Coolum Ridges Trunk Water Main

Scope of Works

As part of our commitment to delivering essential infrastructure for growing communities, Shadforth was engaged to undertake the construction of a 9.2-kilometre, 500mm-diameter external trunk water main servicing the Coolum Ridges development. This vital pipeline extends from Mount Coolum to Peregian Springs and plays a central role in ensuring water security and redundancy for the region.

Leveraging Shadforth’s expertise in large-scale pipeline delivery, this project demonstrates our capability to manage complex construction in environmentally sensitive, high-traffic, and geotechnically challenging areas, while maintaining the highest standards of safety, environmental stewardship, and stakeholder collaboration.

The Coolum Ridges Trunk Water Main Project involved the staged delivery of a robust water transmission system through a combination of open trench excavation and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) methods, as well as micro tunnelling and auger boring.

Challenges and Innovations

The project traversed a wide range of ground conditions and environments, including low-lying zones prone to water ingress and areas with poor ground conditions. Shadforth’s ability to adapt construction methodologies in response to these conditions has been instrumental in maintaining productivity and minimising risk.

  • Low-lying work zones requiring continuous dewatering and ground treatment

  • Unstable subgrade conditions necessitating additional structural support

  • Proximity to major transport corridors, including construction alongside the Sunshine Motorway

  • Environmental sensitivities, including the temporary relocation and reinstatement of habitat for the acid frog, a protected species in the region

  • Stakeholder management, including coordination with multiple landowners to ensure timely access, fencing, and establishment of material laydown areas.

Key challenges included delivering trenchless crossings beneath live road infrastructure and managing works within environmentally sensitive areas, including protected acid frog habitat. Through careful staging, stakeholder coordination and strict environmental controls, the team successfully delivered the trunk water main while minimising disruption and meeting regulatory, safety and environmental obligations.

LOCATION
Coolum, Sunshine Coast QLD

 
Two workers in safety gear and hats inspecting a large underground pipeline being installed in a trench.
A construction site showing a large hole with a long black pipe installed inside. There is an excavator and a crane, and power lines above.
Construction site with large black concrete structures installed in trenches, surrounded by dirt and soil, with trees in the background.
A construction site with a pipe laid along a dirt road, surrounded by trees under a clear blue sky. A white Shadforth ute is parked on the side of the road.
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