No time to waste at water treatment plant project in Auckland

Removing 200 cubic metres of bark media from each of the bio-filters at a waste water treatment plant in Auckland without damaging the surrounding landscaping or decorative precast concrete walls required an innovative and somewhat unorthodox approach. That’s when Kennards Hire Lift & Shift provided a viable alternative solution: conveyor belts.

Elton Perry, Project Manager at HEB Construction explained that the project involved re-surfacing the concrete walls of the large bio-filter tanks, which are used to remove the odour at the treatment plant.

“Below the bark is a PE (Polyethylene) box structure, which creates a void and helps dissipate the gasses,” Elton said. “Over that is a wind break material and 150 cubic metres of bark 1.5 metres deep.”

Kennards Hire Lift & Shift, which has recently opened its specialist branch in East Tamaki, the first in New Zealand, supplied construction company HEB Construction with 3 x 6.0 metre conveyor belts, safety fencing and trestles.

Kennards Hire Lift & Shift conveyors

“We had a small backhoe positioned in the bio-filter tank and connected the conveyors together.” said Elton. “One was secured to a trestle so it could dump the media directly into a tipper truck. This added to efficiency and eliminated any need for double handling,

“This is the first time HEB Construction has used the conveyor belts from Kennards Hire Lift & Shift. They’re quick to set up, simple to operate and light enough for two men to easily reposition as needed,” he added.

With a history that dates back to 1975, HEB Construction specialties extend across civil infrastructure construction solutions, land development, sub-divisions, marine, water and wastewater services throughout New Zealand and Australia.

“We use a lot of products from Kennards Hire on various projects. We know the equipment is well serviced and reliable,” said Elton.

Kennards Hire Lift & Shift has a range of portable conveyors, which include 3.0 and 6.0 metre units. The units are compact and can be assembled in as little as 15 minutes without specialised equipment or tools.