Connecting the dots

Australia’s civil construction industry is sophisticated and world-leading, with high adoption rates of the latest technology compared with other developed nations. That’s not to say that adoption is high, far from it, as construction remains a serial productivity underperformer and spends less than half the global manufacturing industry on automation. That said, technology including machine control and state-of-the-art surveying tools such as GNSS, robotic total stations, 3D laser scanning and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are commonplace on most major civil projects in this country. The Australian market is unique in that it aligns more in accuracy requirements to European standards, yet sources the vast majority of its machinery from the United States. This throws up some anomalies

Digging deep with Topcon GPS

Victorian-based Sure Constructions is a road and civil construction company servicing the greater Gippsland Area with locations in the west, south and far east. Businesses Gippsland Pipelines (Sewer and Water infrastructure) and Stable Roads (Road Stabilisation) are both owned by Sure Constructions and are an integral part of the dynamic Sure group. Associate Director and Director of Gippsland Pipelines Mark Steggall loves to explore the use of the latest technology to improve productivity, safety and efficiency. Topcon GPS technology has been in the business for nine years with machine control being utilised for the last seven. Recently, Mr Steggall and his colleagues used Topcon GPS technology to excavate two deep shafts over 6.5m in depth using a combination