Capability Statement

In partnership with Australian OEM, Black Stump Technologies, we have co-created the 'Solarator', a compact containerised power plant that combines solar panels, batteries and a small diesel generator. 

Now being used on our project sites across Australia, the Solarators are scaleable in output and can reduce diesel consumption by up to 90% for our off-grid site facilities. Over a 10-year period the units will save over 8000 tonnes of carbon on our work sites.

The Solarators are available in a number of configurations, including ‘accordion style’ (where the panels unfold on frames) and solar-only (i.e. no diesel generator). The solar-only units can result in a carbon positive project site, with unused energy being exported to the grid.

In addition to their sustainability benefits, Solarators are quiet, low maintenance, compact, transportable and 'plug and play' in their set up. 

You can't get many more wins than that!

On a recent rail duplication project in Melbourne, our team used digital engineering and 4D modelling to streamline the design and "rehearse" the construction of a 340 tonne steel bridge being launched over a waterway.

The 4D planning exercise was a game changer in helping the design, engineering and construction teams achieve an authentic digital rehearsal. The process helped identify and rectify early problems, including a clash between temporary and permanent retaining walls, as well as signalling cables and wall panels.

After months of painstaking planning and the ‘virtual launch’,  the 63 metre long, 340 tonne steel bridge structure was successfully moved into position during the rail occupation.

The project team received an innovation award for the work done on this project.

On the Level Crossing Removal Project in Victoria our alliance team worked with the EPA to allow the safe reuse of PFAS contaminated soils on site, in-lieu of removal and treatment off site. This saved the project approximately $10 million and led to new regulations that benefit the entire construction industry.

PFAS, short for Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are manufactured chemicals used in products that resist heat, oil and water. They are most often associated with fire-fighting foam. Multiple health effects associated with PFAS exposure have been identified, hence the heavy regulations that exist for their management.

On the Kororoit Creek Road Level Crossing Removal project our team identified high concentrations of PFAS in the soil and groundwater. Faced with the potential of major cost and schedule impacts, the team engaged with the EPA  and started the process of investigating options for onsite reuse through encapsulation.

The trial-and-error process involved numerous revisions of soil management plans and consultant soil analysis reports. 

After 12 months the team successfully gained approval for the reuse of PFAS impacted material onsite - a first in Victoria. In the end, over 10,500 m³ of contaminated soil was retained on site and reused.

The conditions of approval included the implementation of an impermeable delineation layer, restricting the materials reuse to areas which are outside 1 in 100-year flood events, and to areas where groundwater is greater than 2 m below the placed PFAS impacted soils. 

In addition to the cost saved, carbon emissions were reduced by approximately 187,000 kg, by not having to transport material 50–60 km for disposal.

The Auckland Hospital Plant and Tunnel project is proof that innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand. The team reduced the project's carbon footprint by 261,248 kg/CO₂-e by repurposing local materials for a clever temporary works solution.

To alleviate the client, Te Whatu Ora’s, concerns about noise and vibration; and maintain public access the team came up with a temporary elevated ramp as an alternate access route to the worksite.  The novel design diverted construction traffic away from sensitive stakeholders and medical equipment and provided safe access for the public, but it needed a lot of steel and concrete to build. The ramp was also a programme priority as it enabled other work onsite to start but the steel was estimated to take 20 weeks to arrive.

The team found the solution on the Ngā Hāu Mangere Bridge Project. They had recently completed temporary works and had 42.3 tonnes (t) of steel and 16 concrete panels weighing a total of 249.6 t that could be repurposed. Another 8.1 t of steel came from the McConnell Dowell Mechanical & Plant Yard in South Auckland.  The materials were all transported to the site from within Auckland, rather than across the country or overseas, increasing the carbon savings.

Fast Facts:

• 300 t of steel and concrete was recycled
• 3 t of steel and
• 6 t of concrete pads came 18 km from the Ngā Hāu Mangere Bridge Project
• 18 t of steel came 23.9 km from the Puhinui Plant Yard
• Reusing these materials saved 261,248 kg/CO₂-e
• Only travelled 41.9 km to get to site (rather than from China 11,160 km)

Climate change is increasing the 'heat sink' effect, with traditional construction materials such as asphalt, steel, and concrete, trapping heat and increasing ambient temperatures by up to 20%. That's where our creative team on a level crossing removal project in Melbourne's west comes in.

We used an innovative product called 'Cool Seal' to coat part of the new railway station's asphalt carpark to reduce the heat sink effect.  This bitumen-based seal coat product contains 5% recycled crushed glass and lowers surface temperatures by 3-15 degrees. Not only that, it can also extend pavement life by 5-7 years and decrease lighting requirements due to its high reflectivity. This makes it both highly effective and cost neutral.

The impact on human comfort is considerable. In combination with smart landscaping elements 'Cool Seal' delivers a high value community outcome, increasing commuter comfort and reducing the station precinct's impact on the environment overall.