The Eastern Busway Alliance—comprising Auckland Transport, Fletcher Construction, ACCIONA, AECOM, Jacobs, and mana whenua—faced a major challenge: how to streamline the construction of Rā Hihi, a 17-span public transit flyover in East Auckland. Traditional concrete monitoring methods were slowing them down. So, the team turned to Converge to track concrete curing and strength development in real time.
The Eastern Busway is one of Auckland’s key infrastructure projects, designed to improve transport connections between East Auckland and the city. As part of this development, the Eastern Busway Alliance is constructing Rā Hihi, a 17-span flyover that will streamline traffic movement through Pakūranga. Given the scale of the project and the critical role of concrete structures, precise monitoring was essential to ensure both efficiency and compliance with strict specifications.
With 34 bridge components requiring temperature monitoring, project engineers needed a reliable and user-friendly system to track concrete curing. Traditionally, monitoring relied on single test cylinders, but this method lacked real-time insight into strength development, making it difficult to optimize construction timelines. The team also faced significant time constraints, as delays in stripping formwork could impact the overall project schedule and slow down critical path activities.
After evaluating multiple concrete monitoring solutions, the team selected Converge for its ease of use, real-time data access, and powerful reporting capabilities. Initially deployed for temperature monitoring, the system was soon calibrated to track strength development, allowing engineers to make data-driven decisions on formwork removal and curing times.
By leveraging real-time strength data, engineers were able to strip formwork 2–3 days earlier per pier, expediting construction without compromising safety. Additionally, diaphragm pours—originally planned with a 10-day cycle—were accelerated to a 7-day cycle, keeping the project ahead of schedule and improving overall efficiency. This optimisation contributed to a more efficient critical path, reducing the overall curing program by more than 30 days and ensuring smoother project execution.
By using Converge sensors, the Eastern Busway Alliance safely accelerated their concrete cycle. This optimisation saved over a month on the project’s critical path, ensuring that construction remains ahead of schedule and is on track to be completed on time.
With real-time strength monitoring, engineers could make informed decisions about when to safely strip formwork. This eliminated unnecessary waiting time, reduced project bottlenecks, and ensured that work progressed without compromising structural integrity.
The Converge platform provided remote access to live concrete performance data, allowing teams to track progress from anywhere. Automated reporting simplified compliance, ensuring designers and stakeholders had instant access to accurate, up-to-date information.
Eastern Busway project information
Project info: easternbusway.nz