Steel plays vital role in Abbot Point expansion

Because global demand for coal is growing at a phenomenal rate, the Ports Corporation of Queensland has commissioned a major expansion of its Abbot Point Coal Terminal, to ensure that Queenslands $16bn coal export industry, can meet future export demand.
Predictions for growth in demand for Queensland coal range between 5% and 13% per annum through to 2009-2010, fed by industrial growth in China and India. The extension, a new wharf and ship loader, will enable the port to increase coal export capacity from 25 to 50 million tonnes per year.
With miners contracting to export ever-increasing quantities of coal, PCQ is acting to ensure that Abbot Point, about 25 kilometres north of Bowen, is able to cater for the demand. It is one of the few sites along Queenslands seaboard where deep water is close in-shore. Upgrading the ports export infrastructure will boost export capacity by 50% from the current 25 million tonnes a year.
Team of 300
John Hollands SMP business, RPG Australia and BlueScope Steel are working in alliance for the Abbot Point expansion. John Holland, which specialises in the expansion of marine facilities, is responsible for project management, co-ordinating a team of 300 people on site over what will be an 18-month construction period. The team will be building on the existing jetty to create a new wharf and a new ship loader. The construction will amount to a duplication of the existing facility and is expected to use between 8000 and 11,000t of Bluescope Xlerplate steel.
RPG is responsible for fabrication of the piling, which will be used to support the new wharf. The piling varies in length between 49 and 57m, meaning that each one must be created in three sections or cans. These cans are created using 16mm Grade 350 Xlerplate steel which is cut to size, rolled to a 1200mm diameter and then moved onto rotators for welding.                
The sections are welded by submerged arc process, explains Matthew Stewart, GM Pipe Division, RPG Australia. This means they can be welded internally and externally, eliminating double handling. We consider sub-arc to be the most efficient technique for this type of job, bearing in mind the structural purpose and the thickness of the steel.
Driving shoe
RPG also ensure that at the end of the pile there is a 25mm thick driving shoe welded on with a bevelled edge. The bevelled edge provides a cutting tool which allows the pile to slice through marine rock more easily. The surface finish of the pilings is also critical they need to be painted to resist corrosion in a salt-water environment.
John Holland is responsible for the fabrication of all other project components. There are a number of different applications of steel planned, with the team converting XLERPLATE steel into sections including modules, box sections, chutes and headstocks.
The John Holland team is responsible for driving the piles into the seabed and then scalloping the top of the pile so the headstock can sit on top of it to create the new wharf, said Alban Manning, manager-fabrication and coatings, John Hollands SMP business.
The team is also working on the fabrication and construction of the rail girders and support beams that the new ship loader will run along when moving across the wharf. Finally, we are also fabricating rail fenders for the wharf. These are buffers that the ship bounces against (they are rubber-guarded) when they dock.
Submerged arc welds
When it comes to the welding process, JHI uses the same submerged arc approach as RPG. Unlike manual welding processes, this is an automated method which offers a high deposition rate and a lot of weld pool. Practically, this means that the team can complete the weld in a single flow rather than going over it numerous times, making the process far more efficient.
Working together
One of the biggest challenges in a project of this scale, is making sure that there is open communication between all members of the project team. Ongoing dialogue, as well as an understanding of each others working practices, is critical to the smooth roll out of the expansion work.
It is important that the teams at RPG, John Holland and BlueScope Steel, are sharing information, said Matthew Stewart. If all parties are aware of changes in scheduling and logistics we are able to adapt accordingly.
It is also imperative that we understand what is required at each stage, Matthew continued. For example, one of the biggest challenges for RPG has been to adhere to very tight dimension and straightness tolerances when fabricating the piles. This is because we are aware that, if the diameters of the piling are too varied, JHI will face problems when constructing the piles on site. It is this commitment to thinking through the project as a whole that has fostered an effective working relationship.
Steel-specific focus
This project impacts the export capability of the whole state and, as such, it is fundamental that construction runs to schedule, said Alban Manning. A key factor in using Xlerplate steel was BlueScopes inherent reliability. With BlueScope supplying local steel, the product arrived quickly. This has contributed to a speedy construction process.
The steel can be pressed heavily without cracking and is easy to weld given as it has no major flaws, Alban emphasised. We also find that when working with Xlerplate, we do not encounter any lamination issues there are no layers of separation in the steel so no potential cracks.
Looking forward
PCQ is already planning two additional stages of development. The X80 expansion will increase export capability to 80 million tonnes per year, with the X110 expansion lifting capacity to 110 million tonnes per year.