Shiploader and Berth Replacement (SABR)

Situated about 40 kilometers south of Mackay, Australia, the Hay Point Coal Terminal, owned and operated by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), is one of the largest and most efficient coal terminals in the world.

Hay Point Coal Terminal has purpose-built rail in-loading facilities, on-shore stockpile yards, and offshore wharves. The offshore wharves are serviced by conveyor systems, supported on jetties, which run out to sea and allow loading in deep water. The Hay Point Coal Terminal is approximately 1.8km offshore and has three shiploaders.

To ensure the sustainability of the terminal and to improve cyclone immunity, BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) is replacing the existing berth and shiploader at Berth 2.

DBM Vircon’s Scope of Work:

DBM Vircon’s scope of work included integrated design modeling and shop detailing services for the shiploader and dogbone replacements of the main structural/mechanical steelwork, as well as detailing of the services including Piping (Water, Lubrication, Hydraulics), EI&C (Electrical Cabinets, Cable Trays, Conduits, Instrumentation, Lighting) and Special Tools (Custom Fabricated Maintenance Steelwork) for Berth 2A.

DBM Vircon’s Perth, Brisbane, Auckland, Manila, and Chennai offices worked collaboratively on the project with a DBM Vircon project manager co-located in Aurecon’s Brisbane office working with their design team. Additionally, the Aurecon team in Perth worked with the engineers, site teams, and the owner, BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), to ensure an integrated approach to project delivery.

Project Highlights:

Shiploader

• The project was primarily driven by 3D design models supplied by Aurecon, supplemented by a set of standard 2D drawings and design sketches. This required close collaboration with Civmec’s engineering team.
• All fabrication occurred at Civmec, in Henderson, Western Australia. The ship loader was constructed and pre-commissioned in the workshop yard before being loaded onto a heavy lift ship, then transported to Hay Point terminal, where it was lifted and placed on the rails of the wharf for final commissioning.
• There were two separate detailing phases, one for tracking 3D modeling activities and one for tracking 2D drawing production.

Dogbones

• DBM Vircon were initially engaged to supply shop detailing services for the nine dogbone structures, comprising of six main dogbones and three dogbone connectors with all associated walkway and services.
• Limited design documentation and a tight schedule required DBM Vircon to provide resources for a three month design assistance capacity within our Perth office. This was done to help speed up and coordinate the design deliverables while simultaneously preparing the models for detail-packed production.
• Post-project completion, DBM Vircon provided site survey information and correct design models as needed.
• Coordinated work between all disciplines, including interfaces between the upper waterfront deck, shiploader, concrete caissons, and temporary site walkaways.
• The DBM Vircon piping team were engaged to finalise and provide all updated piping models and ISOs across the Berth Wharf.