Connecting through monitoring

Author: Katherine Lehmuller, December 2016

Once a major infrastructure project is completed, engineers need to monitor for movement. This is to ensure that movement or settlement occurs within expected tolerance levels, ensuring the safety of motorists and others.

For the South Road Superway project it was particularly important to analyse differential settlements, or deformation occurring at a faster or slower pace on the infrastructure. These positional changes if unchecked could eventually lead to a step in the road. Any deformation of the road surface can lead to rapid deterioration of the asset, which in turn means costly repairs and required resurfacing. This puts additional pressure on the project’s budget and can impair its profitability.

When the South Road Superway in South Australia was completed, the joint venture was tasked with this important monitoring project.

• John Holland, leading contractor and service operator for Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia
• LEED Civil & Engineering, specialists of complex infrastructures projects

Some facts about the South Road Superway project

• 4.8 kilometre major road corridor
• Non-stop connection between the northern and southern parts of the South Australian capital city of Adelaide.
• Project cost $812 million AUD
• Now known as part of the North South Motorway
• Included 2.8 km of elevated roadway over the original South Road, which is the longest and largest single investment in South Australia’s history
• Supports up to 6 lanes of traffic for the 1.3 million residents of the capital city

Story: Connecting through monitoring
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Monitoring Movement
Chapter 3: Real-time monitoring for safety