evolve - first quarter 2016

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FUTURE CITIES PAGE 6 FIRST QUARTER 2016 EVOLVE

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EVOLVE is WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff’s client-focused e-magazine for our clients in Australia and New Zealand. We publish four times a year to share knowledge, profile our projects and highlight our technical expertise and global connectivity.

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Page 1: Evolve - First Quarter 2016

FUTURE CITIESPAGE 6

FIRST QUARTER 2016

EVOLVE

Page 2: Evolve - First Quarter 2016

© 2015 WSP | PARSONS BRINCKERHOFFAll rights reserved.Published March 2016

Level 27, Ernst & Young Centre680 George StreetSydney NSW 2000

To update your details or provide feedback, please email [email protected]

www.wsp-pb.com

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ABOUT USWSP and Parsons Brinckerhoff have combined and are now one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consulting fi rms. Together we provide services to transform the built environment and restore the natural environment, and our expertise ranges from environmental remediation to urban planning, from engineering iconic buildings to designing sustainable transport networks, and from developing the energy sources of the future to enabling new ways of extracting essential resources. We have approximately 32,000 employees, including engineers, technicians, scientists, architects, planners, surveyors, program and construction management professionals, and various environmental experts. We are based in more than 500 offi ces across 40 countries worldwide.

04 | THE ONLY WAY IS UP

12 | DIGITAL DISRUPTION IN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

08 | REMODELLING THE MELBOURNE SKYLINE

06 | FUTURECITIES

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22 | GLOBAL COLLABORATION TO MEET THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEMANDS OF QATAR

26 | NEWS STORIES

20 | IMPROVING THE LIGHT RAIL JOURNEY – WITHOUT ADDED EXPENSE

24 | SOFTWARE TO SUPPORT URBAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING

16 | NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITY OF URBAN PRECINCTS

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THE ONLY WAY IS UP

SUZHOU ZHONGNAN CENTER

SUZHOU, CHINA

729m137 floors

WUHAN GREENLAND CENTER

WUHAN, CHINA

636m125 floors

ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER

NEW YORK, US

546m94 floors

432 PARK AVENUE

NEW YORK, USA

426m85 floors

GUANGZHOU CTF FINANCE CENTER

GUANGZHOU, CHINA

530m111 floors

PETRONAS TOWERS

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

452m88 floors

SHANGHAI TOWER

SHANGHAI, CHINA

632m128 floors

We are proud to be changing the shape of our skylines in cities across the globe, from the mega-towers in high-rise cities in the USA, China and the Middle East to the historically more modest, lower-rise horizon across Europe, South Africa and here at home.

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111 WEST 57TH STREET

NEW YORK, USA

426m77 floors

SALESFORCE TOWER

SAN FRANCISCO, USA

326m61 floors

56 LEONARD

NEW YORK, USA

250m57 floors

ONE BLACKFRIARS

LONDON, UK

170m50 floors

ADNOC HQ THE SHARD PREMIER TOWER

ABU DHABI, UAE

342m76 floors

LONDON, UK

306m84 floors

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

215m68 floors

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FUTURE CITIES

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We live in a time of rapid transition and unprecedented disruption and our cities are at the heart of much of this change. Successive generations have added and subtracted to our urban spaces. Many of these spaces are only just withstanding the strain of our increased populations and modern lifestyles. Our Future Cites will be our existing cities transformed - where we take more from our assets to create responsive, dynamic urban centres that better respond to community need and to technological and environmental change. Here we look at the best of our current urban design focused on resilience, sustainability and accessibility, and on combining vertical and horizontal infrastructure. From tall slender or curvaceous high-rise towers in Melbourne, to integrated urban precincts in Sydney, we have teams of multidisciplinary specialists inspired by the possibilities of creating liveable cities that support present needs and anticipate future trends

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Driven by our expanding population, city-building is reaching new heights in Australia. In Melbourne, our fastest growing city, the CBD population is now 550% greater than it was in 2001 and there are 33 new buildings over 200 metres currently under construction or proposed. The Melbourne skyline is an example of the rising Asian infl uence in our cities and the shift towards integrated vertical and horizontal living. ‘As structural and civil engineers, we once looked to cities like New York as centres of excellence for high-rise, but now eastern countries are ahead in terms of the scale and volume of their tall buildings,’ WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Director Mark Hennessy says. With 32 high-rise buildings over 150m already completed and another 33 new buildings under construction or proposed, Melbourne now holds most of Australia’s tall buildings. Meanwhile, its residential developments are matching the style and pace of Asian high-rise projects, in a shift away from low-density sprawl to high-rise and high-density developments around transport modes and collective amenities.

But Mark points out that the city’s potential to rival Hong Kong or Shanghai for vertical living is limited, with fl ight paths restricting building heights and planning rules limiting development density. ‘WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is working on 22 of the 33 new building projects in the city, with most design solutions pushing the boundaries to maximise return on investment within Australia’s industry restrictions,’ Mark says.

HE IDENTIFIES FOUR MAJOR TRENDS IN THE RE-MODELLING OF THE MELBOURNE SKYLINE:

1. TALL AND SLENDERDevelopers seek to create slender buildings to maximise the yield of small inner-city blocks, but this brings with it special structural challenges. This requires engineers to design sophisticated solutions to mitigate wind movement and the perception of motion, and to stabilise the structure.

The urbanisation of Melbourne has contributed to the signifi cant growth in slenderness ratios. Before the current residential ‘boom years’, towers in the city were almost all for commercial use, generally where the building height was no more than fi ve times the building’s width. The Rialto Towers, built in 1986, was an exception with a height (slenderness ratio) of just over seven times its width. ‘Today, we are working on many towers with slenderness ratios where height is 11 to 12 times the tower’s width and in two instances in excess of 15 times the width. While this is at the upper end of slenderness for Melbourne and Australia, it is not even close to the ratios our New York counterparts are working on,’ Mark says. Due for completion in 2018, New York’s 111 West 57th Street building will have a world record slenderness of 1:24, which is essentially a height 24 times the building’s width. Back in Melbourne, Premier Tower was originally designed to be over 300m high with a slenderness ratio of 15, but planning constraints have restricted it to the approved height of 249m with a height 12.5 times its width. ‘Our role on this high-profi le project involved optimising the core and stability system, including using linked mega columns, and developing a buildable solution for the columns at the perimeter and how they transition to suit the variable curved form of the façade,’ Mark says.

RE-MODELLING THEMELBOURNE SKYLINE

To create future-ready cities, structural and civil engineers must continually challenge what’s been done before. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Director Mark Hennessy looks at the four high-rise trends remodelling our city skylines and the shift towards integrated vertical and horizontal living.

Article authorMark HennessyDirector WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Structures

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Right: Aurora, 224-252 La Trobe Street Melbourne.Image courtesy UEM Sunrise Berhad

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2. MAXIMISING SITE YIELDSIn keeping with current world trends, Australia is rapidly increasing its urbanised population. According to Mark, it is alleged that in pockets of Melbourne high-rise apartments are being built at four times the maximum densities permitted in some of the world’s most crowded cities, such as Hong Kong, New York and Tokyo. ‘For residential developments to be viable in these highly sought after locations, where site acquisition costs have escalated over the past five to 10 years, the need to maximise the saleable real estate (yield) is often a key financial driver for the developments,’ he says. ‘Recently, these yields have come under serious attack from new government planning controls. Tower Melbourne is an example where, if it were subject to the new plot ratio limits, it would realise less than half of the yield it has prior approval for.’

3. INTEGRATING WITH TRANSPORT NODES

Most of the new buildings in Melbourne are residential, catering for people wanting apartment-style living within or close to the CBD and with easy access to public transport. This trend is not limited to Melbourne. Around Australia, people are keen to spend more time living, rather than commuting to and from work. Aurora at 250 LaTrobe Street is an example, located above and adjacent to the Melbourne Central train station. ‘In our role as structural engineer for this project, we carefully considered all the interfaces with the existing station from a structural performance perspective, and also how to construct the new tower in and around a live operating transport hub,’ Mark explains. ‘A very positive outcome was our development of a pad footing solution in place of a more traditional piled footing solution. Our challenge was to ensure the footings of the new 88-level tower did not adversely affect the existing operational station box structure.’

4. COMMUNITY MATTERS Along with environmental impacts, developers are increasingly called on to consider the social impact of their projects and incorporate community aspects, such as playgrounds and public art works. ‘High-rise projects are catalysts for urban renewal, bringing life back into our cities with new spaces, amenities and streetscapes,’ Mark says.‘Apartment towers are also being designed as vertical communities, where more community spaces are increasingly incorporated within the towers themselves. For example, in the Aurora building, 3.8 square metres of community space is planned per apartment, compared to 2.5 square metres per apartment in Tower Melbourne.’

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INTO THE FUTUREWSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is looking to new horizons as our Australian city skylines are being re-modelled by population growth, as well as Asian investors and developers with an appetite for high-rise projects. In cities like Sydney, and its satellite cities such as Parramatta and Homebush, the transformation is imminent.‘We’ve invested over 15 years in helping make Melbourne one of the world’s most liveable global high-rise cities and our structures team is more than ready for the next challenge,’ Mark says.‘We have horizontal expertise (such as in public transport), vertical expertise in tall buildings, and global experience – from New York to London to Shanghai.’In the global shift towards integrated vertical and horizontal living, companies like WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff play an essential role in creating liveable, future-ready cities

Left: Aurora, 224-252 La Trobe Street Melbourne.Image courtesy UEM Sunrise Berhad

32 BUILDINGS HIGHER THAN 150M (COMPLETE OR TOPPED OUT)

33 NEW BUILDINGS OVER 200M UNDER CONSTRUCTION

22 NEW BUILDINGS WITH WSP | PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF INVOLVED

MELBOURNE CBD POPULATION 550% GREATER THAN IN 2001

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DIGITAL DISRUPTION IN THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES INDUSTRYIt is predicted that digital disruption will displace almost half of all Australian jobs over the next two decades. Compared to the retail and unskilled labour markets, the professional services industry has been less exposed to digital disruption. This is mainly due to the industry being driven by a highly-skilled workforce, but this advantage will not protect the industry indefi nitely.

Challenges are beginning to emerge from evolving social, economic and technological landscapes, with digital disruption changing not only how we do business, but who we do it with, and also the very nature of our business.To remain relevant, organisations must have a vision for the future and embrace proactive adaptation.

WHAT’S ALL THE DISRUPTION ABOUT?Historically, disruptive paradigm shifts have occurred infrequently, but this is no longer the case thanks to globalisation, the internet, and the increasing role technology plays in our everyday lives. These modern phenomena have created a state of perpetual revolution, with digital disruption drastically changing how organisations operate and communicate internally, as well as how they engage with their customers and clients.

The RBA’s Chief Information Offi cer Sarv Girn describes digital disruption as resulting in fundamentally better alternatives for solving problems, in a cheaper, faster and/or more convenient way, with technology playing a key enabling role.In recent times, the professional services industry has seen an increasingly rapid uptake of digital technology and innovative practices. However, it is yet to experience the revolutionary impact of digital disruption at full force. While digital disruption can facilitate positive change in societies, business and economies, such rapid change can also pose challenges.

Article authorPeter EnrightCivil Engineer

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INTERNAL BUSINESS EFFICIENCYDigital technology can facilitate improvements in labour productivity and resource efficiency. Companies that effectively adopt emerging technology gain a competitive advantage, especially if business processes are adapted to take advantage of new technological capabilities.Embracing new technology isn’t just about buying the latest IT hardware or software. It is important to maximise the benefits of adopting new technology by knowing about it early, understanding its potential and how it can be implemented, and appreciating the risks associated with it. Then, if it fits into your overall business strategy, adopt it.The adoption of new technology is most effective when it is supported by the simplification and streamlining of business processes. Opportunities for automating repetitive and time-consuming processes through the use of technology should be identified. Employees should spend most of their time using their skills to deliver projects and engaging face-to-face with clients, with less time spent navigating red-tape and procedural paperwork.Ensuring business management systems have compatibility and accessibility built-in is also important. Websites should be mobile and tablet friendly, while remote access should be provided and duplication minimised. Cloud computing and storage can improve workflow flexibility, accessibility of content, and time and resource management.

EMBRACING NEW WAYS OF DOING BUSINESSNew business models can disrupt existing market relationships and increase competition, while existing business models can be undermined by advances in communication technology, service delivery systems, and regulatory change.To maintain relevance and a competitive edge, organisations must be prepared to embrace new ways of doing business. This includes being aware of and respecting, rather than dismissing, digital disruptors that threaten existing business models, such as Uber and AirBnB.Developing an adaptable organisation means designing delegation of authority processes that will empower leaders with the capacity to act quickly and respond decisively to new threats in the digital landscape. It can also require a degree of self-disruption to adopt alternative business and procurement models that are better suited to meet market demands and attract the best talent.Implementing effective change management as an ongoing process during digital disruption will also help organisations to maintain a positive culture and emerge with a dedicated workforce alongside a new operating model or organisational structure.

REMAINING COMPETITIVE IN EVOLVING MARKETSEvolving markets will undergo geographical expansion facilitated by improved connectivity, ease of communication, and the relaxation of trade barriers. Clients will increasingly demand the application of cutting-edge technology to deliver innovative solutions, and new markets for entirely new services will also emerge as a result of societal and economic change driven by digital disruption. Alongside new markets come new competitors and as market competition increases service differentiation will be critical. A competitive edge will be found through:• dedicated and well-resourced

internal innovation teams that can seize opportunities for research and development to meet emerging market demand for new products and services;

• the ability to communicate and build relationships with clients and to deliver services remotely using digital technology, especially to the growing professional services market in Asia;

• being at the forefront of emerging technology to maintain a competitive advantage over cheaper local professional service providers; and

• harnessing brand management to influence market perceptions and foster a reputation as an industry leader providing high quality, cutting-edge services.

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‘AS MUCH AS DIGITAL DISRUPTION IS ABOUT THE UTILISATION OF TECHNOLOGY, IT IS ALSO ABOUT HOW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY CAN CHANGE SOCIAL AND BUSINESS INTERACTIONS.’

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University of Sydney Associate Professor Kai Riemer, defines digital disruption as:

‘CHANGES ENABLED BY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES THAT OCCUR AT A PACE AND MAGNITUDE THAT DISRUPT ESTABLISHED WAYS OF VALUE CREATION, SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, DOING BUSINESS AND MORE GENERALLY OUR THINKING.’

SOCIETAL VALUESDigital disruption is often accompanied by a tectonic shift in the values that underpin a society. These values are the prism through which products and services are perceived. While new technology is often shaped by these values, disruptive technology redefines them.Impending shifts in societal values will influence not only the demand for different services, but the way in which these services are delivered, and how the workforce interacts with the workplace. While some industries may not experience direct disruption to any great extent, the increasing integration of digital technology in mainstream society will be a catalyst for change in many organisations.In this context, adopting a corporate brand that reflects a commitment to social values will be an increasingly important part of positively influencing public perception, and attracting like-minded clients and employees. A keen awareness of market priorities will also be vital, as neglecting to take account of changes in what the market perceives as important, can lead to new forms of business interaction being dismissed as providing an inferior customer experience.Wearable technology and powerful smartphones are already changing our daily habits in a multitude of ways. This technological integration is extending to the workplace, and will extend the workplace itself. Teleworking can provide workforce flexibility and positively influence staff morale, motivation and productivity. Companies that embrace this trend will be an employer of choice, and will benefit through reductions in staff turnover, absenteeism and staffing costs.The adoption of teleworking and the popularity of online retail will also influence urban design and transportation systems, as digital disruption revolutionises the distribution of the workforce and consumers. Professional services organisations will need to anticipate these changes and foster the expertise and vision necessary for delivering the projects of the future.

FOSTERING A SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCEThe offshoring of work presents a unique challenge to the local mentoring and development of junior staff and therefore to the future sustainability of a local professional services workforce. While this form of digital disruption disproportionately impacts young professionals, these same individuals will play a key role in the process of adaptation to digital disruption.Compared to the incumbent workforce, young professionals typically have a more intuitive understanding of digital technology, are versed in the existing technological landscape, and can be aware of emerging social and technological trends before they become widespread.To promote workforce sustainability, and avoid degenerating into a top-heavy organisation with stranded intellectual assets, organisations should consider prioritising skills and workforce development over a comparison of unit rates when determining the most efficient set of delivery methods.

A VISION FOR THE FUTURETo rise to these challenges and remain relevant, professional service organisations must approach adaptation with proactive vision, rather than reactionary defensiveness. As much as digital disruption is about the utilisation of technology, it is also about how digital technology can change social and business interactions.As with all decisions based on an uncertain future, proactive adaption is also accompanied by risk. The cost of implementing changes can be clear, but it can be difficult to anticipate the potential benefits, and even more difficult to quantify them. Therefore, industry leaders must have a calculated but healthy appetite for risk if they are to successfully embrace adaptation.Although it poses challenges, digital disruption also creates opportunity. The most proactive organisations will foster a vision of the future, strategize, and leverage their existing strengths and market relationships to seize opportunities for adaptation. It is these future-focused organisations that will consolidate their position as industry leaders

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Australia has a strong drive to create more liveable, sustainable and resilient cities. In urban precincts across the country, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is supporting the design and delivery of future-ready cities through our expanded capability across vertical and horizontal infrastructure.

NAVIGATING THE COMPLEXITY OF URBAN PRECINCTS

Our current city-shaping projects in New South Wales include the Bays Precinct, Edmondson Park Town Centre, North Eveleigh West and South Eveleigh Urban Renewal, Central to Bays Traffi c Modelling, Newcastle Urban Transformation, Parramatta Square, Parramatta Light Rail, Sydney Metro, Sydney Light Rail and the Waterloo Precinct. Much of this project work aligns with the state government’s investment in our cities and their vision for the future.

KEEPING OUR CITIES GLOBALLY COMPETITIVEFaced with substantial challenges to our environmental, social and economic systems, our urban world is being forced to adapt at speed and our cities are at the forefront of this required change.Our cities face urgent priorities in the face of an increasing urban dweller base and the competition for global investment. These priorities include mitigating and being resilient to the eff ects of climate change, delivering prosperity, supporting biodiversity, reducing resource consumption and enabling human health.

Today, urban renewal plays an increasingly strategic role in planning policy for development, housing and infrastructure. This was evident at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21), where climate talks and the agreement reached received unprecedented support from civic and administrative city leaders across the globe.In the area of urban renewal, precincts provide a rare combination of commercial, technical and social attributes that can balance social and environmental requirements with the need to maintain a prosperous and competitive cityscape.

Article authorRichard PalmerAssociate Director Sustainability

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Above: Central to Eveleigh: Redfern high-density housing. Image courtesy of UrbanGrowth NSW

Right: Sky train bridge, Sydney Metro Northwest. Image courtesy of Impregilo Salini Joint Venure (ISJV) and TfNSW

To create precincts that will power our future cities, planners, designers and engineers must first successfully navigate the complexity of integrating vertical and horizontal infrastructure, where buildings are seamlessly integrated with transport and utilities.

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KNOWING WHAT A CITY NEEDS We understand a lot about what our cities need for a successful future. We know we need to increase the density of our cities and support them with multi-modal public transit systems. This will provide better commercial outcomes by increasing land value and, if done well, can qualitatively improve housing through increased accessibility and an improved public amenity.We know ecological systems and biodiversity are critical to both amenity and resilience, and that high-quality green space and a renewed urban habitat can support ecological, social and economic outcomes.We know we cannot rely on fossil fuels forever or continue to deplete non-renewable resources. Transitioning to a zero-carbon economy is vital, while abundant recycled water is central to mitigating climate-related heatwaves and to supporting urban amenity.We know that development, transit, amenity, public space, water, biodiversity, carbon, energy, investment, politics and planning policy are intricately linked. Managing the complexity of all these issues requires integration of our services to a degree that has not been necessary – until now.

A VISION FOR SYDNEYThe NSW State Government’s vision for Sydney is of a strong global city that’s also a great place to live. This will be achieved through:• a competitive economy with world-class services and transport• housing choices that meet our needs and lifestyles• strong, healthy and well connected communities, and• a sustainable, resilient city with a balanced approach to the use of land

and resources, where the natural environment is valued and protected.

Adapted from A Plan for Growing Sydney, 2015

INTEGRATING OUR APPROACH TO CITIESThe transformation of our cities demands an integrated approach to urban renewal in focused development precincts, to allow for the complementary development of property, public domain, utilities and transport infrastructure. Visionary thinking is required across the project lifecycle, to inform feasibility, planning, design, construction, operation and end-of-life across a wide range of asset classes. Planning reform, equitable housing policy, and innovative value-capture models for infrastructure project finance will support our move to the connected, amenable and resilient cities of the future

Left: Central to Eveleigh: rail corridor towards the city. Image courtesy of UrbanGrowth NSW

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IMPROVING THE LIGHT RAIL JOURNEY – WITHOUT ADDED EXPENSEThe challenge of moving people quickly around our increasingly congested cities brings light rail fi rmly back into the spotlight. As well as the evident place-making opportunities, here is a transport mode that rates highly with our commuters for its speed and comfort. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is at the forefront of innovation – making the light rail journey both fast, safe and comfortable.

Sydney’s light rail network stretches over 12 kilometres and carries 4.5 million commuters each year. The latest addition to the network – the Inner West Extension (IWE) – opened in 2014. A new light rail fl eet was launched in 2015; the Urbos 3, made by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF). In total, 12 new light rail vehicles (LRV) would be deployed to service the entire network – six in 2015, and another six in 2016. Introducing the modern LRV provided the opportunity to further improve the customer experience by optimising the speed profi le. Transport for New South Wales engaged WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff to investigate ways of optimising the rail system to improve journey time and passenger comfort, without major capital expenditure.

Over a period of three months, the team tested existing limits and standards – challenging the status quo and international standards. A new set of rules for setting speeds was proposed based on the full potential of the existing rail asset. A fi nal speed profi le was then developed, taking into account the constraints along the route. We proposed a number of ways to improve effi ciency, including minimising speed changes between stops to improve passenger comfort. Speed increases were also made possible with amendments to the speed boards alone; no major infrastructure modifi cations or costs were required.

The recommended speed profi le was implemented across the IWE and resulted in real time savings for commuters. At the time of our investigation, no comprehensive light rail standards existed for NSW. The project documented potential speed standards and guidelines for light rail that could inform future developments.The investigation showed that real, meaningful improvements to the public transport network can be made through challenging existing standards and conventions. The rules and guidelines will ensure a consistent approach across the existing network and will inform future improvements

Article authorMark XerriPerway Design Engineer, Rail, and Permanent Way Institute Young Achiever 2015

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Above: WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Permanent Way Design Engineer, Mark Xerri, won the 2015 Permanent Way Institute Young Achiever award for his technical paper, ‘Extracting Operational Efficiency from an Existing Rail Asset’. Mr Xerri was central to the Speed Review – his paper provides a unique insight into lightrail in New South Wales. Image courtesy of Australian Railway Association - 2015 – Australasian Rail Industry Awards

Top: LRV heading west along Hay Street outside the Capital Square stop

THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT REAL, MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK CAN BE MADE THROUGH CHALLENGING EXISTING STANDARDS AND CONVENTIONS.

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One of Ashghal’s major projects is the Qatar Expressway, which will provide vital transportation links across Qatar connecting key cities, towns and villages with high-quality national freeways and urban arterial routes. This nationwide road infrastructure scheme aims to improve the way people and places are connected. It will deliver 40 major projects including over 900 km of new roads and an array of underpasses, flyovers and multi-level interchanges to enable free-flowing traffic and improved journey times.

GLOBAL COLLABORATION TO MEET THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEMANDS OF QATAR

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff visualisation design of urban arterial project in its final configuration.

Doha, the capital city of the State of Qatar, has seen tremendous growth in the past five years and this growth is projected to continue into the future. With the majority of the country’s population residing there, the city is also Qatar’s economic hub. In 2022, Doha will host the world’s most recognised sporting event, the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Ashghal, the Public Works Authority of Qatar, is working overtime to prepare the city for its projected growth and its duties as a global host city.

Ashghal is responsible for the design, construction, delivery and maintenance of all expressways and major roads that cater to current and future traffic demands in Qatar. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff was engaged to provide detailed design services for road infrastructure including complex structural interchange elements for the Qatar Expressway Programme in the south of Doha. Our services include design for highways, structures, drainage, utilities, traffic planning, intelligent transport systems, design review, construction supervision, and quality assurance. We have established a project office in Doha, Qatar to deliver this project, with the assistance of design teams based in our Australian and Philippine offices providing technical leadership and the detailed design.

Article authorKate Borg Senior Project Manager Transport

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HIGHWAY DESIGN AND BRIDGE DESIGNWSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff has transferred its superior knowledge of highway and bridge project design in Australia, to this project in Qatar. The project team co-ordinates all civil engineering disciplines to achieve the design of complex road interchanges, intersection design and road widening in areas that have restrictive land boundaries.The rectilinear geometry of the road design is facilitated by the addition of a number of bridge and underpass structures. The design of bridges as part of the highway design has assisted with spanning existing intersections to avoid disruption to current traffi c movements as well as providing additional width for traffi c lanes.Pedestrian movements in and around the highway infrastructure has been considered. A number of pedestrian bridges have been designed to span the full width of the freeway. This will allow for movements between housing estates to avoid any residential areas from becoming land locked due to the development of the urban freeways and arterials.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE FEATURES OF OUR CURRENT WORK ON THIS SIGNIFICANT CITY-SHAPING PROJECT.

WORLD-CLASS INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS (ITS)WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff has applied state-of-the-art intelligent transport systems for the project. These systems will provide incident management and detection as well as travel time information to drivers to improve the overall journey. The variable message signs will be hi-tech digital screens.

THE BENEFITS OF GLOBAL COLLABORATIONWe have established a management offi ce for the project in Doha, Qatar. This offi ce deals mainly with client-facing responsibilities. Making the most of global time zones and expertise, we delivered the design from offi ces located in Melbourne, Brisbane, Manila and Kuwait City. The Australian offi ces were responsible for the delivery of the civil, structural and ITS design. Sharing the delivery of design across the globe brought our international teams closer together. Project success relies on strong communication skills between international project teams and required the use of resourceful methods to hold meetings with satellite offi ces around the globe. To this end, our teams are well-versed in Skype, VC and teleconferencing meetings to deliver a multi-billion dollar project. This global collaboration allowed us to draw on international resources to provide technical advice without the need for associated travel costs.

THIS NATIONWIDE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE SCHEME AIMS TO IMPROVE THE WAY PEOPLE AND PLACES ARE CONNECTED.

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As water and wastewater utility owners, designers and planners work to control capital costs and to optimise the maintenance of existing assets, new technologies such as optioneering software solutions offer a level of automated analysis that outstrips the capacity of traditional tools.

Here we speak to Logan City Council’s Logan Water Infrastructure Alliance* team members Grant Gabriel from WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and Matt Pollard, Senior Planning Engineer to understand how this technology can help to shape urban infrastructure and capital investment planning.

SOFTWARE TO SUPPORT URBAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING

TELL US HOW YOU’RE USING THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY ON THE LOGAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT?

The Alliance team has recently used Optimizer™ on the Slacks Creek Trunk wastewater network. This cloud-based software solution analysed water distribution and wastewater collection systems during the capital works phase of the project. This kind of advanced planning technology, is being used more and more as results demonstrate that they can contribute to cost-saving particularly when cities and townships are looking at optimising water distribution and wastewater collection systems.

SO HOW DID OPTIMIZER™ WORK IN PRACTICE?

In the case of the Slacks Creek Trunk wastewater network, we evaluated a number of criteria including pipe rehabilitation, inflow and infiltration management, and capacity enhancement. The software was particularly useful in this case as Slacks Creek is a highly complex network with capacity constraints and a number of possible solutions appeared to be viable. We evaluated tens of thousands of possible solutions that took account of life-cycle cost, hydraulic performance, energy, and water quality. The system also allowed us to drill down in some detail - for example we were able to identify a number of low-cost cross connections that would allow us to retain the existing network capacity and assets. In this way

we were able to settle on a solution that provides superior levels of wet-weather containment performance across the network at a fraction of the traditional capital cost.

WHAT OVERALL PLANNING BENEFITS AND FUTURE POTENTIAL DO YOU SEE?

The software supports planning decisions that meet community, environmental and regulatory standards in a way that is cost-effective and transparent. There are clear time and cost management advantages which allow local authorities to reinvest in other community projects.Optimizer™ allows for analysis of existing assets to determine whether it is more cost-effective to rehabilitate existing assets or abandon and replace them with new infrastructure based on considerations of asset condition, existing deficiencies and projected future growth.Optimisation technologies allow for a greater range of potential scenario combinations to be looked at; the risk management exercise is streamlined and there’s significantly less time spent on examining options. Optimizer™ technology and other computational intelligence systems are increasingly being used to help minimise the potential impacts of water restrictions and flooding, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and assess the benefits of investing in green infrastructure compared to traditional grey infrastructure improvements.

* The Alliance partners include Logan City Council, Downer, Cardno and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff

Article Author: Grant Gabriel Senior Water Supply Engineer

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Above: Sewerage pump station in construction

“The Slacks Creek catchment suffers from frequent and high volume sewer overflows in wet weather that causes risk to human health, and adversely impacts the environment and public amenity.Traditional approaches to solving these problems would involve a significant effort with no guarantee of obtaining an optimal solution in terms of performance or cost. The use of the Optimizer™ enabled thousands of potential solutions to be assessed in a very short time frame and provided Council’s senior executives with the confidence that the proposed solution would eliminate the risk while delivering the lowest cost for the community.”Matt Pollard, Senior Planning Engineer – Logan Water Infrastructure Alliance

Optimatics is one of the world’s leading providers of infrastructure planning software that enables water and wastewater utilities around the globe to reduce costs while ensuring optimal performance. Built upon research from the University of Adelaide and with nearly 20 years of commercial industry application, Optimizer™ software is a powerful industry tool that analyses hundreds of planning options across multiple asset types, determining the best plan to reduce capital, operating and energy costs, while meeting organisational planning objectives. WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is a preferred partner with Optimatics.

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Page 26: Evolve - First Quarter 2016

Our New Zealand based Senior Lighting Designer, Jonathan Nistor was one of a small number of global lighting specialists invited to attend and present at the ‘International Symposium for Architectural Lighting’ in South Korea late last year. The event was held at the leading Architectural Research Institute at Yeungnam University in Daegu, South Korea.

NEWS

MOONLIGHT OVER SOUTH KOREA

Article authorJonathan NistorSenior Lighting Designer

The symposium featured presentations on current industry trends. Jonathan’s presentation provoked some healthy debate as he challenged the current industry reliance on LED lighting and discussed some of the technical issues that require mitigation by lighting designers. During the symposium workshops, students had the opportunity to problem-solve and complete concept designs for a number of lighting challenges presented by Jonathan and his industry colleagues. Jonathan’s group was asked to design a lighting scheme for a worker’s cottage in a historic village on the University’s campus. The students considered the architecture of the building and took account of the social status of the former inhabitants. The fi nal design solution focused on the theme of mid-summer-moonlight with students using subtle and sensitive lighting sources combining candles, traditional rice-paper and light, to form a representation of a typical family occasion.

Jonathan has found that this trip and subsequent client work in China has had an impact on how he ‘he weaves cultural nuances into his design.’ The moonlight motif used in the worker’s cottage also provided a great example of what Jonathan believes is a ‘future trend towards lighting being an integral part of the urban landscape with a stronger focus on design, culture and architecture rather than on lighting fi xtures.’

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Page 27: Evolve - First Quarter 2016

Above left: Midsummer Moonlight – Jonathan’s group

Above: The team hand-sketched and created bespoke objects onsite

Top right: Jonathan and his team at the end of the workshop

Right: One of the other projects - Miki Matsushita’s Group (Japan)

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Page 28: Evolve - First Quarter 2016

Article authorAndrew KerleyEngineering Manager, Wind

NEWS

The multiple award-winning Burgos wind project is the largest wind farm in the Philippines. We have worked alongside its developer, Energy Development Corporation (EDC) since 2009 and are currently completing our project handover.We were engaged by EDC as Technical Advisors during tendering for three separate contractors; to build the wind farm, an electrical substation, and a 42 km transmission line connecting the wind farm to the local electricity network.Development milestonesThe wind farm was developed in two concurrent phases, the fi rst consisted of 29 three MW wind turbines and the second of 21 wind turbines, providing a total of 50 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 150 MW.The Burgos wind farm is the largest development of its kind in the Philippines and was the fi rst wind project nominated for the Philippine Government’s feed-in-tariff incentive scheme.

BURGOS WIND PROJECT – A FIRST-IN-SCHEME AND FUNDING SUCCESS

Key staff A team of talented people from our global offi ces played key roles in this project. Melbourne-based Andrew Kerley led our Technical Advisor services between 2009 and 2013, and acted as interim project manager in the early phases of the construction works. Mel Birkinshaw from our Manila offi ce has acted as Employer’s Representative since construction works commenced and coordinated contractors up to the commissioning of the wind farm in late 2014

PROJECT ACCOLADES

The project, which secured US$315m fi nancing from foreign and local banks, has won numerous industry awards, including:• 2014 Asia-Pacifi c Renewable

Deal of the Year from Project Finance International.

• 2014 Asia Wind Deal of the Year from Infrastructure Journal Global of EuroMoney.

• 2014 Asia Pacifi c Deal of the Year from Trade Finance Magazine.

• 2014 Best Deal from Global Trade Review.

• 2014 Top Ten Global Deals of the Year – Bes EDC Backed Green Deal from Trade and Export Finance.

• 2015 Asia Projects of the Year from Power Engineering International.

• 2015 PFI Asia Best Practices Citation from Project Finance International – Asia Infrastructure Projects

Above: Burgos Wind Project, Illocos Norte, Philippines. Sun breaking through clouds at the Burgos wind project

Left: Sunset over the Burgos wind projectImages courtesy of EDC

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Page 29: Evolve - First Quarter 2016

Top: Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2016-2018

Above: Former Summer School graduate and current graduate civil engineer Jacob Hyland

STRETCHING OUR RAP We recently launched our latest Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) based on the tenets of Relationships, Respect and Opportunities. As a ‘stretch’ RAP we have set measurable targets for how we:• continue building our regional relationships• create greater cultural

awareness and respect • facilitate greater opportunities

for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, organisations, communities and business.

We are fortunate to have the ongoing leadership and mentoring of our RAP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee. This inspiring group keeps us on track as we work together towards reconciliation and our vision for a sustainable, vibrant and connected future for all Australians. As part of our commitment to creating pre-employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students, we support the Indigenous Australian Engineering Summer Schools (IAESS) run in Perth and Sydney every January.This year in Perth, Liz Pattison, Hamish McKay and Julia Carpenter took part in the Industry Networking sessions and the Graduation Ceremony. In Sydney, Jacob Hyland, himself a 2008 Summer School graduate, represented our company as the MC for the Communities session and the networking evening that followed

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NEWS

GLOBAL EXPERTS IN TOWN

TURNING HISTORIC CITIES – LIKE LONDON – INTO FUTURE-READY CITIESIn October 2015, our Global Director of Property & Buildings Tom Smith presented at the Property Congress, held on the Gold Coast, Australia. Tom spoke about the redevelopment of London Bridge Station, where we were lead design consultant. ‘We drew upon our expertise to address many complex challenges faced during the redevelopment of this important transport interchange. The redeveloped London Bridge Station is now a vibrant gateway from the South-East and a hub for global visitors,’ says Mr Smith.

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ANGLES ON THE AUSTRALIAN TALL TOWER MARKET In October 2015, the world’s leading architects, engineers and developers gathered in New York City for the Council of Tall Building and Urban Habitat Conference. As the preeminent high-rise engineering consultancy in the world, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff had representatives there from around the world – including Australia. Director Mark Hennessy presented ‘Angles on the Australian tall tower market’ a summary of the important projects we are currently involved in. Not traditionally seen as a high-rise centre of excellence, Australia (and Melbourne in particular) is a prime example of the growing Asian infl uence in high-rise developments in our cities. With one of the developed world’s fastest growing populations and more skyscrapers per person than any other country (with population greater than 5 million) Australia is pioneering new designs and methodologies to maximise the opportunities of high-rise living. See Re-modelling the Melbourne skyline on page 8.

WE’VE ROAD-TESTED THE NEW GREEN STAR DESIGN AND AS BUILT RATING TOOL Our Sustainability team has road-tested the Green Buildings Council of Australia’s Green Star – Design and As Built tool, which assesses the sustainability performance of the design and construction of buildings. Associate Directors for Sustainability Alan Davis and Richard Palmer joined a number of industry experts and their clients, to support the development of the new tool. Alan assessed and compared the cost of using the new tool vs the legacy tool, using a 6 Star Green Star project. He said: ‘It is a clear story, 6 Star is achievable at the same cost.’Richard summarised his thoughts on the new rating tool seeing its key advantages as being greater fl exibility for building type and a more streamlined process: ‘There are no extra diffi culties, it’s about getting to grips with the tools and getting out there and starting to use it.’For further information on the new rating tool visit the GBCA website or contact Alan or Richard

For Alan’s assessment click here Hear Richard’s thoughts on the rating tool

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