SMEC, the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation, is celebrating the 40 year anniversary of the company’s inception this month.
Its origins date back to Australia’s largest infrastructure project, the Snowy Mountains Scheme, one of civil engineering’s wonders of the modern world. It was a massive multi purpose project which took 25 years and $820m to complete in 1974. That is more than $17bn in terms of average earning power today.
SMEC has celebrated its 40 year anniversary with growing success as it has won a variety of new projects over the last quarter. These include:
Afghanistan – rural infrastructure improvement
SMEC has signed a contract for capacity building consultancy services for the National Emergency Rural Access Program. It will improve 5700km of rural roads and 30km of cross-drainage structures, culverts, and causeways. The World Bank is funding the program.
Australia (New South Wales) – dam engineering design
SMEC has been awarded two key dam improvement projects in NSW: the Hume Dam Spillway Junction and Keepit Dam on the Namoi River. The Hume Dam Spillway project aims to minimise risk associated with failure of water storage. SMEC will provide key improvements to risk areas through design upgrade and contract supervision. The Keepit Dam project aims to provide maximum flood capacity for the dam. SMEC will undertake detailed design work for phase two of the project.
Australia (Queensland) – road design and construction
SMEC has been awarded the design and construct contract for the Cardwell Range project in North Queensland, because of innovative design solutions, which provided a $15m saving on the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads’ original budget. The project will substantially improve the safety and efficiency of traffic movements over the Cardwell Range – a critical section of the Bruce Highway between Townsville and Cairns.
Australia (Queensland) – geotechnical study
SMEC will review unstable soil, the slope instability zoning system and the planning scheme for development of sloping sites city-wide, for the Gold Coast City Council
Revision of city-wide mapping will be undertaken to include landslips that have occurred (or been mapped) since the original zoning was undertaken in 1999. The project will involve updating the sloping site assessment system to incorporate industry best practice, such as the Australian Geomechanics Society 2007 guidelines.
Australia (Queensland) – Pacific Motorway upgrade
SMEC has been awarded the detailed planning contract for the Pacific Motorway from the Logan River to the Gateway Motorway. The project will establish a preferred option for an auxiliary lane on the southbound carriageway at locations including Gateway Motorway to Rochedale Road, Fitzgerald Avenue to Shortland Street and Shortland Street to Old Chatswood Road. The planning and detailed designs are required to manage existing and projected traffic volumes and will include typical cross sectional widths, retaining walls, noise barriers, bridge modifications, pavement rehabilitation and major culvert repairs.
India – transmission and distribution enhancement
SMEC has signed a contract with the Assam State Electricity Board, to provide project implementation consultancy services for its transmission and distribution network system enhancement. This will be carried out as part of the Assam Power Sector Enhancement Investment Program and is funded by the ADB. The project will strengthen power transmission capacity, improve access to electricity, enhance efficiency and quality of power supply and ensure financial health of the power sector through continued reform.
Indonesia – water, sanitation initiative
SMEC has signed a contract amendment with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) for the Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative (IndII). IndII will now incorporate management of some activities under the Water and Sanitation Initiative (WSI). The objective of the WSI is to expand access to water supply and sanitation services and improve the quality of life for local residents.
Lao PDR – hydropower project tender review
SMEC has been engaged to revise tender design and documentation for the Nam Ngum 3 Hydropower Project in Lao PDR. The tender was initially drafted during the mid 1990s and featured a 220m high concrete faced rock fill dam, 11km of tunnels and a 440MW underground power station. The project was postponed due to the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s.
Mozambique – road design engineering services
SMEC was awarded the contract for the detailed design of the Rio Ligonha to Nampula Road project, by the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). SMEC has successfully completed phase one which included a feasibility study, environmental and social impact assessments, design and supervision of works for the 102km stretch of highway located in the northern part of Mozambique. After successfully completing phase one, the MCA invited SMEC to tender for detailed design of the project.
Philippines – road engineering design
Manila North Tollways Corporation (MNTC) has awarded SMEC the detailed engineering design contract for the North Luzon Expressway (Segment 10). SMEC will provide detailed analysis to validate, prepare and recommend the most appropriate alignment design for the 7.78km expressway.
Sri Lanka – demand side management
SMEC has been awarded a demand side management project for the power industry in Sri Lanka. SMEC will provide technical support to the Ministry of Power and Energy to develop local capacity within electric utilities; Ceylon Electricity Board and Lanka Electricity Cooperation. The project will address street lighting, develop energy service units and a demand side management program. The project is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Vietnam – building construction management
SMEC has been awarded the contract to build a 36-story building in Hanoi, Vietnam. The project has been commissioned by the Infrastructure Investment and Transportation Construction JSC – a leading developer in Hanoi. SMEC will provide design services including master planning, concept design, detailed design, tender management and construction documentation management. The building includes three towers which will share a common podium.
