As part of the works at Elizabeth Quay, WGE were engaged to review, survey and model large pipe and utilities infrastructure located under existing CBD road reserves. 3D surveys and models were applied to our proposed infrastructure design models in order to undertake ‘virtual construction’ and avoid conflicts during construction.
WGE liaised with asset owners, authorities and contractors to determine asset constraints, protection requirements and construction methods to assist the contractors in developing appropriate work methods.
Project challenges
- Traditional “As Constructed” information containing less than 50% of the actual underground infrastructure discovered on the site
- Conflict with the large diameter pipes and infrastructure discovered during trench excavation
- Accommodating geometrically complex stormwater structures into spaces below the surface which were not filled with other underground infrastructure
Design features
- In order to accommodate operational requirements of live (large diameter) pipe systems, some designs needed to include construction methodologies to facilitate staged construction and allow continued operation of the large pipe systems.
- WGE’s advice ensured exposed and unforeseen conflicts were resolved through surveying during the day, with redesigning and model adjustment undertaken by WGE engineers each night. The revised models and drawings were issued the following day to allow component fabrication and construction schedules to be maintained.
