Civil Infrastructure

The Butler Rail Extension Project is a $240 million project to extend the Joondalup rail line to Butler. This project is to extend the Joondalup Line to Butler and involves extending the existing rail line approximately 7.5km north of the existing Clarkson Station, to service Perth’s rapidly growing north-west suburbs. With more than 2,000 passengers expected to board at Butler Station every day, the project will also help ease pressure on the Mitchell Freeway and major road corridors.

Passenger services on the new line started in 2015.

Features of the overall project include:

• A park ’n’ ride station with approximately 930 car bays
• 11 new buses to provide feeder services into Butler and Clarkson stations
• Opportunity to positively influence land use around the station as a Transit Oriented Development
• Four additional railcars have been acquired to accommodate the extra passengers

A significant factor affecting the project was the complexity of operations due to restricted access and limited work area, and a project requirement to complete the works as close as possible to the allocated timeframe. This was further completed by PTA adding a series of contract amendments to the project that resulted in the required work tripling in scale. Included in the additions was a requirement for: 

• Under-track boring at the Nowergup Depot – during liv railcar operations
• Butler Transit Station Forward works
• Earthworks to Nowergup Depot yard – 200,000m³
• Additional up main re-alignment (additional rail track) – bulk earthworks 167,000m³
• Nowergup access road – bulk earthworks 30,000m³
• Supply and installation of HV electrical pit and pipe at Nowerguy Depot
• Supply and installation of HV cable works and services relocation at Nowergup Depot
• Supply and install tech span arch underpass and reinforced earth walls to Nowergup access road

The magnitude of the civil work required achieving the original contract within deadline, plus the additional project works, with changing design requirements within the original deadline was immense.

RJV was the winner of the Civil Contractors Federation ‘2012 Earth Awards’ (WA).

The Butler Railway Bridges Project involved the construction of 3 road-over-rail bridges (Butler Boulevard, Benenden Avenue and Landbeach Boulevard) and the associated road works to connect Subdivisions previously built by RJV with each other across the railway. The works also included the completion of the communications and traction power conduit and pit system along the length of the railway cut, the construction of approximately 1.8km of asphalt public shared path (PSP) along the embankment of the railway cut as well as the installation of the limestone capping layer to the cut foundation in preparation for the subsequent laying of track-work and ballast material (completed by others).

The project was completed as part of a joint venture with Bocol Constructions PTY LTD. The Joint Venture saw Bocol complete the bridge construction works and concrete wing wall structures whilst RJV completed all road construction, earthworks, diversion works and services. The road works included the constructions of approximately 8000 square metres of pavement along with earthworks to tie in the adjacent subdivision roads with the newly built bridges. Minor works also included noise wall construction, landscaping, fencing and PSP lighting along the railway alignment.

Each of the bridges involved the construction of a cast in-situ concrete bridge deck with cantilever wing wall abutments, removal of existing services (water, sewer, power, lighting , gas and Telstra) contained within the diversion “bunds” crossing the railway cut, removal of the bund material and its use in backfill to the abutments where possible.

Relevance for MRWA Categories

The Butler Railway Bridges contract demonstrated RJV’s ability to perform a multi facet high-profile contract as part of a joint venture arrangement for a government client.

The contract involved considerable community interaction to ensure local residents were made aware of the works as well as kept informed of any delays that may be caused. RJV was able to effect community consultation through letter drops, community and stakeholder meetings, effective communication and signposting for site contacts and through our approachable presence onsite in Butler. RJV and Bocol, in conjunction with the PTA, developed comprehensive construction management plans to ensure that the potential environmental impacts of the project on the surrounding areas were inimised. Some of the environmental issued addressed by the plans were noise, dust, traffic and vibration.

The project also saw RJV and Bocol engage in value-engineering for the bridge design. Bocol’s experience in cast in situ concrete works and RJV’s experience in the ground conditions at the location of the footings for the bridges (RJV had previously completed the railway cut earthworks for the PTA two years prior) meant that through consultation with the PTA the bridge design and cantilever system originally tenderer on was modified to better suit the surrounding conditions and ensure that the final design was constructed with ease.

Throughout the contract period, RJV managed reporting on both Bocol and RJV QA aspects of the works to meet the requirements of the PTA. RJV completed quality assurance tasks such as RJV’s inspection and testing plans as well as  integrated the reporting of the bridge deck construction (ie. concrete testing, reinforcement schedules, survey and backfill compaction of the abutments) for the project as a whole.

RJV implemented detailed traffic management plans during the construction of the 3 bridges to ensure that disruption to the local residents was minimised. Part of the works included the temporary closure of Benenden Avenue and the realignment of both Benenden Avenue and Landbeach Boulevard. The location of adjacent schools had to be considered during works and works were schedule to ensure that morning and afternoon school drop off periods were kept free of major works associated with the realignment of the roads leading to the bridges.

The 2km Bertram Road Duplication Project involved the construction of a duplicate northern carriageway for the existing Bertram Road alignment from the Kwinana Freeway to a tie-in point 300m West of Challenger Avenue Intersection with Bertram Road, as well as the upgrading of road infrastructure and existing pavements on Bertram Road. RJV was required to undertake tie- in works with existing pavements and intersections connecting into the existing Bertram Road carriageway as well as the offline construction of the Bertram Road northern carriageway.

The complexity of the project was significant, owing to the need to adjust levels and cross falls of the existing carriageway in sections as well as retain as much of the existing pavement alignment as possible. A new dual-lane roundabout was also constructed under traffic conditions with RJV also constructing a culvert extension under Bertram Road for the Peel Main Drain crossing. RJV removed and rehabilitated existing road seal and pavements from basecourse level, built up existing pavements to new levels through reconstruction of basecourse layers as well as constructed full–depth pavement installation from subgrade. The project required installation of new pit and pipe drainage and culverts for the existing and new carriageways, modified and installation of full new lighting and electrical services and completion of all earthworks and road pavement construction including new sealing and asphalt, kerbing, footpath, lines and signage and roadside infrastructure.

RJV also converted all overhead electrical to underground power requiring significant liaison and coordination with Western Power. RJV also liaised with MRWA regarding the tie into Mortimer Road Freeway Bridge at the freeway on ramp and completed this section under night works. RJV also relocated existing bus stops and shelters requiring liaison with the PTA.

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RJV conducted significant community consultation throughout the project’s duration. This included letter drops and signage to inform the community of the impending works, as well as attendance at community meetings. A comprehensive traffic management plan was implemented to ensure that local residents were able to utilise the road whilst maintaining safety on site. With the different sections of the works requiring differing methodologies for construction the traffic management process continually changed, from stop-go single lane restrictions, to roadside lane-narrowing to full detours, depending on the level of management required for the project.

Access for existing residents facing Bertram Road was a consideration in all works, as well as the particular issues surrounding the location of the local school midway along the length project. Access was maintained during peak school-traffic periods, and RJV was required to ensure normal bus services were able to continue to use portions of the existing carriageway.

RJV was able to plan and execute the works so that existing lighting at intersections was kept in place for as long as possible to minimise the need for temporary lighting towers at intersections. The works progressed with minimal disturbance to the daily activities of local residents.

RJV’s project management team on the project completed works to the specifications required by the client. This involved continuous engagement with stakeholders to ensure that everyone was informed and their needs were met.

The Lenore Road Realignment and Upgrade involved the construction of a new single carriage way roadworks of Lenore Road from East Road to High Road and the associated service asset relocations. The works were divided into three Separable Portions as follows.

·Separable Portion 1 involved the construction of a Bypass Road to allow the relocation of both Western Power and Water Corporation assets. This was an 860m section of road which was constructed offline to the final alignment to allow works to be carried out without disrupting the flow of traffic.

·Separable Portion 2 involved the relocation of Western Power and Water Corporation assets and earthworks in the vicinity of the Nicholas Road intersection. Existing Overhead HV power lines were removed with the new lines being installed underground. Construction of a new DN600 MSCL water distribution line was carried out to allow the removal of the old line which, along with the removal of the overhead power, enabled bulk earthworks to proceed in order to lower the intersection by approximately 3m to its new design levels, increasing lines of sight for traffic in all directions.

·Separable Portion 3 involves the online upgrades to the existing road alignment including clearing, pavement construction, drainage, shared paths, tie-ins to existing roads, landscaping and associated works. Upgrades were also completed to the intersections at East Road, Nicholas Road and Elliot Road.

RELEVANCE: The Lenore Road Realignment & Upgrade contract is a current example of RJV’s ability to complete road construction projects involving precise traffic management and a high level of planning. Originally a 66 week program at tender, upon commencing works RJV was able to identify areas where this could be reduced by carrying out a large number of operations concurrently. This involved accurate planning of operations and resources along with close monitoring of on-site activities to ensure these dates were both achievable and met. As a result of this our client benefited from an 8 week reduction in the overall duration of the project.

The large volumes of traffic encountered on Lenore Road during morning and evening peak hours also required a high level of management, with numerous Traffic Management plans utilised over the construction period to ensure the road remained open to the public at all times. RJV coordinated their works so that operations that required STOP-GO on Lenore Road were carried out during off-peak traffic hours to avoid potential delays or hazards for road users. This was carried out successfully by utilising our own Traffic Management Controllers who are fully accredited by MRWA.

Using our knowledge from previous works, RJV also approached the client over the course of the contract with design ideas for different aspects of the job which were in their benefit. An example of this would be the design proposed by RJV for the construction of the Bypass Road which resulted in a substantial saving for the client as opposed to the original tender design. RJV’s proposal also gained the client a week on the program in this case.

The project also involved interaction with a large amount of existing services. HV Power, MP Gas, Sewer, Water, Gas and Telstra were all located within the work zone. The largest portion of our service relocation works involved the installation of the DN600 MSCL water distribution main. Due to the size of this water main and the nature of the inspections and tests associated with it, regular correspondence was required with Water Corporation. RJV were contractually committed to achieving a completion date of the 31^stof July 2015 which was achieved and allowed the connections to be carried out mid-August during the Water Corporations shutdown period as was specified in the contract.

This contract is currently ongoing with SP1 100% complete, SP2 100% complete and SP3 20% complete. All works are on program and within budget.

The Marmion Avenue Extension involved the construction of Marmion Avenue from Butler in the south, through coastal dune areas to Yanchep in the north. The link opened up the northern suburbs corridor through the Alkimos, Eglington areas and has significantly reduced travel times for residents of Yanchep and Two Rocks in travelling to Joondalup and Perth.

The extension was approximately 13 kilometres long and involved clearing and bulk earthworks for the ultimate formation, pavement construction for the single carriageway stage 1 formation, drainage and street lighting. The alignment through coastal dunes also required tying into existing pavements at Yanchep Beach Road as well as the existing extent of Marmion Avenue at the time.

RJV also constructed three roundabout intersections for future roads at Romeo Road, Pipidinny Road and Santorini Promenade, as well as constructed wildlife crossings in strategic locations under guidance from Principal-Engaged Environmental Consultants and erected wildlife fencing to the extent of the project.

The Marmion Avenue works linked two projects being undertaken concurrently by RJV, Capricorn Village at Yanchep and Brighton Estate at Butler.

Relevance for MRWA Categories

The project involved the cut to fill of nearly 1,000,000 m3 of sand and rock. Rock was excavated through ripping with D10 and D11 dozers. RJV was able to efficiently rip all rock encountered to the extent that rock blasting provisional allowances were never utilised on the project. Excess rock was earthworked into deep fill areas and blended with sand to provide a suitably graded fill mixture. RJV used its fleet of scrapers to perform earthworks cut to fill operations within short to moderate haul distances. Larger haul cut to fill operations utilised 50T Articulated Dump Trucks loaded by 988 Loaders and 85T Excavators.

The pavement works for the project comprised of 225mm thick 75mm graded limestone subbase, 75mm thick Emulsion Stabilised Limestone basecourse, primer seal and 30 mm AC or 40mm AC intersection mix wearing course.

The project demonstrated RJV’s capability in planning and executing large scale road alignment projects over long distances, as well as an ability to coordinate multiple working fronts over an alignment of approximately 13km to ensure that program timeframes were met.

Proper planning and coordination of site activities meant that RJV was able to maximise efficiencies with haul distances and minimise wastage for cut to fill along the alignment.

The size of the project also demonstrated RJV’s ability to coordinate the delivery of large quantities of road pavement materials, asphalt and sealing works as well as ensure that quality of materials was kept consistent across the project.

RJV’s association with Amberton began in 2013. Since that time, we have successfully delivered approximately 50 stages totalling approximately $70m of works. 

Amberton is a coastal suburb at Eglinton, bounded by the coast to the West and Marmion Ave to the East approximately 48km North of the CBD. The geology of the site is such that RJV has constructed large cut to fill Earthwork packages in shifting coastal sands near the beach as well as Bulk Earthwork packages nearer Marmion Avenue requiring over excavation of lots in rock and top dressing with sand. 

Current construction has focused on delivering the local road network to the coast and delivering stages closer to the beach. All while continuing to liaise and provide access for the growing local community.

RJV commenced construction of Section 3 of the Water Corporations DN1400 Yanchep Main Sewer – deep sewer within Stocklands Amberton Estate to their Northern boundary in September 2020.

This work involves the installation of 640m of 1400mm diameter GRP at depths of up to 16m and 3 cast insitu Type 7 manholes. 

RJV’s significant Earthworks fleet was utilised to efficiently excavate to within 3m of pipe invert and some 150,000m3 of limestone/sand, (including 15,000m3 of hard rock) was moved by a fleet of dozers, excavators and dump trucks.  A 90t Excavator was then employed to dig the final 3m to invert.

With a total fall across 640m of sewer of 379mm, (pipe grade of 1 in 1750), exacting installation standards and Quality Control was employed and grades were confirmed by a third party tolerance with no non-conformances.

Work is anticipated to be completed in June 2021.

In May 2015, RJV commenced construction of the Ariella Private Estate in the suburb of Brabham, on the fringe of the Swan Valley. When complete, the 40 hectare development will comprise 500 residential lots developed in seven stages, and will include 11 hectares of community recreational facilities and a primary school. The development area includes a sensitive wetland and sits above an extremely high water table, with the treatment of acid sulphate soils, strategic dewatering and close monitoring and management of groundwater infiltration being part of the RJV daily operation.

The estate requires a large volume of imported fill sand to bring the site up to its design levels. This has required targeted planning and management in consultation with local authorities to ensure that existing residents and infrastructure are not adversely affected by high volumes of truck and machine movements occurring in the rapidly developing area of Brabham.

The development is adjacent to the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline, one of WA’s most important pieces of energy infrastructure. Part of the works required the filling of parts of the PBNGP corridor to suit the estate levels, due to the sensitive nature of the works these earthworks are being completed by RJV in close consultation with DBP.

Capricorn JV appointed RJV to undertake civil works for this major urban development at Yanchep, 60km north of Perth, in mid 2005, and work commenced in August of that year.

The development site is between Yanchep National Park and the coast.

Overall Capricorn Structure Plan Highlights

The entire Yanchep and Two Rocks landholding of over 5,500 hectares is being developed in accordance with the Yanchep and Two Rocks District Structure Plan, which calls for:

• Eventual population 8000 residents
• Project Construction Period (estimated): 2005-2015
• Total land and housing construction cost: $750 million
• Residential lots: 2700 approx
• Construction of Bethanie Beachside village incorporating a 160-bed nursing home
• Creation of Village Centre including commercial and retail facilities
• Establish two primary schools
• Establish one high school
• Create a hotel/resort
• Set aside approx 17ha of public open space

Difficulties were encountered with extremely hard rock under the coastal dunes, but RJV, having had previous experience of such conditions, overcame the challenges to deliver stages in a timely manner. Other key issues for the project included management of dust and windborne particles, exacerbated by strong winds in this coastal location.

RJV also constructed the extension of Marmion Avenue from Brighton, Butler to Yanchep in 2007-8 to provide improved access to Capricorn Estate along W.A.'s coastal strip.

RJV won the Catalina subdivision works in 2011 as has completed all works to date. RJV’s experience in the northern coastal corridor provided RJV with the knowledge of the terrain conditions that are prevalent in the area and the need for D10 and D11 Dozers and 651 Scrapers to rip and haul through the hard rock conditions onsite.

RJV also completed the upgrade of Joondalup Drive and the intersection with Marmion Avenue for the Catalina Subdivision entrance and the service upgrades associated with these works. Working alongside the existing businesses and residents directly adjacent the site proved difficult due to the coastal conditions and location of the site.

RJV managed dust issues with the use of 46,000 kl watercarts for dust suppression, adequate maintenance of wind fencing and the use of pre planning for hydromulch stabilisation to minimise the impacts of dust issues, measured through automated dust monitor stations set up at the extent of the site.

Recent works at Catalina have involved the carting of excess material from the “central cell” (bounded by Marmion Avenue and Connolly Drive) to both the “eastern cell” and “western cell”. The Eastern cell cartage was completed using 50 tonne articulated dump trucks and RJV was able to set up and manage an actuated temporary traffic signal crossing point in order to enable the trucks to cross Connolly Drive and cart material to fill areas in the east. This operation enabled higher productivity than an equivalent road truck operation and meant that RJV was able to offer the client for Catalina a cost saving as well as a reduction in the time frame for the earthworks.

RJV ability to manage this crossing and ensure that operators adhered to strict safety protocol meant that all earthworks were completed with no incidents onsite and no harm to the public utilising Connolly Drive as part of their daily commute. RJV also ensured that Connolly Drive was restored to its previous state with verges and road surfaces reinstated at the completion of works.

Currently RJV is conducting cut to fill works within the “western cell” and this also involves the cartage of excess from the “central cell” to fill areas west of Marmion Avenue. As part of this operation RJV has limited options in utilising earthworks equipment to complete cartage operations, and as such must utilise road trucks. RJV liaised with Main Roads WA and was able to negotiate permission for semi-trucks to proceed straight through the intersection of Aviator Boulevard and Marmion Avenue (currently a right turn only) to enable increased efficiency in haulage operations. This operation has currently been completed with no influence to Marmion Avenue traffic, particularly during peak hour operations.

RJV has worked with the consulting engineer and client at Catalina to achieve milestone dates and ensure that each stage has been brought within budget and on-time.