Many Australian construction companies are actively employing people, especially those who have a digital background, to address the country’s skills shortage, particularly in major infrastructure projects, including the removal of dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne, says sustainable infrastructure solutions developer Acciona southern region digital engineering manager Daniel Easter.

Acciona walked away with top honours in the Construction category at the Bentley Systems Year in Infrastructure Going Digital Awards in London, in the UK, last month.

The company received the award for safely removing dangerous level crossings through digital engineering for the Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach project in the state of Victoria, on behalf of Level Crossing Removal Project’s Southern Program Alliance (SPA).

Acciona used infrastructure engineering software developer Bentley Systems’ infrastructure construction management software SYNCHRO 4D to address several construction planning challenges associated with working in congested areas while accommodating a large stakeholder group from diverse backgrounds.

SYNCHRO helped to deliver the project on time, with minimal disruption to rail passengers, road users and the local community.

Using Bentley Systems’ collaborative modelling and construction simulation software SYNCHRO 4D enabled Acciona to establish a connected data environment and created a digital twin to streamline workflows and provide insight into constructability and construction monitoring.

Implementing this approach using SYNCHRO reduced staging time by 67% and drafting requests by about 88%.

“When we first started this project five years ago, all the software applications we used were segregated. We have increasingly focused on creating a more connected ecosystem in collaboration with Bentley Systems to reduce the effort of transporting information from one place to another, and enable new opportunities to arise by allowing for different insights,” says Easter.

Evolving from a desktop application into a cloud-based tool, Bentley Systems’ SYNCHRO 4D allows for greater collaboration with different role-players, as well as better, sustainable decision-making and faster turnaround by providing access to real-time data, he tells Engineering News.

“This connected data environment has been a big shift change in the construction industry.”

Acciona was one of 36 finalists competing across 12 categories in Bentley Systems’ awards. Every category comprised three finalists and was judged by a panel of independent judges.

The company competed against construction company China Railway 18th Bureau Group for its application of building information modelling technology in the development of an ultra-deep water transmission tunnel in the Pearl River Delta region, in Guangdong, China, and commercial general contractor DPR Construction for the redevelopment of alternative asset management company RMR’s 20 Mass building into a mixed-use destination in Washington, DC, in the US.

Acciona is part of the SPA, one of five alliances tasked with removing 110 dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne by 2030, an endeavour which is cited as the largest project of its kind in Victoria's history.

The SPA has helped remove 13 level crossings to date, with numerous other projects already under way.

Prior to starting the Edithvale, Chelsea and Bonbeach project, boom gates were down 40% during morning peak times, when up to 30 trains ran through these crossings. Up to 53 000 vehicles drove through the level crossings a day, and multiple collisions and near misses were recorded with pedestrians and vehicles.

Community Impact

The project has had a positive impact on the city while also ensuring that Melbourne’s rail infrastructure can withstand its population growth, he says.

Melbourne had the largest population increase in Australia between 2011 and 2021, growing by 806 800 people, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ latest regional population release, published in July.

Beyond improving traffic congestion and the passenger rail transport experience, the project is also focused on uplifting communities through redevelopment.

“Not only are we removing these crossings but we are also leaving a lasting legacy by developing usable urban spaces for local communities, as well as urban green space, such as parks. It was really important to look at improving safety for pedestrians and motorists but also to rejuvenate these areas in the process.”

To limit traffic disruptions, which Easter says were unavoidable, Acciona introduced innovations using Bentley Systems’ software that optimised haulage routes.

“We took our construction programme and linked that to our digital model and ran scenario-based optimisation. This involved taking a truck’s route and overlaying historic traffic conditions, as well as considering acceptable working hours, to determine the best time of day to schedule truck movements.”

There were many digital dress rehearsals to identify potential complications during the construction process and optimise workflow, states Easter.

“We have numerous years ahead of us and will apply what we have learnt to more effectively remove the remaining level crossings on the Frankston line through digital engineering,” he concludes.