Coleman Rail wins 2020 CCF SA Earth Award

• Congratulations go to Coleman Rail after winning an award at the 2020 Civil Contractors Federation (CCF) South Australian Earth Awards held on Friday 16 October.

In a joint submission with the Department for Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI), supported by supplier QuakeWrap Australia and specialist subcontractor Concrete Remedi8, the Port River Rail Bridge Pile Remediation project was judged the winner in the $2m-$5m project value category.

It is the second time Coleman Rail has taken out this award, following the 2017 CCF SA Earth Award for repairs to the Port River Passenger Rail Bridge.

The annual Earth Awards recognise civil construction companies who have been involved in a project which has excelled in the following areas: project and construction management, innovation, people development and training, quality, safety, environment, and stakeholders.

The awards night was attended by representatives of Coleman Rail SA and Concrete Remedi8, who were thrilled with the win given their category had six other projects vying for the award.

CCF SA chief executive Phil Sutherland said, “The outperformance evident across the project winners is testimony to the skillsets retained within the sector and now on offer to drive Australia and South Australia’s post-COVID economic resurgence.”

Project Overview

In 2018, DPTI engaged Coleman Rail to undertake the remediation of 144 square concrete piles supporting the Port River Rail Bridge, a bridge originally constructed in 1910. This was a logistically challenging and complex project, requiring works over water and within a dolphin sanctuary – an extremely sensitive environment – and under the live Outer Harbor rail line without disrupting train services.

Works included the inspection and verification of required repairs, water blasting of piles, engineering a suitable remediation system that would provide the piles with an additional 50 years of design life, and the development of a suitable system to access the worksite that required working over and in a tidal waterway.

A significant amount of time was spent in the planning of the project to ensure the best materials for the longevity of the structure were investigated and procured. And with works to be undertaken under a live railway line with no closures planned, innovative methods needed to be considered to facilitate work under the bridge in a safe environment.

The project team came up with the innovative solution of a floating modular pontoon system that was modularised on land in large sections, then lifted by crane into the water and joined. This allowed for a range of different shaped platforms around each pier, or alternatively made mini floating barges to store and deliver materials.