2019 – 2021
The foundation of every successful project is our knowledge and experience to achieve the best results for our clients.
Trunk Watermains
The objective was for the provision of safe drinking water supply for existing populations, future urban growth and development across the greater Tauranga and Papamoa district. Installation of 4km long PE watermain pipeline DN 900 and DN 710 and fibre optic cable duct primarily by HDD along No.1 Road and crossing Jellicoe Street, Te Puke. Although alignment was initially designed for open cut installation, TCC were committed to keep No.1 road open at all times to allow construction of water treatment plant and to enable the largest kiwifruit packhouse & cool store to continue operating 7 days a week at 18 hours a day during picking season. Directional Drilling was the ideal solution.
Through early involvement, thorough risk assessments and collaborative dialogue, Smythe Contractors successfully achieved drill shots up to 720m in length. International “experts” had a maximum drill length at 200m due to depth of cover and risk of hydro fracture. Effective stakeholder management was also key, resulting in minimal disruption to landowners and affected parties including kiwifruit pack house staff and visitors, truck and trailer units, residents.
Our new Drill Fluid Recycler was deployed on this contract to reduce waste costs and cartage of drill slurry. Over 8,000m3 of drill fluid was recycled and transported throughout the site, with no significant sign of this on the roads- clean and tidy worksite of vital importance to this high profile installation.
PROJECT SPECIFICS
Highly accurate drilling alignment and extremely effective stakeholder management required & achieved. Working under the State Highway, within residential and adjacent commercial kiwifruit packhouse required collaborative process as well as strong environmental management; successful installation resulting in minimal disruption to landowners, stakeholders and other affected parties. Compliance to all regulatory requirements and all independent environmental audits achieved excellent results.
Our new Recycler was deployed on this contract to reduce waste costs and cartage of drill slurry. Over 8,000m3 of drill fluid was recycled and transported throughout the site, with no significant sign of this on the roads- clean and tidy worksite of vital importance to this high profile installation.
“I was really impressed with Smythe Contractor’s communications with the locals. This was a difficult project stakeholder-wise, but they had a good way of going out and meeting with them and knowing who they were. This over-the-garden-gate manner was outstanding.”
Rory Bishop,
Alta - Engineer to Contract
Raglan
This work involved the installation of a 450mm PE water main beneath one of the water supply springs for the Raglan area, at the head of the Whaingaroa Harbour. The pipe (approx 380m) crosses farmland which is near to an Archaeological Site, drilling required through potentially hard rock, boulders and clay. The profile of the drill shot was 40m of elevation change, with a maximum depth of 14m.
This was a culturally and environmentally sensitive area, where crystal clear water tracks down into the head of Raglan Harbour. High risk of fracking in the base of the drill shot was due to the elevation of the entry and exit sides. Belch holes were provided to relieve the pressure adjacent to the creek and the methodology revised to suit the perfect pulling in of the pipe. Great display of HDD to complete the environmentally sensitive water crossing.
Kiri Place Mairangi Bay
Properties #5 and #7 Kiri Place were located at the sag point where two stormwater flows merge, collected by two single splay catch-pits at each side of the road. Due to insufficient capacity of the stormwater network, ponding occurred at the front of these properties. To cater for the increased flow of stormwater 4 new manholes, 2 hush pits and a cesspit were installed, allowing water to flow from the low points in Kiri Place down to the new manhole and out into the creek. Challenges included the hard ground in North Shore and access issues to the bottom of the steep driveway. Various HDD methodologies achieved successful installations of different sized pipe starting from 355mm to 710mm OD PE pipe, without any frac-out incidents.
Effective collaboration with Council and communication with residents and general public was exemplary; a credit to all those involved. The use of HDD helped manage and maintain traffic flows and keep pedestrians safe within a tight corridor, being in such close vicinity to schools and bus stops, with access to all properties maintained throughout the entire contract period.
Hamilton
Installation of 710mm PE Pipe for 435m under Wairere Drive, down the middle of Bailey Ave between Peachgrove Rd and the Ruakura reservoir section. The frequency of unidentified services and their dept hs were navigated and confirmed differences to the proposed design. The drill shot was realigned and marked out on the ground using GPS survey equipment. The methodology used to successfully install the pipe involved the use of two drill rigs that included the DD440 American Auger which drilled a pilot hole and reamed the pipe route first. The JT100 was then used to pull the pipe into place from the Peachgrove Road end.
PROJECT SPECIFICS
This project was completed within the scheduled time and budget, making it an overall success. The accuracy and productivity of works were of high standard along with a high focus on Environmental, H&S and QA obligations which were met.
Taupō
Directional Drilling and open Cut watermains being laid down SH1 with some HDD being only 1 meter off the white line side of SH1 with no disruption to traffic flow in either direction, as the corrected design submitted by Smythe's enabled drill pits and burp holes to be designed in positions that suited drill string lengths with bridge crossings and connections of side street laterals to the new watermain all to be undertaken in-house with Smythe's own workforce. Some Drilling Muds were specifically designed to accommodate the particularly abrasive content of the Taupo sands, pumice and gravel.
PROJECT SPECIFICS
This was a 26 week contract and we completed the pipeline ahead of the scheduled completion date.
Tauranga
As subcontractor to McPherson Contracting, Smythes were contracted to weld drill and install 120m of 900mm OD HDPE for the Vines Subdivision, in the Mills Reef Winery. This proved to be an effective installation for our team and the American Augers 440DDT. This pipeline was 14m deep and with a grade of 3.3%.
Project completed on time and in budget with additional work of destructive testing and flanges. Our recycling machine was very effective - reduced dump costs and cartage of greater amount of drill slurry, associated with larger pipes.
Construction of water main from Bridge Pa and Paki Paki for Hastings District Council- supply & installation of 6,098m of DN100mm potable water pipeline; 1,377 of DN150mm, 277m of PE 63mmOD, 34 lateral connections, all flushing points, hydrants, air valves, valves, testing and flushing of lines, 2 bridge crossings, SH2 and SH50A.
Completed successfully under budget. All aspects of job were carried out with “refreshing enthusiasm”. Public communication and cooperation with the school and land owners aided our success. No non-conformances. High level of quality assurance documentation & H&S reporting – elevated due to water contamination issue during Campylobacter outbreak.
