New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards

Historic viaduct makes engineering excellence finals

12 October 2007

Recent work to improve the structural safety of Makatote Viaduct was announced a category finalist in the 2007 New Zealand Engineering Excellence (NZEE) Awards today.

The third New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards are the premier awards for New Zealand engineering professionals. The awards are presented in two major areas: Individual Awards, that recognise leadership, entrepreneurship, and our young engineers; and Category Awards, that recognise achievement in the various industry areas, together with a Supreme Award for the best of the Category winners.

The Makatote Viaduct is located between Ohakune and Tongariro National Park and was completed by ONTRACK, the New Zealand Railways Corporation.

Just shy of its 100th anniversary, Makatote Viaduct was identified as one of the highest structural risks on the New Zealand Railway Network. The Makatote River, which flows under the viaduct, had eroded the banks that supported two of the viaduct’s concrete feet. Potentially, a large section of the viaduct could have collapsed. A replacement structure would have taken years to complete and would have closed the North Island Main Trunk Railway, crippling train options as a result.

ONTRACK began work to underpin Makatote’s vulnerable foundations. Completing the project in a National Park meant ONTRACK had to take special care that its work didn’t impact on a rare blue duck habitat or a trout spawning stream, both located at the park. Likewise, it was considered that construction activities might destabilise the viaduct; special technology was employed to minimise vibrations caused by work on the viaduct foundations.

Located just 12 km south of the Tongariro National Park, the Makatote Viaduct stands as the third highest railway viaduct in New Zealand. Completed over three years and opened in 1908, it was the last viaduct on the main line between Auckland and Wellington. Makatote Viaduct was constructed from steel girder and is 262 metres long and the third highest railway viaduct in New Zealand.

David Elms, Convenor of the Category Awards judging panel said that the calibre of finalist projects highlighted the contribution that professional engineers make to New Zealand on a social, economic and environmental scale.

“These projects made the finalist cut because they each are outstanding examples of engineering innovation”, says Mr Elms. “This year’s finalists impressed the judges by demonstrating how their projects contributed to the national economy and the reputation of New Zealand engineering and impacted on quality of life in their communities”.

Winners of both individual and category awards will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner at TE PAPA, Wellington on Wednesday, 21 November 2007.

The New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards are hosted by a consortium of five partners and 10 contributing organisations. The partners are: Centre for Advanced Engineering (CAE); Association of Local Government Engineering New Zealand Incorporated (INGENIUM); Electricity Engineers Association of New Zealand (EEA); Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ); and the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand Inc (IPENZ).

Media enquiries contact:

Verona-Meiana Putaranui, NZEE Awards Media Co-ordinator

Email: media@ipenz.org.nz

Phone: +64 4 473 2028 or Cell: +64 21 479885