Australia McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Ltd has been named as the winner of the 2017 Australian Construction Achievement Award for its Melbourne Port Capacity Project – Maritime Works.
The Australian Construction Achievement Award is promoted by the Australian Constructors Association (ACA) and Engineers Australia, and is the peak annual award for the major players in Australia’s construction industry.
The award is fiercely contested by the largest construction and engineering businesses operating in Australia whose projects must first qualify to be finalists and then submit to the most rigorous assessment by a panel of experts.
Commenting on the announcement of the winner, ACA President John Flecker said that the winning project, by constructor McConnell Dowell, showcases the highly innovative solutions that constructors develop to overcome the technically challenging issues associated with today’s mega projects.
John McIntosh, National President of Engineers Australia, praised the quality of the 6 finalists and said they highlighted the exceptional expertise of construction and engineering experts in the design and implementation of major commercial and infrastructure projects.
The Chair of the Judging Panel, Mr Peter Godfrey said of the winner:
“The maritime package had to be completed adjacent to other major construction activities and a working port. The Web Dock East component was complex and multi-faceted, requiring high levels of coordination with an operational dock, undertaken within a constricted and busy footprint.”
Mr Godfrey added that completing Web Dock West required great leadership from both the contractor and the client side to cooperatively overcome significant geotechnical challenges.
“Technical research, combined with high levels of engineering and construction expertise, delivered excellent solutions for temporary works, safe working practices, environmental controls and durable infrastructure. This project was well designed, planned and executed and, whenever a problem was encountered, a strong team focus delivered solutions that overcame these challenges”.