2020 Master Builder and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards Civil

The project involved the strengthening of bridge B4004 on the Tuggeranong Parkway, as part of a larger bridge renewal program across the ACT. The work included the construction of four new concrete piers, the tallest reaching just over 9.5m high that was poured in four stages.  It was a high-risk project because a significant amount of the works needed to be completed at heights, with the team needing access to the 12m high underside of the bridge. To combat the difficulties accessing the underside of the bridge, the team created and certified custom compact lifting brackets that could be temporarily affixed to the underside of the bridge and a builders wrench attached, to help raise formwork as needed.

This project involved updating the 1.57km long water supply main that travels from Weetangera reservoir down to the new Molonglo Valley development area. This included three separate cut ins to the existing infrastructure, construction of two cast in-situ complex valve chambers and enlisting the services of specialised contractors to complete the highly critical welding activities. The construction team had to carefully consider the environmental factors of the project, as the water main passes through the Pinnacle Nature Reserve. The team worked closely with local nature authorities to ensure that the over 100 bird species, eastern grey kangaroos, echidnas, bearded dragons and over 150 local flora were not harmed throughout the project.

This project involved two stages of restoring and stabilising the embankment between Cotter Road and McCulloch Street, which involved installing mass block walls, renovating rock mattresses, and stabilising planting. The team cleverly installed custom valves to allow for pumping out of any low points along the job site. The soft centre of the channel presented a challenge because of the initial plan of using heavy concrete agitators. The team overcame this challenge through innovative thinking and scheduling the concrete to be delivered to each site in segments and using a 24-tonne excavator that had tracks that evenly distributed weight. This smart thinking greatly reduced the onsite risks for the team and the project overall.

The project involved the updating of the 900m Coppins Crossing Road to the new roadway known as John Gorton Drive, as well as updating the intersection of William Hovell Drive. The project involved approximately 120,000m3 of earthworks, over 200m of trench installed, seven major road crossings and over 900m of pipe being laid. The project team were able to stockpile 90,000m3 of material from the earthworks for the client to use on future projects. Careful planning was used to minimise traffic disruption to the busy roadways, which included laying asphalt overnight to reduce disruption to commuters and create the best quality finish for the client.

This project involved the construction of 356 residential dwellings, road upgrades to Drake Brockman Drive, the construction of a display village and the construction of a 40m deep sewer vortex. This project was significant to the ACT because a number of firsts happened for the capital including the installation of the largest sewer vortex in the southern hemisphere, the successful trial of the High Efficiency Sediment basin and the development of a specific environmental management plan for this project. This project demonstrates excellence in construction through the 12km of detailed, aesthetic saw cuts along the over 6,000m2 of concrete paving.