Tea Tree Gully Council in Adelaide recently awarded a major STED (Septic Tank Effluent Drain) contract to local contractor, SA Directional Boring Pty Ltd (SADB), in conjunction with Dalton Consulting Engineers Pty Ltd (DCE). This contract follows the successful trial completed by eco-global (DCE’s construction arm) last year.
In many terrains, the renewal of STEDs becomes a tedious and expensive process especially in the elements of reinstatement. eco-global’s trial contract proved the benefits of trenchless technology in this process, exhibiting the following.
- Minimum disruption
- Minimal loss of amenity
- Cost effective reinstatement.
Tea Tree Gully Council is enthusiastic about the trenchless techniques developed and is keen to join with both SADB and DCE to develop further refinements that ultimately benefit the ratepayers of Tea Tree Gully.
Michael DeVizio, Managing Director of SADB advised that the water industry is a new focus for the directional drilling industry which has to date emanated from the telecommunications utilities.
Although similar drilling rigs are used, the precision both in alignment and grade, has necessitated many changes in procedures.
Gravity sewers on flat grades require high levels of tolerance when drilling a new asset off line. He believes it is one of the first water utility infrastructure contracts of its type to be awarded to a Horizontal Directional Drilling company as the primary contractor.
Shane Dalton, the project director of DCE, is delighted to continue with SADB on the new contract.
“It is a natural progression for DCE to continue in the designs/innovation role in the contract once the trial process was completed,” he said.
To gather the initial construction team together, DCE used its construction arm, eco-global to initiate the project.
Implementation and innovation in a trial process is a critical element and eco-global has been established for such a role.
There will always be times when new techniques are introduced by DCE during a trial phase and this is when eco-global will take on a primary contract role.
The new contract established by Tea Tree Gully has provision for the introduction of further innovations to be implemented.
Elements currently planned include the adoption of a unit for hydro-excavation of pits and house connections as well as the electronic tagging of house connections for future recovery and identification.
Nearly all the expertise required is based in Adelaide and it is anticipated that the procedures introduced will become standard construction practice in time.
*Copy provided by eco-global
For further information visit www.dceprofile.com or contact SADB at 8-16 Second Avenue, PAYNEHAM SOUTH S.A. 5070 Ph: (08) 8333 1330 Fax: (08) 8333 1338 Email: mdevo@merlin.net.au or DCE at 255 Whitehorse Road, BALWYN VIC 3103 Ph: (03) 9888 6866 Fax: (03) 988 6880 Email: info@dceprofile.com
