Beach Access using Bog Mats at Sunshine Coast Airport
A new project is underway by the Sunshine Coast Council to expand the local airport, requiring beach access. The expansion of the Sunshine Coast Airport includes a new runway, a half-length parallel taxiway, an expanded apron, perimeter road, and flood mitigation works. 1.5 million cubic metres of sand is planned to be dredged from the Spitfire Realignment channel in Moreton Bay which is to become the foundation for the airport. The sand will be pumped into the project site via a pipeline stationed underneath David Low Way. The dredging operation is set to be completed by October 2018, just prior to the commencement of the turtle nesting season. The pipeline that will be constructed under David Low Way is about 100m long.
Access across the coastal sand was required for the transportation and construction of the pipeline. A wheel loader was used to traverse a high traffic roadway, requiring a smooth transition from the sand to the concrete road. Any delays in the process would have resulted in, increasing the amount of time that the roadway would have to be shut, impacting local traffic. Delays would also affect the commencement of construction on the pipeline, as all components were needed to be transported first before work on the pipeline could begin.
The uneven ground also posed a hazard as the vehicular tyres could sink into the sand, increasing the likelihood of dropping construction parts and materials in the vicinity of the high traffic road.
How Dura-Base Bog Mats Were Used
Dura-Base mats were arranged to provide a stable roadway on the irregular ground conditions. Placed at both the entry and exit between both sites, the mats were used as a fail-safe to ensure a stable transition between the road and the sand. With the turtle breeding season fast approaching, the strict deadline required a solution that was fast to remedy and quick to retrieve from the project site.
Simple to plan and simple to execute, the mats are the perfect solution to ensure no delays to complete construction by breeding season. The temporary path can be retrieved effortlessly at any time any and no remediation is required as there is no damage to the underlying ground. The expansion of the airport is currently on schedule and the 1.5 million cubic metres of sand will become the foundation of the runway at the Sunshine Airport.