Ballarat Airport - Bonacci Group Pty Ltd

Ballarat Airport - Infrastructure Upgrade

Project Summary

The Ballarat Airport Infrastructure Upgrade Project involved hydraulic analysis to resolve historical overland flooding of airport operations. This study formed the basis of the civil design response, with a view to providing protection during a 1in100 Year storm event. Civil design involved liaison with Airport planning authorities and agreement on the pavement make-up for both aircraft and vehicles. It was critical to create a new hardstand in a previously flood-prone part of the Airport, and as a consequence ‘value add’ to the overall Airport facility.

Background

The Airport is home to several flight training schools and is also used for such things as fire and medical services, aerial agriculture, charter services, recreational flying, aircraft maintenance. The Infrastructure Upgrade project consisted of detail design and costing of the following elements:

• 450m of Access Road

• 2 Road Intersections

• 1 Court head

• 850 m2 of Carpark

• 750 m2 of Building Pad

• 1.6 ha of Apron and taxiway

• 1.3 ha of Retarding Basin

• 700m of Floodway Main Channel

• Construction of embankment at the perimeter of retarding basin and the main channel to accommodate
  - 200mm freeboard
  - 516m of Permanent Swale
  - 320m of Pipe Drain
  

Challenges

• Interfacing with upstream and downstream components of the main channel and the access road

• Retarding Basin with a pilot channel design at fixed Reduced Level (RL)

Solutions

The main channel and the access road were designed first, then separate TINs created. After that, modifiers such as fixed fall to strings, width to strings, fixed fall to TINs, etc. were used from Access Road to Main Channel and vice versa, to model the interface. This aspect was also challenging, in that both surfaces and strings (Access Road and Main Channel) were used against each other to create an ‘optimised’ model.
A TIN was created with the design fixed RL. The pilot channel was modelled. Modifiers were used to interface with fixed RL TIN. Because of curvilinear pilot channel geometry, strings were intersected at the concave side of the curve. 12d Model has the flexibility to perform tasks automatically and in circumstances as described above, strings can be drawn manually at desired interval, grades, height, etc.

Results

Detailed design of all the above elements using 12d documentation, and finalising schedule of quantities within a 4-week program, was achieved. The use of 12d Model software enabled all deliverables to be met with accuracy. Another remarkable aspect was the ability to provide a 3D model to the civil contractor and the Airport authority and not have a single construction issue arise.