Client: Waimea Water

Product Supplied: Culverts pictured are 40MPa with 40% Flyash

Waimea Water Ltd a joint-venture partnership between Tasman District Council and Waimea Irrigators Ltd are tasked with completion of the Waimea dam project by October 2021 followed by the filling of the reservoir with the final commissioning due by February 2022. Alongside Fulton Hogan, Allied Concrete have been working on the culvert and diversion of the water aspect of the project. The culvert pictured below is one of 18 to be completed. Each of these have approximately 400m3 in them, all 40MPa with 40% Flyash due to the  thickness required for the culvert. In total, the culverts are requiring around 7200m3 which is less than half the volume of concrete for this project.

The plant is working and operating very well and the team are navigating time and weather pressures. The pours are often beginning at 4.45am and are being completed between 9am and 12pm with the plant preparing many hours before this. There are stringent regulations regarding the temperature of the concrete not being able to reach over 28.5 degrees so the early starts aim to combat this. Two are tankers are also required for each of the pours, one with cement and one with Flyash.

The culvert stage is extremely pivotal to the project and completion of the culvert and diversion of the river is due by the second quarter of next year “and then when the dam is finished, we close it [the culvert] up and run the pipe work through it” says Waimea Water Chief Executive Mike Scott.

“It’s part of the dam, a key part, it’s where the river flows during the construction of the dam and it’s where the services run.”

                                                                                                      Mike Scott – Waimea Water

The project was running ‘about two months behind the original schedule largely due to a delayed start because of the drought last summer and its associated fire restrictions’ but will look to make up time throughout the remainder of the timeline.

“We’re looking at everything we can to move things around in the schedule and looking at opportunities to do various activities quicker,” Scott said.

While the number of workers on site varied depending on the day, between 60 and 80 was not unusual. On Wednesday, teams were working across the site using machinery that included a helicopter, crane, diggers, trucks and concrete mixers. The concrete plant on site is certified and operational.

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Visual content from WAIMEA WATER LTD | waimeawater.nz

Article content informed by CHERIE SIVIGNON | STUFF