From humble beginnings, Rokon has evolved into one of Melbourne’s leading civil works contractors. Roads & Infrastructure learns the secrets to the company’s success.
From a workforce of just ten employees 23 years ago, Rokon has grown steadily, developing a substantial and varied portfolio of projects across Melbourne along the way.
The scope of Rokon’s work has encompassed everything from minor to major works, including residential and industrial subdivisions, infrastructure and structural works, retirement developments, and wetland developments.
Built on values
Despite the company’s continued growth, Rokon has ensured sustained success by maintaining close, long-standing relationships with clients, both large and small.
This is built on a strong foundation of values comprising Rokon’s commitment to its diverse team, safety and accountability, delivering on promises, and always keeping an eye on avenues for growth and improvement.
Now with more than 250 employees and a network of subcontractors under the Rokon banner, these values are as crucial as ever in ensuring the company maintains productive working relationships and delivers on its commitments to the highest possible standard.
Burwood brickworks
One recent project that exemplifies what Rokon does well is Burwood Brickworks, an ambitious master planned community currently under construction in Melbourne’s east. The company was contracted by Frasers Property Australia to construct the civil infrastructure required for the development between September 2018 and November 2021.
Works included the construction of multiple public roads, six intersections, a private road, the augmentation of traffic signals and the installation of new signals, the construction of the Village Green landscaped park, multiple land lots, the excavation of an apartment basement, as well as a high-risk 10-metre shotcrete and soil nail retaining wall.
Rokon’s Senior Project Manager Max Rombiolo and Senior Project Engineer Matt Griffin were tasked with meticulous planning and coordination to ensure the works were delivered to a high standard, and with minimal disruption to the busy surrounding areas.
“From its inception, the Rokon team had to approach the entire civil works process differently, coordinating internal and external contractors and bringing in specialists when new challenges arose,” Rombiolo says.
Given the existing suburban environment surrounding the development, Rokon was required to work around major infrastructure including a telecommunications tower and cabling, overhead and underground power lines, tram lines, traffic signals, large diameter water and gas mains, as well as asbestos stormwater drainage lines.
The project required regular meetings with third-party stakeholders including an adjoining 24-hour RSPCA clinic, the Department of Transport, Yarra Trams and Telstra. Close site coordination was also required to facilitate ongoing construction of the development’s $100 million shopping centre.
“Weekly site meetings were held to coordinate activities such as concrete pumping, crane lifts, road pavements, water and electrical works,” Griffin says.
“While this was underway, a landscape contractor also required access to construct the urban open area, so their activities had to be coordinated with Rokon and the centre builder too.”
A tight six-week window was negotiated with VicRoads to complete the majority of the pavement construction.
“Some areas were completed under a daily cut and cover technique to allow for continuous traffic flow,” says Griffin. “And often under extreme weather conditions.”
Beyond business as usual
Rokon was set a hard deadline for the completion of the civil infrastructure to enable the opening of the shopping centre in time for the 2019 Christmas trading window.
“This project was a complex and multifaceted civil project that featured not only a diversity of challenging elements but also the added challenge of a tight and immovable program end date,” says Rombiolo.
“This combined with additional scope and client-initiated variations also having to be delivered in line with the original program meant the Rokon team was challenged across multiple fronts.”
One new challenge for the Rokon team included working around Yarra Valley Trams services – something the company had not encountered prior to the project.
“Tight programming, daily coordination and effective communication, as well as disciplined site management ensured the safe and successful delivery of these works,” says Griffin. “The tram service was never altered for construction.”
The two-story basement excavation and 10-metre shotcrete retaining wall were also outside the scope of work Rokon had previously completed.
“Due to the high-risk nature of these works, and the influence their completion had on the overall program, we engaged a reputable and experienced contractor,” says Griffin. “We relied on their expertise to ensure a successful outcome was achieved.”
The Burwood Brickworks project also gave Rokon the chance to work with new, sustainable materials. One such material used on the project was ex-situ foam bitumen for subgrade improvement. It was the first time the company had used the experimental material in this way.
“We worked closely with the project designers and our suppliers to optimise the pavement and procurement of this unique state-of-the-art product,” Griffin says.
“Rokon now has a better understanding of the ex-situ bitumen project, and its uses and workability have been further developed by our use of it.”
In the works
As Rokon continues to build on its established learnings and relationships, the company is currently engaged in a variety of ongoing projects across the greater Melbourne area for clients old and new
Rokon is presently undertaking multiple projects for repeat client Stockland. The companies have worked together on several previous developments, and have built a strong relationship based on Rokon’s ability to deliver projects reliably and effectively.
These include constructing the wetlands area of the 260-hectare Melbourne Business Park industrial estate in Truganina. The works involve the excavation of more than 300,000 square metres of material. More than 8000 square metres of shared footpath will also be laid as part of the project.
Stockland has also contracted Rokon for its Grand Central Estate project in Tarneit, a 38-hectare site featuring approximately 490 lots, as well as for its Grandview Estate development in Truganina.
Stage 11 of Grand Central Estate has reached council PC, while stages 12, 13, 14 and a wetlands area are currently under construction. At the Grandview Estate site, stages 4a, 9, 18 and 20 have been recently titled while stages 3b, 3c, 12, 13 and 16 are under construction.
Rokon is also working with developer Dexus Property Group on Stage 3 of Horizon 3023, an urban industrial development, following Rokon’s successful completion of stages 1 and 2.
Similar coordination has been necessary on multiple stages of the Amber Estate development for developer ID Land, where Rokon has had to work around the requirements of the local council and authorities to minimise disruptions, while ensuring safety and productivity. Stages 1-11 of this project have been completed, with the final stage, Stage 12, currently in progress.
Measuring success
Jim Thomas, Rokon Managing Director, says projects like Burwood Brickworks are a great way to measure the growth of the company.
“We’re proud of several aspects of that project,” he says. “In particular, the fact that we were able to deliver such a complex and challenging project under significant time and construction constraints.
“As the project was drawing to a close, the team was able to reflect on all that they had achieved: creating new work processes, transferring knowledge and training new talent, as well as knowing we had been part of something unique.”
Rokon’s ongoing track record of productive relationships and successful outcomes is not a matter of coincidence, either.
Diverse and challenging projects such as Burwood Brickworks have been successful because the company continues to stick to its established values, as well as maintaining close lines of communication with all stakeholders throughout the process.
This article was originally published in the August edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
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