Registrations for the 2023 NATSPEC Student Prize are now open for eligible university students.

 

In this year’s brief, the NATSPEC Student Prize challenges Master of Architecture students to explore the ways in which architects control and communicate the quality and performance of innovative design in construction.

 

The competition emphasises NATSPEC’s objective to improve the quality of construction in Australia and mitigate the negative impact of the construction industry on climate change.

 

Entries are accepted from students who are enrolled at an Australian university in a Master of Architecture course accredited by the AACA. Students can enter individually or in teams of up to four members.

 

An independent jury will select the winner, who will receive a prize of $8,000. Their work will be published on the NATSPEC website. Two entries will receive a Commendation award of $1,500 each.

 

‘What a Waste,’ last year’s Highly Commended entry by Mitchell Pianto of the University of Melbourne, is available to view on the NATSPEC website.

 

The closing date for submissions is midnight AWST on Monday 4 December.

 

For more information, visit www.natspec.com.au. 

Arvo Tinni, the first ASCP Honorary Member, passed away peacefully on 17 January 2023.

He was born in 1935 in a small village Keila, to the south west of Tallin in Estonia. He was an epic man; a giant in physique, personality and achievement. Known to many as the “big fella”. One of the foremost road engineers in Australia in the second half of the 20^th century. He achieved excellence at both strategic and detail levels. In the old NSW DMR/RTA he rose to the position of Chief Engineer Roadworks before joining the private sector at Statewide Roads then Abigroup.

As Divisional Engineer DMR Goulburn in the 1980s, he was responsible for many pioneering concrete highway projects in southern NSW during the Fraser Government ABRD Program. Notable among them was the legendary 12km dual carriageway Tumblong Deviation Stage 1 on the Hume Highway. It ushered in the first combination of multi-lane concrete slipform paving and high output concrete site production plants. 2023 marks 40 years since its construction.

A suitable monument to a giant such as Arvo would be the Warringah Freeway in Sydney. He would always forcibly remind people that its formal title was Freeway not Expressway. He was the Supervising Engineer for its construction in the mid-1960s. In overall concrete pavement area, it remained the largest contract until the 1990s. Nearly 60 years later, and carrying more than 200,000 vehicles daily, that pavement remains effectively maintenance free.

Arvo was a mentor to many in industry including the current ASCP President Jamie Egan.

There was never any doubt as to where Arvo stood on any issue. He enjoyed a debate on any topic as long as those opposite agreed that he would win it. In his relationships with people around him he had a signature and typical direct Arvo approach “do you want to be part of the problem or part of the solution”. With him loyalty was a two-way street, loyalty given to him was more than repaid in return. He was a man about whom it can be genuinely stated – they do not make them like that anymore. It is arguable that there is nobody who cannot be replaced. Arvo probably came as close to that compared with others.

He received many high honours and awards, among them;

• Member of the Order of Australia (AM) (2015. For significant service to engineering through contributions to the road construction sector, as an industry leader, innovator and mentor.)
• Estonian Order of The White Star. ( Arvo received the Order of the White Star from the President of the Republic of Estonia as a distinguished Engineer for services to the Estonian Community and engineering technology)
• Reserve Forces Decoration (RFD) (Arvo rose though every rank from Sapper to the rank of Colonel in the RAE Reserve and received the RFD for the required minimum15 years continuous service as a Commissioned Officer)
• Roads Australia John Shaw Medal (RA’s most prestigious Award honouring an industry champion who has made a lasting contribution to Australia’s roads.)
• Honorary Member of the Australian Society for Concrete Pavements, the first such recipient

The “big fella” has now peacefully left us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We welcome you to share your condolences and any memories you may have with Arvo on our LinkedIn post.

John Hodgkinson has provided details of Arvo funeral arrangements.

• Funeral service will be conducted on Tuesday 31 January at 2:30pm at Rookwood Cemetery South Chapel
• No restriction on attendance
• The family will host a wake at the same location following the service
• Friends and colleagues are invited to share ‘brief’ comments during the wake. following the service

ASCP member, Arcadis, will be delivering the detailed design component for the Eastern Tunnelling Package for the Sydney Metro West project. 

Sydney Metro West is a new 24-kilometre metro line that will enable the current rail capacity to be doubled. This will significantly reduce travel time between Parramatta and the CBD, whilst providing much-needed public transport access to the growing health, education, and sporting precincts.

The Eastern Tunnelling Package includes the construction of two 3.5km harbour crossings, one beneath Blackwattle Bay below the Anzac Bridge, and the second beneath Darling Harbour. This is the third and final instalment of the Tunnelling Packages that comprise of the Western package (Westmead to Sydney Olympic Park) and Central Package (Sydney Olympic Park to The Bays Precinct).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arcadis is in a design joint venture with BG&E working with tunnelling contractor John Holland CPB Contractors Ghella Joint Venture.

After working on the broader Sydney Metro project since 2008, Arcadis brings a suite of capabilities, using advanced technology to support design decisions within the project. 

In their commitment to improve quality of life, Arcadis continues to estimate excavating techniques and quality checks. Sustainability also takes precedence, with Arcadis, JCG and Sydney Metro ensuring considerable effort has been made to optimise the rail alignment, shorten the construction program, and utilise alternate methods for spoil removal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Major Projects Director from Arcadis, Mark Newbrook, emphasised his gratitude towards the collaboration, explaining “The success of this project is built on the foundations of strong collaboration and trust with JCG and Sydney Metro, a partnership which will now extend over 7 years. Arcadis, along with our design joint venture partner BG&E, are delighted that our innovative and sustainable solutions will contribute to this important city shaping project,” he said. 

Construction started on Sydney Metro West in 2020, with the project on track to be completed by 2030. 

For more information, click here. 

ASCP member, Holcim, acquires Nicem as a strategic move to advance the development of green construction material solutions.

Nicem is a grounded calcium carbonate leader in Northern Italy with a broad customer base spanning multiple industries from construction to plastic, rubber and paints.

Calcium carbonate is a highly versatile, low-carbon raw material that is useful for a broad range of applications. Holcim’s sustainable building solutions ranging from ECOPact to ECOPlanet product lines embrace alternate materials that include industrial by-products such as silica fume. As a result of the acquisition, calcium carbonate may become a possible alternative for these product lines in the future.

By replacing the standard cement with these alternative materials, ECOPact can reduce the carbon intensity of concrete by 30-60 per cent, allowing designers and contractors to achieve a substantial reduction in emissions for various projects.

Region head for Europe at Holcim, Miljan Gutovic, emphasises how the acquisition will propel Holcim’s drive for low-carbon concrete explaining, “Nicem complements our existing operations perfectly and allows us to further leverage our expertise in green formulation, opening a new source of alternative materials to decarbonise our ready-mix concrete,” he said.

He continued, “I look forward to welcoming the employees of Nicem to the Holcim family, whose valuable expertise will help us accelerate green growth“.

To learn more about our member Holcim, you can visit their official website.

 

 

The Australian Society for Concrete Pavements would like to formally welcome our newest member, Tonkin + Taylor through the Supporter Membership.

Tonkin + Taylor were Founded in New Zealand in 1959 as a specialist environmental and engineering consultancy, Tonkin + Taylor (T+T) owes its success to market-leading technical expertise, a commitment to competing on quality and the exceptionally high calibre of our technical specialists. T+T has an established team of experienced designers and technicians in Australia who specialise in the investigation and analysis required to develop practical and cost-effective pavement solutions for our clients.

The Association looks forward to working with Tonkin + Taylor in 2023 and beyond.

To learn more about Tonkin + Taylor, you can visit their official website.

AUS-SPEC always works to respond to the needs of local governments around the country. For this reason, AUS-SPEC maintains multiple long-term collaborations with industry organisations. This ensures that the national specification system for local government infrastructure assets meets the current standards of best practice and helps Councils provide effective services to their community.

The latest update to AUS-SPEC specifications features input from three key collaborators: the Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Association (AustStab), the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) and the Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA).

AUS-SPEC’s work with AustStab was made official in June 2022 with the signing of a partnership agreement regarding pavement stabilisation worksections. The October 2022 update included four new pavement stabilisation worksections that will lead to practical and economic benefits for Councils.

The four new worksections are: 1161 In situ pavement stabilisation using cementitious binders, 1162 In situ pavement stabilisation using bituminous binders, 1163 Ex situ pavement stabilisation, and 1164 In situ pavement stabilisation of unsealed roads. They each elaborate on content in 1113 Subgrade and formation stabilisation (formerly 1113 Stabilisation).

By working closely with AustStab, AUS-SPEC benefits from specific industry knowledge, allowing an accurate and practical separation of the specification information based on the type of stabilisation method. The collaboration with AustStab ensures that the pavement stabilisation worksections reflect the latest innovations and best practices. The worksections align with state road authorities’ regulations and Austroads guidelines where relevant.

AUS-SPEC decided to publish a specific worksection focusing on unsealed roads, 1164 In situ pavement stabilisation of unsealed roads, as part of their goal to support regional and remote Councils. AUS-SPEC has previously undertaken extensive research on unsealed road maintenance, with this information included in the Rural Roads package. For further information on Rural Roads, see the AUS-SPEC website.

Annual updates are a fundamental part of AUS-SPEC’s specification service to incorporate changes to codes, regulations, standards and industry practices. At the beginning of 2022, WSAA, in association with the NSW Water Directorate, released amendments and regional editions of the WSA 02 Gravity sewerage code of Australia and WSA 03 Water supply code of Australia. These documents include specific requirements to suit local water authorities’ regulations and regional conditions. The 2022 edition of WSA 04 Sewage pumping station code of Australia was also released.

In response to the changes to the WSA codes, AUS-SPEC reissued the generic design and construction worksections that cover reticulation and pump stations in water supply and sewerage systems. AUS-SPEC undertook this work with input from WSAA to keep local government up to date with the information they need to safely provide for their communities.

AUS-SPEC and AfPA have been working together for several years to ensure that the AUS-SPEC asphalt specifications reflect current industry knowledge and practices. AfPA endorses the worksections 1143 Sprayed bituminous surfacing and 1144 Asphalt (roadways) and reviews them prior to each October update. The reviews focus in particular on sustainability and the availability of new materials, for which Councils need accurate specifications to ensure road safety and performance. Through their collaboration, AUS-SPEC and AfPA provide Councils with fit-for-purpose specifications to effectively maintain their road network.

AustStab, WSAA and AfPA are specialist industry organisations that generously share their knowledge and experience with AUS-SPEC. AUS-SPEC subscribers have benefited from WSAA and AfPA’s input for several years; the new pavement stabilisation worksections produced with AustStab are a welcome addition to AUS-SPEC’s comprehensive specification system. By working with industry and incorporating regulatory changes every year, AUS-SPEC specifications respond to local government needs, helping them to provide the best possible infrastructure for their communities.

AUS-SPEC is a joint venture by NATSPEC and IPWEA. The brochure Introduction to AUS-SPEC is now available at www.aus-spec.com.au. NATSPEC has maintained AUS-SPEC specifications since 2007. NATSPEC is a not-for-profit organisation owned by Government and industry. It maintains the National Building Specification and has been a valued part of the Australian construction industry for over 45 years.

For more information, visit www.aus-spec.com.au and www.natspec.com.au.