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CATEGORY ONE WINNERProjects with a value less than $500,000
The replacement of a sewer main at the bottom of a very steep Wellington street was completed simultaneously on two sites. Pipe bursting was the method of choice for 220 metres on one site, requiring all equipment and materials to be manhandled onto the site. All connections and the six 600mm manholes were hand excavated and backfilled. Construction Contracts erected a temporary flying fox on the second site to carry materials into the steep work area. Access for machinery was non-existent, requiring all excavation to be by hand. The second site required 250 metres of pipe bursting. Both sites required temporary structures to retain excavated material with environmental controls put in place for erosion and sediment control as the work was adjacent to a stream. The project was delivered to a high quality standard, on time and within the budget as adjusted for variations. “This is our second win in a row,” a jubilant David Howard said when accepting the award, “and it’s great to be back again.” MERIT AWARD
Working only at low tide provided a challenge for Clements Contractors who removed existing timber walls before importing sand and rock to reconstruct Paradise Point and provide wave protection. Silt fences were erected to work behind in the small windows of opportunity provided by low tides. Access was also difficult as tides restricted direct access to only 30 percent of the site. A 300 metre long temporary access was constructed for hauling the imported materials to the site. The project was completed on a steep site that contained soft sands and an exposed archaeological middens site. At the end of each work period at low tide the work face needed to be ‘closed up’ to protect it from erosion and damage from the sea. Good working relationships were forged with suppliers, the engineer and council, and community stakeholders. Clements is proud of its dedicated workforce that delivered the project to a high standard while working carried hours to accommodate tidal fluctuations.
CATEGORY TWO WINNERProjects with a value between $500,000 and $5 million
The Chatham Islands Council contracted Hunter Civil/Makeri Construction to replace the Owenga Wharf. The wharf is vital for the local fishing fleet and provides an important link between Chatham and Pitt Islands. The contractor used the existing wharf to provide staging for drill rigs and construction equipment, building the new wharf over the existing one. Design changes proposed by the contractor were accepted by both the client and engineers, MWH. Design changes included building the new wharf over the old and the use of hardwood timber for the structure and deck. Thorough planning and flexibility of the small workforce (four men) allowed construction to proceed irrespective of the tides and weather, enabling the project to be delivered five months ahead of programme. Many innovative work methods were developed during construction, including pressure grouting of blue basalt aggregates within the pile casing to form a high strength concrete. The contractor accommodated continual use of the wharf by the fishing fleet during construction and liaised with the local community and stakeholders on a regular basis.
When accepting the award, Graham Hunter said the project required very careful planning as “the nearest hardware shop was 800 kilometres away”. “There were also three tsunami warnings while we were doing it!” CATEGORY THREE WINNERProjects with a value between $5 million and $20 million
The Waiwhetu Stream remediation project constituted a New Zealand first in the use of heavy plant to clear the riverbed of contaminated material in an urban zone. Successful completion of the project within the original contract period represented a resounding success, given the threefold increase in quantities of contaminated material actually removed form site. Concurrent construction activity to increase the cross sectional area of the stream was achieved through innovative solutions provided by the contractor. State-of-the-art technology was used to construct an arched continuous flight auger (CFA) piled secant wall with precast panel finish. Brian Perry Civil took a total stakeholder approach to managing the politically sensitive site, ensuring that contracting parties worked towards win-win solutions. Sound stakeholder management in this area led to savings for the client through contractor initiated construction solutions, resulting in savings to ratepayers. The successful completion of the project has not only corrected the hangover of the site’s industrial past but has enhanced the environment for future generations. In delivering the award judge Barry Coombes said he was very impressed with the project. “Without exception, the relationship between contractor and client was outstanding.” CATEGORY FOUR JOINT WINNERProjects with a value exceeding $20 million
Tauranga Harbour Link was a design and construct contract won in competitive tender. The contract was delivered significantly under the client’s budget and within the client’s programme requirements, despite additional work variations that resulted only in extensions of time. Extensive construction programming was required from the initial sequence of construction to four-weekly rolling programmes monitored weekly. Micro plans were developed for work packages within the rolling programmes. This attention to detail within the programme and using ‘Last Planner’ to meet commitments ensured delivery of major milestone, client and public expectations. Traffic management was carried out throughout the duration of the project with minimal impact on the 36,000 vehicles per day and extensive use of the site by pedestrians and cyclists. Tauranga Harbour Link is complex in terms of design being dictated by site constraints, its neighbours, users and construction methods. Technical complexities abound through the four major structures, including 104 large diameter piles bored under bentonite and a 468 metre incrementally launch box girder, through to widening of the existing harbour bridge. Other features of this project include an on-site precast yard to fabricate the ‘Tee Roff’ beams for the 550 metre, 18 span Chapel Street Viaduct. “Tauranga Harbour Link was a job Fletchers was very, very, very keen to win, having done Stage 1,” said Tony Pike when receiving the award. “We are very proud of the result.” CATEGORY FOUR JOINT WINNER
Project Hobson is a Fletcher Construction/McConnell Dowell Constructors joint venture, replacing the unsightly 90-year-old Orakei main sewer pipeline across Orakei Bay with a three kilometre long tunnel, pump station and drop shafts. Permanent works include the excavation and precast concrete segmental lined 3.8 metre internal diameter sewer tunnel constructed using and earth pressure balance tunnel boring machine, the first of its size and type in New Zealand. The excavation method allowed the runnel to be built at a shallower depth in weaker ground conditions, thus reducing the project’s whole-of-life cost. Fletcher MacDow managed the construction and kept stakeholders informed of progress and work phases to meet milestones and completing Project Hobson on time and within budget. McConnell Dowell was responsible for tunnel boring, while Fletcher was responsible for permanent access shafts, pump stations and demolition of he existing sewer. “It was a great result for the Fletcher/McDow team,” said Fletcher’s Paul Swinburne on receiving the trophy. “All credit to Graeme Darlow and Roger McCrae for putting forward a joint venture team to beat off the overseas competition.” McConnell Dowell’s Rory Bishop was jubilant to win, saying the project was “right from the outset”. “This has been one of the greatest projects I have been involved in. I’m just over the moon.”
Contractor Vol.34 No.8 September 2010 |
Construction Contracts
Clements Contractors
Hunter Civil
Brian Perry Civil
Fletcher Construction
Fletcher MacDow Joint Venture