Stormwater Renewal at Amarina Avenue Sets Community up for Success
Aug 25, 2021
Normally tucked away from view, stormwater networks are the unsung heroes of pipeline infrastructure, operating as the vital drainage networks that promote happy and healthy communities. When they run smoothly, they are hardly noticed. However, their malfunction or failure can have serious ramifications. Sunshine Coast Council recently partnered with Interflow to proactively address the region’s stormwater needs, keeping the community at the forefront.
Future-proofing our cities
Sunshine Coast Council’s vision is to be Australia’s most sustainable region – Healthy. Smart. Creative. Paramount to this vision is the critical infrastructure that runs beneath the streets and supports the community’s daily activities.
Proactive inspection of its stormwater assets led Council to discover that a large concrete box culvert located at Amarina Avenue was reaching the end of its service life. Constructed in 1975, the culvert ran under a busy street, taking run-off from the Sunshine Motorway to the Mooloolaba Canal.
Failure of the culvert would not only present a significant risk to the physical safety of road users above but could cause major traffic disruption and potential outages to the telecommunications, electrical, and water services that also crossed the culvert.
Specialist in pipeline infrastructure, Interflow, was contacted to provide an innovative solution that would extend the culvert’s life for more than 50 years whilst ensuring the safety of road users and the environment downstream.
Sunshine Coast Council Division 4 Councillor Joe Natoli explained Council’s decision-making process when screening potential solutions.
“We have been challenged to find community-focused solutions that ‘deliver more for less’,” Cr Natoli said. “We are committed to identifying the most effective and efficient stormwater solutions that address our current concerns, whilst also accounting for the growing and changing needs of future generations.”
A new solution provides fantastic results
Aligned with its customer’s ambition of keeping community disruption to a minimum, Interflow proposed a custom-built, glass-reinforced (GRP) liner to renew the culvert.Aligned with its customer’s ambition of keeping community disruption to a minimum, Interflow proposed a custom-built, glass-reinforced (GRP) liner to renew the culvert.
Interflow’s Business Development Manager on the project, John Phillips, discusses the benefits of the company’s bespoke approach.
“Eliminating the need for excavation meant that no trees or vegetation would need to be removed and the impact on commuters using the road above would be minimised. This is a huge win for the environment and the community,” he said.
In addition to the operational benefits, Interflow’s ‘trenchless’ solution offered a 25% cost-reduction on the cost of excavating and replacing the culvert, helping Council to achieve its goal of delivering more for less.
“This is the first GRP liner to be installed within the Sunshine Coast region, and Council has been very pleased with the results,” John mentioned. “Residents can be rest assured that innovative stormwater solutions like these are stretching their tax-payer dollars even further.”
Proactive Asset Management is the key to success
Councillor Natoli said that in order to make the most of innovative solutions such as the GRP liner, a proactive approach to asset management is essential.
“To maintain the amenity and liveability of our communities through optimum drainage, it is critical to have a sound stormwater asset management plan,” Cr Natoli said.
“Our stormwater team alongside Interflow specialists worked closely with our customers to achieve this result. Without routine inspection, it can be difficult for councils to prioritise their work and identify stormwater assets in the direst need of repair. Sunshine Coast Council is focused on Proactive Asset Management which acts as a form of insurance against unforeseen events, structural damage to roads and negative impacts to public safety.
“By working with our Delivery Partners and taking stock of the condition of our assets, we can select a plan that will have the greatest impact in keeping our communities running smoothly.”
More News and Articles
Apr 24, 2024
News
Sustainable drainage solutions: German Start-up transforms urban water management.
Germany boasts a well-established infrastructure for managing rainwater and wastewater, yet many developing countries lack such systems. Addressing this gap, …
Apr 22, 2024
News
HDD tooling that gets the job done
Horizontal directional drilling is a dynamic process that constantly changes and adapts to suit a range of applications across utilities and infrastructure. Operators looking to get the most from their equipment …
Apr 19, 2024
News
WATCH: Overnight with SAERTEX-LINER H20 in São Paulo
Available through Pipe Core, high-quality liner SAERTEX-LINER H20 performed under pressure in São Paulo, Brazil.
Maintaining aging potable water pipe infrastructure is a constant challenge …
Apr 17, 2024
News
Immersive media provides wastewater experience in Denmark
An immersive media experience (IMX) may not be what most people want when they think about industrial wastewater, but that is exactly what visitors can expect when they visit a new installation …
Apr 15, 2024
News
Spotlight on gender diversity at Pipe Core
Since founding in 2008, Pipe Core’s team has grown across all areas of the business and is now in a position where there are more females than males across the organisation. Research published in Harvard …
Apr 12, 2024
News
New Wave of Startups Scale Innovation to Solve Global Water Challenges
Innovators from Around the World Join Xylem’s 2024 Accelerator Program to Deploy Breakthrough Innovations for Utilities and Industrial Users of Water
A new group of startups …
Apr 08, 2024
News
Integrated sustainable electricity and clean drinking water systems
Altitude Water and New Use Energy Solutions have partnered to create integrated, mobile solar-plus-water generation systems that produce sustainable electricity and clean drinking …
Apr 05, 2024
News
How to Evaluate Hydraulic Fracture Risk in HDD Design
The design of horizontal directional drill (HDD) installations often requires an evaluation of the potential for hydraulic fracture of the soil layers through which an HDD passes. Evaluating …
Apr 02, 2024
News
Historic Project Linking Rome and Vatican City Uses Advanced Technology and Local Knowledge to Keep Water Flowing
Relocation of Major Sewer Infrastructure Enables Construction of Pedestrian Link for 35 Million Visitors to the 2025 Jubilee
Water …
Mar 27, 2024
News
USU Study Looks at Water Main Break Rates in the U.S. and Canada
Report Highlights Correlation Between Material and Diameter
Utah State University (USU) has published new research on water main breaks in the United States and Canada, examining …
Mar 26, 2024
News
Update BE-21: New Material in Course and Modules on Trenchless Pipe Installation
Online training on the topic of pipeline installation in civil engineering: Trenchless technology for underground drainage construction can be a resource-efficient, …
Mar 25, 2024
Article
Bacteria as a new weapon in wastewater treatment
In early November, San Diego based startup Aquacycl officially opened its first European office and test center at the Water Campus in Leeuwarden. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) …
Contact
Interflow
254 Toongabbie Road
NSW 2145 Girraween
Australia
Phone:
+61 2 9631 2444
Fax:
+61 2 9636 5475