SPPEEX on Site: Wharehuia Dixon
Name: Wharehuia Dixon
Company: Beca
Position: Civil Engineer – Airports
Project Name: Hobart International Airport Runway Overlay and AGL Upgrade
Wharehuia Dixon from Beca, gives us an insight into his recent work at Hobart International Airport, Tasmania Australia. Here’s what he has to say…
Can you give us some background on the project you're working on?
The project primarily involves an asphalt overlay to Runway 12-30 and Taxiway Charlie and Delta, reconstruction of runway turning nodes and taxiway widening’s and installation of airfield ground lighting (AGL) which includes lighting and secondary cabling.
Who is the client and who will ultimately benefit from the project?
Hobart International Airport Pty Ltd. Benefits are likely to help boost local tourism industry and local businesses.
Who is involved in the project?
The Beca team were the designers, construction supervisors and superintendents for this project. Beca had two people based on site sharing a 24hr workload. They were supported by project managers who would make frequent visits and the design team based in Auckland.
The contractors are Downers EDI Works based in Australia.
SPPEEx ENGINEERS ABROAD: Tyrone Newson
Maori in the Middle East
When my wife Charmaine and I packed our bags and set off for Dubai in April 2008, the prospect of working in a brand new city built in the desert seemed very surreal. The main attraction of my desire to work in Dubai, was to work on amazing multi-storey buildings that pushed the boundaries of architectural and engineering limits.
Upon arrival in Dubai, I was not disappointed with the sheer size and scale of projects that I would be in charge of getting built – one US$100M 50+ storey hotel & office tower fit out, and a three tower 44-storey mixed use US$300M development consisting of hotel, office and residential towers. At first these dual project challenges proved quite daunting for a Maori Tongan engineer 17 hours flying time away from home, with no prior working experience overseas and whose previous largest project was an NZ$80M airport redevelopment. However, after four months of getting to know the various contractors, consultants, client representatives, and local authority representatives, I was well on the way to adding value to these projects through my arrangement of regular face-to-face meetings with each of these stakeholders. It was quite surprising to find that nearly all of the stakeholders I had to deal with on a regular basis enjoyed my kiwi style of straight talking advice while still being polite both in face to face interaction and in written correspondence. This consistent kiwi style was in stark contrast to project managers and engineers from the Middle East who were very aggressive during meetings but rather too polite or meek in written correspondence and at the other opposite end of the spectrum where western engineers could be quite blunt in written correspondence but rather timid during meetings. My next 16 months in Dubai would be characterized by negotiating this fine line of consistent enforcement and fairness to all parties on contractual matters.
