The IPWEA-QNT Branch Conference was held on March 5-6 at the Empire Theatre in Toowoomba, where I attended a gathering of Civil Designers and Engineers. This event offered a unique opportunity for professionals in the industry to meet, exchange knowledge, and stay ahead of the latest trends and changes shaping the civil engineering landscape.
I attended a tech tour and site visit to Garnet Lehmann Park Detention Basin, which was hosted by Toowoomba Regional Council. Council faced protests and community concerns around tree removal when constructing this facility. The project team took that on board and consulted with the parks team to replace the trees (2 for 1) and incorporate a walkway into the design. This resulted in a beautiful space that is enjoyed by the community but retains its function as a detention basin. The key learning for me is that the engineering team should take community information on board, after all we are designing infrastructure for them to use.
A recurring theme of multiple conference papers is building resilience into infrastructure. As extreme weather events become more common, the exposure of roads and infrastructure to severe flood damage escalates, making the repair and clean-up efforts unsustainable. It became clear that Local Government should be looking to improve the infrastructure’s resistance to damage with improved scour protection or improved drainage rather than reinstating in a like-for-like manner. Alternatively – clean up cost should be considered when designing infrastructure in flood-prone areas. The extra initial cost more than overcomes the reduced maintenance cost when whole-of-life costing is considered and can lead to better service for the community.
I was fortunate enough to talk to the representatives from Wagners who introduced me to Geopolymer concrete — an innovative material recognised for its significant reduction in carbon footprint. Treated like normal concrete but with the capacity for use in various applications, this product has been officially recognised in an Addendum to AS3600. Its environmental benefits present an opportunity for those in the civil design and construction space to reduce their carbon emissions. I was informed that the product is to be treated as normal concrete which can be used in cast-in-situ, precast and extruded (kerb) applications. It has a 70% reduction in carbon footprint compared to normal concrete. To me, this represents an opportunity for everyone in the civil design and construction space to reduce their carbon footprint!
