60 | IRRIGATION » Dam Compliance: Skevingtons Contracting Short timeframe a concern • from page 59 Where specialists shine Richard Loader Skevingtons has been building a reputation for successfully delivering a variety of dam projects all over the South Island. Director Blair Skevington says it boils down to good experienced contractors, engineers and geotechs. “We are a contractor with a reputation for taking on and completing earthworks in some of the most challenging conditions, whether logistically or because of site terrain, weather or level of difficulty. Skevingtons bring a can-do attitude with the experience and proven track record to deliver,” he says. A good example is The Throne Station project in Waihopai, Blenheim. The sheep and beef farm has been in the Dillon family for well over three generations. Farm owner David Dillon wanted to invest in a private water scheme to develop alternative on-farm income streams including grapevines and woodlots, along with supporting the farm during dry seasons. The 18-month project resulted in one of the largest privately owned dams in the South Island. As a high PIC dam, working together with engineers and geotechs was a top priority for the team at Skevingtons. The dam required extensive earthmoving to get to bedrock 17m below and there were some issues with underground water while constructing the cut off which was successfully dealt with by the Skevingtons team of eight staff on site. Blair says the project also demonstrates Skevingtons dedicated to investing in the right plant. Large dump trucks, 40 tonne excavators and Topcon GPS systems on their diggers and dozer Low potential impact dams will have no ongoing requirements except for a review every five years to certify it is still low risk. Medium and high potential impact dams will be required to have a dam safety assurance programme prepared by a recognised dam engineer. These dams will likely be required to have regular safety surveillance practices in place for the life of the dam. Vanessa says developing the new rules and regulations is something that has been monitored by Irrigation New Zealand, in a technical advisory capacity and is pleased that MBIE has adopted recommendations to make the regulations workable, but is still concerned about the short timeframe and the number of structures affected. Once the new regulations take effect in May of 2024, dam owners will have a grace period only 3 months to identify classifiable structures, produce a potential impact classification certificate and register it with the council. That short time frame is exacerbated by the restriction on who can do the assessments. For medium to high risk structures a dam safety assurance plan is required within 12 months to 2 years. “We’re very concerned about the limited number of recognised dam engineers available to do the work, and we’re encouraging MBIE to push the time frame out for small farm dams. “We believe there are up to 5,000 dams up and down the country that would need to be assessed. The vast majority of farm dams are not going to impact on people or the environment and will be assessed as low risk. So, we are suggesting that for those irrigation storage dams the time frame be extended to a more pragmatic deadline from the date the regulations come into effect, so that the higher risk ones can be prioritised.” Once the new regulations take effect in May of 2024, dam owners will have a grace period only 3 months to identify classifiable structures, produce a potential impact classification certificate and register it with the council. all helped the team to get the job done to a high standard. A more recent example completed this year is a water storage dam project on a small dairy farm in Stoke, Nelson. Water seepage challenges due to ground water tested the team’s ability along with soil type, which necessitated a lot of mixing of materials to result in impermeability. Skevingtons Services include, but are not limited to, earthmoving, hydro excavation, utility infrastructure installation and maintenance and heavy haulage/transport. Blair says the company is ever evolving to meet its clients’ needs: “Skevingtons bring a can-do attitude and offer a wide range of services, modern plant and equipment to meet customer requirements to get the job done. We know each job is unique, so finding and safely executing the right solutions is our focus.” Blair says his experienced team is a key factor in the company’s ability to continuously produce outstanding results. Skevingtons invests in its team, which means clients benefit from a great deal of expertise on their projects. “Our team takes pride in producing high quality, well-managed work on every tailored project. Our ability to provide our clients with exceptional customer service is due to the high standards we set ourselves and the relationships we develop with our clients. We focus on getting the details right by listening to our clients’ needs and developing with them a plan that can produce the results we can all be proud of.” Engineering Geology Ltd can assist you with your dam design & safety Dam design, tendering & construction Potential impact classifications (PIC) Dam safety assurance programmes Intermediate dam safety reviews Comprehensive dam safety reviews Engineering Geology Limited can assist you with your dam design and safety • Dam Design, Tendering and Construction. • Potential Impact Classifications (PIC). • Dam Safety Assurance Programmes. • Intermediate Dam Safety Reviews. • Comprehensive Dam Safety Reviews. BNZ is proud to support Skevingtons Contracting Ltd For more info visit bnz.co.nz
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