Contractor uses Topcon Systems on AAMI Park Stadium Project

Melbourne’s recently opened three-level AAMI Park Stadium is a state-of-the-art multi-use stadium with a world-class playing surface – achieved through the use of highly experienced contractors using Topcon precision positioning systems. The $267.5 million stadium – known as the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium (MRS) during construction – was completed in May 2010 by principle contractor Grocon Constructors and principle sub contractor Delta Civil.

The stadium is the new home of the elite Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart football teams, the Melbourne Storm rugby league team, and the Melbourne Rebels Super 15 rugby union team.  It also provides an outstanding training, sports medicine and administration complex.

The Contractor

The Bassearth team headed by Jim Bassett, were selected to complete the grading works at the MRS project. As an earthworks specialist, Bassearth’s used their experience and expertise in using Topcon Machine Control systems to work in, with tight timeframes around site access issues, while allowing it to return to site days or weeks after its last visit – and resume work exactly where it had left off.

How they did it

For the precision grading and levelling processes, Bassearth used a Caterpillar 120H grader fitted with a Topcon System 5 machine control grader system to grade the base. Backing up the grader were a John Deere 6410 and a John Deere 4320 laser scoop, also both fitted with Topcon’s System 5 machine control system. All levels were audit surveyed using a robotic total station and digital terrain model (DTM), during the progress of the project; all levels were within the tolerances required, thanks to the Topcon system.

Bassett said that the material savings achieved through using Topcon technology – with its ability to minimise wastage, by eliminating overcutting and excess fill materials – had been factored into Bassearth’s operations for many years.

Why Topcon?

The thing that made the total Topcon machine control system really impressive was its repeatability.

“On this project, the Topcon systems were excellent; they performed extremely well. Because of the nature of the project, the limited access to the site and the constraints of the sections we had to grade, we would work for just one or two days a week, then have to stop and go away for a week, come back and restart the whole system again.

Repeatability was vital for the successful delivery of this project. If you have an unreliable system it doesn’t give you the correct details, so ‘matching in’ with the completed work and starting again is an issue. But with the Topcon systems the repeatability was there every single time. We’d get on site, re-set up and start as though it was the next day.”

Jim Bassett, Managing Director, Bassearth

Bassearth and Position Partners

“… during this project we would get the lasers recalibrated for no charge at Position Partners service centre, to ensure the quality of the job. Because it was such a high-profile job, we would complete an element, then have the laser tested to ensure it was within specification; we were then able to report that the job had been done within specification.

Where you might normally only check calibration of the laser once every couple of months, on a job like AAMI Park Stadium we would check it daily. On completion of the project we noted that, while the Topcon instruments had been rigorously checked throughout the process, they had not actually required any adjustment – proving once again their reliability.

Position Partners undertook to provide that service, which gives us – and our clients – peace of mind that the systems were working correctly.  World standard quality was expected and the Topcon systems were able to meet or exceed our expectations in achieving these standards.

Topcon technology and the support and back up from Position Partners were key factors in the success of this project. Over the years, we have come to rely on them as a key member of our team and help position Bassearth with a serious competitive advantage.”

Jim Bassett, Managing Director, Bassearth