Management systems give Reed a head start

This weekly reporting, in an industry where monthly reviews are the norm, is one of the things that separates The Reed Group from others and contributes to its success and expansion.
That, and The Reed Group’s flat management structure which sees workers and senior management in regular contact.
Director of engineering Paul Wise points out that in some highly-publicised infrastructure projects, that have suffered delays and setbacks in recent years, it is clear that the workers on the job knew problems were looming up to six months before management and government.
“Our systematic weekly reporting allows us to spot potential problems, bottlenecks, statistical variances or other trends and change early to act on them. In this industry, nobody likes surprises, especially clients, and this system helps us to avoid them,” Wise said.
The Reed Group, which was founded in 1979, is involved in most areas of civil engineering and construction, including road, rail, water treatment, building, interior fit-out and, most recently, mining .
Wise, 46, said the company is keen to expand its role in mining infrastructure and to this end will soon open its first office in Western Australia.
“While we have undertaken some projects in the west, including a major shopping centre development, we have mainly regarded ourselves as an eastern seaboard company. That is about to change, and we see mining as one of the industries that will lead our expansion in the west.”
The company is currently engaged in its first mining project at Cameby Downs Mine, at Chinchella in Queensland. The project includes major concrete and earth works in five areas; ROM handling, raw coal handling, coal preparation plant, product and rejects handling, and a train loading station.
In a feather in Reed’s cap, the company was earlier this year appointed managing contractors for all of the Building Education Revolution schools building works in the New England and NSW North Coast areas.
The programme, part of the Federal National Economic Stimulus package, involves a total budget of $14.7 billion nationally and $2.8 billion in NSW.
For the areas being managed by The Reed Group, the contract is worth $355 million and covers 347 projects between Taree, Tweed Heads and Moree ranging from $250,000 to $3 million each in size, with a target completion date for all construction by February, 2011.
Wise said the works in each case are being carried out by local sub-contractors with a Reed team headed up by programme director Christopher Andrews establishing regional offices at Tamworth, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Lismore.
He said The Reed Group is a multi-discipline company where the divisions sometimes work on their own projects and sometimes combine with other divisions on multi-faceted projects.
In recent years, for example, the construction division has worked closely with civil engineering, allowing the company to take on major road projects involving the construction of bridges and retaining wall structures as well as earthmoving.
“As a result, The Reed Group has achieved the highest level of pre-qualification for NSW Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA) road works of unlimited value, allowing us to compete with the giants like Baulderstone and Leighton,” he said.
A major road works project of which the company is justifiably proud is the $88 million.
Wollongong Northern Distributor Extension (WNDE) which comprised the construction of a new 3km-long, four-lane dual carriageway extension of the Wollongong Northern Distributor, extending from Bellambi to the Princes Highway near Bulli.
The contract included major earthworks such as soil nailing and shotcreting, the construction of embankments over soft ground, construction of nine bridges over local creeks, one road bridge and one pedestrian bridge over the WNDE and one bridge over a local road.
It also involved the construction of stormwater and subsoil drainage, construction of several concrete-reinforced and soil-reinforced retaining walls, construction of asphalt and heavily bound pavement courses, and sprayed bituminous surfacing, as well as construction of noise barriers, kerbs, safety barrier systems, pavement marking, signposting, fencing, revegetation and landscaping, plus the installation of new street lighting and traffic signals.
The construction of the Bray Park Water Treatment Plant at Murwillumbah for the Tweed Shire Council, was one of a number of specialist water treatment projects carried out by Reed.
This $62 million project included decommissioning and upgrading a water treatment plant from 50ML to 100ML capacity of water to assist the Tweed Shire Council with the development of surrounding areas.
The upgrade can further increase its capability by 150ML a day by introducing two extra membrane cassettes to the proprietary eight Zenon membranes supplied.
“This is Australia’s largest micro-filtration water treatment plant of its kind and has an overall beneficial ergonomic design, construction and architectural feature for the surrounding growth environment,” Wise said.
The company also built the Bootawa Dam Water Treatment Plant near Taree on the NSW mid-north coast.
The $49.5 million project involved the construction of all civil works, including earthworks, reservoirs, tanks, buildings for the treatment unit, the amenities and control area, chemical dosing equipment and the main pumping stations, as well as design, construction, installation and commissioning of the equipment for the plant which has an initial capacity of 60ML per day and provisions to upgrade to 75ML per day in the future.
Wise said another water treatment related project of which the company is especially proud is its work at Taronga Zoo on Sydney Harbour, a project which has won the group a swag on awards, including peer recognition by the CCF.
The zoo’s Great Southern Oceans (Australian Coastline) Precinct is a new themed exhibit supported by various water treatment and recycling facilities for the accommodation and viewing of marine animals and birds.
The project was awarded the prestigious NSW 2008 CCF Earth Awards for Construction Excellence, Category Four and 2008 Master Builders Association Excellence Award for Public Buildings in the $25 to $50 million category, as well as the 2008 Master Builders Association National Awards for Public Buildings in the $10 to $50 million category..
Wise said the zoo works comprised redevelopment of the site including demolition of some existing structures, excavation and removal of excess materials and stabilisation of the terraces and cliff face.
An important aspect, he said, was protection of assets within and around the site including designated structures, services, heritage items and trees to be retained or to be incorporated into the new precinct.
A major element of the $54 million project was construction of the life support system in the precinct comprising sea water and freshwater transport, distribution treatment, recycling and drainage facilities to connect the various areas of the precinct and existing plant rooms, as well as construction of sea water pools which hold some 2500m³ of water and a pumping/filtration system delivering approximately 2600m³ an hour.
“Construction included a new themed beach, boardwalks and water management services, a new seal performance theatre for up to 950 spectators with various pools and training areas, a new leopard seal pool including underwater viewing, a new penguin exhibit comprising new pools and beaches, plus refurbishment of the existing seal cove pool,” Wise said.
In each area, the work also included life support systems, plant rooms, services and landscaping.
The $116 million refurbishment of the Chatswood Chase shopping centre on Sydney’s lower North Shore was one of many prestige design-and-construct projects.
“The initial works at the shopping centre involved the demolition of two adjoining commercial buildings to allow extension works to occur.
“The extension of the seven storey building incorporates an estimated 1000 additional car parking spaces as well as the relocated Coles supermarket.
The new building as well as the alteration to the existing building add an additional 10,000m² of NLA to the shopping centre and allow shoppers the ease of moving throughout the new facility,” Wise explained.
Part of this work involved removing major structural features and whole floors, and replacement of columns and beams, to open up large areas into modern high-ceiling arcade floors.
“Taking floors out of multi-storey buildings is not done very often and required a great deal of planning and expertise,” he said.
In a project where work had to continue around the clock, Reed undertook the refurbishment of the Queens Square Law Courts building, which accommodates the Commonwealth Attorney General, Solicitor General and the Supreme, Federal and High Courts of Australia.
Reed undertook a staged refurbishment and upgrade of existing courtrooms, chambers, administration and an entire BCA upgrade of existing plant/equipment and services through-out.
“The scope of this $241 million project, includes modification and replacement of the existing precast concrete/glazing faade,” Wise said.
He added that one of the reasons Reed was successful with such complex and innovative projects was that many of its management team had a trade background.
Company founder Geoffrey Reed, who remains closely involved with operations, was once a carpenter and Wise, who is a NSW board member of the Civil Contractors Federation (CCF), was a certified welder and plumber before gaining tertiary qualifications and becoming an engineer.
“Many of us in the management team have a trade background and I think that stands us in very good stead. This is a company where workers can and do speak directly with senior management and it helps that they speak the same language. There is no doubt this is an important factor in The Reed Group’s success, he said.