Austrack Equipment helping its customers move the dial on their water pipeline projects from good to great.
The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme in the late 1890s oversaw the building of a water pipeline from Perth to Kalgoorlie. On completion at 566km, it was the longest freshwater pipeline in the world.
Building water infrastructure more than a century ago was quite a different proposition than it is today. It was slower and more labour intensive. It was intrinsically more dangerous, and the bulk of the horsepower came literally from horses.
With the development in the meantime of the comprehensive range of heavy earthmoving and construction equipment that is now a feature of pipelining, one kind of horsepower has been exchanged for another. And supplying the yellow iron horsepower that is pipelining today is where Austrack Equipment comes into its own.
Austrack has not been around as long as the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme, but it has been around long enough to earn an enviable reputation as a major equipment supplier. It supplies the horsepower that builds the pipelines that carry the water that keep this great, big, thirsty country moving forward.
Austrack has been an equipment supplier on water pipelines all around Australia. In NSW, Austrack supplied equipment to the Dungowan pipeline and the Murray River to Broken Hill pipeline. In WA, Austrack machines had a significant role to play in the completion of the FMG Ironbridge project. More recently, Austrack units have been busy on the Gladstone to Fitzroy River and the Haughton Duplication pipeline near Townsville in Queensland and has just commenced supplying equipment into a water project in South Australia.
Austrack matches industry-leading equipment with classic old-style service to provide customers with a premium experience.
“Set and forget is definitely not the Austrack approach,” Austrack Managing Director Michael Benson said.
“Having the quality and range of equipment is only half the battle. Back up service when it is on site is absolutely fundamental to what we do. Whether it is ensuring manufacturers’ service personnel are available or supplying our own fitters to become part of the project, as we regularly do, we know equipment back up service is a non-negotiable part of our customer offer.”
Austrack is also gaining a reputation for customisation and innovation. Nowhere is this more evident than in the specialised equipment it has available for the construction of water pipelines.
The development of the SafeVac Lifting Systems™ range of vacuum pipe lifters is testament to that. Developed at Austrack’s Brisbane headquarters and proudly sporting the Australian Made logo, this excavator lifting attachment brings the lifting and placing of pipes to new levels of efficiency and safety. Built to conform to the European EN13155 Standard, its core ability is to lift and place pipes safely, quickly, and efficiently. In addition, the SafeVac Lifting Systems vacuum lifting attachment range has an array of data capture and data transmission features that are revolutionising pipe handling. By using vacuum as the lifting source, it has eliminated potential damage to the pipe by doing away with slinging. And while the pipe is protected from damage, pipe movements and in trench pipe placements are achieved more quickly and safely.
Similar efficiency benefits come from another Austrack machine, the customised EF450 Sand Hopper backfilling unit. The EF450 results in spectacular savings in manpower, machinery and sand wastage in water pipeline construction. Benson said the machine truly breaks new ground when it comes to precise trench backfilling.
And when trench backfilling is being considered, Austrack has the answer to compaction requirements and ensuring pipe integrity.
Austrack can supply specially designed compaction haunchers which guarantee even the most exacting compaction levels are achieved. The haunchers are customised excavator attachments connected to a vibe plate which straddles the laid pipe in a horseshoe configuration and achieves superior compaction where that is the requirement. For Austrack, it’s just one more cleverly designed attachment that moves the dial from good to great on water pipelines.
“Our involvement in water projects is an important part of our business,” Benson said.
“Our in-house development and manufacture of our SafeVac vacuum lifting units and our customisation of machines like the EF450 and the compaction haunchers are a tangible statement of Austrack’s commitment to support contractors in the water pipeline business. Another part of our investment in servicing water infrastructure construction is our involvement in Ozwater, the national convention and exhibition of all things water.
“Last year for the first time we exhibited at Ozwater 25 in Adelaide, and we will be back this year for Ozwater 26 in Brisbane. We will be at stand B01 with some exciting new equipment on show and we will be delighted to welcome pipeliners there.”
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