McConnell Dowell's building arm, Built Environs received industry recognition at the Master Builders Building Excellence 2017 Awards. The building and construction industry's 'night of nights' was held on Friday night at the Adelaide Convention Centre to recognise and award South Australia's best building projects and professionals of the past 12 months. The Modbury Hospital Redevelopment Project won the Excellence in a Commercial Fit-out up to $5m.

The Modbury Hospital Redevelopment Project, was part of the State Government of South Australia’s Transforming Health initiative, it has delivered improved hospital infrastructure and consolidated health services for residents in Adelaide’s northeastern suburbs.

The Built Environs project team delivered this fast-tracked, multi-staged project within a live hospital environment.

The prestigious award recognised the achievement on the fit out of level 3 ward refurbishment which includes:

• Approximately 2000m2 fitout;
• The repurposing and upgrading of existing ward accommodation commencing with stage 2 for Level 3 East, followed by Stage 3 – Level 3 West to expand the hospital’s existing rehabilitation services from 20 to 52 beds;
• Incorporating a new Day Treatment Gymnasium, which allows for larger group training / treatment and the ability of instructors to set-up multiple exercises in one location to challenge people at various levels of recovery; and
• The construction of new kitchen and laundry areas for patients to increase their confidence with general lifestyle tasks.

The awards are judged by building industry experts according to very strict criteria, with a special emphasis on the quality of the processes that have been followed as well as the quality of the finished product

The Modbury Hospital’s Specialist Ambulatory and Rehabilitation Centre (SpARC) received a Commendation for in the Excellence in the Commercial / Industrial Building $10m to $20m.

The Specialist Ambulatory and Rehabilitation Centre is a purpose-built rehabilitation centre that includes a gym, hydrotherapy pool, and therapy spaces. The building spanning over a 3000-m²  area has a covered link way that connects the existing main hospital building to the new rehabilitation building.

Ensuring the Modbury Hospital and its associated health services remained operational throughout the project’s duration was a key driver to our customer, SA Health.

Following completion of the project Mario Viskic, Manager of the Redevelopment Unit for SA Health said “ Built Environs had a very clear understanding of the health environment and the team were a pleasure to collaborate and work with.  Their communication was very concise and effective”.

In reflecting on the project Built Environs Managing Director Daryl Young said “It is truly pleasing to see the Built Environs Team led by Tony Jachmann exhibiting such maturity when delivering this project.”

The willingness of the entire project team to listen, negotiate, discuss, innovate, compromise and approach all issues with a spirit of understanding and cooperation and a best-for-project mindset was crucial to the success of the project.

The hotly contested awards, which recognise excellence in the construction or management of assets, are a major feature of the New Zealand industry calendar. Waterview was up against the McKays to Peka Peka Expressway near Wellington and the Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild (SCIRT), which we were also a founding member of.

In the judges’ citation, the Waterview Connection Project was described as “arguably the most complex infrastructure project undertaken in New Zealand”. The Alliance, working for the NZ Transport Agency, delivered not only two of New Zealand’s longest road tunnels at 2.4km each, but also a complex motorway to motorway interchange, 5km of pedestrian/cycleway paths, skate parks, BMX track, sports fields and an environmental upgrade of a nearby creek.

The judges said the project was “an outstanding example of what can be achieved when a diverse group of Constructors, Designers and the Client work together collaboratively to achieve a single goal, being the delivery of exceptional facilities for the public.”

The Well-Connected Alliance comprised seven organisations (McConnell Dowell, Fletcher Construction, WSP, Beca, Tonkin & Taylor, Obayashi and NZ Transport Agency) plus two sub-alliances, from four countries. The judges were impressed with the focus and investment given to gelling this diverse cultural group from New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Spain into a single harmonious team.

They also noted “a proactive risk management approach” and were also impressed with a number of other challenges faced and solved by the Well-Connected Alliance, including:

• Selection of the right Tunnel Boring Machine which at the end of 4.8km of tunnelling achieved the initial assessed performance criteria with no major issues,
• The spoil disposal system that included 6km of conveyors and a sound proof muck building for loading out to the Wiri disposal site,
• The complexity of the three tiered Great North Road interchange bridges,
• Formation of a sub-alliance with Wilsons to make the 24,000 precast concrete segments for the tunnel plus the many concrete bridge girders,
• Formation of a sub-alliance with SICE to bring leading international experience in tunnel systems to the project,
• Turning a nervous local community, concerned about the project impact on their daily lives, into a supportive community through a whole team approach to community communication and involvement,
• Achieving an outstanding health and safety outcome on this project which had significant risks and over 11 million man-hours of work.

The Waterview Connection Project also won the Over $25m Category at the CCNZ Auckland Branch Awards earlier in 2017.

L-R: CCNZ President Brian Warren, Former MD of McConnell Dowell Roger McRae, Graham Darlow, Sumi Eratne, Glen Kirk, Peter Spies and Hirepool GM of Sales and Marketing Gary Richardson

The McConnell Dowell and Martinus Rail Joint Venture (MMJV) is poised to start work on one of the largest freight upgrade projects in Australia – the  $440 million Murray Basin Rail Project

V/Line is overseeing the Murray Basin Rail Project, which involves the upgrade and conversion of over 1,000 kilometers of track to standard gauge to provide better rail freight services and improved freight access to major ports. The project is jointly funded by the Federal and Victorian governments.

To mark the beginning of these works which includes scope to reopen the 87-kilometre freight train line from Maryborough to Ararat, Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester and Victorian Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan inspected equipment and met some of the MMJV team at Maryborough on 31 July.

The Maryborough to Ararat track is expected to reopen in January 2018, returning freight trains to the line for the first time in more than a decade.

Preliminary works along the line are already underway including vegetation removal and site investigations.

Works are also set to begin in Dunolly, ultimately delivering major upgrades to the Mildura freight rail line.

Crews will upgrade and convert the track from Dunolly to Yelta, and Ouyen to Murrayville from broad gauge to standard gauge, the works will increase train axle loadings from 19 tonnes to 21 tonnes between Dunolly and Yelta to allow freight trains to carry larger loads.

Jim Miller, the responsible Operations Manager at McConnell Dowell said “This is a an important project for the State and for regional businesses relying on freight. For McConnell Dowell it is an opportunity to demonstrate our expertise in delivering long line renewal.”

More information about the project can be found at vline.com.au/murraybasinrail

The Cook Islands Government has awarded McConnell Dowell the NZ$30M+ Te Mato Vai project on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.

This project is a multi-staged upgrade of the water supply network on Rarotonga, funded by the governments of New Zealand, China and the Cook Islands.

Stage 1, the installation of a new ring around the island was completed in 2016, and McConnell Dowell has been selected to construct Stage 2. This involves the design and construction for the upgrade of 10 existing water intakes, construction of 12km of replacement trunk main from the intakes to the new ring main, and minor upgrades to the access roads to eight of the 10 intakes. Intake works involve the construction of new intake structures, sedimentation tanks, sand filters and bolted steel water storage tanks.

McConnell Dowell has operated on numerous Pacific Islands since 1989, including Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa and American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands and the Marshall Islands. Our track record in the Cook Islands includes the 2012 upgrade of the Avatiu Wharf in Rarotonga, and a solar power project in the outer Cook Islands in 2015.

Works will commence on site in Rarotonga in February 2018 following a six month design period. Construction is programmed to be completed in 18 months.