Structural Rehabilitation – Working in Difficult Environments

Abstract

With a significant amount of the Australian rail infrastructure approaching 50 years of operational activity the industry is facing an upgrade to accommodate the increase in traffic and load. Designers and contractors are under constant pressure to program and resource the construction work which is very often in often remote and hostile environments. In particular, in the mining regions of the Pilbara and Northern Queensland, the demands of rising traffic volume on the undertrack infrastructure with heavier rail loading are subjecting the original drainage structures and bridges to extreme environmental and operational conditions which is impacting on their serviceability. These structures are varied and encompass a wide size and shape range most of which are located in remote and difficult to access locations. As a consequence of the rising traffic volumes and heavier loading these ageing structures are an increasing risk to our critical transport infrastructure links so today’s construction methodology and quality assurance has to address this as well as considering the logistics of how this can be accommodated. Operations have to consider the practicalities of working in these remote locations under today’s safety and quality requirements. This paper details the considerations given to the planning and operations required for the installation of and the site controls adopted for the remediation of a series of undertrack CSP culverts located in the remote Hamersley ranges some 220 Klms south of Karratha WA. The objective was to mitigate the risk not only for the workforce engaged on the project but also to provide sufficient control in the supply and delivery of the materials required to rehabilitate the culvert sets to meet the specifications and standards required by the Client. The works had to be undertaken with the minimum of disruption in order to maintain an uninterrupted passage of the 30,000.00 tonne trains running 24 hours a day 7 days per week and providing the Client with the best economic, risk free and low carbon footprint solution. Paper 2.9 - 1