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Next time you’re waiting to catch a plane or farewell a friend take a moment to appreciate the infrastructure improvements and ongoing works currently shaping Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport. Civilex is proud to have contributed significantly to the myriad of developments at the airport over the last five years. Although the project interfaces of some are more public than others, all projects completed and currently underway at Tullamarine are working towards improving Melbourne’s primary airport and the second busiest in Australia.
If you’re traveling by private jet then you’ll soon experience Melbourne’s new state-of-the-art private jet base. But then again with approximately 25 million domestic passengers and 10 million international passengers using Tullamarine Airport as their hub, you may be more likely to be using the new multilevel car parks, dynamic signage, and forecourt improvements.
Civilex is proud to have delivered and continue to deliver first-class projects at Melbourne Airport, and values the strong relationship we have created and nurtured with our client. Below is an overview of the completed civil works that date from 2014 until today where Civilex is currently working on airport infrastructure improvements.
One of the less publicly noticeable projects that Civilex was awarded in 2014 by CPB (formerly Leighton Contractors) – and arguably one of its most challenging – was the construction of a 324m long underground services tunnel at Melbourne Airport. The majority of civil tasks required were considered both high risk and complex requiring the installation of a cut and cover underground tunnel, five access and egress points, and temporary shoring including the installation of shotcrete protection walls to ensure all services remained operational during the construction of the new tunnel.
The significant achievements of the project included Civilex management of all temporary works design and undertaking all concrete works using internal resources. Based on the high performance of the Airport Services Tunnel Works, Civilex was awarded additional packages within the Airport.
In 2015 following the successful completion of the Melbourne Airport Services Tunnel Project CPB (formerly Leighton Contractors) awarded Civilex the MLS Ground Works contract. This project formed part of the Multi-level Car Park Structure Project for the new Tiger Terminal and included the construction of a bus terminal located on the ground floor of the MLS building.
The overall scope of works involved the design and construction of ground level civil pavements and landscaping works. These works were delivered on time and under budget which is noteworthy considering the significant challenges of confined working areas without clear site access, services clashes that restricted staging and production, working below an already complete structure which prevented operation of some plant and equipment, and a variety of unknown ground conditions including the existing uncontrolled blinding layer put in place for the building construction.
Due to Melbourne’s lack of a private jet base at a standard equal to other major cities around the world, Civilex was awarded a major contract from Hutchinson Builders in late 2016 to construct a new purpose-built jet hangar and prestige passenger terminal with associated infrastructure located within the Melbourne Aviation Precinct (MAP) site.
The project comprised of building a purpose-built private jet hangar with capacity for 17 private jets, a display hangar for a vintage DC3 aircraft, a prestige passenger terminal, customs and security facilities, a hangar support office and storage space, and a basement car park. Stay tuned for project completion article posted here soon.
In May 2017 Civilex was engaged by DCWC to upgrade the Valet Parking facilities at Melbourne Airport. The purpose of this upgrade was to improve traffic flow and the quality of the existing Premium Valet Car Parks. These upgrades were achieved through Civilex demolishing existing infrastructure, constructing new kerbs and islands, installing new boom gates with complex Damagepix vehicle inspection systems, a new epoxy coating, line marking and signage, fencing works and construction of new valet offices for Virgin and MelAir passengers. These upgrades were achieved with very complex project management and subcontractor involvement.
At the same time as the Level 2 Valet Parking Upgrade project, Civilex was engaged by DCWC to upgrade the T4 Car Park to create a Nested Premium Car Park within Level 1 to T4. Special features of this project included 4,500m2 of concrete grinding and epoxy works and construction of new boom gate lane. These works were undertaken in a live traffic environment.
A significantly high-level public interface project is the Melbourne Airport Parking and Forecourt Optimisation (PAFO) Project Ground Floor and Forecourt Works. Civilex was engaged by DCWC (on behalf of APAM) to undertake works to improve the management of passengers arriving and departing from the Melbourne Airport Forecourt area. The project also included an upgrade to the rental car area on the ground floor of the multi-level carpark to improve the flow of rental cars and vehicles entering the carpark.
Special features included the construction of a carwash on the ground floor carpark, installation of vehicle inspection systems on eight boom gate exits, 40,000m2 of asphalt re-sheeting with complex staging and stakeholder engagement, and the construction of a forecourt canopy structure. All aspects of this project involved a high level of public interface.
It was identified that through the use of digital lane allocation screens the Forecourt and Departures Drive arrangement at Melbourne Airport could be modified to better use existing infrastructure and more efficiently disperse traffic during peak times.
Civilex was engaged by DCWC (on behalf of APAM) to develop, install and commission two variable message boards mounted on new gantry signs to support digital lane allocation for G2 and G3, changing two existing static signs within the lower Forecourt on Arrival Drive, removing an existing sign on Departure Drive, and line marking alterations at key points to facilitate logical traffic movements.
Also included in the project scope was coordination with existing APAM systems and compliance with APAM standards, provision of active ICT network equipment to signage controllers through the client’s nominated supplier and coordination with APAM for display requirements. Additional requirements also included the installation of new line markings compliant and in accordance with the new layout/design.
In February 2018, as part of a variation to the PAFO Ground Works and Forecourt Project, Civilex was engaged by DCWC (on behalf of APAM) to upgrade and extend the Melbourne Airport Value Stay Car Park.
This project is presently being undertaken and involves the construction of four boom gate systems to partition the carpark into three separate areas, installing 130m of underground electrical and communications services, permanent fencing works to segregate existing parking areas, installation of three CCTV poles, concrete demolition to create new entrances and exits, removal of existing line marking and installing a new line marking layout, installing 150m of underground sewer and water pipes – including live connections, and installing a new modular toilet block for UBER (including pump and holding tanks).
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