Bentleigh McKinnon Level Crossing Removal

Part of Victoria’s expansive Level Crossing Removal Project, the Bentleigh McKinnon package of works involved replacing level crossings with underpasses. As part of an Alliance involving KBR, VicRoads, Public Transport Victoria (PTV), Metro Trains Melbourne (Metro) and the Level Crossing Removal Authority, John Holland was responsible for the tanking slabs which reinforced the underpass and capped the water table on each side of the railway line. Each reinforced tanking slab would measure 1.2 kilometres by 20 metres and require a massive 3,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel. Of the 37 days allowed for the project, 7 were scheduled for the slabs. Foreseeing the complexity of the project, John Holland engaged InfraBuild Construction Solutions to meet their reinforcing supply and installation requirements.

InfraBuild Construction Solutions started the prefabrication process by adapting the original designs to suit BAMTEC® reinforcing rollout bar carpets, the fastest steelfixing system in the world. Working in conjunction with John Holland, the prefabrication team simplified the slab cross-sections and in doing so increased the efficient use of steel. The resulting carpets ranged in size up to 12 x 12.5 meters and were prefabricated offsite by a team of qualified welders using bar diameters ranging from N20 to N28. The hefty carpets weighted in from 800 kg to 2.8 tonnes with strapping used within the carpet to assist with machine operated rollout. In utilising a prefabricated solution John Holland increased onsite labour efficiency by 3 times the rate of conventional steel fixing. As 1700 tonnes of the total 3000 tonne supply was BAMTEC®, this significantly contributed to John Holland success.

To supply 430 tonnes of reinforcing steel a day demanded by the project, InfraBuild Construction Solutions began fabrication in advance. Before the critical week even arrived 90% of BAMTEC® and loose steel reinforcing was fabricated. Key to the project’s success was the choice by planners to store the product in sequence to suit the unloading requirements on site. Throughout the delivery schedule, a fleet including 6 primary trucks operating on a 24-hour schedule completed 36 deliveries daily. This rapid delivery solution, led by InfraBuild Construction Solutions’ expert schedulers, was crucial to John Holland meeting their tight schedule.

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