Abstract:
The Dampier region in northern Western Australia presents many challenges including remote location, temperature extremes, big tide cycles and cyclones. Due to the large-scale resource industries, the region has seen significant investment in infrastructure for the import and export of iron ore, LNG, salt and fertiliser. The region has a rich history of marine construction and piling with a broad spectrum of success and failures. The rugged coastline of Dampier consists of ancient geology which poses a unique challenge to designers and constructors alike. This presentation will focus on the construction equipment and methods employed on two recent projects in the region that required large diameter steel piles to be installed in challenging ground conditions. The projects required a solution that could handle varying ground conditions including reclaimed land (large rock fill), soft sediments, sedimentary rock and very high strength rock whilst achieving the design actions (compression, tension and lateral loads). Austral worked with a global network of experts and suppliers to plan, procure, mobilise and execute the projects using pile installation technology that had not been used in Australia previously.