Servicing Sydney Metro

When it comes to specifying products for major projects such as the Sydney Metro Tunnelling, there are a few key things that are considered.

The first is that the products need to meet the specific requirements of the project, which design engineers may lay out. Secondly, the products need to be high quality and reliable so that they can withstand the project’s demands. Finally, the products need to be cost-effective so that they do not add unnecessary expenses to the overall project budget.

However, sometimes there may be more cost-effective or higher-performance alternatives available that can still meet all of these requirements. In these cases, it is essential for designers and engineers to consider all of their options before committing to unnecessary costs.

This was exactly the case for our client on the Sydney Metro Tunnelling project.

Scope and Scale

The Sydney Metro Tunnelling project is one of the most important infrastructure projects currently underway in Australia. By 2030, Sydney will have a network of four metro lines, 46 stations and 113km of new metro rail with commuters from Chatswood to Sydenham and Sydenham to Bankstown able to travel on a new, modern metro train across the city. This game-changing project will transform Sydney’s transport system and support the city’s future growth.

The tunnelling work for this project is being delivered by John Holland - CPB Ghella Joint Venture (JH CPB Ghella JV), who reached out to Allfasteners for a better and competitively priced chemical anchor for their TBM Traverse and tunnelling works.

Quality, Compliant, Economical - All in One Chemical Anchor?

It’s well known that changing products from a specified product to an alternative product on a project of this scale can be met with some resistance. So, how was Allfasteners able to provide a high-performing and more economical solution without comprising quality or compliance? It all starts with service and documentation.

Engineering Support

Our engineering department provides advice and data sheets for all of our products to ensure that our customers have all the information they need to make an informed decision about which product is best suited for their needs.

In this instance, our engineers provided JH CPB Ghella JV with data and analysis demonstrating that our chemical anchor, VF22PRO+, was a suitable alternative to the specified product. This helped to give them the confidence that they could switch products without compromising on quality or compliance.

VF22PRO+ is a top-performing anchoring system with very low VOC content offering very high performance in both cracked & uncracked concrete. Along with very good performance under seismic conditions (C1 & C2), VF22PRO+ is one of the most versatile anchoring systems in our range and exceeded the requirements on the project. In addition, the chemical anchor was able to meet tier pricing requirements and reduced costs due to the volume needed for the fit out works.

Quality, compliance, and economical on budget - all passed with flying colours. But what about testing and application? That’s where pull testing comes in.

Allfasteners Pull Testing

Once the data revealed that VF22PRO+ was a suitable alternative, JH CPB Ghella JV needed to pull test several anchors to confirm that the chemical anchor could be used in their fitout works.

Our sales and technical expert teams were on hand to provide advice and support throughout the process, and we were able to successfully pull test a number of anchors to the required loads.

As a result, JH CPB Ghella JV now had the confidence that Allfasteners’ chemical anchors could be used in their applications and would meet all of the project’s requirements.

Specification Made Easy

Once the JH CPB Ghella JV team were able to grasp real data and real test results, using VF22PRO+ made perfect sense. Not only did it meet their requirements, but it was also a more economical solution that would help to keep costs down on the project.

Additionally, Allfasteners was able to provide a complete service offering, including screw bolts, construction screws, chemical anchors, threaded rods, and SDS bits. This allowed the JH CPB Ghella JV team to focus on their project without having to worry about sourcing and supply issues from multiple suppliers.

Ultimately, the decision to contact Allfasteners and use VF22PRO+ proved to be a success in more ways than one. The project was able to continue on time and within budget, with expected completion times on schedule for 2030.

Project: Sydney Metro Tunnel
Location: NSW Australia
Client: John Holland, CPB Contractors, & Ghella Joint Venture