Volcanic rock and a shared trench proved a dynamic challenge to the latest water and gas installations in the urban fringe town of Donnybrook in Victoria. Located within one of Australia’s fastest growing municipalities, the need for new infrastructure became paramount, with Yarra Valley Water, APA Group, Mirvac and Comdain Infrastructure stepping up to the challenge. AHD Trenchless was contracted to complete multiple trenchless sections within the project.

With the population of Melbourne set to become the largest in Australia by 2050, it’s no surprise that a consistent flow of home buyers are making their way to Melbourne’s outer suburbs. The City of Whittlesea, home to the rural towns of Merrifield and Donnybrook, is no exception, welcoming almost 8,000 new residents in 2014 alone.

Construction of the Donnybrook water and gas project, located north of Melbourne, began in mid-April 2015 in order to increase distribution to these areas in need. Water and gas pipelines were constructed along Donnybrook Road, and are currently servicing the Donnybrook and Merrifield precincts. Comdain Infrastructure was contracted by APA Group (on behalf of Australian Gas Networks) and Yarra Valley Water to complete the pipeline installations, which included utilising a shared trench for a section of the construction.

INSTALLATION OF THE GAS PIPELINE

APA Group managed the construction of the gas main along Donnybrook Road for Australian Gas Networks (AGN). The gas main now forms part of AGN’s natural gas distribution network to the north of the Melbourne CBD.

Read the full article from the February 2016 edition of Utility Magazine here (PDF, 1.4mb)