130 | BUILDING United Civil Construction Great engineering & project management The 75-metre, six-span bridge required extensive engineering solutions. T T Karen Phelps As testament to the importance of great engineering and project management, United Civil Construction has completed the rebuild of a crucial rail bridge in Hawke’s Bay in just 17 weeks - a project that would typically take three years to plan, design, and construct. United Civil Construction received a highly commended award at the Civil Contractors NZ (CCNZ) Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards for the innovative methods used during the construction. The KiwiRail Bridge 217, which crosses the Tūtaekurī River at Awatoto near Napier, was completely destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, severing the vital rail link between Napier Port and the rest of New Zealand. Given the emergency nature, everything had to be fast-tracked and the project was being designed while United Civil was already setting up the site, and procurement was happening while the design wasn’t 100% complete. United Civil Construction project manager Jacob Dunn says that innovative construction methods were also key to the accelerated timeline. “We implemented multiple work fronts operating simultaneously on each side of the stream, which was a crucial change to our original methodology,” says Jacob. “This, combined with our use of closed-end piles, dramatically reduced the schedule by eliminating pile excavation and removal of tailings from site.” The 75-metre, six-span bridge required extensive engineering solutions, including 760mm diameter steel tube piles driven to a depth of around 34 metres. The team worked through winter months in contaminated water and dealing with complicated tidal patterns that made the construction environment particularly challenging. “The arm of the Tutaekuri River that Bridge 217 crossed was effectively a tidal pool, which meant water levels would rise significantly during rainfall and high tides with no direct outlet to the ocean,” says Jacob. “This made it the first area to fill up during rainfall and the slowest to drain.” To combat this the team developed elevated construction platforms above flood inundation levels, allowing work to continue even during adverse weather events. They also implemented a specialised 10/4 rotation working roster for the piling subcontractor, ensuring uninterrupted progress on subsequent tasks. The project’s accelerated timeline was achieved through careful planning and innovation. The team welded pile sections into the longest possible lengths off-site, minimizing on-site welding time. They also incorporated cut-to-fill material into an embankment on the west side of the bridge, eliminating the need for off-site material transportation. The bridge’s completion in September 2023 marked a significant milestone in the region’s recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle. During the seven months the bridge was out of action, freight movements in and out of Napier Port had to be conducted by truck, placing additional stress on the region’s already damaged road network and increasing transportation costs for local businesses. The project involved reconstructing not just the bridge but also 16 kilometres of rail embankments, installing signalling and fibre service ducts, and implementing geogrid reinforced transition details at three bridge abutments. The success of the project earned praise from KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy, who commended United Civil Construction’s ability to complete the job safely in challenging physical conditions while maintaining a collaborative approach with local teams and stakeholders.“What makes the project particularly special,” says Jacob, “is that it is a great example of why many in the industry go into engineering/construction in the first place – because we get to build the stuff that makes a positive difference to lives of so many.” JC CORE DRILLING 2021 LTD Hawke’s Bay Core Drilling Specialists • PRECISION & ACCURACY • EXPERIENCED TEAM • TIMELY PROJECT COMPLETION 027 440 5084 jccoredrilling@gmail.com www.jccoredrilling.co.nz Sca olding | Rigging | Rope Access | Fall Arrest Safety Netting With 20+ years experience in the industry, we are your one stop height safety specialist. Rocket Scaffolding Limited | 0800 402 202 Auckland | Napier | Taupo | Rotorua
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