Introduction

Unique and innovative global projects feature in this year’s entries for the NZIS Award of Excellence.  From deformation monitoring in Samoa, a railway complex in London, mapping redwood trees in Rotorua to national mapping in Tonga - the judges describe the three winning projects as “technically complex and innovative and demonstrating significant capability” by NZIS members.

A unique and highly complex railway station project in London is the winner of the 2012 ‘Gold’ Award of Excellence. For the judges, led once again by Dr WA Roberston and Jayne Perrin, the Canary Wharf Crossrail Station project entered by Senior Engineering Surveyor, Eric Zeeven, represented “excellence in the provision of surveying services and support for a huge and demanding rail station complex”.

An innovative exercise in practical recreational mapping to support a local community by Canmap Hawley Ltd based in Rotorua was awarded the Silver Award.

The Merit award went Benjamin David Dash, Spiire New Zealand Ltd, Wellington for a dynamic deformation monitoring project in Grenada North, Wellington demonstrating levels of complexity, professional and technical challenges and innovation.

The awards are open to all Institute members with the aim of encouraging and identifying excellent performance by the surveying profession. The awards this year were presented at the NZIS annual conference dinner held Invercargill, Saturday 27 October 2012.

Six entries were received detailing projects that reflected the wide range of complex skills that surveyors need; including urban design, spatial sciences, resource consent planning, engineering design, project management and communication amongst others.

The following entries were received:

Forsyth Barr Stadium - Beca, Christchurch

Innovation in Dynamic Deformation Monitoring - Benjamin Dash, Spiire New Zealand Ltd , Wellington

Newhaven Development - Staig & Smith, Nelson

Canary Wharf Crossrail Station - Eric Zeeven, Canary Wharf Contractors Limited, London

Spatially Enabling Tonga – a New National Mapping System and CBD Infrastructure Survey - Beca, Auckland

The Redwoods – Whakarewarewa Forest Recreation Maps - Canmap Hawley Ltd, Rotorua

Award Details

GOLD AWARD WINNER
CANARY WHARF CROSSRAIL STATION,

Entered by Eric Zeeven Senior Engineering Surveyor, Canary Wharf Contractors Limited, London,

The Crossrail project is unique to Canary Wharf in nature and complexity and brought with it many new challenges from a surveying perspective. This major project involved aspects of deformation and structural monitoring, geodetic, hydrographical, topographical, and engineering surveying. It also featured construction activities that were in some cases a first in the United Kingdom. The mid dock location was challenging being bounded on three sides and in close proximity to existing buildings ranging from 18^th century wooden piled listed buildings, to 52 storey modern high rise towers. The surveying performance for the project contributed to its successful delivery 5 months ahead of programme within tolerance and with a high level of client satisfaction. The assessors in giving this project the Gold Award rated it markedly superior in terms of professional and technical challenges, complexity, innovation, and client satisfaction.

SILVER AWARD WINNER
THE REDWOOD  – WHAKAREWAREWA FOREST RECREATION MAPS

Entered by Canmap Hawley Ltd, Rotorua

This innovative mapping project involved a new concept of a high utility recreation map which allowed for regular updates, contributed to sustainable recreational use of the forest and was highly collaborative and cost effective. It has led to Canmap Hawley and Rotorua District Council becoming project partners for a five year period. The products of this project were maps and trail profiles provided through a Recreation Guide, trail map sign boards at key positions in the forest and a concept of a cross between a map and a hanky (Manky) printed on durable fabric. This is an ongoing project with data steadily being updated allowing new versions of the products to be released regularly including mobile applications additional efficiencies and timeliness. The assessors in giving this project the Silver Award rated it highly in terms of professional and technical challenges, complexity, innovation, environmental and client satisfaction.

MERIT AWARD WINNER
INNOVATION IN DYNAMIC DEFORMATION MONITORING

Entered by Benjamin David Dash, Spiire Ltd, Wellington

This work involved a non-contact survey monitoring component of a project required by Transpower NZ Limited. This project sought to gain knowledge about a specific tower type in the network in regard to the risk to the network of these towers.

The issues to be resolved were the amount of displacement, movement related to deformation or failure of the towers and the maintenance cost implications. The survey work involved a survey control network, terrestrial photogrammetry system design and operation, data processing and project management. This work was undertaken in an interdisciplinary setting with a specially designed customer monitoring and analysis system. The successful use of time lapse terrestrial photogrammentry ensured that the requirements of this dynamic monitoring exceeded the client’s project expectations. This project is assessed as being worthy of a merit award by the assessors.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

FORSYTH BARR STADIUM

Entered by Beca Christchurch,

The Forsyth Barr Stadium entry consisted of a technically and complex matrix of survey requirements. These were subject to tight timelines, accuracy standards and budget limits. The survey challenges included cadastral, control, monitoring for subsidence, pile set out and as build surveying. Adhesive reflective targets were used in establishing multiple secondary stations throughout the construction site for ensuring accuracy and controlling errors. There was good client satisfaction with the “best-for-project” mentality, proactive approach and achievement of reliable accuracy being noted. The assessors noted the good performance of the surveying component of this project.

NEWHAVEN SUBDIVISION

Entered by Staig and Smith, Nelson

This entry is for a high quality coastal-residential development situated at Marahau adjacent to Abel Tasman National Park. It consists of a 25 lot subdivision in a sensitive coastal environment containing pre-European Maori heritage features. The sensitive coastal environment required innovative and non-traditional approaches some of which were used to enhance and create additional marketing opportunities for the completed development. The nature of the design approach resulted in additional challenges in gaining local authority acceptance. The resource consent required extensive consultation with the Council and Iwi in the design, construction and land transfer processes. Features of the design included low impact stormwater management, secondary standard treatment of wastewater integrated with on-site wastewater disposal areas. The assessors noted the successful design and development of this subdivision in a sensitive coastal and cultural environment.

SPATIALLY ENABLING TONGA – A NEW NATIONAL MAPPING SYSTEM AND CBD INFRASTRUCTURE SURVEY

Entered by Beca, Auckland

This project follow s from the earlier World Bank funded Cyclone Emergency Recovery and Management Project. It was funded by the European Union and involved a detailed topographic survey and the creation of an infrastructure database for the urban area of Nuku’alofa as a basis for sound planning and development decisions. The range of project components included assessment of current records, land information and GIS data relating to infrastructure of the Central Business District (CBD), the undertaking of topographic and infrastructure survey and training and capacity building for local staff. An innovative approach in this project was the use of the existing GIS as the basis of the infrastructure database. This had the benefit of maintaining and upgrading the software and personnel skills as an alternative to introducing a new system. The project was completed within the project timeframe and budget. The assessors noted the achievement of this project in providing infrastructure and building effective capacity in a developing country.