INNOVATIVE formwork supplied by Peri Australia is playing an important role in the development of the $12 billion Woodside Pluto LNG project on the Burrup Peninsula near Karratha in WA.
Around the world, various schemes are starting to be implemented as a result of government efforts to kick-start the economy. Work for contractors and orders for machines. As this demand grows it will have positive impacts into mining and quarrying as the demand for materials increases.
OUR neighbours across the ditch have developed their own unique and effective solution to ensure crane safety. New Zealand Crane Association President, Malcom McWhannell, gives Construction Contractor the inside story.
AN Australian shipbuilding joint venture, the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance Program, has announced its purchase of a Model 21000 crawler crane – the first in the country. The 907t capacity crawler crane will play a major role in the most significant ship building project in Australian history.
THIS October, at the CICA conference in Canberra, attendees were treated to some spectacular lift job presentations that were entered into the 2009 Construction Contractor Lift of the Year Awards. Picking the winner was no easy task and unlike the previous two years, the judges’ selection and the People’s Choice winner were different.
THERE are increasing indications of the beginnings of a slight recovery in the earthmoving industry. This is partly reflected in rising equipment purchases in some sectors.
Construction companies across Australia are trying to save money wherever they can - whether it be looking for bargains at auctions, extending the life of their machines or cutting back on staff numbers.
USE of the latest technology in concrete pumping equipment is delivering a wide range of benefits for users including fuel savings, improved safety and reliability, easier maintenance and troubleshooting, and smoother more easily controlled and automated functions.
The legion of navvies who dug out Breakout Creek in the 1930s would surely be impressed with how it looks today. Back then, flooding along the lower reach of the Torrens River regularly inundated as far inland as where Adelaide Airport is today. Breakout Creek, designed to cope with a 1-in-200 year flood, diverts the river out to sea at Henley Beach South.
SA is poised to again host national rowing, canoe, kayak and dragon boating events following a $2.4 million upgrade of the A.M. Ramsay Regatta Course at West Lakes.
SIMS Metal management recently added two Liebherr units to its fleet each with a specific metal handling task. Operator safety in the industry's tough working conditions has received particular attention.
With the high price of oil, and an increasing focus on the carbon footprint of construction projects, greater emphasis is being placed on the development of greener and more cost effective power sources.
Another Australian product making its mark on the world stage is JLG's LiftPod. Designed and engineered in Australia, the LiftPod provides an alternative to the ladder and is in itself, a remarkable engineering feat.
Using a Sherrin Hire 55m travel tower, a series of Melbourne CBD panoramas were photographed to help Lyon design RMIT University's new $200 million academic building for the northern end of Swanston Street.
Sydney Water recently undertook a major reliability improvement and modernisation program to bring the Bondi Sewage Treatment Plant into the 21st Century.
Compact skidsteers capable of operating in tight spaces are becoming increasingly prevalent on construction sites due to the versatile range of functions and productivity benefits that they offer.
BubbleDeck, a new building system designed to reduce concrete usage in building, has made its construction debut on the $1.88 billion Gateway office project in WA.
In June 2009, the Liebherr Group celebrated 60 years of operation and also marked 40 years in the crane manufacturing business. The company invited close to 3,000 customers to spend time at its mobile crane plant in Ehingen, Germany.
The largest new introduction at Intermat 2009 in Paris was from Kobelco cranes, who unveiled the 400t capacity Kobelco SL4500.
The BubbleDeck building system uses plastic bubbles the size of soccer balls encased in a lattice of steel to create a honeycomb effect thereby eliminating the need for non-structural concrete.
At the same time as stringent environmental and safety regulations present significant challenges for many demolition projects, there is growing recognition of the environmental and economic benefits of recycling.
Pressure for the development of environmentally optimised technology is increasing, but the answer need not lie solely with electric and hybrid solutions. The most energy-efficient engines of tomorrow are already more than a hundred years old.
No one could complain about the weather at Intermat 2009 with the sun shining throughout. As most people anticipated, visitor numbers were substantially down but exhibitors were philosophical about it. Most said that it was quieter than usual but those visiting were genuine customers.
Roadheaders and tunnel boring machines will help deliver the $4.8 billion Airport Link and Northern Busway project as quickly and quietly as possible.
Businesses are facing a double whammy at the moment - a slowing economic cycle together with a global credit crisis. All organisations, including contractors, are facing not just a scarcity of funds, but a rising cost of capital as well.