small road construction sites.

Secmair also offers a new range of compact equipment. CEPIA, Secmair’s smallest machine to both lay hot mix asphalt and spread aggregate, arrived in Australia last month. This is one of the company’s newest releases in this product segment.

Intended for lighter, municipal repair works, the machine was created to work in a similar fashion to a wheelbarrow and is self-propelled.

“There is no need for a power supply with this machine. It is simply directed by a worker around site and the hydraulic controls and chip spreading width can be adjusted while working,” Mr. Redelsperger says.

To offer its machines and service support nationwide the company partnered with Construction Equipment Australia (CEA).

Mr. Redelsperger is also trained to assist customers for projects on the ground in Australia or New Zealand.

He recently travelled to New Zealand to aid Downer in commissioning a new batch of Secmair equipment. This was the third recent arrival of Secmair equipment in the country. roadsonline.com.au

37

Ctrack’s Drive Mate application at the time of writing is set to become one of the first NHVR-approved electronic work diaries.

TRACKING

THE FUTURE

AS THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION ENGULFS ROAD TRANSPORT AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES, CTRACK IS WORKING TO ENSURE COMPANIES STAY AHEAD OF THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE.

D

igitisation is sweeping over the road transport and construction industries.

Construction companies are consistently pushing to use the latest technological advancements to increase safety and productivity.

To keep up with growing electronic trends, in May 2018 the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) released its standards for an electronic work diary.

The electronic diary is a device designed to monitor and record work and rest times, among other reports, in place of handwritten diaries.

Traditionally, workers would keep a written diary of hours worked and rested alongside other factors to ensure companies comply with the Heavy Vehicle 38

ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

National Law (HVNL) on fatigue.

Created to improve data accuracy for drivers, electronic work diaries enhance reporting processes for drivers, transport operators and officers. To prepare for the digital future, Ctrack by Inseego has launched its Drive Mate application.

At the time of writing, Drive Mate is set to become one of the first NHVRapproved electronic work diaries in the Australian market.

The product is an application that drivers can use to keep a diary of hours worked and perform pre-start checklists to report back to a centralised dashboard.

Dale Kingston, Technical and Product Lead at Ctrack ANZ, says Drive Mate is big step forward for operators to ensure they comply with Chain of Responsibility

legislation. This includes the pre-start checklist which is key to ensuring construction equipment is safe prior to operation.

“When checking the tyres, for example, if the operator finds damage, they can simply take a photo of it and upload it to the app.

“Additionally, companies can add photographs as examples of problems operators should be looking out for in the pre-site check,” Mr. Kingston says.

The Drive Mate application also enables companies to implement bespoke rule sets, aside from the NHVR, for hours worked and rested. It will keep companies notified in real-time of any breaches to the rules.

Mr. Kingston says NHVR approval is

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

“OUR NEW BLUETOOTH-ENABLED ASSET TRACKING DEVICE IS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS A COMPUTER MOUSE, SO IT IS PERFECT FOR LADDERS OR TOOLBOXES. WHEN THE BLUETOOTH ASSET DEVICE IS IN RANGE OF THE PRIMARY TRACKING DEVICE, IN THE VEHICLE IT WILL THEN PROVIDE AN UPDATE THROUGH THE SYSTEM ON ITS POSITION.”

a big step forward for the Drive Mate application and is just one of the ways Ctrack is preparing for the construction industry’s digital future.

Ctrack has also released its new Executive Dashboard which collates data from Ctrack’s tracking products, presenting the fleet’s performance and trends.

The introduction of this dashboard will produce live actionable insights, increasing the operator’s productivity and enabling them to identify key issues without relying on multiple scheduled reports.

For example, the dashboard system enables users to focus on certain parts of the data supplied to find out when and where driver performance might have been lacking.

Mr. Kingston says this is especially important for operators working with heavy construction equipment as monitoring speed, working hours and even using data for accident reconstruction keeps companies accountable across safety and productivity.

As networks progress, Ctrack has ensured all of its tracking devices are capable of implementation with 4G networks.

“The 3G network will have a limited lifespan so it’s important for us to keep progressing and implement the 4G hardware,” Mr. Kingston says.

Ctrack’s wireless asset tracking devices are also being upgraded to ensure future success.

Traditionally, Ctrack’s tracking devices have been used on large equipment such as excavators and Mr. Kingston says customers are increasingly enquiring about smaller devices.

“Our new Bluetooth-enabled asset

Using data to monitor speed, working hours and even to reconstruct accidents is possible with Ctrack’s Executive Dashboard.

tracking device is about the same size as a computer mouse, so it is perfect for ladders or toolboxes,” he says.

Mr. Kingston says that when the Bluetooth asset device is in range of the primary tracking device in the vehicle, it provides an update through the system on its position.

To continue with Ctrack’s future-focused initiatives, the company has recently introduced automation with its new routing product.

Ctrack Route enables companies to upload delivery points, vehicle capacity and onsite working time for optimised routing.

Route optimisation can help to reduce

the number of vehicles on the road by increasing the productivity of specific vehicles.

These future-focused products from Ctrack are just some of the company’s initiatives that allow it to stay on the front foot of digitisation and optimisation in the road transport and construction industries.

“One of our key strengths is that we have a global product team, so with this structure in place we are able to share new products and ideas across the globe,” Mr. Kingston says.

He says Ctrack will continue to deliver new and innovative products to support businesses in their journey of digitisation. roadsonline.com.au

39

A CENTURY WITHOUT

MAINTENANCE THE CITY OF GREATER GEELONG’S 100-YEAR MAINTENANCE-FREE BRIDGE TENDER PROCESS IS HIGHLIGHTING THE PUBLIC SECTOR’S ABILITY TO INCENTIVISE COMMERCIAL SCALING THROUGH PROCUREMENT.

W

hile new billion-dollar projects dominate public attention and government budgets, more than $30 billion is required to renew and replace Australia’s existing infrastructure, according to the Australian Local Government Association’s 2018 State of the Assets report.

Additionally, the report, which draws on responses from 408 Australian councils, shows 21 per cent of timber bridges and four per cent of concrete bridges are in poor condition. As a result, the cost of bridge maintenance is a critical component of state and local government infrastructure spending.

According to Guy Wilson-Browne, City

of Greater Geelong Director City Services, the city owns and manages more than 160 bridges.

“Many of these are timber, concrete and steel pedestrian bridges, which vary in condition and require significant ongoing maintenance,” Mr. Wilson-Browne says.

“This is a significant liability, so we wanted a solution that was better than anything else currently available on the market.”

To address maintenance costs, both current and future, the City of Greater Geelong has enacted a new approach to public procurement via the Procurement for Innovation method.

Used extensively overseas, Procurement for Innovation refers to any public

Deakin engineers Mahbube Subhani and Kazem Ghabraie with Austeng Managing Director Ross George and their geopolymer building material.

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ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

procurement practice intended to stimulate innovation through research and development and the market uptake of new products and services.

In practical terms, governments establish forward commitments to support the procurement of products not yet available on the market.

A state government, for example, could commit to purchasing road monitoring artificial intelligence sensors that are not yet fully released or commercially scaled.

This in turn incentivises further research and development through the promise of commercial end markets.

In 2017, the City of Greater Geelong applied the Procurement for Innovation concept to a 100-year maintenance-free bridge tender.

Mr. Wilson-Browne says the tender invited companies to develop solutions to the costly maintenance problem associated with traditional bridges, which cost the city roughly $500,000 to inspect, repair, maintain and replace each year.

“The tender was the first in Australia to be offered using a Procurement for Innovation process, which aims to encourage the development and viability of clean technology, using the substantial buying power of public sector procurement,” he says.

Mr. Wilson-Browne says eight infrastructure firms expressed interest in the project, all with support from Cleantech Innovations Geelong – an industry support collaboration between the City of Greater Geelong, the Geelong Manufacturing Council and the state government.

“Cleantech is designed to support the development of economically viable

INFRASTRUCTURE IN FOCUS – BRIDGES

products and services that harness renewable materials and energy sources through market stimulation and grants programs,” Mr. Wilson-Browne says.

“Having Cleantech involved helped bring engineers, designers and manufacturers together to work collaboratively and develop a solution for the maintenancefree, age-defying bridge.”

The contract was ultimately awarded to a consortium comprising local manufacturer Austeng, Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds Carbon Nexus facility and engineering company Rocla.

Mr. Wilson-Browne says the decision to award the consortium was based on price, innovation and the level of local involvement.

“The Austeng-led consortium researched and developed a new and innovative combination of materials, which includes geopolymer, made with partly recycled materials, reinforced with carbon fibre,” he says.

“This combination of materials resulted in a novel building product that is stronger and lasts significantly longer than any existing products.”

Mr. Wilson-Browne says the bridge, designed by Deakin University researcher’s Mahbube Subhani and Kazem Ghabraie, will require no maintenance over its 100year lifespan.

As part of their design, Dr. Subhani and Dr. Ghabraie replaced the steel reinforcing bar normally used in concrete with a more durable carbon and glass fibre-reinforced

“THE TENDER WAS THE FIRST IN AUSTRALIA TO BE OFFERED USING A PROCUREMENT FOR INNOVATION PROCESS, WHICH AIMS TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT AND VIABILITY OF CLEAN TECHNOLOGY, USING THE SUBSTANTIAL BUYING POWER OF PUBLIC SECTOR PROCUREMENT.”

polymer. Additionally, as an alternative to cement, the bridge’s concrete is manufactured using fly-ash from coal combustion.

While structures made with steel reinforced concrete require maintenance every five years, and major maintenance or rehabilitation every 20 years, Mr. WilsonBrowne says the use of fly-ash concrete sidesteps corrosion due to its highly alkaline composition.

In addition to structural integrity benefits, the use of fly-ash in concrete manufacturing offers a viable end-market for the waste material, which currently accounts for 18 per cent of Australia’s total waste stream.

As a by-product of combustion, Mr. Wilson-Browne says geopolymer is also an emissions-friendly alternative. He adds that cement production is responsible for approximately seven per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions.

Pre-construction beam failure testing began in May 2019, with Mr. Wilson-Browne explaining that recent testing shows geopolymer carbon-reinforced beams are 15 per cent stronger than concrete.

“While the bridge is still under

construction, this is very exciting news and indicates the product could be used in other civil construction projects in the future,” he says.

“Innovative programs like this help stimulate local economic activity, industry confidence and can help foster a growing number of innovative businesses in Geelong.”

After adapting the Procurement for Innovation method, Geelong become the first designated UNESCO City of Design in Australia.

The UNESCO program highlights cities that use creativity to build more sustainable and resilient communities.

Mr. Wilson-Browne says the designation presents an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the city’s industrial and commercial activities.

He says other City of Design led projects include partnering with 47 other Victorian councils to form Australia’s largest renewable energy buying group and developing the Malop Street Green Spine botanical walk.

“These types of projects are critical for showcasing what is possible in growing regional areas,” he says.

ENGINEERING

THE FUTURE

ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPEAKS WITH BRONWYN EVANS, ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA’S NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ABOUT HER KEY PRIORITIES AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE SECTOR.

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ith the help of disruptive digital technologies such as robots, artificial intelligence and drones, Australia’s engineering sector will deliver billions of dollars in new infrastructure projects over the next decade.

According to the Australian Infrastructure Audit, 2018 saw the highest level of engineering work for the public sector ever recorded.

Dr. Bronwyn Evans took on the role of CEO of Engineers Australia earlier this year.

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At $39 billion, government spending on engineering represented 2.1 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product over the 12-month period.

Pointing to the infrastructure boom and a growth in smart city technology, Bronwyn Evans, Engineers Australia’s new Chief Executive Officer, suggests that number is likely rise.

To support the sector and wider systems thinking uptake, Dr. Evans says she is committed to supporting the skills development of Australia’s next crop of engineers.

She adds that accelerated growth in infrastructure spending has highlighted a critical engineering skills shortage, meaning supporting the next generation is now more important than ever.

“When one starts mapping all of the big infrastructure projects in the pipeline, they will notice more skilled engineers are needed than Australia can currently provide,” Dr. Evans says.

“Responding to that requires a multipronged approach, including looking at how Australian universities are working to develop skills and innovation and working out how Engineers Australia can help encourage students to enter the engineering field.”

In a statement addressing the Federal Government before the 2019 election, Engineers Australia highlighted the Australian economy’s traditional reliance on the mining and agricultural sectors.

As a result of the mining boom’s collapse and a decline in onshore manufacturing, the statement suggests Australia is experiencing workforce contraction, with fewer jobs for graduates.

To counteract contraction, Dr. Evans says Australia needs to develop strategic

roadmaps for the transition into a technologically based economy, with support for the skills development required to facilitate it.

While it’s a large undertaking, Dr. Evan intends to draw on her leadership experience as Chief Executive Officer of Standards Australia to emphasise the importance of engineering.

“Young people entering the workforce want the oppurunity to experiment and think differently and its our job to show them that engineering is a great place to do that,” she says.

With a career spanning electrical engineering, medical engineering and infrastructure design, Dr. Evans explains that the sector is complex.

She adds that engineering needs to be understood not simply as an infrastructure or asset field, but a sector that affects all elements of societal shaping and progress.

“Engineers need to be involved in the discussion of critical areas of importance for the country, both in terms of how those areas relate to engineers and the broader challenges we face,” Dr. Evans says.

“We need to have a seat at the table in terms of policy and planning.”

According to Dr. Evans, engineers work to develop solutions that meet the needs of the present without compromising the future, such as sustainable infrastructure practices and material design.

This, she says, highlights the key role engineer’s play in developing future infrastructure and wider utility network security and sustainability.

By applying new technologies, Dr. Evans suggests engineers can shift the concept of the city from a static structure of disconnected parts to a living

INFRASTRUCTURE IN FOCUS – ENGINEERING

structure capable of change.

“Engineers are really driving those innovations. Often the invention, if you like, comes from one part of the engineering sector, while working out the implementation process comes from another,” she says.

“We don’t necessarily have all the answers in terms of how we incorporate big data, sensors and artificial intelligence, but we certainly are leading that movement.”

As another key priority, Dr. Evan says she is looking to modernise the way Engineers Australia interacts with its members.

“There are simple and practical things we can do, such as making our website easier to navigate and ensuring we work in an agile way, but we also need to think about what role Engineers Australia will play in the future of the sector,” she says.

In addition to supporting educating and up and coming engineers, Dr. Evans says Engineers Australia needs to ensure the existing workforce stays relevant and up to

date with changing technological processes.

“What can Engineers Australia do to provide people with access to education for skills building and refreshment?” Dr. Evans says.

“I think that’s the really interesting, exciting challenge at the moment, and I look forward to discussing those ideas with our members.”

Another challenge, Dr. Evans says, is Australia’s lack of compulsory engineer registration.

As a stated policy position, Engineers Australia believes in developing a national engineering registration network.

According to Dr. Evans, without the assurance that engineers have the necessary skills to fulfil their job to relevant standards, community safety and consumer protection are vulnerable.

While doctors, lawyers and architects are required to register to legally carry out their work in Australia, there is no current harmonised legislation in place to prevent

unqualified individuals gaining employment in the engineering sector.

Presently, just Queensland and Victoria have compulsory registration legislation in place.

“For a profession to be successful it has to be trusted, and by implementing compulsory registration, the engineering industry would demonstrate that its employees have all the right skills and qualifications,” she explains.

“We need the public to feel confident that their engineers will deliver works in a way that is ethical and fit for purpose.”

Despite these challenges, Dr. Evans says 2019 is an exciting time to be an engineer.

“As an engineer you get to have such a fantastic time being curious about the world and solving problems,” she says.

“Plus, with more younger people entering the industry, there’s always more to learn.

As a senior engineer it’s important to pay attention to the next generation, because they’re the ones leading the way.”

30-MINUTE

CITY

ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SPEAKS TO NSW TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTER ANDREW CONSTANCE ABOUT GROWING TRANSPORT CONNECTIVITY IN AUSTRALIA’S MOST POPULOUS STATE.

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f current trends continue, the NSW Government will face a significant gap between what it receives in tax and other revenues, and what it spends on public services and infrastructure, according to the state’s Building Momentum Infrastructure Strategy 2018-38.

The strategy, authored by Infrastructure NSW, asserts that the state’s ageing population will create lower tax revenue and higher public sector expenditure, ultimately creating a fiscal gap.

The NSW Government also has to contend with a declining share of Commonwealth revenue from GST and National Partnership Agreements. The decline is a result of the federal budget’s $10.3 billion cut to the GST pool.

To manage the fiscal gap, the NSW Government will have to cultivate new ways to deliver and fund infrastructure, while also exercising judgement on what major projects require state investment.

With this in mind, the NSW Transport and Infrastructure Department has developed multiple specialised and complementary plans, including the Future Transport 2056 plan, the Greater Sydney Region Plan, the Connected and Automated Vehicles Plan and the Road Safety Plan 2021.

The plans, according to Infrastructure NSW, are designed to work concurrently to deliver long-term infrastructure, transport, mobility and land use planning integration.

By outlining long-term goals and tangible action points, NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance tells Roads & Infrastructure the state can effectively manage infrastructure expenditure without compromising on pipeline progress.

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ASSET RECYCLING As the member for Bega, a town 336 kilometres south-east of Sydney, Mr. Constance says he is conscious of how Sydney congestion negatively affects NSW’s overall economic health.

In a 2018 report published by transport data company INRIX, it was revealed that congestion cost New York City $34 billion in 2017. Calculations were based on direct costs, such as lost time and fuel wastage, and indirect costs such as elevated shipping prices.

While the cost of congestion in Sydney is significantly lower at $6.1 billion annually, estimates suggest the population of Australia’s largest city will exceed that of New York by 2056, meaning congestion costs are likely to rise.

“The economic loss associated with congestion affects the government’s ability to direct funding and resources to the regions. As such, approaching congestion busting as a productivity measure requires us to look at the state holistically,” Mr. Constance says.

In response, the 2019-20 NSW budget made a commitment to grow the functionality of both regional and metro NSW through substantial infrastructure investment. This includes pledging 30 per cent of the Restart NSW Fund to regional infrastructure over the life of the fund.

Restart NSW was established in 2011 with the intention of delivering highpriority infrastructure projects and is supported by the state government’s asset recycling program.

As of June 2019, funds, including investment earnings, totalled $33.3 billion.

Over four years, the budget allocated $93 billion to infrastructure, the largest

infrastructure commitment in the state’s history. Of the $93 billion, $55.6 billion was awarded to road and rail projects, with the remaining allocated to schools, hospitals, energy, water and housing.

The transport sector investment represents a $4.4 billion increase on the 2018-19 budget.

Mr. Constance says the scale of the investment is made possible by the state’s asset recycling program.

“The state’s treasurer became involved in a project called asset recycling, where in essence, we lease assets, be it ports or electricity services, and invest the money into an infrastructure fund,” he explains.

“With the engagement of experts, asset recycling can provide a pipeline of projects that really lift the potential of the state.”

According to NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s budget overview, NSW has had a negative net debt for four consecutive years. As of June 2019, NSW’s net debt was the lowest in the country.

That said, the budget states that across four years to June 2023, net debt is forecast to increase, as the government continues to invest in its infrastructure program.

“By using asset recycling proceeds and budget surpluses to fund investment however, government is able to ensure its borrowing remain at sustainable levels,” the budget reads.

The budget’s highlights include $268 million to begin Great Western Highway duplication works, $500 million for the Fixing Country Bridges program, $322 million to upgrade the Princes Highway between Nowra and the Victorian border and $6.4 billion over four years to accelerate construction on Sydney Metro West.

Sydney Metro, Mr. Constance says, is

INFRASTRUCTURE IN FOCUS – TRANSPORT

the most critical project in the state’s infrastructure pipeline.

In addition to Metro West, the Sydney Metro program includes North West Metro, which has already been built, Sydney Metro City and Southwest and the North South Metro Rail Link.

When completed, the project will equip Sydney with a 66-kilometre standalone metro railway, with 31 stations between Rouse Hill and Bankstown.

“Sydney Metro will completely change the way people move around the city,” Mr. Constance says.

Another city shaping project, Mr. Constance says, is West Connex – a 33-kilometre tunnel network.

“We opened the first of four West Connex tunnels two months ago, and the community is raving about it,” he says.

“It’s a game changer for people’s quality of life – they are getting across the city in times they could only ever imagine. When complete, the project will change the city forever.”

The project is currently tracking well, Mr. Constance says, with over seven kilometres of the link tunnel between the M4 and M5 complete, two major interchanges currently under construction and a tender for works on the Gateway that links West Connex to the airport and port botany out to market.

THREE CITIES By 2056, NSW’s population is forecast to grow from 7.7 million to over 12 million, with Greater Sydney expected to accommodate 80 per cent of that growth.

Furthermore, roughly half of Sydney’s future population is expected to reside west of Parramatta.

In response, the NSW Government designed The Greater Sydney Region Plan: A Metropolis of Three Cities, which seeks to rebalance economic and social opportunities to leverage growth and deliver equitable benefits across the region.

According to the plan, infrastructure will be sequenced to support that growth, and delivered concurrently with new homes and jobs.

“With the way Sydney is growing, we have a well-established CBD on the harbour, leaps and bounds of growth in Paramatta or the central city, and now we’re building a third city around the new airport,” Mr.

NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance aims to ensure the state can effectively manage infrastructure expenditure without compromising on pipeline progress.

Constance says.

The third city, Western Parkland, will be designed as a polycentric city, capitalising on established centres in Liverpool, Greater Penrith and Campbelltown-Macathur.

Mr. Constance says the city will become home to over two million people by 2056.

“Right now, Western Parkland is a clean sheet of paper,” he says.

“Eventually, it will turn into an innovative smart city, with investment in the most advanced technology, green spaces and agribusiness.”

Additionally, Mr. Constance says government will examine the way intermodal activity interfaces with the new airport, which will inform investment in new road and rail connections.

“It’s very much a development strategy,” he says.

The central objective of the three cities plan, Mr. Constance says, is supporting the policy goal of a 30-minute city, through the integration of transport infrastructure and land use.

“Through investment and strategy, we intend to ensure that 70 per cent of Greater Sydney residents live within 30 minutes of their place of work and/ or social infrastructure and services by 2036,” he explains.

To achieve the goal, NSW will encourage travel patterns tailored to the capacity of the network and manage congestion with mobility pricing reform.

Road space in key commuter corridors roadsonline.com.au

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The central objective of the Metropolis of Three Cities plan is a vision of where most residents live within 30 minutes of their jobs, education and health facilities and services.

with be re-allocated to give priority to the most productive and sustainable transport modes, with operational system upgrades.

“The purchasing mobility as a service concept will certainly come into play,” Mr. Constance says.

Mobility as a service describes a shift away from personally owned cars towards conceptualising transport as a service.

Broadly, the concept applies to any transport system that enables customers to plan and pay for their journey’s using a range of services via a single customer interface.

Mobility as a service, according to the 46

ROADS NOVEMBER 2019

Future Transport Strategy, will deploy digital technologies to optimise efficiency, such as real-time data management, GPS technology and on-the-spot payment processing.

“Transport is a tech business ultimately,” Mr. Constance says.

SOCIAL PROJECTS While much of the conversation surrounding NSW infrastructure centres on the future, Mr. Constance says state development also requires attention to existing infrastructure. He adds that the state government’s infrastructure

investment is driven not simply by the end product, but also the social effect it has on the NSW community.

“We have put significant effort and resources into upgrading current transportation systems, including making much of Sydney’s current rail network accessible,” he says.

According to Mr. Constance, 90 per cent of Sydney public transport journeys are now accessible.

He adds that the NSW unemployment rate, one of the lowest in the country, is largely infrastructure-led.

“It’s not just about building exciting new projects, it’s about facilitating employment pathways through skills development, for people that have not historically not had access to those opportunities,” Mr. Constance says.

According to a 2019 Roads Australia industry survey, a critical skills shortage remains the most pressing issue for the transport infrastructure sector.

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

“We’re addressing that by establishing infrastructure skills centres alongside many of our major project sites,” Mr. Constance says.

“Workers come to the centres and acquire pre-qualification so they can work on site, they then get up-skilled and gain certificate two or three qualification.

As a result, they can move on and gain employment on the next project.”

Mr. Constance says the most pressing infrastructure issue for him is ensuring taxpayers get value for money.

“We want to make sure, particularly in terms of contractors, that the market remains strong and that there is a good pipeline of works that can be financed. Our government regards business confidence very highly,” he says.

“NSW is a global sweet spot. I can confidently say that we are up there with the top jurisdictions in the world in terms of overall infrastructure expenditure.

On a per capita basis, we are globally punching above our weight.”

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Thank you to all our Sponsors, Exhibitors & Delegates

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18th AAPA International Flexible Pavement Conference & Exhibition 18 – 21 August 2019 International Convention Centre, Sydney https://www.aapa.asn.au/aapa-conference-2019/ 1

CREATING A BRIGHTER

FIVE DOCK

THE CITY OF CANADA BAY’S FIVE DOCK STREETSCAPE UPGRADE IS DEMONSTRATING HOW URBAN PLANNING CAN RESULT IN MEASURABLE LIVEABILITY IMPACTS.

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he concepts of quality of place, aesthetics, physical and urban design and resident wellbeing are increasingly becoming interdependent, as asset managers seek to transform concrete jungles into vibrant living spaces.

According to the Australian Transport Assessment and Planning Guidelines on Urban Amenity and Liveability, there are considerable gaps in valuing and measuring both of these areas in infrastructure, with further research needed.

Located within the Inner West of Sydney, NSW, the City of Canada Bay is one council taking great strides towards improving the social and economic wellbeing of its community through vibrant town centres.

City of Canada Bay Mayor Angelo Tsirekas says the City of Canada Bay’s 2012 Five Dock

Town Centre Strategy identified actions and priorities to enhance the town centre’s vitality and viability into the future.

The strategy focused on the long-term economic viability of the town centre achieved through authentic collaboration with government agencies, local businesses, the community and visitors to the town.

Following on from the strategy, council commissioned the Five Dock Urban Design Study that was endorsed in early 2014. The study provided a framework for councils, businesses and the community to work together to reinvigorate the town centre over a 20-year period.

It also offered clear direction on the layout, appearance and function of the built form to ensure the town centre was convenient, safe and attractive for locals,

The parks and garden team and Mayor Angelo Tsirekas (centred) take stock of a job well done as the Five Dock Streetscape Upgrade progresses.

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workers and visitors. Bringing the vision to life, it articulated the look and feel of the place and documented the development and public domain opportunities to achieve that vision.

In 2015, council began community consultation on the Five Dock Streetscape Concept Plan, with Stage One works to be completed between Great North Road between Lyons Road and Henry Street.

The collaborative process culminated in the Five Dock Streetscape Upgrade Stage 1. The successful project took home the Best Public Works Project 2019 under $2 million award at the Institute of Public Works and Engineering Australasia Awards for Excellence.

The City of Canada Bay developed further concept plans and conducted detailed construction drawings for the tender period to appoint a lead contractor.

With Stage One commencing in early 2016 and concluding in mid-2017, the project saw coordination with more than 100 contractors, key organisations and local businesses/property owners. This comprised Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), Ausgrid, Jemena and Sydney Water as utility providers, Statewide Civil as the civil contractor and head design consultant Tract Consultants.

Steven Coleman, Manager Roads and Traffic at the City of Canada Bay, says that as the role of local government continues to transform, councils need to think about urban space design and infrastructure from a social perspective.

Mr. Coleman says a key issue that emerged during the study’s community engagement phase was a lack of greenery in the town centre.

“The community felt the streetscape was barren and dominated by ‘hard’

INFRASTRUCTURE IN FOCUS – ASSET MANAGEMENT

The streetscape intersection of Henry Street and Greath North Road is brought to life with colourful flowers.

materials such as asphalt and concrete,” Mr. Coleman says.

“It was recommended to undertake a streetscape improvement project, with the northern section of Great North Road, from Lyons Road to Henry Street, considered the highest priority area.”

Great North Road is a state road managed

by RMS and this was the first time that RMS approved the alteration of trafficable lanes to accommodate planting large trees on a state road.

The City of Canada Bay negotiated with RMS, planting large trees and landscaping down the centre of Great North Road.

“The landscaping transformed Great North Road from being a place for traffic to a place for people,” Mr. Coleman says.

The Five Dock Streetscape Upgrade project delivered many community benefits, including streetscape softening, slowing vehicular traffic and improving pedestrian access between the medical facilities around the Rodd Road intersection.

Mr. Coleman says that the key to transformation was creating a green landscaped streetscape.

He says the overall look and feel of the completed landscape, which covers Stage 2, will be reminiscent of a country garden and even European villages.

“The use of hanging baskets full of annual colourful flowers along the project will also provide a vertical dimension to the design,” Mr. Coleman says.

So far, street trees and shrubs have been planted along two median strips and high-

quality pavements and street furnishings were installed. The existing overhead power network and services and underground was upgraded. Likewise, improvements were made to the drainage system and the road surface was re-sheeted.

“This investment in Five Dock illustrates the City of Canada Bay’s commitment to retaining the existing village feel while also providing a framework for economic and commercial growth,” Mr. Coleman says.

The benefits already speak for themselves, with Mr. Coleman citing improvements to amenity impacts.

“Since its completion, the town centre has also benefited from safe pedestrian connectivity, private investment stimulation, increased retail occupancy and increased residential property values,” he says.

Great North Road is home to a wide variety of businesses, including medical facilities. As such, providing a safe option for pedestrians accessing services and shops within the town centre was crucial.

This was afforded via a new pedestrian refuge mid-block on Great North Road and new raised pedestrian crossing on the Lyons Road slip lane.

Mr. Coleman says that as a result of the project, vacancy rates for the upgraded section of Great North Road have halved to eight per cent – demonstrating an increased interest in retail occupancy.

Residential property values also saw a demonstrable increase in capital growth, with Mr. Coleman highlighting a significant increase from the three per cent average in 2015-16.

Stage 2 of the project was planned to commence late 2018; however the work was delayed when NBN Co informed council that they were planning on installation works in the same area. NBN Co has recently begun works and council will commence Stage 2 immediately after this.

Mr. Coleman says that the concept for Stage 2 follows on from the work completed in Stage 1 using the same design language.

“The blend of a ‘hard’ concrete paving solution is broken up with landscape garden beds in widened footpath areas along with vertical landscape elements by way of hanging baskets attached to multifunction poles,” he says.

“This approach is being continued in Stage 2, where there are more opportunities for hanging baskets and landscaping in central median islands.”

Mr. Coleman says that council is also liaising with RMS to undertake works on a state classified road. Once the NBN Co works are completed and council receives approval from RMS for the works, Stage 2 works will be tendered early 2020.

“A key element of the Stage 2 works will be strengthening the collaboration between the contractors and the local business to manage disruptions to trade,” Mr. Coleman says.

Stage 2 will also comprise smart city solutions such as smart street poles with the provision of data and electrical conduits. Mr. Coleman envisages that council will be better able to engage with the community via digital transformation portals. roadsonline.com.au

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ASS O C I AT I O N PA RT N E R S

CO N F E R E N C E S P O N S O R S

SAFETY

SCANNING FOR HEAVY

VEHICLE SAFETY INCREASING DRIVER AND OPERATOR SAFETY AND SUPPORTING VEHICLE WEIGHT CERTAINTY FOR SUBCONTRACTORS IS BEING MADE EASIER BY LOADSCAN’S LASER SCANNING TECHNOLOGY.

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ne of southeast Queensland’s largest construction projects, the $200 million Pimpama Home Focus Centre shopping complex requires 470,000 cubic metres of earthworks.

While delivering multiple projects throughout Queensland in the past 35 years, Principal Civil Contractor Coops Drainage and Civil has begun working on the Pimpama Home Focus Centre.

A common issue encountered during earthworks transportation is incorrect calculation. This has the potential to cause disputes between contractors and results in safety concerns for transporters.

To minimise risk associated with discrepancies on large projects, Coops turned to Loadscan, using its Load Volume Scanner to accurately report on quantities and volumetric measures of transported material.

Coops recognised the importance of delivering accurate material quantities to improve safety. With nearly half a million cubic metres of earthworks at the Pimpama project, the Load Volume Scanner provided piece of mind for both Coops and the contracted trucking company.

The technology enables Coops to use laser

scanning technology to monitor each truck on site and deliver accurate quantities of material with a visual 3D load profile.

Milos Krivokapic, Project Engineer at Coops, says the previous form of measurement Coops was using could result in inaccuracies.

“We used typical measurements for trucks and trailers, supported by cross checking with a GPS measurement and calibrating the size of the bucket used for loading,” Mr. Krivokapic says.

Mr. Krivokapic said this led to human error when changing machine operators as different capacities were loaded into the bucket, creating uncertainty around load weights for truck drivers and excavator operators.

The Loadscan Load Volume Scanner system uses laser scanning technology combined with Loadscan software so contractors can view a 3D colour profile of every load.

Combined with the Overview reporting software created by Loadscan, the technology allows Coops to retrieve, view, sort and edit measurement records. It can also create summary reports which can be generated in Microsoft Excel. This eliminates handwritten recordings and the need for gate or tallymen to monitor loads.

“Key measurements we are gaining from the Load Volume Scanner are daily summary reports and even particular load reports, in case the truck driver did not record a load.

As the app is very user friendly, it allows cross checking and filtration of required information,” Mr. Krivokapic says.

“We gain accurate loading volumes on a daily basis, which are easily converted to Excel format for continuous monitoring and statistics. It avoids confusion and later disputes due to inaccurate readings.”

Overloaded trucks pose risks such as elongated stopping times, increased chance of rollovers and increased likelihood of tyre blowouts. Coops says the Load Volume Scanner has enabled the company to improve client relationships knowing both parties will be kept safe and on budget.

In addition, he says Coops driver feedback was positive as they were pleased with the simple instructions on the LED message board. He says that the drivers said failure could only occur if the instructions weren’t followed.

“This easy Loadscan process takes a maximum of 30 seconds including trucks stopping and recording volume reading on the reporting board,” Mr. Krivokapic says.

The Loadscan Load Volume Scanner allows companies to retrieve, view, sort and edit measurement records.

roadsonline.com.au

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CONVEYING

SAFETY

MAXITRANS IS INCREASING OPERATOR SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY ACROSS ASPHALT TRANSPORTATION WITH ITS TROUT RIVER LIVE BOTTOM TRAILERS, DESIGNED TO UNLOAD SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY IN ENVIRONMENTS WITH LOW STRUCTURES AND OVERHEAD OBSTACLES.

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ased in the Moreton Bay region of Queensland, Big Dave’s Tippers specialises in transporting asphalt for road and infrastructure projects across the state. These include material for road resurfacing, in addition to transporting aggregate from quarries to asphalt plants.

Though the fleet is made up predominantly of tippers, a few years ago, owners Dave and Meledie Elliot decided to purchase their first Trout River Live Bottom trailer.

MaxiTRANS is committed to providing safer, more efficient and reliable transport

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solutions, offering a diverse transportation portfolio to the bulk transport industry.

One such product for the transportation of asphalt is its specialised Trout River Live Bottom trailer.

So far, the original Trout River trailer has been used to supply asphalt to the M1/ M3 Gateway Merge upgrade and the Logan Enhancement projects in Queensland.

The design of the Live Bottom trailer allows the contents to be quickly discharged using an interior conveyor belt system. This offers a safer and more versatile complementary option when

having to unload in environments with low structures or overhead obstacles.

Since joining the fleet, the trailer has proved its worth.

This led the Elliot’s to purchase an additional two new Trout River Live Bottom Rigid units, with a coordinated approach between the local MaxiTRANS dealer, Trailer Sales Queensland and truck dealer, Brown and Hurley.

Now, the newest additions to the fleet will further add to the company’s capabilities.

“We do a lot of work on suburban

SAFETY

The Trout River Live Bottom trailer ensures none of the load remains left behind inside the trailer.

streets, underneath trees and powerlines and I think the Trout River Live Bottom trailer is definitely the future in the asphalt industry,” Mr. Elliot says.

He adds that this means the company is able to unload easily on a range of different work sites.

According to Mr. Elliot, the Trout River Live Bottom trailers also ensure none of the load remains left behind inside the trailer.

“Previously operators had issues with accessing material from the back of the trailer and the Live Bottom belt greatly helps to remove all the material. It also brings cost savings in the long term as less aggregate or asphalt is left in the bottom or at the back of the trailer.”

Modern asphalt plant designs often feature storage bins that open sideways to disperse material which Mr. Elliot says the Trout River trailers are able to reliably manage.

“I can put the Live Bottom under any of them and have no dramas at all. Nothing

spills out during the loading process.”

He says when loading at asphalt plants with other trailers, there is often material lost over the sides, but the Trout River Live Bottom is the right size for consistent material retention.

When transporting heavy-duty material such as asphalt, the strength and durability of the Live Bottom belt is crucial as it must withstand high temperatures and heavy loads.

As Mr. Elliot has also discovered, the life of the trailer belt is another key selling point of the Trout River trailers.

“The belt on our first Live Bottom trailer is about four years old now and still going strong. I know another company in Queensland that has an eight-yearold Trout River and they haven’t had to replace a belt yet. That was another reason I wanted these two additional units,” he says.

Dealing with MaxiTRANS Dealer, Trailer Sales Queensland for the first time, and Brown and Hurley for the second time,

Mr. Elliot has been impressed by the high levels of service.

“The staff are all very nice people. I have nothing but high regard for them.

“They help with the whole lifecycle of the trailer and I am just going to keep coming back – it’s as simple as that.”

FAST FACT: MaxiTRANS Industries Limited (ASX:MXI) is one of Australia’s largest suppliers of truck and trailer parts to the road transport industry in Australia. MaxiTRANS is also the largest supplier of locally manufactured, high-quality heavy road transport trailer solutions, including trailer repairs and service, across Australia and New Zealand.

roadsonline.com.au

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Saferoads have developed the Roadway Solar light to provide a solar powered solitions for street lighting.

LIGHTING TOWARDS

ZERO

SAFEROADS IS USING ITS LATEST SOLAR-POWERED LIGHTING SOLUTION TO HELP REDUCE THE ROAD TOLL AT RURAL INTERSECTIONS AROUND AUSTRALIA.

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afety for motorists is paramount on rural roads. However, in 2018 nearly 1200 Australians lost their lives, in fatalities occuring across the country’s total road network.

In an effort to reduce fatal crashes at intersections with poor visibility, the

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Federal Government’s Black Spot Program has received $1.05 billion over nine years.

The program funds effective safety measures for black spots such as traffic signals, lighting and roundabouts. Since its fruition in 1990, the program reduced serious crashes by 30 per cent on average.

Lighting intersections at night is another safety element providing drivers with increased visibility in order to prepare for and react to unplanned situations.

A report titled The impact of street lighting on night-time road casualties conducted by the UK’s Transport Research

SAFETY

Laboratory in 2016 found data collected from local authorities showed a link to accident reduction due to street lighting.

To provide a solar-powered solution for street lighting intended for black spot applications, Saferoads has developed the Roadway Solar light.

Earlier this year, Saferoads’ Ultra Solar lights were installed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as part of a scheme to improve safety and reduce emissions.

Now, the Roadway Solar light, with increased lux output, is being tested in Garfield, Victoria.

Saferoads’ National Business Development Manager Paul Thompson says if the company can get a Roadway Solar light working in remote areas where it is not costly to install, all that is needed is quality foundation work.

“We are going to focus on black spot areas where we really think these lights could make a difference, increasing safety,” Mr. Thompson says.

“If we light up these areas, it helps draw people’s attention to the intersection. If people can see what is coming up from a distance, they tend to take more care.”

Ease of installation is one of the reasons the Roadway Solar light is targeted at country and rural areas.

The light is erected on a slip-based pole, as it is intended for roadside applications.

This ensures if a car hits the light, it slides off the base to avoid major damage and further protect drivers.

The solar panel and light must be fitted to the pole during installation.

A ground pit is required to hold the pole, which needs to be backfilled with concrete. Once the pole is erected with an excavator, it is bolted down for completion.

“Installing a solar light will result in cost savings by eliminating the need for trenching or cabling to accommodate power,” Mr. Thompson says.

This critical element makes the Roadway Solar light suited to rural blackspots where it may not be economically possible to connect an electric light.

Mr. Thompson says accurate and safe installation is critical and for this reason, Saferoads uses qualified contractors.

“We have manuals for the installation of the Roadways Solar light and we use contractors to further increase the quality of the install,” Mr. Thompson says.

The Roadway Solar light uses an Australian

The light is erected on a slip-based pole as it is intended for roadside applications.

“IF WE LIGHT UP THESE AREAS, IT HELPS DRAW PEOPLE’S ATTENTION TO THE INTERSECTION. IF PEOPLE CAN SEE WHAT IS COMING UP FROM A DISTANCE, THEY TEND TO TAKE MORE CARE.” approved 75-watt Aldridge LED built into a 320-watt solar panel which Mr. Thompson says can be rare with solar lighting.

“A lot of other solar lights that come in from overseas are not approved to the Australian standard,” he says.

Increased lux output is another reason Mr. Thompson says the light is suitable for rural applications.

Initial testing directly under the light in Garfield showed a lux level of 14 at ground level. Drone testing also showed light spread on the Roadway Solar light was much stronger than a comparable electrical light.

Little maintenance is required for the solar light’s upkeep. The Garfield light was installed with fine wire bird spikes in an effort to keep the panel clean, as the rain

does a lot of the cleaning maintenance.

Batteries for the Roadway Solar lights will be stored underneath the solar panel at the top of the light. The lithium-iron batteries do not sit at ground level as this has previously attracted theft.

Solar batteries last for around three to five years further reducing maintenance times, and the solar panel itself has a warranty of 20 years.

Mr. Thompson says aside from power savings and cost reduction on installation, the critical element for the Roadway Solar light is to reduce the road toll.

“If we can light up an area that is usually a problem area in a community and make it safer, that is our aim. The main thing for us is that we keep heading towards zero,” Mr. Thompson says. roadsonline.com.au

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TYRES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN

ENVIRONMENT

WITH A BAN ON THE EXPORT OF WHOLE BALED TYRES EXPECTED NEXT YEAR, THE TYRE RECYCLING SECTOR IS INCREASING ITS CAPACITY TO RECYCLE, REUSE, CONVERT AND RECOVER MORE OF AUSTRALIA’S WASTE TYRES.

T

he convergence of a boom in infrastructure with a heightened focus on waste and recycling creates the perfect opportunity to progress Australia’s circular economy.

In attempts to keep pace with population growth, the Federal Government has committed to a pipeline of over

$200 billion in infrastructure works across Australia.

The recycling and remanufacturing sector is subsequently poised to play a significant role in these works.

Central to that is the Council of Australian Government’s (COAG) commitment to establish a timetable to ban the export of

waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres.

Federal Government Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management Trevor Evans says the government wants the ban to start next year.

“In tandem with this ban, we’re also building Australia’s domestic capacity to

Australia exports around 70,000 tonnes of whole baled tyres each year, often burned as fuel in cement kilns or low-grade pyrolysis plants.

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ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY

Tyrecycle operate nine secure processing facilities across the country and have a network of collection capabilities.

“THE TYRES WE PROCESS ARE ALL RECYCLED USING A SERIES OF SHREDDERS, SCREENS AND GRANULATORS TO CREATE COMMODITIES FOR USE AS RAW MATERIALS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF NEW PRODUCTS, INCLUDING CIVIL WORK APPLICATIONS SUCH AS ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.”

produce high-value recycled materials and commodities,” Mr. Evans says.

While significant investment will be required to maximise the capability of the waste management and recycling sector to remanufacture some commodities, the tyre recycling sector is already geared up for growth.

As one of Australia’s largest tyre recycling companies, Tyrecycle, a division of leading remanufacturer Resource Co, is aiming to lead by example in processing more waste tyres in Australia.

Tyrecycle operates nine secure processing facilities across the country, including Australia’s largest crumbing plant in Somerton, Victoria and has a large network of collection capabilities, with full chain of custody transparency.

Tyrecycle CEO Jim Fairweather, says the flow-on effects of a ban on the export of whole baled tyres and casings from old truck tyres would be a massive win for the environment.

“The tyres we process are all recycled

using a series of shredders, screens and granulators to create commodities for use as raw materials in the manufacture of new products, including civil work applications such as roads and infrastructure,” Mr. Fairweather says.

“Unfortunately, however, other sectors of the industry continue to either landfill or bale tyres for export overseas.” he says.

Australia exports around 70,000 tonnes of whole baled tyres every year, which are then burned as fuel for heat-drying kilns or used in low-grade pyrolysis plants.

These processes are associated with high pollution and a lack of compliance with health and worker regulations.

A ban on exports will see tyres remain in Australia where the capability already exists to recycle and repurpose them.

Recycled tyres can be used for products including asphalt for road surfacing, tile adhesive, soft fall and sporting surfaces and tyre-derived fuel.

Mr. Fairweather says given markets already exist for those products, the

transition would be relatively seamless, especially if government regulation is supported by strong procurement policies.

He says strong policy for the transition will facilitate access to Australia’s $600 billion annual procurement value, a large percentage of which is government procurement.

This position is supported by the Federal Government as it seeks to achieve circular economy outcomes.

Mr. Evans says the COAG agreement to ban waste exports is a game-changer for the recycling and waste industry. He notes growing the markets for recycled products is critical.

“Governments, businesses and communities all have a role in growing these markets by purchasing more things that are made from recycled materials – from using recycled rubber, plastics or glass in road construction, to procuring recycledpaper and packaging,” Mr. Evans says.

Last year, the Victorian Government committed to a “recyclables first” procurement policy to drive demand for local recycled products and its hoped other governments will follow suit in adopting ambitious targets.

In early November, all of Australia’s environment ministers will decide on a timetable to implement the COAG agreement to ban waste exports, along with an action plan to implement the 2018 National Waste Policy.

“Through this action plan, we want to see governments in all jurisdictions commit to ambitious sustainable procurement targets, including procurement for major infrastructure projects,” Mr. Evans says.

“Ambitious targets for all governments to increase their procurement of recycled products will encourage investment and innovation, create new jobs in waste processing and remanufacturing and will be critical to ensuring that we grow the size and value of the recycling industry in Australia,” he says.

Mr. Fairweather says it’s an encouraging message for companies like Tyrecycle.

“It will certainly give private operators like us the confidence they need to continue to invest and build remanufacturing facilities and to embrace emerging technologies,” he says. roadsonline.com.au

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TENDERS & CONTRACTS

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. WESTERN AUSTRALIA METRONET $1M tender open for cabling works A $1 million tender to create a new cable route along the METRONET rail corridor between Meltham and Bayswater has been released. The tender for cabling will include the relocation of railway communications cables, critical to the safe operation of the rail system. $69M Denny Avenue level crossing removal tender open A six-week request for tender process is open for the rail component of Western Australia’s $69 million METRONET Denny Avenue level crossing removal project. The project will be delivered through two design and construction contracts, one for rail and bridge works and another for the road and civic infrastructure.

VICTORIA Major contractor selected for $761M Monash Freeway upgrade CIMIC Group company CPB Contractors has been selected to deliver Stage 2 of the Monash Freeway upgrade. The design and construction contract is expected to generate around $761 million in revenue to CPB Contractors.

The project is jointly funded by the federal and state governments to cater to the fast-growing southeast region of Melbourne.

NEW SOUTH WALES Major contractor awarded Echuca-Moama Bridge project Stage 3 Construction of a second river crossing between Victoria and New South Wales at Echuca and Moama is set to begin in

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ROADS NOVEMBER MAY 2019 2019

2020. Stage 3 of the contract has been awarded to McConnell Dowell Contractors. It includes new bridges over the Murray and Campaspe rivers and two new flood relief bridges.

TASMANIA Transport consultant called for Tasmania’s northern suburbs transit corridor The Tasmanian Government is advertising for a transport consultant to undertake a study to deliver an effective public transport solution for the northern suburbs transit corridor. As well as encouraging the uptake of public transport along the route to reduce traffic congestion, the project will also support urban renewal on property along the corridor.

Tender released for Great Eastern Drive Stage 3 The tender for stage three of the Great Eastern Drive in Tasmania including road widening and safety treatments is now open. Work is currently progressing on a number of stage one upgrades along the Great Eastern Drive as part of the government’s biggest investment in Tasmania’s tourist roads through the $72 million ‘Roads Package to support Tasmania’s Visitor Economy’.

NORTHERN TERRITORY Northern Territory infrastructure grants open Regional and shire councils now have the opportunity to improve community infrastructure in the Northern Territory with a $5 million grant round open. The Department of Local Government, Housing and Community Development’s Strategic Local Government Infrastructure Fund supports councils with low rate bases to deliver key infrastructure projects and carry out repairs and maintenance.

YOUR ADVANTAGE. At Hastings Deering, we not only provide the best equipment in the world, we also provide expert solutions to keep our customers moving. You can rely on us to go the extra mile to provide uncompromising service, wherever you are. Every day brings a new set of challenges, opportunities and rewards. It’s a tough job that doesn’t get any easier, unless you have the right people alongside you. Hastings Deering – YOUR ADVANTAGE.

CALL 1300 186 250 OR VISIT HASTINGSDEERING.COM.AU / ROADS