PROJECTS
MT DERRIMUT ROAD LEVEL CROSSING REMOVAL PROJECT
Project: Mt Derrimut Rd Level Crossing Removal Project
Location: Deer Park
Client: Western Program Alliance
Start date: August 2022
Completion date: February 2023
Melbourne Underground were awarded the CSR drilling package which involved boring eleven multi-way bores under the V/Line Rail line in Deer Park. The bores had to be staged in line with train movements, requiring Melbourne Underground’s drillers to drill accurately with restricted ability to track the drill head under the rail.
Melbourne Underground were also awarded the Powercor feed to the new station substation. Using our 18ACS rock drill, Melbourne Underground bored a multiway 230m long, 350mm diameter bore through solid bluestone in less than two weeks.
FITZSIMONS LANE UPGRADE
Project: Fitzsimons Lane Upgrade
Location: Templestowe
Client: Service Stream
Start date: January 2021
Completion date: December 2022
Melbourne Underground worked together with Service Stream and BMD across three major intersections for the Fitzsimons Lane Upgrade; Foote St, Porter St and Main Rd. Each site required complex staging and traffic coordination which involved night works and acceleration during road closure periods.
Melbourne Underground installed the HV and LV power underground at each intersection, which involved directional drilling, trenching, pit installation, cable hauling and coordinating auditing and detailing across two different power networks.
CENTRE FOR NATIONAL RESILIENCE MELBOURNE
Project: Centre for National Resilience Melbourne
Location: Mickleham
Client: Maxim Electrical
Start date: September 2021
Completion date: December 2021
In the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Melbourne Underground were awarded the HV, communications and gas packages for Melbourne’s new quarantine facility in Donnybrook. Due to the high profile and urgent nature of the project, Melbourne Underground delivered the works at an accelerated rate in coordination with multiple other trades.
Melbourne Underground installed over 4km of HV power conduits, 1.2km of communications conduits, and 1km of gas conduits during a four-month period. The ground was predominantly hard bluestone, through which Melbourne Underground both directionally drilled and rock hammered.
PLENTY RD HV/LV POWER UPGRADE STAGE 2
Project: Plenty Road Upgrade Stage 2
Location: South Morang/Mernda
Client: Lend Lease
Start date: May 2020
Completion date: May 2021
Melbourne Underground relocated the HV and LV power services underground, over a 6km stretch of Plenty Road through South Morang and Mernda.
Melbourne Underground’s package included boring and trenching for installation of new conduits, cable hauling (both HV and LV), installation pits and switching stations, and auditing and detailing. Melbourne Underground utilised non-destructive digging (NDD) methods to safely excavate through cultural heritage sites in the area.
AUSTRALIA POST SUNSHINE WEST INCOMING HV
Project: Australia Post Sunshine West Incoming HV
Location: Sunshine West
Client: Maxim Electrical
Duration: May 2020
Start date: June 2021
Melbourne Underground drilled a 400mm diameter hole through solid rock to install a 300m run of 2 x 140mm HV conduits using the DR40x55 rock drill. Works were undertaken in coordination with Australia Post while their Parcel Facility remained operational. The design originally called for trenching, but Melbourne Underground opted to bore the sections to minimally impact the existing hardstand and function of the facility.
In addition to the HV conduit installation, Melbourne Underground installed three precast pits and lids weighing over 4T each. Melbourne Underground also constructed three transformer slabs and one bespoke in situ pit to house the main switchboard.
PLENTY RD HV/LV POWER UPGRADE STAGE 1
Project: Plenty Road Upgrade
Location: Bundoora/Mill Park
Client: Lend Lease
Start date: October 2018
Completion date: April 2019
Melbourne Underground directionally drilled and open cut trenched to relocate HV and LV power services underground, over a 2km stretch of Plenty Road through Bundoora and Mill Park. Melbourne Underground’s package included boring and trenching, installing conduits, NDD excavation, installing pits and cable switching stations, and auditing and detailing. This project was undertaken while maintaining live traffic on Plenty Road.
Melbourne Underground used the D40x55DR rock drills to bore through extremely hard basalt rock encountered throughout this area up to 500mm diameter. The specialised rock drills allowed Melbourne Underground to drill with such efficiency that the original dates were met despite the strength of the rock encountered. This allowed Lend Lease and Decmil to meet their HV shutdown dates, and deliver their project on time.
YAN YEAN RD HV/LV POWER UPGRADE
Project: Yan Yean Rd Duplication
Location: Plenty
Client: Lend Lease
Start date: July 2018
Completion date: February 2019
Melbourne Underground directionally drilled and open cut trenched to relocate HV and LV power services underground, over a 4km stretch of Yan Yean Rd in Melbourne’s northeast. Melbourne Underground’s package involves boring and trenching, installing conduits, installing pits, and auditing and detailing.
While working in with live traffic on this busy arterial road, Melbourne Underground used the D40x55DR rock drill to bore through the hard mudstone encountered throughout this area. The bores under the existing road had up to 5 conduits per run, with a 500mm bore annulus. Melbourne Underground strategized to stage works in a way that enable Lend Lease to meet each of their HV shutdown dates for the eleven stages of the project.
SELECT HARVEST HV LINKS
Project: Select Harvest HV Links
Location: Robinvale
Client: Trivantage
Start date: January 2015
Completion date: January 2015
Melbourne Underground directionally bored and chain trenched 4.1km of 125mm HD electrical conduit to upgrade a low voltage metred feed to a high voltage metred feed, in order for the client to be metred directly from the power supplier (Powercor).
The majority of this 4.1km stretch was through almond farms, where Melbourne Underground had to take the utmost care with environmental management. Melbourne Underground had to follow a strict environmental management plan, ensuring all environmental controls were effectively installed and maintained each day, and all machinery was washed thoroughly before entering and exiting site to avoid the spread of weeds and foreign contaminants.
MELBOURNE AIRPORT HV UPGRADE
Project: Melbourne Airport HV Upgrade
Location: Tullamarine
Client: Avionics
Start date: June 2013
Completion date: April 2014
For the Melbourne Airport HV upgrade, Melbourne Underground directionally drilled under live runways and taxiways. Melbourne Underground drilled a 180m long, 600mm diameter, 8m deep shot to install 6 x 125mm HV conduits pressure grouted under Runway 16/34, and drilled a 140m, 450mm diameter, 8m deep shot to install 4 x 125mm HV conduits pressure grouted under Runway 09/27. Melbourne Underground installed tremie lines for the pressure grouting to backfill the annulus.
In order to not impede air traffic using the runways, Melbourne Underground drilled a sacrificial pump line under the runway to direct the waste fluid back to our drill fluid recycling system during every bore to reduce waste creation. This detailed setup allowed for maximum efficiency and minimum disruptions during our compressed time frame.