McConnell Dowell is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Chith Export Facility construction for Rio Tinto’s $2.6billion Amrun bauxite development on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland. Through collaboration and innovation, this state-of-the-art facility has been delivered safely, efficiently and with minimal environmental impact.

About the Project 

Constructed in just 12 months by McConnell Dowell, the Chith Export Facility includes a new 650-metre long access jetty and a 350-metre long load wharf; both fully provisioned with services, conveyors, roadways and access walkways. Onshore scope included 350 metres of ground conveyors and a transfer station. 

The facility is part of Rio Tinto’s Amrun Project, which includes the construction of a world-class bauxite mine, processing plant, and port facilities.

Collaboration and Innovation 

Collaboration was a hallmark of this revolutionary marine project, which was designed by Jacobs and constructed by McConnell Dowell, with constructability oversight by Rio Tinto’s EPCM, Bechtel.

Jacobs’ design concept saw a move away from traditional stick-built to a modularised approach, with the wharf split into seven ‘jackets’ incorporating dolphins and topside modules.

This innovative jacket design reduced the number of permanent piles required to be installed from 100 to 28, minimising the environmental impact to marine life in the area – a key focus of the Amrun team. 

The jacket structures and topside modules were fabricated off site by McConnell Dowell’s experienced fabricators, enabling on site jetty construction and wharf fabrication to occur concurrently and delivering safety and quality control benefits. The largest topside module weighed 1,200 tonnes. 

The jetty was constructed using McConnell Dowell’s cantilevering traveller frame with hydraulic piling gates. These temporary works were fabricated with efficiency and repeatability in mind, and productivity peaked at an impressive three days per bent. Access was incorporated into the traveller design, creating a safe work environment with no requirement for scaffold. 

Collectively, these innovations saw a reduction in high risk over-water and working at height activities and reducing overall build time by 12 months. 

In reflecting on the project’s success, Rio Tinto’s Project General Manager, Marcia Hanrahan, said: 

“Innovations such as these are integral for advancing the future of the mining and metals industry in a safe, cost effective and replicable manner. The collaboration between Rio Tinto, Bechtel, McConnell Dowell and Jacobs throughout the design, fabrication and construction phases of the project has delivered an approach to wharf building that will pave the way for future projects, not just in Australia but globally.”

McConnell Dowell’s Australian Managing Director Jim Frith agreed:

“Marine construction is core business for McConnell Dowell so to see collaboration lead to some really ground-breaking new methods is very exciting. New approaches that deliver time, cost, quality and environmental benefits are rare to achieve, so we are extremely proud to be part of this project with this team.”

A Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) called ‘Blanche’ set a new world record when it reached 1496.48 metres - the longest ever stretch of pipe laid by the Direct Pipe® tunnelling methodology. The TBM is located at Watercare’s Army Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant, Whangaparaoa.

On the afternoon of Friday 13 July, the McConnell Dowell project team were monitoring progress with building excitement as the TBM approached 1495m, the previous record set in Texas in 2017. 

McConnell Dowell Project Manager Chris Powell explained that the record was attained “by achieving the right balance between pipe strength, thrust and the operation of the 34 tonne TBM to maximise its capabilities.”

“This is the first time the Direct Pipe® system has been used in New Zealand. As a consequence we weren’t constrained by traditional applications and were able to used the Direct Pipe system it in ways not explored before. We set some pretty high expectations, we learn’t much and achieved   a real global step-change in how this new tunnelling technology can be used.”

The unique benefits of Herrenknect’s Direct Pipe® system includes the ability to install long pipelines in a single drive, safely with speed, all of which reduce environmental impacts and make it ideal for working in small or sensitive spaces such as the Shakespear Regional Park.

Ben Hayes, Pipeline Expert and Area Sales Manager at Herrenknecht Asia congratulated McConnell Dowell on using the method to achieve a world record.

“The hands-on site team have been particularly impressive in their ability to adapt and overcome hurdles encountered - along with the support of Herrenknecht site personnel with their considerable trenchless technology expertise - to ensure an efficient and safe execution with a technology that was essentially new to them.”

Direct Pipe® is a Herrenknecht trademarked tunnel boring machine (TBM) that combines the best of microtunnelling and Horizontal Direct Drilling (HDD) into one machine. In one step, the borehole can be excavated and a prefabricated pipeline installed. The project team have also developed the system so it can achieve drive speeds of up to 30m a day, which makes it an extremely  efficient tunnelling option. Direct Pipe® is generally used in Europe to install pipelines under rivers and other large bodies of water.

The scope of Watercare’s $31 million project includes constructing 2.9km of new gravity-fed wastewater pipeline -  two kilometres of onshore pipeline installed using the trenchless Direct Pipe™ system, and 900m of marine outfall that will run along the seabed. The project also involves upgrading the existing ultraviolet disinfection facility, electrical controls and standby generators as well as building a new pump station.

Construction upgrading Watercare’s third largest wastewater treatment plant began in August 2017 and is scheduled for completion in early 2019.

McConnell Dowell has received a number of industry awards over the years, in recognition of the complex, innovative projects we undertake in collaboration with our partners and customers.  

We are excited to announce that this year the Mangere Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) Upgrade Project for Watercare has won the Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards 2018 for Category 4 – Projects with a value greater than NZ$100M. 

Other awards that this impressive project has already won include:  

• 2018 Hynds Construction Award for Projects greater than NZ$25M
• 2018 IPWEA New Zealand, Best Public Works Project greater than $5M
• 2016 Risk New Zealand, Excellence in Building Risk Management 

Mangere BNR delivered by the McConnell Dowell/HEB JV competed against one other contender in this category, the SH1 Russley Road Upgrade in Christchurch, another one of our projects, this time delivered by the McConnell Dowell / Downer Joint Venture. 

The Glen Eden Storage Tank Sewer Upgrade also received a Highly Commended certification in its category for projects between NZ$5-20M, in recognition for the highly innovative approach we took to the project by constructing a tank using an innovative caisson method to minimise disruption to the community.

At McConnell Dowell our purpose is “Providing a Better Life”. Our Vision is to be a leader in the delivery of infrastructure. Our Values are a complete commitment to safety and care, honesty and integrity, customer focus, working together, and performance excellence. We believe that these projects exemplify these values and would like to thank our customers, partners and all our staff that worked on these projects for a job well done.

To view the Mangere BNR project video click here.

Delivered by the McConnell Dowell-HEB JV, the team worked collaboratively with Watercare and CH2M Beca in a culture driven by a key concept of “Together Doing it Better”. This approach enabled enhancements to the programme, effective risk management, and alternate solutions, which maximised construction and long term operational safety.

Greg Wichman, McConnell Dowell’s Project Manager for Mangere BNR, on the key to our success: “Fundamentally, we listened to our customer and worked collaboratively with project partners in a culture based on mutual understanding and respect to produce an excellent outcome for Watercare. We are proud to have delivered a legacy project and world-class infrastructure for the people of Auckland.”

The Mangere BNR Upgrade project also won the Excellence in Building Risk Management Capability at the Risk New Zealand Awards in 2016.

To view the project video click here