Tracking material movements on a large-scale roading project in New Zealand

The entire Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Wellsford project will consist of around 38 kilometres of 4-lane highway. Phase 1, the Pūhoi to Warkworth section, covers 18.5 kilometres, with around 10 million cubic metres of earth being moved for site clearing and embankments. This section will open in May 2022.

The project is a Public Private Partnership between the New Zealand Government and Northern Express Group (NX2). Fletcher/Acciona is a construction joint venture (CJV) contracted by NX2 to build the Pūhoi to Warkworth section of the motorway.

All material grades required for the construction phase are sourced onsite in the project quarry. Once loaded, material is trucked to multiple site access points depending on the grade of material required. Topsoil for beautification is trucked in from external suppliers.

Loadscan supplied five trailer-mounted mobile LVS-3TMM load volume scanners (LVS) which are situated at strategic access points across the project geography. The mobile LVS trailer units are ideal for a project of this nature, and are conveniently moved around the site to meet specific measurement requirements. All five units are trade certified in New Zealand and Australia, with a certified measurement accuracy of +/-1%.

Material excavated from the quarry is measured as trucks exit, with grade, volume, and destination recorded via the scanner. Understanding which cut the material has come from within the quarry, and where the various grades of material are trucked to is critical for quality control, according to Site Engineer, DJ Nio-Aporo. The automated Loadscan LVS system enables full visibility and volume tracking, ensuring completely accurate reporting of material movement and placement.