Capability Statement

Capability Statement

Prepared for Dampier Cargo Wharf Project Stage 3

May 2026

Introduction - Recruitment

Introduction - Recruitment

Thank you for considering McConnell Dowell. This short capability statement explains a bit more about the benefits of working with us and showcases our capabilities and some of the interesting projects we deliver.

About Us (typically use first)

About Us (typically use first)

For over 65 years customers have been coming to McConnell Dowell with complex projects that require innovative solutions. That's why we're known as the Creative Construction company.

From remote resources and energy projects to city-shaping infrastructure, we've built thousands of quality assets and facilities.

Engineering-led, our expertise has grown steadily to span building, civil, electrical, fabrication, marine, mechanical, pipelines, rail, tunnel and underground construction..

Purpose & Values (typically use 2nd or 3rd)

Purpose & Values (typically use 2nd or 3rd)

We are a Purpose and Values driven organisation. These define what's important to us, guide our decision making and unite us behind a common goal.

Our Purpose is Providing a Better Life.

We do that through delivering projects that connect, sustain and enhance communities, and through providing career opportunities that challenge, reward and grow our people.

We also have five company values that guide our behaviours and decisions. Our values are:

Our Approach (typically use 2nd or 3rd)

Our Approach (typically use 2nd or 3rd)

We approach every project with a focus on creativity and certainty - seeking the right blend of innovation and safe, proven approaches so we can exceed our customers' expectations.

We also understand that construction today is as much about community and sustainability as it is about concrete and steel. Our unwavering objective and commitment is to deliver what we promise to our customers, while protecting and enhancing our people, the community and the environment.

Specialist marine plant

Specialist marine plant

Elevate your marine construction potential

As a leading marine contractor, we bring deep expertise and a legacy of inventive construction to every project. Our fleet of specialist marine plant - including jack-up barges, support vessels, and our custom-designed ‘traveller’ piling system - reflects our commitment to smarter, safer, and more sustainable delivery.

Our equipment is also available for short, medium, or long-term hire. Explore the profiles below to see how our assets can support your next marine challenge.

Hamersley Iron (Rio Tinto) Construct only Dampier, Western Australia

Dampier Port Upgrade Phase A & B

We delivered a major wharf upgrade in two phases for Rio Tinto at Dampier Port, using modularisation to accelerate construction and reduce the cost of onsite labour.

Phase A included the construction of a 455 m wharf extension, a new access jetty, tail end structure, electrical deck, and modifications to the existing wharf.

Fast Facts

  • Two phase wharf upgrade
  • 600 m overall wharf extension
  • Extensive use of large scale modularisation
  • Work successfully completed within operating port without distruption
Dampier Port Upgrade Phase A & B
BCI Minerals Early Contractor Involvement Pilbara, Western Australia

Mardie Salt & Potash Marine Structures

Delivering new marine facilities to grow Australian exports

We designed and constructed the marine structures for BCI Minerals’ Mardie Salt & Potash Project in Western Australia, using our innovative canti-traveller system for speed and low impact delivery.

The 'Mardie' Project is a large-scale, solar evaporation operation on the Pilbara coast. Capacity of the completed facility is estimated to be 5.35 million tonnes per annum of high purity salt and 140,000 tonnes per annum of sulphate of potash, over an operating life of at least 60 years.

Fast Facts

  • 2.4 km long jetty with berthing and mooring dolphins
  • 200 steel piles, up to 30 metres long
  • 100 m of jetty completed every 10 days using innovative canti-traveller system
Mardie Salt & Potash Marine Structures
BHP Design and Construct Pilbara, Western Australia

Rapid Growth Projects (RGP 5&6) - Marine Works

During the Australian resources boom (2004-2014), BHP challenged us to design and construct two new iron export wharves on a fast tracked program to support their rapid growth program (RGP) initiative.

To meet the challenge, while delivering safely and to a high quality, we broke new ground in large-scale marine modularisation, making it central to our construction approach.

Fast Facts

  • 1650 m of new wharfing constructed over 2 projects
  • Over 600 steel piles installed
  • 30 berthing dolphins constructed
  • 500 tonne wharf modules lifted into position by heavy lift ship
  • 350 person peak workforce
  • 7% indigenous employment
Rapid Growth Projects (RGP 5&6) - Marine Works
Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) Design and Construct Pilbara, Western Australia

FMG Berths 1-4

At the height of the Australian resources boom (2004-2014), we became the marine partner of choice for Fortescue Metals Group (FMG), as they developed the infrastructure to support their new iron ore export business.

Fast Facts

  • 4 major wharves completed over 5 years
  • Berth 1: 270 m wharf, 100 m approach jetty, load-out conveyor
  • Berth 2: 400 m wharf and extension to load-out conveyor
  • Berth 3: 375 m wharf, duplicate load-out system
  • Berth 4: 415 m wharf, elevated conveyor system
FMG Berths 1-4
Samsung C&T Design & Construct Port Hedland, Western Australia

Roy Hill Iron Ore Project (Marine Works)

As part of the $10 billion Roy Hill Iron Ore project, we designed and constructed the Stanley Point Iron Ore Terminal at Port Hedland. We used substantial prefabrication and our innovative temporary works system for low impact, high productivity construction.

Our scope consisted of a two berth iron ore load out wharf, connected with a 3600 m long elevated road and overland conveyor to the ore stockyard. In addition to the wharf and the overland conveyor, we delivered an abutment, drive stations, three transfer stations and all SMPE&I works.

Fast Facts

  • Two berth load out wharf
  • 800 m long wharves
  • 30,000 T design and supply steelwork
  • 4.5 km of conveyor steelwork
  • 3,600 m elevated road and conveyor
  • Prefabrication to increase safety and savings to client
Roy Hill Iron Ore Project (Marine Works)
Rio Tinto Design and Construct Weipa, Far North Queensland

Chith Export Facility

We revolutionised the design and construction of large-scale marine infrastructure when we delivered the Chith Export Facility - a large, complex and remotely located project for Rio Tinto at their Amrun bauxite mine, south of Weipa in Far North Queensland.

The facility comprises a 650 m access jetty, a 350 m loading wharf and an onshore conveyor system. Innovatively designed by Jacobs and constructed by us in just 10 months, modularisation was at the heart of the solution and our project team took it to new levels in scale and breadth.

Fast Facts

  • 650 m access jetty
  • 350 m long loading wharf
  • Fully modularised construction approach
  • 300,000 job-hours saved
  • Build time reduced by 12 months to just 10 months
  • Capital expenditure reduced by $40M
Chith Export Facility
Port of Melbourne Early Contractor Involvement, leading to lump sum contract Melbourne, Victoria

Swanson Dock West remediation

We recently completed Stage 1 of the Swanson Dock West Remediation, and are now delivering Stage 2. This is our sixth project for Port of Melbourne since 2017.

Swanson Dock West (SDW) is a critical International Container Terminal comprising of a 944 m wharf with three container-handling berths, which were constructed in several stages between the 1960s and 1980s. The existing wharf is of varying forms of construction and some sections are close to or beyond the typical design life of 30 years. As a result, major remediation was needed.

Fast Facts

  • A three-staged wharf remediation project
  • McConnell Dowell's sixth project for this customer since 2017
  • Works programmed around operational wharf
Swanson Dock West remediation
Laing O’Rourke as Managing Contractor for Defence Design and Construct Darwin, Northern Territory

HMAS Coonawarra

New wharf and approach jetties to support the Australian Defence Force

We refined the initial concept design and constructed a new outer wharf structure at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The project involved the construction of a new 250 m long wharf and two approach jetties.

While the final structures are simple in their geometry and configuration, the site location and operational requirements were challenging.

Fast Facts

  • 250 m long wharf
  • Two approach jetties
  • Enhancing ADF's maritime defence capability
HMAS Coonawarra
Port Nelson Ltd Design & Construct Nelson, New Zealand

Port Nelson Wharf Extension

We demolished a 100 year old wharf and designed and constructed a 100 m long replacement for Port Nelson Ltd, without impacting their operations. The new wharf caters for larger container and cruise vessels, and is also more resilient to seismic activity.

We commenced with the demolition and removal of the old timber and concrete structure, together with its associated fendering, concrete retaining wall, and two piled bollards.

Fast Facts

  • Deconstruction of existing 100 m section of operational wharf
  • Removal of 148 x 100-year-old timber piles
  • 18,5000 m3 of seabed dredged
  • 100 m long x 17 m deep driven sheet pile retaining wall
  • 4,000 m3 of ground improvements 12m deep
  • 48 x 762 mm diameter tubular piles
Port Nelson Wharf Extension
BHP Mitsubishi Alliance Early Contractor Involvement Mackay, Queensland

Shiploader and Berth Replacement, Hay Point

Improving throughput and cyclonic wave immunity

We completed the main berth construction scope for BHP Mitsubishi Alliance's (BMA) SABR Project, using the Early Contractor Involvement process to develop a number of innovations.

SABR, short for 'Shiploader and Berth 2 Replacement', was a brownfields project located within the lease boundaries of BMA's existing Hay Point Coal Terminal near Mackay, Queensland. It included the disassembly and replacement of one of the existing shiploaders and berths to improve materials handling throughput and cyclonic wave immunity.

Fast Facts

  • Off-site fabrication of new berth topside modules
  • On-site preparatory works including modification of existing concrete caisson berth foundations
  • Disassembly and removal of existing berth and ship loader
  • Installation of new berth modules, tie-in and commissioning
  • Installation of new ship loader.
Shiploader and Berth Replacement, Hay Point
Creative Construction

Creative Construction


Creative Construction at McConnell Dowell is the inspired engineering behind the complex infrastructure we deliver.

It's the technical problems and challenges solved behind the scenes by people empowered to think creatively and work collaboratively. It’s the alternative idea or innovation that saves time, reduces cost, makes us safer, and delivers more value. 

It might not always be evident when you look at the end product, but it's there, inside every McConnell Dowell project.

Bringing gaming technology to marine construction

Bringing gaming technology to marine construction

Our digital engineering team are experts at building applications using 'Unreal Engine' -  one of the world's most advanced 3D graphics game engines.

We've used Unreal to develop a traffic simulation tool to test temporary traffic management schemes before rollout, and simulated construction works in an operational airport with AI driven crowd behaviours. 

The team's most recent application is a powerful marine construction simulator - fully developed in-house. The simulator combines intelligent 3D plant models and reality capture data to accurately place marine plant in a virtual environment and replicate its real-world capabilities. 

The tool enables our teams to simulate methodologies and iterate the positioning of plant and equipment around the design models. This is all done in a realistic environment with features such as accurate bathymetric data, reality capture point-cloud models, and real-world tide levels.  

The permanent works build sequence can be tested to ensure we avoid clashes during construction. Plant and equipment is programmed with its real-world performance and dynamic constraints to enable equipment limitations to be established and enabling features such as crane hook capacity to be determined in real-time.

We are leading the industry in simulation -  identifying and mitigating constructability issues during the design phase, driving program and cost certainty for our customers.

Barge Sim cropped

Cantilever traveller - innovative temporary works

Cantilever traveller - innovative temporary works

Our 'Canti-Traveller' is a purpose-built temporary mobile platform that facilitates fast, safe, low-impact construction of piled marine jetties and piers.

The innovative system, designed and fabricated by our in-house team, provides a platform for progressively installing new piles, propelling itself along the new jetty alignment using hydraulics. 

A piling gate fixed to the front of the Traveller allows pitching and driving of piles in a vertical position. If required it can be used to install raking piles using the gate’s hydraulics.  The piling gate also provides a working platform for cutting piles and welding headstocks.  Bent spacing can extend to 27 m, and it has a system for changing direction. The traveller supports a 450 tonne crawler crane, if required.

One of the primary advantages of the Canti-Traveller is its minimal ecological impact, not touching the earth except for the permanent piles it both drives and sits atop. Removing the need for marine-borne plant, it also operates independently of marine conditions, offering significant program and cost certainty.  This makes the Canti-traveller particularly effective in design and construct projects where the program can be optimized for maximum efficiency. 

We have a proven track record of successful installations in environmentally sensitive areas and a reputation for delivering safe, efficient, marine solutions for our customers. The Canti-Traveller reinforces our leadership in marine innovation and construction. 

Click on the video to see the Canti-Traveller in action (Hint: It's yellow!). Click here for a more detailed specification.

Low impact marine construction

Low impact marine construction

On the Granite Island Causeway Project in South Australia our team used the 'hand over hand' construction method to minimise environmental impacts and ensure delivery on time.

The 'hand over hand' method employs three concurrent work fronts:

  • Front one installing the permanent piles
  • Front two installing the grouted HDPE sleeves and the precast headstocks
  • Front three installing the precast longitudinal girders and decks. 

As the structure advances out into the water it acts as a construction platform for the work crews to build the next stage. Each work front takes a similar duration, ensuring maximum certainty in productivity and schedule.  

Analysis was conducted on various construction approaches during the tender phase, including the use of jack-up barges or a temporary bridge structure to facilitate construction. However, the 'hand over hand' method was the only one capable of achieving completion by the target date. 

The other benefit of the method is its minimal footprint. Minimising the impact on the sensitive marine environment was a key consideration during the tender and design phases of the project. 

The adoption of the method, along with the use of precast prestressed deck units which pushed the span out as far as possible, minimised the number of pile driving operations further reducing the impact on the marine environment.  

The design and construction methodology was fit-for-purpose and extremely efficient. It resulted in on time and on budget completion and had a low impact on Victor Harbor's rich marine ecology.  

A 'whale of a time' with noise attenuation

A 'whale of a time' with noise attenuation

On the Granite Island Causeway project in South Australia, our team designed and implemented a "shroud and bubble curtain" to stop marine piling noise from disturbing the Southern Right Whale (SRW) and other marine fauna, such as the Australian sea lion and little penguins.

Prior to the solution being developed and approved, a local whale protection group strongly objected to piling occurring during whale season, which had the potential to impact the project's schedule and budget.

The bubble curtain was designed to reduce the noise levels by scattering, absorption, reflection, and refraction of the sound waves. The curtain design, along with some other piling modifications, gave sufficient confidence for federal approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act for piling during the whale season.

World first wharf modularisation

World first wharf modularisation

We helped revolutionise the design and construction approach for large-scale marine infrastructure on Rio Tinto's Chith Export Facility project in remote Far North Queensland.

The 350m wharf structure was split into seven, first-of-a-kind ‘jacket’ modules (the substructure) and six topside modules. Weighing approximately 680 tonnes each and standing 30m high, the jacket modules, with integrated dolphins, reduced the number of permanent wharf piles required from 100 to just 28, minimising environmental impact to marine life – a core focus for the Chith Export Facility team.

The wharf topside modules, placed on the jackets, ranged from 600 to 1400 tonnes and were fabricated complete with all services, conveyors, concrete roadways and access walkways.

In true ‘plug and play’ fashion, the modules were delivered and installed by a heavy-lift ship in a safe, clean and efficient operation.

The project, completed in just 10 months, was awarded the Australian Construction Achievement Award by Engineers Australia and the Brunel Medal by the Institute of Civil Engineers (UK).

Award-winning innovation for safer working over water

Award-winning innovation for safer working over water

In marine environments, where the margin for error is razor-thin, temporary works aren’t mere enablers—they’re foundational to safe, efficient delivery.

Take the Swanson Dock upgrade at the Port of Melbourne. Our temporary works team engineered an innovative fender access platform, earning the a WorkSafe Victoria award for “Best Solution to a Specific Workplace Health and Safety Issue” 

Here’s what set it apart:

  • Comprehensive access with one setup – The platform spanned 15 × 4 m and included removable mid‑level decks, enabling seamless access to all faces of the fender beams—front, soffit, and rear—for hydro-demolition, rebar replacement, and gunite spraying.
  • Spatial efficiency in live operations – Designed to work within a daily operation window on the busiest container terminal in Australia, the platform kept works tightly within a small footprint.
  • Reusability factors in long-term value – Not a one-off rig—it was engineered to be reusable for future fender rehabilitation works, reducing waste and delivering cost efficiencies over time.
  • Award-level impact – The solution directly addressed specific HSE risks of working over water, giving our crews a safer, more controlled environment to complete high-risk tasks without compromise.

Why Temporary Works Matter

  1. Prioritising safety at early design stages – Proactively engineering safe access platforms significantly diminishes risk in live marine settings.

  2. Driving productivity through better access – Easier, safer access means faster cycle times and fewer quay-side delays.

  3. Enabling precise engineering works – Demolition, rebar placement, and spraying all demand stable, safe working environments—temporary works deliver just that.

  4. Promoting sustainability and reuse – Modular, reusable temporary works not only save time but also cut embodied carbon across projects.

By spotlighting temporary works as a core part of project delivery—not an afterthought—we’re reshaping how marine construction tackles safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

 
Digital model helped streamline programme

Digital model helped streamline programme

The McConnell Dowell and Eastland Port teams used the digital engineering tool Revisto and some creative thinking to trim three months off the original programme during the planning (ECI) stage of the Wharf 7 Upgrade project.

During the six-month value engineering period our Digital Engineering team developed a 3D digital BIM model of the project in Revisto which was then used to review the scope, method and programme to maximise efficiencies, save time, money and reduce environmental impacts.

The programme, which was developed in collaboration with Eastland Port to be as lean as possible, cleverly coordinates machinery and the multiple crews so they can work on the relatively small site simultaneously and safely.

The digital model was used to ‘virtually’ work through construction and identify any timing or space conflicts before physical works started. It made it much easier to plan how the site layout would change, to allow for materials, plant and team movements.

For more information about the project click through to the Project page or watch the animation of the project.

JAN 23

Introducing the 'Solarator'

Introducing the 'Solarator'

In partnership with Australian OEM, Black Stump Technologies, we have co-created the 'Solarator', a compact containerised power plant that combines solar panels, batteries and a small diesel generator. 

Now being used on our project sites across Australia, the Solarators are scaleable in output and can reduce diesel consumption by up to 90% for our off-grid site facilities. Over a 10-year period the units will save over 8000 tonnes of carbon on our work sites.

The Solarators are available in a number of configurations, including ‘accordion style’ (where the panels unfold on frames) and solar-only (i.e. no diesel generator). The solar-only units can result in a carbon positive project site, with unused energy being exported to the grid.

In addition to their sustainability benefits, Solarators are quiet, low maintenance, compact, transportable and 'plug and play' in their set up. 

You can't get many more wins than that!

 

Closing Text - General, with video, no contacts

Summary

Thank you for taking an interest in McConnell Dowell's skills, capabilities and approach. Additional information is available on our website, including additional project case studies.

Contacts

Mick  Slocombe

Mick Slocombe

GM SA & WA

M: +61 (0)476 142 023

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Claire Tanner

Claire Tanner

Pre-Contracts Manager SA & WA

M: +61 (0)418 645 297

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