Rock and roll-out of the nbn™

03/09/2019

Downer is one of the delivery partners rolling out the national broadband network (nbn™) in Western Australia and it has been a hard job (literally).

To enable the roll-out, our team have been drilling through some of the hardest rock in the entire network at Mundaring, 34 kilometres east of Perth.

Putting it in perspective, rock hardness is measured in megapascals (MPa), with rock measuring at 25MPa considered as tough as concrete. Our team has encountered rock measuring 209MPa – eight times harder than concrete. Approximately 80 per cent of the construction area in Mundaring is comprised of this rock.

Despite its challenges, the work in Mundaring was recently completed in line with the schedule. The construction included installation of 100 nodes, 708 pits and 105 kilometres of fibre was hauled. The team also:

• Broke through solid rock using nine drills from four different companies to meet deadlines
• Installed more than 21 kilometres of conduit across two regions in narrow verges and dense bushland
• Hauled the biggest fibre cable ever for a Downer project.

Stephen Oliver, Downer Regional Project Manager, said: “This was a challenging region on the project and involved a massive collaborative effort with our people and all of our Construction Partners. Everyone’s commitment and hard work meant this project was delivered safely and to a high standard for our customer, which was great to see.”

For more information on the NBN rollout, visit www.nbnco.com.au