Re: More Money for Alice to Darwin line

["Stephen Devenish" <JohnnyR@bigpond.com>]

darryl wrote in message <941194175.334107@terra.ultra.net.au>...
>Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au> wrote:
>
>>Maurie Daly wrote:
>>>
>>> Im interested in peoples views in relation to the 7000 people allegedly
needed
>>> to build this project.
>>> It seemed on face value a bit high to me.
>
>>These days 7000 is probably an underestimate. However you could
>>probably, with restraint, get by with 7000, made up of 1000 actual
>>workers, 1500 managers to manage the workers, 2500 to manage the
>>managers of the workers, 1900 to have managerial titles but not actually
>>have anything to manage, and finally 100 executives each paid at least
>>$500,000 per annum to stuff up the whole operation just in case the
>>others have failed to do so.
>
>>Eddie Oliver
>
> I might apply for "Driver,Alice Sprongs" :-)
> Darryl.
>


Well, guys as one of the possible managers, I hope to get that $500,000
executive wages!  NOT.  As for the 7000, well I think that if you look at
the whole operation, even with out my inside knowledge you can start to see
where they all fit in.

SCOPE:  Length, lets say 1400km? Crossing loops 10?  Sidings and yards 3?

RAIL SCOPE
===========
Rail lengths standard from BHP 13.72m with 10% shorts therefore:
1400km Track
14km  Loops
50km Sidings (Best guess)
1464km of track => 2928km of rail => 213,411 welds to weld up track
then we have to destress the track  => 5856 welds (Aluminothermic)

These flashbutts need to be carried out prior to the laying of the track, so
a flashbutt welding depot would need to be set up.  Since the distance is so
great it would require one at either end.  Even if BHP roller larger
lengths, the welding would have to run double shifts to complete task on
time.

Add to this the field teams welding up the flashbutted lengths and
destressing

SLEEPERS
==========
1464km => sleeper spacing 685mm =>2,137,226 sleepers would be required.

Since these will be needed at both ends, 2 or more sleeper plants would be
constructed each running 24 hours, I don't know what the capacity of a
sleeper plant is, but I think it took Austrak a year to make the sleepers
for the Gheringhap to Maroona line, if not more and that was about 180km? or
less?

BALLAST
=========

1464km => Use about 1m^3 per metre => 1,464,000m^3 => 2,049,600 tones

A rather big hole at either end and along the way.  Mined, crushed, loaded
and transported to site, discharged, regulated, tamped and regulated again.


EARTHWORKS
=============

Well I'm no rock muncher, but a lot of the area has to be flood protected
and raised so the shear volume of earthworks I couldn't even guestimate.
Lets just say its really big.
All those bulldozers, scrapers, tippers, crushers and excavators wont just
drive by themselves, they will need maintenance, fuel, operators and
replacement.

BRIDGES
=========

I thought someone said there was about 400 bridges?  Anyone think this sound
OK?  Well weather you precast them or build insitu, you will need batch
plants and prestressing and the like.  These would be one of the main long
lead time activities so would start first in my views.   Chippy's,
reinforcing, concreters and the like all required at each bridge.


TRACK CONSTRUCTION
=====================

Well after the earthworks and the bridge works are started so too can the
track work, the track layers will either head towards each other or away
from each other or what ever takes the fancy of the operators and managers.
These will have to start from the location of the rail and sleepers and head
out so that they can be fed by the newly constructed track.  These gangs
will also include welding gangs, surfacing gangs, points and crossing gangs
and ballasting gangs.  since most of the material will be shipped by rail on
the newly constructed track they will need train crews and gangs to off load
the rails and sleepers to the tack layers.


SIGNALLING
==========

Whatever they use there will be a horde of signalling people looking at all
the little bits and bobs that make trains go.


LEVEL CROSSINGS & OVERPASSES
===============================

Who really knows how many will have to be constructed and signalled?


SURVEY & PROJECT MANAGEMENT
===============================

Yes some poor soul has to go out 4 of 5 times and peg out the whole route,
then replace all the pegs that the earthworks contractor rips out, the
replace the new pegs that when put in when the track workers rip them out.
The replace the pegs with the track surfacing starts, and replace the pegs
so that the surfacing can continue when the signalling boys knock them out.

Project management, well you have to know where we are going, workers have
to be paid, materials ordered and accommodation looked after so yes we may
need those 500 managers.


After all this, and the impact of the communities that we go through and
stay in the 7000 jobs may not be around the tracklayer or Tamper but spread
out over all the different parts of the job and the trades that will go into
the final job.  As with most jobs resources balancing is very important and
the need to keep people gamely employed is very important as well.  To me
7000 seems correct, if not a bit low but this will all depend on the staging
and the way in which the job is carried out.

As for when it starts, well I think May 2000 has it ?


Cheers


Stephen Devenish

Steve: "Hey Boss put me down for the Darwin Job @ 500k per year"
Boss:   "How about I double your wage instead?"
Steve:  "Twice nothing is still nothing"