Expertise
Sustainability… it’s the goal for many of us in the world of design and engineering and a key consideration during the lifecycle of any major project.

But what sets a project apart from the rest is the degree to which sustainability is incorporated in every aspect of the project.

 

An example of this is the Logan Enhancement Project (LEP), where the design phase was awarded an ‘excellent’ Infrastructure Sustainability rating – a significant achievement for the team who worked incredibly hard to ensure sustainability was at the forefront of the project.

 

Presented by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA), this rating was achieved through strategically aligning a planned approach to sustainability across the design from commencement to implementation. SMEC was not only responsible for the design, but also developed the key innovations that underpinned the rating.

 

The LEP project marks only the second major linear infrastructure project to be awarded this rating in Queensland. The first was the Gateway Upgrade North, of which SMEC was also the designer.

 

This rating doesn’t come easy and speaks to our genuine commitment to making sustainability a key part of the design strategy.

 

An ‘excellent’ rating reflects a project that goes beyond business as usual in its collaborative and innovative approach to sustainable design.  This outcome was made possible through genuine collaboration by all our partners on the project including TMR, Transurban, CPB and our design partner GHD.

 

As vital as the LEP will be in alleviating traffic congestion in the area, it’s also ground-breaking in the way that it connects with the community and protects cultural and natural assets, all the while stimulating the region’s economic growth.

 

Author

Trevor Sullivan

Attaining an Excellent rating under the ISCA framework is a noteworthy achievement for the team as it provides independent third-party verification of our sustainability initiatives and processes.”
———— Jared Cooke, SMEC Project Manager

From inception, Transurban actively engaged the community in the project planning process.  They established the successful Environmental Reference Group, highlighting the benefits of early community and stakeholder engagement.

The project included multiple fauna-specific design features. For example, there is a land bridge that is complemented by fauna underpasses, and rope bridge crossings that assist the movement of local fauna, such as squirrel gliders.

Innovative pavement design was also implemented, using EME2 asphalt and energy saving LED highway lighting.

The next phase for the ISCA rating will be for the As Built category, covering the construction phase of this exciting project. SMEC has laid solid foundations for construction and if this recognition is anything to go by, we will be celebrating again when the project is complete.

The resulting environmental design elements of the Logan Enhancement Project have been some of the most significant contributions to habitat connectivity for a linear infrastructure project in Queensland."
———— Jo Davis, SMEC Manager – Environment QLD/NT

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