IPWEAQ Excellence Awards 2011

Each year since 2002, the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia, Queensland Division Inc. (IPWEAQ) has presented Excellence Awards to encourage excellence in the innovation, development, completion and management of Local Government and public works projects.

The 2011 Awards were presented at the IPWEAQ Excellence Awards Dinner, in Sheldon on 5 October 2011. They are sponsored by the Queensland Foundation for Public Works Engineering and the Queensland Water Directorate.

Overall Awards

Projects under $5M — Somerset Regional Council — Alf Williams Interim Bridge

The Alf Williams Interim Bridge Project is a highly innovative, low-cost, fast but temporary measure to help bring the devastated Somerset community back together again. It came just four months after the original bridge was completely destroyed in the January 2011 floods

Projects more than $10M — Kellogg Brown & Root Pty Ltd — Ted Smout Memorial Bridge

For Australia’s longest bridge, KBR incorporated lessons learned from bridges destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in the United States to radically change a standard design into an aggressively lean, efficient structure. The Houghton Highway duplication project also involved extensive community facilities and ancillary works.

Asset Management Projects — Gold Coast City Council — Asset Data Management Using ADAC as the Foundation

Gold Coast City Council has developed and implemented a robust Asset Data Management Framework using IPWEAQ’s ADAC v4.0 (Asset Design As Constructed) as the foundation.

This initiative implemented ADAC as the standard for as-constructed information from property development, external contract works and day-labour works. It also produced a whole-of-Council framework for Asset Data Management, including documented processes for handover of as-constructed data, agreed asset data standards (i.e. asset register data schema and hierarchies & classifications) and defined roles & responsibilities for managing asset data.

Innovation Award — Research Alliance — Long Term Pavement Performance Study for Southeast Queensland

Research Alliance has developed an innovative approach for optimising road maintenance budgets. The research outcome enhanced the management of state and local roads by establishing the pavement deterioration factors in SEQ. Using improved deterioration factors, future programs are optimised from available budgets. Utilisation of optimised work programs facilitates the reduction of carbon emission from vehicles in SEQ.

Research Alliance participants include Logan City Council, Gold Coast City Council, Redland City Council, Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads and Griffith University.

Highly Commended

Projects $5M — $10M — Cairns Regional Council — Cairns International Tennis Centre

The Cairns International Tennis Centre is a state-of-the-art facility boasting 12 courts, including one show court, tennis club, pro shop and café. This centre allows Cairns to host international tournaments and gives residents and visitors access to world-class tennis facilities.

Water Projects

Projects under $5M — Carpentaria Shire Council — Normanton Water Treatment Plant Upgrade

Carpentaria Shire Council has upgraded the Normanton Water Treatment Plant to improve the quality, quantity and reliability of water supplied to its consumers through the full automation of the water treatment process and the installation of a single high rate clarifier

Projects $5M — $10M — Longreach Regional Council — Longreach Sustainable Water Management

Longreach had two water reticulation systems which both had aging infrastructure that needed to be addressed as a priority. Councils due diligence with reviewing the viability of Longreach’s water supply provided a clear direction for a sustainable approach to its water management.

Projects more than $10M — Mackay Regional Council — Nebo Road Water Treatment Plant Upgrade

The Nebo Rd Water Treatment Plant capacity upgrade from 50ML/d to 75ML/d is the jewel in the crown of Mackay’s estimated $50 million expenditure in securing the water supply for the ever expanding community of Mackay.

Highly Commended Water Projects

Projects less than $5M — Kellogg Brown & Root Pty Ltd — LinkWater Barrel Union Joint Replacements Phases 1-3

KBR project managed a program to replace deteriorating barrel union joints in LinkWater’s water network in Brisbane. It involved shutting down critical supply pipelines once a fortnight over 15 months. In over 29,000 work hours, there were no water quality, lost time or major supply incidents

People Awards

IPWEAQ Woman in Engineering 2011

Nicole Bichel – Lockyer Valley Regional Council

IPWEAQ Works Supervisor 2011

Rob Bourchier – Somerset Regional Council

IPWEAQ Young Engineer 2011

Mitch Bichel – Lockyer Valley Regional Council

IPWEAQ Engineer 2011

Martin Crow – Rockhampton Regional Council

Best Paper at Conference Awards

Dawson Wilkie Best Water Paper Award

John Roworth – Longreach Regional Council

"Longreach Water Mains Replacement Upgrade – an ECI Model"

Geoff Wilmoth Memorial Prize 2011

Stevan Moller – Longreach Regional Council

"The Balancing Act: The Life of the Student Engineer Working in Outback Queensland"