In a significant achievement, the Heavy Lift team successfully completed its role in the $6.7b West Gate Tunnel Project. Not only was this the very first project for the HL team in Victoria, it was also the first non-mining infrastructure project for the HL team.
Commencing their involvement in December 2022, Monadelphous HL dedicated an impressive 25,500 work hours to delivering approximately 37,000 tonnes of structural steel for major road infrastructure.
Transport Superintendent Lindsay Marley explained that the scope was to deliver structural steel Girders from the Melbourne Port and various Staging Yards to construction sites located between the Eastern Tunnel entrance at the Maribyrnong River to Wurundjeri Way on the Western edge of Melbourne CBD.
"Our scope involved safely delivering girders to cranes for installation. This involved a high-level of planning and engineering as some deliveries required maneuvering bridge sections in between Heritage buildings, under freeway overpasses and along major Melbourne roads, all whilst minimising the impact on traffic flow in and out of central Melbourne,” Lindsay said.
Heavy Lift Operations Manager Marlon Baars expressed how the nature of the project being the first of its kind for Monos’ came with its own set of challenges.
“Not only were we working in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD, it was the first time that Monos had taken on a project like this outside our traditional energy and mining space. These factors led to heightened caution in the lead up,” Marlon explained.
“We had to account for several non-operational factors that we wouldn’t normally have to contend with when working in Pilbara. For example, accommodation and parking facilities in a bustling CBD don’t accommodate minespec light vehicles coming and going outside of the normal 9 to 5. Normal mess facilities that we’re used to don’t exist, and food outlets don’t open early enough for day shift crews.”
Throughout the project's lifespan, the team achieved notable milestones, with the longest girder measuring an impressive 88 meters.
In the spirit of innovation, Monadelphous HL Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT) introduced a game-changing solution on-site for the installation of a number of critical girders where traditional crane methodologies were not feasible.
"It truly highlights our technical prowess and dedication to excellence," Lindsay explained.
"We designed and manufactured a set of 250-tonne rated Low Profile Bolsters, which improved safety by eliminating work at height risks, reduced manual handling and allowed for increased utilisation of the SPMT fleet as overhead infrastructure constraints were removed."
Acknowledging key contributors from both the customer and internal teams, Marlon and Lindsay mentioned Dan O’Leary, Howard Osborne, Wayne Foulds from the Westgate Tunnel Team and Britt Sanger, Moh Ahram and Antonino Riolo played pivotal roles in steering the project towards success.
Our Perth teams played an instrumental role in the project’s success, including the engineering team, IR Team and our Planning and Mobilisation teams, all of which responded to many late changes and disruptions on site.
Supervisors Chris Tsang, Adam Lewis and Colin Jones were commended for their exemplary leadership in challenging situations.
The West Gate Tunnel Project is a testament to Monadelphous HL's commitment to excellence and innovation.
"Congratulations to everyone involved for a job well done. This success reflects the dedication and professionalism of our Monadelphous family,” Lindsay said.