McConnell Dowell recently completed the main berth construction scope for BHP Mitsubishi Alliance's (BMA) Shiploader and Berth 2 Replacement (SABR) Project. 

SABR 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.

The award of the contract followed a 12-month collaborative Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) process led by BMA and involving design engineer Aurecon and ourselves. Working collaboratively with our customer and their designer enabled us to add value through smarter, safer and more constructable solutions.

For example, the adoption of a fully modularised fabrication and installation methodology, and use of a heavy lift vessel (HLV) for both demolition and construction phases, has delivered significant safety, cost and schedule benefits.

The integrated team also focused on engineering out, or controlling risks through elimination or substitution. For example, we developed a construction approach that eliminated the need for our workforce to travel to the workfront by marine vessel. That’s a huge safety benefit, eliminating weather risks and also reducing downtime.

The news story below showcases the project's completion and the team's achievements.