The 2019/2020 Australian bushfire season was a tragic event for all Australians. Not only did the fires burn over an estimated 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres) of land, it destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes). Tragically, 34 lives were directly lost during the event of this environmental calamity, many of which were trying to save others. In addition to the direct deaths, at least 445 deaths were recorded after the initial bushfire. These indirect deaths were caused due to the smoke inhalation. Following the 2019/2020 Australian Bushfire season, the New South Wales government selected Laing O’Rourke as the primary contractor to undertake in the Australian Bushfire clean-up. A GRT industry article regarding this appointment can be read on the GRT website here. 

As part of the bushfire clean-up contract, one of Laing O’Rourke major challenges was reducing the amount of dust particles within the smoke as smoke impalement was becoming a cause of death for many civilians and animals. Moreover, Laing O’Rourke was tasked with managing potential erosion possibilities as well as cleaning the contaminated land caused by chemicals, fuels, and oils, etc. spilled during the bushfire. With the affected bushfire area immensely large, precise planning alongside Laing O’Rourke would be completed to ensure that all regulations and standards of the client were met, whilst ensuring potential health, safety, and environmental risks were realised, managed, and mitigated.

Challenges

With the 2020/2021 Australian bushfire season arriving half a year after Laing O’Rourke was selected for the 2019/2020 bushfire clean-up contract, it was imperative for Laing O’Rourke that the sub-contractors and potential products used were quickly selected so recovery work could begin. Due to GRT’s international recovery effort expertise New Zealand Nelson Bushfires, and Christchurch earthquake recovery (with GRT: Rubble-Loc) GRT was honoured to be selected to provide the expertise for managing hazardous dust and soil as well as halting any further environmental contamination. Furthermore, it was determined after an initial assessment that most of the root mass within the soil has been destroyed during the bushfires. The lack of root mass within the soil can cause large scale erosions and landslides, potentially damaging more surrounding land and communities.

In addition to managing erosion and landslides, GRT was tasked with halting the spread of contamination caused by common households, farming and yard maintenance products such as pool chemicals, fuels and oils, paints, solvents, plastics, metals, treated timber, as well as older building materials such as asbestos roofing, cladding, and melted fences. These products can become harmful residues when mixed with ash and soot, dangerously damaging environments, wildlife, and humans.

Solution

Due to the immense scale of the recovery area as well as the type of challenges included, GRT and Laing O’Rourke determined that GRT products GRT: Enviro-Binder and GRT: Rubble-Loc were the best options for erosion control and hazardous product containment, respectively.

“GRT was engaged to provide options to supply several Laing O’Rourke subcontractors with GRT: Enviro-Binder – a specialised erosion and dust control polymer – as well as a number of our specially developed, unique polymer pumps to assist with spraying the products to cap burnt out properties during and after the recovery work to protect workers and communities from hazardous dust exposure,” GRT Managing Director Daniel Grundy said. 

In the end, the product chosen was GRT: Enviro-Binder, a non-toxic and environmentally friendly product, was the selected product for the erosion and sediment control as it:

• Was a uniquely developed product that followed the ideal of “STOP EROSION AT THE SOURCE”
• Provided exceptional erosion control immediately after application.
• Met the strict environmental criteria imposed by the NSW Government and primary Bushfire contractor, Laing O’Rourke.
• Required minimal maintenance, unlike conventional methods. 

GRT Enviro-binder is a drying polymer emulsion sprayed on or worked into the surface of embankments to provide a waterproof, durable, surface that prevents erosion.

Benefits

The GRT Enviro-binder also provided many innovative benefits and delivered high performing results that were expected from the product:

• Only required 5% of polymer in 5,000 Litres of water using modified buckets to ensure even application.
• Continued to provide exceptional results even through unconventional aerial application.
• Minimal soil preparation for production application
• Waterproof product; not affected by high rainfall or storm seasons. 
• Cost-effective results

Read more about how GRT played a critical role in helping Australia recover from a devastating record 2019/2020 bushfire season here.

The post 2019/2020 Australian Bushfire Recovery appeared first on GRT.

The largest Sunshine Council project ever undertaken, the Sunshine Coast airport expansion enabled visitors from international destinations to enjoy the region and to transform the economy.

The project consisted of:

• A 2,450m long runway
• Half runway length Taxiway
• Terminal and Apron expansion.

The expansion works fringing environmentally sensitive mangroves and tidal swamps required delicate interaction with the natural surroundings.  The airport bordered by the Coolum National Park recognized as having ‘Very High’ ecological values as habitat for endangered, vulnerable and rare species.

The level of care required in reducing the impacts of such a significantly sized civil project was successfully adopted in the control of the friable sand disturbed during groundworks and eroded by wind and rain.  Sediment loading to adjacent waterways, which may impact marine life and water quality, was also closely managed during tidal surges and frequent rainfall events typical for the region.  GRT, leaders in providing the most recently developed technologies, and environmentally sustainable sediment and erosion control solutions were called upon to offer an effective, economic solution, achievable within these constraints.

Global Road Technologies solution, successfully provided product for the treatment of over 600,000m2 of disturbed sand with the supply of 6,000 litres of GRT: Soil-Loc.

Challenges

• Wind: Seasonal winds directly off the Pacific Ocean blow regularly at speeds of in excess of 20knots. These winds had the potential to carry sand offsite onto adjacent lands causing concerns to neighbours, infrastructure and the environment for distances of up to 5 kilometres.  There was also a danger of sand intake to aircraft operating on the existing airstrip and on windy days flight being restricted due to construction exposed sand being blown around.
• Rain: Generally stormwater will dissipate very quickly through the sand where it rarely accumulates and travels in large quantity to cause scaring/erosion and transport silts into waterways.  However, at sites that fringed the sandy formation where tidal surges and stormwater would intercept, there was the potential for sand to be carried and deposited onto vegetation, suffocating important plant life.  The possibility of overloading waterways with slits from these areas was a constant concern were traditional silt and erosion control methods often failed to provide the protection necessary.
• Product Scrutiny: A prequalification process required for all products introduced onto the project conducted by a third party was necessary as a protective measure for the surrounding sensitive ecosystem.  Products intended for broad-scale application such as GRT’s products necessitated particularly intensive investigation.  Following a lengthy process of information exchange, both GRT: Soil-Loc, and GRT: Enviro-Binder were approved for use.
• Dosing Equipment: Following preliminary testing, it was recommended that GRT: Soil-Loc be diluted at 1 part to 2,000 parts water.  Challenges face for the task were:

                          1) Safe dosing into the truck without climbing up onto truck tanks or working at height

                          2) Adaptable to existing truck fill point

                          3) Pump capable of pumping up to 10litres/min

                          4) Product viscosity >20.5mm2/s

                          5) No power available at the fill point

Automation required to regulate consistent dosing into a number of water truck sizes.

• Trace Marker: The client required some form of indication that a product had been applied.  In order to do this with GRT: Enviro Binder, for example, it was a simple matter of adding a pigment.  The nature of film-forming products enables the use of pigments without running the risk of transportation in water in rain events and into the surrounding environment.  Film-forming products locked the pigment in as part of the polymerization process.  GRT: Soil-Loc is a long-chain polymer but with a different characteristic that forms a relatively coarse mat and does not coalesce which is an important attribute that enables GRT: Soil-Loc to be an economical and environmentally sustainable product ideally suited for binding soil particles together without an imposing residue that may not breakdown in the required time frame.

GRT was able to provide a solution with the introduction of a marker dye.  Following extensive testing in the GRT laboratory of a number of proprietary products designed as markers for herbicide application, a solution was provided that gave the client the ability to provide definition where GRT: Soil-Loc had been applied.  Being non-cumulative, and non-toxic, the solution also met important ecological conditions by offering highly biodegradability characteristics.

Objective

The brief as communicated to GRT was to provide a cost-effective solution to contain sand-drift within the limit of works while: meeting a tight budget, complying with ecological conditions, being deployable at short notice, but above all, it must work for several months at a time.  This list of constraints automatically drew focus to GRT: Soil-Loc as the ideal product.

Field Trial

Notwithstanding the rigours of environmental and budgetary constraints, the client also required a field test to be absolutely sure they were committing to the best available technologies to deal with the unique set of restraints presented with this project.

Proposal

Upon acceptance of the products ability to provide the desired outcome in addressing:

• Durability Concerns
• Ecological constraints on toxicity
• Economical constraints
• Practicality concerns
• Customer support

GRTs proposal was accepted in the supply of the product, supporting hardware and technical support. 

Results

• No more complaints from neighbouring properties about nuisance dust
• No conformance infringements upon the surrounding habitat
• Complete control of sand drift
• Aircraft restrictions eased
• Successfully and easily deployed with supporting hardware provided by GRT
• Unprecedented sediment and erosion control technology
• Controlled and predicted costs

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The post Sunshine Coast Airport Expansion Project appeared first on GRT.

GRT: ACTIVATE  – COAL MINING CASE STUDY 

About the client

OUR client is a global renowned mining and resource organisation that owns large scale, underground and open-cut mines in central Queensland. The challenges they face underground and above ground differ, although the challenge has a commonality – how to best manage coal dust. In underground mining water is sprayed in order to prevent spark arrest, however performs quite badly in its secondary role as a dust suppressant. As it is conveyed, crushed, and eventually stockpiled, again water is typically used to wet the coal enough to prevent dust generation.

The client had several major concerns in relation to managing coal dust:

• Water is not working.
• Workers are exposed to unacceptable levels of coal and silica dust in both the underground and coal handling and processing plant (CHPP).
• Workers are also in and around the product all day, in a confined space – so the product must be very safe to be in contact with and of course non-flammable.
• The availability of water to manage dust, and pressure to not consume natural resources also in demand from local communities and farming.
• Above ground operations have the risk of impacting on adjacent land uses, community members, and the environment.

Why doesn’t water work?

Water and coal, particularly as fine dust, just don’t mix.

This is because water has a high surface tension and also the same surface charge as coal. So like the 2 positive ends of a magnet, water and coal dust repel each other. 

When the dust is travelling at the high speeds associated with shearing and even crushing, it has not chance of interacting with the coal – and in fact can further exacerbate the situation by displacing the air in front of sprayed water causing it to swirl around.

We can’t change the nature of the coal – this is where GRT: ACTIVATE comes in.

WHAT IS GRT: ACTIVATE?

GRT: ACTIVATE is a concentrated additive developed and manufactured here in Australia that changes the surface tension and charge of the water so it not only easily envelops the dust particles, it actually attracts them into the droplet. This results in total sequestration of the coal dust in the water droplet, which simply then falls to the ground.

GRT: ACTIVATE is dosed into the water used for spark arrest and dust suppression at a dosage range of between 1:1000 and 1:5000 – dependant on the risk, speed, and state of the dust we are treating.

As GRT is dedicated in developing sustainable, environmentally friendly products, GRT: ACTIVATE is also safe, non-toxic, has a low carbon footprint and is biodegradable.

3rd PARTY VERIFICATION

As part of our development and verification of the product, one of Australia’s leading Universities (contact us to receive a copy of the report) undertook a range of tests to compare GRT: ACTIVATE with water, as well as a product manufactured overseas. This was to test the adsorption dynamics of the 2 products at the air-water interface ad their ability to enhance the capture of coal dust particles by water droplets. The testing included:

1. Surface tension at short timescales by bubble pressure tensiometry.
2. Particle capture by microdroplets using high resolution camera coupled to an optical microscope

Effectiveness would be measured in speed of surface tension changes and capture and sequestration of coal dust. The results showed that GRT: ACTIVATE was up to twice as effective as the American product, and more than 12 times more effective than water alone.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE BENEFITS

These results in the laboratory, have also translated to the field. The product has been used on both the longwall and continuous mners, as well as in above ground crushing and processing applications.

KEY BENEFITS OF USING GRT: ACTIVATE and GRT Engineers. 

• Reduction in respirable dust levels – quantitative

Independent testing of the product shows a 2 to 5 times reduction in the level of respirable dust for operations using GRT: ACTIVATE.  

• Reduction in visible dust – qualitative

As well as the measured reductions in respirable dust, the reduction observed visually in both underground and aboveground operations was an almost complete removal. Whilst visual dust is not often respirable, respirable dust is associated with it. 

• Water Optimisation

The use of GRT: ACTIVATE means that the amount of water used for dust suppression is actually doing its job. In addition, the expertise of our staff can assist you in tailoring your spray systems to the optimal use of product and water dependant on your sites’ coal type and water availability. 

• Intrinsically safe

A term we borrow from the electrical systems for hazardous areas, GRT: ACTIVATE is also intrinsically safe – it is non-flammable and safe for workers to be in and around all day, everyday. GRT: ACTIVATE is derived from plant-based products grown here in Australia.

• Efficiencies and equipment benefits

Reducing surface tension faster than any technology on the market, GRT: ACTIVATE also is non-corrosive and non-congealing so it will not impact on the durability or reliability of pumps and spray systems. In fact, it will also optimise mechanical means of suppressing dust such as fogging, by increasing the efficiency of the fogging process and preventing calcification at the nozzles.  

GRT DOSING UNITS

A key part of the solution is the intrinsically safe dosing systems we have developed to accurately dose the product. These units can run off a variety of power sources, however, we have developed options that can run off of air or even the water feeding the longwall or continuous miners. GRT strives to deliver site-specific solutions for its clients – no matter the situation.

PROUDLY AUSTRALIAN-MADE: 

GRT’s supply chains are secure as we produce our mining products in Australia. 

We are proud to say this is both the case for GRT: ACTIVATE and our Automated Dosing Units.

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The post GRT: Activate Underground Coal Mining and Processing appeared first on GRT.

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Since the early 2000s, the Shell-operated QGC venture has been producing cleaner energy for Australia and the world through the production of natural gases. As QGC expands their gas production network in southwest Queensland through the establishment of newer production wells, field compression stations, and processing plants, an increased development of pipework will be required to support the transition of natural gases from one location to another. This gas network will importantly be developed sustainably to uphold the respect QGC have towards the environment, local businesses, and surrounding communities. 

To be one of Australia’s largest natural gas producer requires not only support from all levels of the organisation, it requires effective and efficient logistics operations. With the support of GRT, QGC’s 70,000 m2 logistics yard has transformed into one of the organisation’s major logistics location; delivering equipment and product to both domestic and international customers. In addition, this logistic yard supports gas operations of its surrounding areas and up to the LNG plant. In the development phase of the QGC network, GRT supported gas field access road network connecting Dalby, Chinchilla, and Roma. Learn more about the QGC gas field access road network case study can be read here. 

To locate and deliver equipment when demanded requires a well-managed and dust free logistics yard. A dust free logistics yard is imperative for the visibility of the area as well as the health and safety of the workers on site. Due to the rapid development of the organisation as well as the associated responsibilities QGC are committed to in both the community and the environment, precise planning would be completed for the QGC logistics yard to not only ensure regulations and standard were met, but to also ensure potential health, safety, and environmental risks were realized, managed, and mitigated.

Challenges

Truck and Logistic Yard Dust Control

For this project, the fundamental challenge was to deliver a dust control solution for a heavy industrial logistics site where traffic would constantly be occurring. Due to the high traffic volume on the site, severe dust problems were introduced. As a result, dust was being generated in volumes so great that visibility of any vehicle or equipment were being diminished on site. As moderate and heavy vehicles like body trucks, semi-trailers, and forklifts were at constant utilisation on site, low visibility was determined as a significant problem. 

Furthermore, as the QGC logistics yard is situated in Miles, southwest Queensland and in an area that was susceptible to low rainfall and dry weather, it was inevitable that dust problems were introduced. To address the low visibility and dust generated on site, continual spray of water to logistics yard was issued by the QGC organisation. In addition to the low visibility, the dust generated was determined to be detrimental to the efficiency and effectiveness of the vehicles and equipment on site. Moreover, dust impacted equipment would require extensive cleaning that would inevitably result in greater costs to the logistics yard. Due the immense size of the logistics yard, QGC concluded that water spraying was not a long-term solution. 

Dust generated onsite was affecting standard traffic operations on site, the equipment utilised for gas network development, and also impacting the health and safety of the workers on site. With the QGC organisation considered as one that values their employee’s health and safely, it was determined that a solution was required. With all this in mind, the GRT team was tasked to supply and apply an effective product that would consider all project requirements as well as the challenges and environmental concerns involved.

Solutions

Hardstand Dust Control – GRT: Wet-Loc

As the successful expansion of the QGC gas production network relied on the operational efficiency and effectiveness of their logistics yard, it was imperative that the correct product/s and solution was chosen. After the completion of site and area assessments as well as various client requirement analysis and risk assessments, the GRT team selected the GRT: Wet-Loc as the recommended product for this heavy industrial logistics yard. This GRT product was selected after careful consideration of both the environmental and economic impact this product may develop after application. 

Since the initial application in 2017, the GRT: Wet-Loc product continues to remain as the only proven heavy industrial dust control product on the market that has the ability to handle both moderate and heavy vehicles for durations of six to eight months after application. Furthermore, the product’s low environmental and health impact alongside its sustainable materials has created a long lasting partnership between GRT and QGC.

The strategic decision to select GRT: Wet-Loc as the recommended product for this heavy industrial dust control project was determined as it:

• Met the strict environmental, health and safety criteria imposed by both the QGC and parent Shell organisation
• Non-toxic, non-hazardous and non-volatile product
• High performance capabilities
• Was designed to specifically to create an area where there is zero harmful airborne dust
• Supported QGC’s responsibility to the community and workforce through the delivery of an environmentally friendly sustainable product
• Required ZERO water to be wasted in dust suppression activities.

Benefits

The GRT: Wet-Loc treated logistics yard delivered high performing results that were expected from the product. Some of the major GRT: Wet-Loc benefits are:

• Long-term performance with UV Ray resistance
• Product is resistance against rain and other weather challenges
• Safe for humans, animals, and the natural environment
• Non-corrosive and safe for all types of equipment
• No cure time required – immediately effective once applied.

The post QGC Logistics Yard appeared first on GRT.

The new parallel runway at Brisbane airport is not only a critical component in Brisbane Airport’s Master Plan, but it is also the completion of long term planning that originates back to the 1970s. With an approximate cost of $1.3 billion, Brisbane’s new runway is considered as Australia’s largest aviation construction project to date. This new 3.3km runway is a key piece of infrastructure that will help enable the continued growth of Brisbane as well as becoming one of Australia’s most crucial domestic and international transfer airport. Importantly, this runway will enable Brisbane Airport to meet higher demands of the community it serves, now and for future generations.

With phase two of the runway project beginning in 2016, one critical large scale wind and erosion control project was introduced. This project would later come to provide and cover the foundations for the significant areas of the 360-hectare runway site. Moreover, due to the scale of the project as well as the various earthworks and environmental concerns involved, meticulous planning was required for the project to not only ensure regulations and standard were met, but to also ensure potential health, safety, and environmental risks were realized, managed, and mitigated.

Source: Brisbane Airport Corporation

Learn more about Brisbane airport’s new parallel runway project here.

Challenges

With Brisbane airport partnering with Skyway (a joint venture between CPB Contractors and BMD) for this new parallel runway, various accountabilities were divided between these two organisations. Due to the specific challenges of the project, GRT was contracted by CPB Contractors for this wind and erosion project. Furthermore, the high complexity of this large scale runway project introduced many moderate and heavy vehicles (i.e. trucks, excavators, bulldozers, etc.). These vehicles would operate on the 360-hectare project site which included more than 5,000,000 m3 of earthworks projects. Consequently, these vehicles would introduce severe dust problems that would affect the effective operation of the airport as well as the many workers and vehicles working on site.  These severe dust problems would also be generated in much greater volumes due to the constant operation of vehicles travelling on the project site.

In addition, various environmental challenges were determined to be associated with the runway project as it was located in a sensitive environmental region in Moreton Bay. These environmental challenges would impose specific requirements to GRT for the product supply and application. Furthermore, due to natural environmental constraints like erosion, more than 11 million m3 of sand was required for preloading in various areas of the project site.

As the sand dredging process completed during the first phase of the runway project (2012 to 2015), it was determined that the sand stockpiles in place for preloading have been located on-site for the more than four years. As a consequence, the majority of the sand dredged were determined to have weak structural integrity, making preloading a high potential point of failure during the project’s phase two. To mitigate the potential of preloading failure, surface stabilisation was identified as the corrective action. 

Preloading: the process of loading up poor ground with material to consolidate it.

Since phase two of the $1.3 billion new parallel runway project was estimated to be completed in roughly four years (2016 to 2020), the inclusion of several storm seasons as well as high rainfall events were considered within the design and planning of the project. These potential high rainfall and storm events were considered to cause surface degradation as well as the transportation of unwanted substances into the construction of the runway. If unwanted substances were to be discovered at any point during the project, additional costs and time would indefinitely be utilised to resolve the issue which would consequently increase the total cost of the project. With this in mind, the GRT team was tasked to supply and apply an effective product that would consider all project requirements as well as the challenges and environmental concerns involved.

Solutions

GRT: Enviro-Binder 

Due to the large scale of the project, the GRT team was required to complete an area assessment on the projected runway site to determine the most suitable product/s considering both the environmental and economic impact this product may potentially develop after application. It was determined that the best methodology of controlling erosion was to stop erosion at the source prevent it occurring in the first place. 

Furthermore, environmental constraints and concerns were further considered through the implementation of increased sustainable procedures. As the total estimated required product for the runway project was 320,000 litres, sustainable procedures were accomplished in the form of utilising reusable 23,000-litre bulk bladders for transportation instead of the common 1,000-litre intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). By utilising six reusable bulk bladders for transportation and product containment IBC waste and landfill waste were eliminated. These sustainable procedures helped reduce the associated waste by more than 98%.

The various project requirements and constraints made the unique GRT: Enviro-Binder the recommended product for Brisbane airport’s new parallel runway as it:

• Was a uniquely developed product that followed the ideal of “STOP EROSION AT THE SOURCE – DON’T CATCH SEDIMENT”
• Provided exceptional wind erosion control immediately after application
• Met the strict environmental criteria imposed by the Brisbane Airport and partner companies, CPB Contractors and BMD
• Required minimal maintenance unlike conventional methods
• Allows adaptability for product dilution (between 0.02 and 0.2 litres per square metre) depending on the erosion/dust risk that the area is facing

GRT: Enviro-Binder is a film-forming, polymer emulsion sprayed on or worked into the surface of rail embankment to provide a waterproof, durable, surface that prevents erosion. 

Benefits

The GRT: Enviro-Binder treated runway and associated construction sites delivered high performing results that were expected from the product:

• Reliable management of wind and erosion issues
• Long-lasting erosion control results
• Sustainable – close to zero waste option provided
• Immediately effective upon product application
• Limited the need for sediment fences onsite
• Minimal preparation for the production application
• Waterproof product; not affected by high rainfall or storm seasons
• Cost-effective results

The post New Parallel Runway at Brisbane Airport appeared first on GRT.

The North Byron Parklands Festival Ground is a picturesque 660-acre cultural arts and music events venue, located at Yelgun in the north of Byron Shire. This venue is surrounded by lush green pastures and forests as well as featuring an open-spaced natural amphitheatre. It is also home to many community festivals and smaller events throughout the year as well as hosting two of Australia’s most beloved and respected music events – Splendour in the Grass and the Falls Music and Arts Festival.

With the festival ground considered as one of the most accessible destinations on the east coast (15 mins from the Pacific Motorway and 30 minutes average from nearby airports), there are many economic and tourism benefits that may be dispersed from festivals and events held at the festival ground. Recently, the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approved the increase of maximum daily patron numbers of North Byron Parkland’s two main annual music events to 50,000 (Splendour in the Grass) and 35,000 (Falls Music and Arts Festival). This increase hopes to support the increased demand of patrons at these two specific music festivals. 

With the festival ground growing larger each year, it is important for the North Byron Parkland organisation to reduce the potential issues that may occur during the festivals. As the two music festivals often occur for more than three days, festival patrons commonly set up camp at the event venue. With the festival location susceptible to dust problems due to constant vehicle and equipment movement alongside changing the weather, it is imperative that the dust is suppressed and controlled. This dust suppression and control would prevent potential human and environmental safety hazards whilst providing a functional and natural-looking music venue that blended with the surrounding natural environment. As it is vital that this project is completed environmentally and economically low-cost, GRT is the perfect company to undertake this task.  

While this project is located domestically in Australia, several assessments of the site are still completed by GRT engineers’ weeks before the two main music events each year to ensure the correct product and amount of application are utilised. These assessments help mitigate the risk of potential issues that may occur between the time the two music events take place (Splendour in the Grass – July and Falls Music and Arts Festival – December). In addition, these assessments would assist in the meticulous planning that would ensure regulations and standards of the North Byron Parklands are met whilst ensuring potential health, safety, and environmental risks were realized, managed, and mitigated.

Challenges

North Byron Parklands not only believes that cultural arts and music events play an important role in society, but they also have strong environmental underpinnings as shown from their various ongoing environmental initiatives and programs. These strong environmental values present the first challenge to this project and that is to have a product that is environmentally safe and sustainable. In addition, due to the high numbers of festival patrons that camp overnight and attend the festival, the human health safety of the product is critical. This is due to the fact that festival-goers may be exposed to the product for long timeframes. 

Moreover, due to the severe dust problems that could be created from construction and event set-up as well as constant weather changes, it was important for the GRT team to reduce the total amount of dust generated during these situations. This was because of the numerous human health issues that can result from inhaling large amounts of dust. Furthermore, the North Byron Parklands desired a product that was not only effective in suppressing dust, but they also desired a product that could still maintain the natural aesthetics of the festival ground as well as the surrounding environment.

Solutions

GRT: Wet-Loc long term Dust Suppression 

Through the completion of several ground assessments of the North Byron Parklands festival ground and its surrounding areas, along with the various environmental, human, and economic impact, the GRT team determined the product that was most suitable for this project. While there were many effective GRT products that could have been utilised, the GRT Wet-Loc rose above all and was determined as the most suitable product. Furthermore, due to the scale of the project, both the supply and application of the product was completed by GRT.

GRT Wet-Loc, one of GRT’s newest and most advanced dust control product, was the recommended product for this festival ground as it:

• Fit in the project budget
• Met the strict environmental criteria imposed by the North Byron Parklands
• Was the most advanced and safe dust product for humans as verified by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) – product is safe around food
• A non-toxic, non-flammable and non-volatile product
• High-performance capabilities
• Was designed to specifically to create an area where there is zero harmful airborne dust

Benefits

The GRT Wet-Loc treated festival ground delivered high performing results that were expected from the product. Due to the impressive results from the GRT Wet-Loc, a long-lasting relationship have been created between the North Byron Parklands and GRT. Some of the major GRT Wet-Loc benefits are:

• Long-term performance with UV Ray resistance
• Product is resistance against rain and other weather challenges
• Safe for humans, animals, and the natural environment
• Crystal clear, odourless fluid that blends into the natural aesthetics of the location and surrounding areas.
• No cure time required, effective once applied.

The post North Byron Parklands Festival Ground appeared first on GRT.

The $512 million Logan Enhancement Project was Queensland’s first Market-Led Project to be approved and was a project that was driven by Transurban Queensland to improve essential congestion spots whilst providing enhanced connectivity between key major roads. This enhancement project would also further improve the Queensland economy by generating over 1.4 Billion over the next 30 years. Furthermore, this project hopes to enhance safety for drivers as well as reduce travel time and vehicle operating costs.

To learn more about this project, click here.

With the Logan Enhancement Project focusing their upgrades on the two major interchanges, two critical erosion and clarification projects were introduced. As the construction organization (CPB Contractors) placed focus on controlling areas that were susceptible to erosion and on the release of sediment into the natural environment, these two projects were imperative to the success of the overall project. With the upgrades to the interchanges and roads located in high traffic environments, meticulous planning was required for the two projects to not only ensure regulations and standard were met, but to also ensure potential health, safety, and environmental risks were identified, managed, and mitigated.

Challenges

As this project was completed between live traffic environments and surrounding woodlands, it was determined that sediment basins were required to capture the constant overflows of sediment and debris occurring from the large open construction areas and traffic. Furthermore, these overflows collected in the sediment basins were indefinitely determined to be harmful to the natural environment if they were to be released without first being treated.

In addition, the natural environmental constraints of the enhancement project would deliver various eroding obstacles (more than 400,000 m2 or 40 hectares of an area) to the design and development of the interchanges. These erosion issues occurred at the major interchanges and were especially visible on the slopes that create the new ramps for the entries and exits of the connecting motorways/ highways. With these slopes potentially becoming detrimental to the state of the new interchange if erosion and landslide were to occur, it was imperative that the erosion was controlled during construction to ensure the safety of construction workers and potential nearby road users. Furthermore, as the diverse soil types surrounding these large open construction works made erosion highly susceptible and even more possible, there was a greater necessity to mitigate the potential of erosion.

Solutions

Due to the immense size of the project, the GRT team would provide an area assessment on the projected enhancement and upgrade to the existing roads to determine the most suitable product/s considering both the environmental and economic impact this product may potentially develop after application. While it was determined that the best methodology of controlling erosion was to stop erosion at the source and not have it occur in the first place, this strategy was deemed difficult due to the magnitude of the entire Logan enhancement project. Therefore, it was determined that while GRT would strive to stop erosion at the source, sediment basins would be utilised to catch the potential overflow that would arise from the large open construction sites.

This strategic decision made GRT: Enviro-binder the recommended product for the erosion control of the Logan Enhancement Project as it:

• Followed the ideal of “STOP EROSION AT THE SOURCE – DON’T CATCH SEDIMENT”
• Provided exceptional erosion control immediately on drying.
• Met the strict environmental criteria imposed by the Transurban Queensland and a partner company, CPB Contractors.
• Required minimal maintenance, unlike conventional methods. 

GRT Enviro-binder is a drying polymer emulsion sprayed on or worked into the surface of rail embankment to provide a waterproof, durable, surface that prevents erosion. 

In order to release the captured overflows from the sediment basin into the natural environment, the basin overflows are required to be treated first. GRT: CC, GRT’s most advanced concentrated polymer coagulant, was the recommended product as it:

• Clarified the contaminated water for release into the environment.
• Met rigorous environmental standards (ISO 9001 standards)
• Did not change the pH of the water, unlike other commercial concentrated coagulants.

Benefits

The GRT: Enviro-binder delivered high performing results that were expected from the product:

• Provides cut and embankment batter protection.
• Eliminated the need for sediment fences onsite.
• Minimal soil preparation for production application.
• Waterproof product; not affected by high rainfall or storm seasons.
• Cost-effective results.

The GRT: CC treated sediment basins also delivered low cost, effective results that were expected from the product:

• Only required 3750 litres of GRT product to treat up to 750 million litres of contaminated water (based on dosage rates of 5 litres of product to 1 million litres of contaminated water).
• Easy to handle water clarification product unlike other commercial products, like Gypsum.
• Cost-effective treatment for sediment basins.

The post Logan Enhancement Project appeared first on GRT.

As part of the Queensland Government, Australian Government, and the City of Gold Coast’s plan to support the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, it was determined that an extension of the Gold Coast Light Rail would be required. This stage 2 project would not only also be critical in meeting the increasing demand for public transport from the community, it would provide seamless connections for visitors and locals between Queensland’s capital, Brisbane and Australia’s fastest growing city, Gold Coast. 

This stage 2 extension would introduce two crucial erosion and dust suppression projects that would later come to provide the foundations for the 7.3km dual track light rail. Due to the light rail being designed and constructed within suburban areas and along main roads, meticulous planning were required for the two projects to not only ensure regulations and standard were met, but to also ensure potential health, safety, and environmental risks were realized, managed, and mitigated.

Challenges

With the stage 2 extension project designed between roads and within suburban areas, earthmoving plant and heavy vehicles were introduced to the narrow corridor in which the rail track would later be laid down. Furthermore, an increase number of vehicles (moderate and heavy) working on site would introduce severe dust problems that would affect workers and vehicles alike. These dust problems would also be generated in much greater volumes due to the constant traffic travelling on the major roads next to where the light rail would be constructed. 

In addition, the natural constraints of the stage 2 project would deliver many erosion prone areas (up to 600,000m2) to the design and construction of the light rail. An erosion issue was present at a major part of the light rail extension where the light rail would travel within a slim linear corridor located between smith street motorway and a residential area. Due to stage 2’s project having similar conditions to the stage 1 project in terms of erosion environments, it was determined that an increase of construction within the slim linear corridor would deteriorate the structural integrity of the soil and rocks within; which would inherently bring forth erosion. 

Furthermore, as the $420 million light rail stage 2 project was completed in around 16 months, there were several storm seasons within the design and construction period where high rainfall was present during construction. This meant that high winds and storm events were likely to cause land degradation and potentially transport unwanted material on to the construction of the light rail. This meant that several construction sites for the light rail would become unusable during and/or after a rain event. If construction were to be paused for a few days on this multi-million projects due to these conditions and complications, losses would quickly mount up. 

Solutions

The GRT team provided an area assessment on the projected light rail route to determine the most suitable product/s considering both the environmental and economic impact this product may potentially develop after application. While normal construction by various organisations would consider controlling the dust and sediment runoff, GRT determined that the best methodology of controlling erosion was to not have it occur in the first place. So instead of developing a strategy of having sediment fences and ponds, GRT would stop erosion at the source. 

This strategic decision made GRT: Enviro-Binder the recommended product for the erosion control of the Gold Coast stage 2 light rail project as it:

• Was a uniquely developed product that followed the ideal of “STOP EROSION AT THE SOURCE – DON’T CATCH SEDIMENT”
• Provided exceptional erosion control immediately after application.
• Met the strict environmental criterial imposed by the Queensland Government and partner company, CPB Contractors.
• Required minimal maintenance unlike conventional methods. 

GRT: Enviro-Binder is a film-forming polymer emulsion sprayed on or worked into the surface of cuttings and embankment to provide a waterproof, durable, surface that prevents erosion. 

GRT: Soil-Loc, one of GRT’s most advanced polymer surface stabilizers, was one of the recommended products for the light rail as it:

• Provides protection on the top layer of the soil against unwanted or contaminated materials
• Ensures that land degradation and removal of topsoil from high winds and storm events will occur. 

Benefits

The GRT: Enviro-Binder treated light rail and associated construction sites delivered high performing results that were expected from the product:

• Provides cut and embankment batter protection.
• Eliminated the need for sediment fences onsite.
• Minimal soil preparation for product application.
• Waterproof product; not affected by high rainfall or storm seasons. 
• Cost effective results.

The GRT: Soil-Loc treated light rail and associated construction sites also delivered low cost, effective, results that were expected from the product:

• Cost effective treatment for exposed, dusty surfaces.
• Allowed the site to be shut down over the dry Christmas period with no water trucks required to manage the site’s open areas susceptible for dust.
• Water savings over this period of over 200,000L when compared to daily watering requirements.
• ZERO dust related complaints received over the shut down period.

The post Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 2 – GRT Erosion Control and Dust Suppression appeared first on GRT.

Just as railways and trains need regular maintenance, the maintenance yard that performs these services also requires similar preservation and upkeep. Unlike typical yards that are square or rectangular in shape, the “Callemondah” maintenance yard in Gladstone is a longitudinal arrangement located between multiple railway tracks. In fact, it is more like a heavily trafficked service road. 

Challenges

The client (Aurizon) was looking at options to create a durable, bound, cost-effective pavement between railway tracks that could handle heavy, specialised forklifts used to lift up the rail cars in-situ, as well as being waterproof and dust free. Traditional options examined by the designers were deep lift asphalt or concrete pavements. However, these traditional technologies are also expensive options. So they reached out to GRT for an alternative approach. 

Some of the challenges the site itself proposed were:

• Operational Constraints: Trains are continually travelling through the project site, so specific windows of time are needed to book in track closures to allow for works to be done.
• High Voltage: Overhead power for the trains is high voltage – but not that high off the ground! Power lines need to be de-energised during works.
• Pavement Width: The pavement is constrained physically by adjacent railway lines – constraining the type and size of equipment used in construction (and fture maintenance).
• Traffic Loading: the forklifts used to raise the rail cars to maintain them place large point loads on the pavement, and screwing of the lugged tyres is potentially damaging.
• Adjacent Train Movements: The structural integrity of the in-situ ground could become susceptible to damage from the constant vibrations caused by the moving trains.
• Environmental: Gladstone has high seasonal rain events that need to be considered for drainage and pavement permeability, and also for its impact during construction.

Solution

GRT’s engineering team undertook 2 site visits to ascertain the existing conditions and also source potential unbound pavement material in the local area. The team also met with the designed to understand their pavement performance requirements, so they could develop a GRT polymer stabilised and sealed option that met or exceeded this requirement.

Pavement Design: The pavement design determined by GRT’s geotechnical engineer was to be 200mm of unbound sub-base over sound in-situ subgrade (compacted existing pavement). This was overlaid with a GRT9000 stabilised base at 100mm thick. 

This stabilised pavement material was mixed offsite using the pugmill at the quarry where we sourced the material. The pavement material was a Type 2, Subtype 2.3, stabilised with GRT9000 at 1.5%. Design criteria were to achieve a UCS of 4 or greater, which was achieved and verified during construction by independent soil testers. 

Surfacing: GRT recommended the use of its unique polymer process, GRT: Polymer Slurry Seal. This utilises our specialised stabilisation polymers to bind a 5-10mm layer of crusher dust/sand to provide a hard, and durable surfacing layer. This is similar to a micro-surfacing concept. This provides a tough, waterproof surfacing layer that protects the pavement from water ingress and traffic wear and tear.

Benefits

The GRT9000 stabilised pavement and GRT: Polymer Slurry Seal treated pavement has delivered high performing results that were expected from the product:

• Stable, waterproof sealed surface road
• Cost savings of up to 4 to 10 times cheaper than traditional bound pavements such as asphalt or concrete pavements.
• High pavement strength with 70% thickness reduction compared to standard pavements
• Pavement cracking and corrugation prevention
• Durable product with minimal maintenance and upkeep required.

The post Aurizon Callemondah Maintenance Yard appeared first on GRT.