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Following the Southern Queensland Bushfire extreme weather event, multiple slopes along Binna Burra Road were affected and required immediate intervention via remediation works. 

 

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Over 2,450t of concrete utilised in slope stabilisation activities
Over 5.7km of slope stabilising anchors installed, utilising over 77,500 litres of cementitious grout annulus
Over 2,500t of fire-related debris removed from site
Construction of batter slips, rock fall protection, granular pavements and drainage
Vegetation and tree removal
Break up and removal of boulders
Earthworks
Scaling
Drainage reconstruction
Batter repair and stabilisation with soil nails and shotcrete installation
Installation of gabion baskets, catch fences, guardrails and drape mesh

 

At the time of tender issuance, the scope involved works at two sites. These sites were later renamed sites 11 and 12 after further geotechnical inspection revealed increased damage sites added to the Immediate Phase scope. In total, the Emergent and Immediate works involved 28 work areas: 21 major and 7 minor. All major and several minor were in the scope of the Immediate works, which McIlwain undertook.

Binna Burra Lodge and surrounds are on the Queensland State Heritage Register and a clearance certificate was required from the Queensland State Heritage Department to conduct the works. However, because the scope comprised emergency works, an exemption certificate was granted.

The construction scope involved managing a unique set of challenges. The steep terrain, constrained single lane ‘goat track’ road up a mountain, and fire-related impacts that caused global and local stability all meant that safety controls adopted on the project were by necessity more comprehensive and rigorous than post-Tropical Low recovery works. A significant driver on the project was the limited time available before the road was scheduled to be reopened for stakeholders.

The D&C model combined with the relatively linear construction program gave the opportunity supporting a continual optimisation of the program through the constant refining of designs following lessons learned during construction of preceding elements, and receipt of feedback from the construction teams. This included refinement of reinforcement arrangements within shotcrete sites to make subsequent site works easier and quicker to construct, and the refinement of nail spacings verses bar size for the drape mesh areas to suit available construction plant and minimise construction times in difficult to access areas (i.e. hand drilled or machine drilled).