By
FLGOFF Rowan Paice and CPL Simone Liebelt
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1CLS
airfield engineers LAC Danny Evans, AC Scott Triffitt
and AC George Murphy fix reinforcement steel for wing
wall construction.
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A
WET season washout was no worries for 12 plant operators who took
on the huge task of building a new road in the jungle after it
was destroyed by torrential rain.
The airfield engineering project team from No. 1 Combat Logistics
Squadron provided road reconstruction works to the main access
roads of the Jungle Training Area at Bluewater, north of Townsville.
The Combat Survival Training School (CSTS) uses the area to instruct
their students on survival and evasion techniques in tropical
terrain.
The OIC on-site, Leading Aircraftman Peter Burger, said the job
was out of the ordinary, but definitely not out of their capability.
“While our primary role is airfield construction and recovery,
the training that we receive to become a competent plant operator
covers all different types of construction tasks,” he said.
“This includes road construction, drainage construction,
domestic and commercial building, right through to airfield repair.
“For a few of the members, it was their first time on a construction
site, so it gave them the chance to put all their training into
practice.”
With 10 days’ notice, the project team surveyed the works
required and then drafted a new design. CSTS provided accommodation
and information on the use of the area and the Queensland Parks
and Wildlife Service – which owns the land – provided
details on environmental issues, such as rainfall and catchment
areas.
The challenging project, which took four weeks to complete, included
the construction of a 15m concrete causeway and a 7m road supported
by box culverts.
The labour included excavation works, boxing out of the area,
carting waste material, rebuilding concrete formwork, new concreting,
general road repairs, drainage and site cleanup.
“Some days were more demanding than others,” LAC Burger
recalled, “especially the days that we were pouring concrete.
We would start early in the morning and, depending on the weather,
we could still be working into the night. It was always challenging,
especially when it came to vertical concreting, but it never got
the better of us.
“The feedback I received from all the guys was it that it
was one of the best jobs they had been involved in as a plant
operator in Defence.”
