Diary 4
Published on LEARNZ (http://learnz.org.nz)
[1]
[2]
Date:
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Field Trip Name:
Waterview Connection 2
Field Trip Place:
Auckland
Weather:
Fine
Where You Are:
With Dennis at the Great North Road Interchange
[3]
Kia ora koutou,
It was stormy overnight in Auckland with strong winds and heavy rain disrupting
construction on the Waterview Connection. Fortunately by morning it had cleared so
we headed back to the site office for the final audioconference.
Talking with schools
We spoke to Christian Renewal School and Sancta Maria Catholic School and learnt
some interesting things such as the amount of concrete used to build the
connection, which is a staggering 11,000 cubic metres. This amount of concrete
would weigh the same amount as 5,000 elephants! Find out more by listening to a
recording [4] of this audioconference.
Meet Dennis
Following the audioconference you met James Chamberlin [5] who wanted to
introduce you to Dennis. Dennis is the large, yellow gantry crane that you can see
from just about anywhere on site sitting high above the motorway. James took you
up on to one of the ramps for a closer look. Dennis was named after a man who
worked on the project who died of cancer. The yellow colour of Dennis recognises
the partnership between the Well Connected Alliance and the Cancer Society in
Auckland.
A special machine
Dennis is different from most cranes used to build roads as he can not only lift
things into place but he can also move along the ramp as a gantry. Dennis comes
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Diary 4
Published on LEARNZ (http://learnz.org.nz)
from Italy and he had to be shipped in pieces to Auckland. It would be impossible to
construct the Great North Road Interchange without Dennis because there is not
enough room on the ground below the interchange ramps to operate a normal
crane. James explained that one of the biggest challenges of working on this project
is its position high above a busy motorway. This is why Dennis works tirelessly
through the night from 7pm to 4am lifting and placing heavy concrete beams to
form the interchange bridges without disrupting traffic below. Another challenge of
working on the bridges is that they are curved so Dennis can only move short
distances at a time. Dennis is operated by a team of nine people and runs on
electricity. You can find out more about Dennis in the videos [6].
Working at heights
You can imagine that working at a height of over 20 metres above the ground can
be tricky and dangerous. You caught up with Dave Young [7] the Health and Safety
Manager who you first met during your induction on Monday. Dave has had a lot of
experience with working at heights and explained some of the hazards. Barriers
with netting prevent people from falling and also stop any other objects from falling
off and harming people or property below. All equipment is tied down to stop it from
being blown away. Everyone who works here is trained and has special equipment if
they are working in areas where they could fall. Harnesses are worn so workers can
always be clipped into anchor points. If someone does fall this equipment stops
them from hitting the ground. People are trained to be able to rescue anyone who
falls so they are not left hanging in their harness waiting for emergency services to
arrive. Thankfully, no one has fallen while working at this site. Dave works hard to
ensure everyone knows how to work safely and he is proud of the fact that no one
here has been seriously hurt.
Construction continues
You have had a busy week here at Waterview and have met lots of people all
working hard to finish this massive project. It has been impressive to see just how
much the project has progressed since the first field trip and I can’t wait to see what
the site looks like when we return next year. I’d like to thank all the people involved
this week who shared their knowledge and enthusiasm for the project. I hope you
have enjoyed the week as much as I have and can join us for the next field trip.
Ngā mihi nui and we look forward to you joining us next time.
Shelley the LEARNZ field trip teacher.
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Diary 4
Published on LEARNZ (http://learnz.org.nz)
[8]
Lynne and Shelley talk to Christian Renewal School and Sancta Maria
Catholic School during today's audioconference. Image: LEARNZ.
[9]
Come and meet Dennis, the huge, yellow gantry crane. What does Dennis
do? Image: LEARNZ.
[10]
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Diary 4
Published on LEARNZ (http://learnz.org.nz)
Dennis moves across these runway beams to place the concrete beams that
support the bridge deck. Image: LEARNZ.
[11]
Dennis runs on electricity. Can you see the green generator on the top of
the crane? Image: LEARNZ.
[12]
James is a Section Engineer. He showed Shelley how Dennis works high
above the motorway. Image: LEARNZ.
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Diary 4
Published on LEARNZ (http://learnz.org.nz)
[13]
You can see Dennis in position above the motorway. Dennis can lift and
place beams. Image: LEARNZ.
[14]
Dave Young talks to Shelley about safety while working at heights. What do
you think Dave is holding? Image: LEARNZ.
[15]
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Diary 4
Published on LEARNZ (http://learnz.org.nz)
Shelley and Alvin beside the construction of the Great North Road
Interchange. Image: LEARNZ.
Source URL: http://learnz.org.nz/waterviewconnection153/diary-4
Links
[1] http://learnz.org.nz/printpdf/waterviewconnection153/diary-4
[2] http://learnz.org.nz/print/1044
[3] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/wc153-diary-cam-4.mp4
[4] http://waterviewconnection153.learnz.org.nz/index.php?vft=waterviewconnectio
n153&dir=audio/arch&page=index
[5] http://learnz.org.nz/waterviewconnection153/meet-james-chamberlin
[6] http://learnz.org.nz/waterviewconnection153/videos
[7] http://learnz.org.nz/waterviewconnection153/meet-dave-young
[8] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/b-wc153-d03-01.jpg
[9] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/b-wc153-d03-02.jpg
[10] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/b-wc153-d03-03.jpg
[11] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/b-wc153-d03-04.jpg
[12] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/b-wc153-d03-05.jpg
[13] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/b-wc153-d03-06.jpg
[14] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/b-wc153-d03-07.jpg
[15] http://learnz.org.nz/sites/learnz.org.nz/files/b-wc153-d03-08.jpg
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