How Consulting Engineers are shaping the face of Australia

From the earliest days of large scale engineering projects in Australia, when the likes of Australian engineer, John Bradfield, worked on projects such as the Burrinjuck and Cataract Dams, in New South Wales and the iconic, world famous, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australian consulting engineers have been shaping the face of the nation and participating in some of the world’s largest engineering projects. It is the consulting engineers, often working in relative anonymity, who work behind the scenes to design, supervise and project manage, the infrastructure and building projects that most people take for granted.

The world of the consulting engineering firms of today is a multi-disciplined one which encompasses the design and the development of roads, airports, bridges, dams, architecture, mechanical and electrical projects. The drawing boards and T squares of John Bradfield’s day may have been replaced by computer aided design software (CAD) but, the discipline, professionalism and vision of Australian civil and consulting engineers can still be seen in projects, large and small, across the length and breadth of Australia.

From the local school to the public transport systems and the roads that people use to get to work every day, consulting engineers are behind them all. Here are just a few examples of some of the major engineering projects that have made their mark on the Australian landscape and environment.

The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme

The snowy mountains hydro-electric scheme was the largest engineering project ever undertaken in Australia. Seen by many as a defining moment in the history Australia, the scheme was designed to collect the water that comes from the Snowy Mountains and store it in dams. The project included 225 kilometres of, pipelines, tunnels and aqueducts and the scheme now provides up ten percent of the electricity supply to New South Wales as providing vital water supplies to inland farms and industry.

The North Strathfield Rail Underpass

The North Strathfield Rail underpass, part of the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor project, is an example of how engineering ingenuity overcame the growing demands on a busy transport network. Consulting engineers devised a means to construct a 148m long freight rail tunnel, underneath an existing busy suburban rail line. Their innovative design, cut the construction time from an estimated three to five years to just 8 months and, with no disruption to normal rail services.

A great example of the multi-disciplined nature of the work of a modern consulting engineering firm is the state of the art hot fire training facility at Melbourne Airport. The only facility of its kind in Australia, the project called on the skills of mechanical, structural, electrical, hydraulic and civil engineers as well as environmental experts too. Not only does the design cater for the training needs of Australia’s civil aviation fire fighters, it also ensures that waste water from the facility is treated and re-cycled.

Green Square Urban Renewal water management, Sydney

From the grand, large scale projects such as The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, which catch the public’s imagination, to one of the slightly less glamorous necessities of modern life, storm water and sewage management. Consulting engineers developed a strategy for storm water management in the Green Square Urban Renewal area, which is located between the busy Sydney central business district and Sydney Airport. The project needed careful planning from water management experts and it also had to minimise disruption to road traffic and businesses. A key part of the city’s plan for the development of the area, the project will alleviate flooding problems in the area and prepare the water and sewage system for future growth and development too.

These are just a few of examples of the design skills of consulting engineers that are utilised in building infrastructure projects in Australia and all around the globe. From the early pioneers of engineering, to the thousands of qualified professionals of today, consulting engineers have shaped the face of Australia and continue to do so, even though most of us don’t even realise it.