Led by Melbourne Water and Knox City Council, the Reimagining Blind Creek project seeks to transform 1.65km of an underground concrete drainage pipe into a naturalised waterway, turning Lewis Park into an enjoyable, biodiverse green space that the community can enjoy.

The project incorporates the establishment of three new wetlands for stormwater harvesting and treatment and the inclusion of 677,000 new plants and 1,700 new trees. To encourage community engagement and interaction, 6.3km of new shared paths, viewing platforms and a 65m boardwalk will be constructed with prime viewing access of the new wetlands.

SVC assisted project contractor State Plant Hire with the delivery of a large-format orifice pit, made specifically as a finished precast element. Due to tight project timeframes and the site being prone to flooding, in-situ casting of the orifice pit and building of formwork would be risky.

To solve the issue, State Plant Hire approached SVC with a brief to provide a custom-made precast pit that could be installed within a single day. SVC was able to supply a structurally engineered precast pit and riser combination which was manufactured and stored offsite until the required delivery date. The custom pit was delivered to site as a finished product, complete with internal concrete baffle which was pre-sealed and watertight. All that was left for the project team was to crane the large-format pit into place, and bolt down the galvanised steel pipe grilles which were also provided by SVC.

The orifice pit is installed adjacent to a water catchment and acts as a flow control element, redirecting water from the catchment into the new naturalised waterway. The complementary pipe grilles installed on top of the pit filter out litter and debris from entering the creek.

Thank you to State Plant Hire for providing the images from the installation.