CLIENT: Tweed Shire Council
INDUSTRY: Local government, NSW
TYPE OF PROJECT: Culvert cleaning
WHEN: (when work commenced and when project was finished, or duration of project)
VALUE: $10,500
BRIEF:
Tweed Shire Council contracted PMA to deliver safe and efficient Culvert Cleaning under Tweed Coast Road in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. The 4x under-road culverts were 100% of heavy silt and debris, including roots.
CHALLENGES:
Conducting Culvert Cleaning under busy carriageways can be a hazardous task due to the nature of the work involved. Culvert cleaning involves cumbersome manual handling of difficult materials in a confined space, where there is a constant risk of exposure to fumes from the busy road above.
The Northern Rivers region is also a significantly environmentally sensitive area. The intermittent creek feeds directly into Cudgen Creek, a well-known and highly visible estuary. As such, maintaining visual acuity downstream of the work area was paramount.
PMA SOLUTION:
To solve the problem for Tweed Shire Council, PMA employed its Microtraxx Remote Culvert Cleaner, a highly efficient machine that specialises in unmanned entry into culverts to clear high volumes of debris. PMA deployed the Microtraxx because it is specifically designed to work in environmentally sensitive areas. It runs on a biodegradable synthetic oil, which enabled PMA to pre-emptively minimise the effect of any possible spills or leaks during operation.
By operating the Microtraxx from a safe and well-ventilated area, PMA was able to efficiently and thoroughly clean the four 4m x 2m culverts and return them to fully operational status in 4.5 days. PMA achieved this with no manned entry into the potentially dangerous work area, which solved the problem while greatly reducing risk.
OUTCOME:
By tailoring a solution that specifically addressed the immediate needs of Tweed Shire Council, PMA was able to clear 360m3 of silt and debris from the four culverts under Tweed Coast Road and return them to full functionality in 4.5 working days. This was made possible due to PMA having highly skilled operators and the best equipment to rapidly solve the problem for Tweed Shire Council. PMA’s Microtraxx Remote Culvert Cleaner removed 100% of the sediment build-up that was blocking the culverts, allowing full flow for the upcoming wet season.
“PMA WAS ABLE TO CLEAN THE FOUR 4M X 2M CULVERTS AND RETURN THEM TO FULLY OPERATIONAL STATUS IN 4.5 DAYS.”
