A V8 Supercar racing team is more than a car and its’ driver, with a dedicated team of specialist mechanics, technicians and other pit personnel essential to the team’s overall performance. A construction project is no different, with engineers and architects, builders and suppliers, project managers and sub-contractors all working together to achieve the finished structure.
The V8 Supercar Track and Pit Building project at Reid Park on Boundary Street in Townsville saw these two different circles cross paths. Each member of the project team also had a “driver” and a support crew working in the background. Two of the drivers in this race were Ron Sullivan (Project Civil Engineer) of TCS Civil and Building and Doug Thomas (Area Manager) of Reid Construction Systems. This team worked together quickly and efficiently to assist construction of the popular circuit for the Townsville leg of the V8 Supercar Racing Series.
In the case of the Reid Team, Doug Thomas was ably supported by the Lift Design engineers and product managers to safely negotiate any “hairpin bends” encountered during construction. To highlight the point, Townsville City Council raised concerns about environmental damage during construction. The Reid Park track design features a bridge spanning Ross Creek, a tidal river where a number of concrete pours had to be coordinated between high and low tides. To avoid pollution of the waterways, concrete would need to be poured and set prior to high tide. Specifically, the chemical release agents used on the formwork would need to be “green” to avoid contamination of the marine environment. |
Working with Reid support staff, Doug investigated the problem and advised that “speed bumps” would be avoided if the “green-engineeredTM” water based Nox-crete PCE form release agent was used. Because Nox-crete PCE dries to form a relatively tough and abrasion resistant coating on the formwork and is consumed in a chemical reaction with wet concrete, there is no residual chemical present on new concrete once the formwork has been removed. This mechanism provides the best option for a zero-impact form release agent, and has been taken advantage of in many a jump form in high rise projects, and even Brisbane’s Clem7 Tunnel (see our Project News Link....). This has provided environmental benefits in construction, not to mention a reduction in allergic reactions of construction staff working in the immediate surroundings.
Although sponsors form a big part of car racing, let it be known that Reid Construction Systems did not buy the naming rights to the Reid Park site – though we like it just the same. When next watching a car race,especially the V8 Supercars in Townsville, spare a thought for the “teams and their drivers” who deliver the racing circuits that provide this full throttle entertainment. |