Construction project wins award
FOR the second time in three years, McConnell Dowell has taken out Australia’s pre- eminent engineering construction award, this year for the delivery of Rio Tinto’s Chith export facility, near Weipa in far north Queensland.
The Australian Construction Achievement Award was created by the Australian Constructors Association ( ACA) and Engineers Australia to recognise and reward innovation and the highest standard of work in the Australian construction industry.
The winning project comprises a 650m access jetty, a 350m loading wharf and an onshore conveyor system that will service Rio Tinto’s Amrun bauxite mine.
Judging panel chair Mark Dohrmann said McConnell Dowell had showcased the highly innovative solutions, teamwork and skills that constructors develop to overcome the technically challenging issues associated with today’s mega projects.
“McConnell Dowell’s execution of this challenging construction project was a standout for its comprehensive achievement of all major judging criteria, including on- time completion of a difficult and complex construction in a remote region, timely responses to quality issues overseas, exemplary safety, environmental sensitivity, and close collaboration with contractors,” Mr Dohrmann said.
The project was large, complex and remotely located, and modularisation was at the heart of the solution.
Designed by Jacobs, constructed in 10 months by McConnell Dowell and with constructability input and oversight from Bechtel, the 350m wharf structure was split into seven, first- of- a- kind ‘ jacket’ modules ( the substructure) and six topside modules weighing about 680t each and standing 30m high.
The jacket modules with integrated dolphins ( JWD) reduced the number of permanent wharf piles required from 100 to just 28, minimising environmental impact to marine life.
The wharf topside modules, placed on the jackets, ranged from 600t to 1400t and were fabricated complete with all services, conveyors, concrete roadways and access walkways.
In true ‘ plug and play’ fashion, the JWD modules were delivered and installed by a heavy- lift ship in a safe, clean and efficient operation.
The 650m access jetty was constructed using McConnell Dowell’s cantilever traveller frame. Developed for efficiency, repeatability and safety, this method minimised high- risk marine- based construction and saw each complete bent delivered in just three days.
The ability to leverage the vast experience and technical acumen from owner, project manager, designer and contractor resulted in the development and delivery of a solution that saved 300,000 job hours, reduced overall build time by 12 months, reduced capital expenditure by $ 40m, reduced environmental impacts and achieve a remarkable safety record of zero lost- time Injuries.
More information about the Chith export facility project can be found at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ3N1imRt2c.