44
international
construction
november 2013
Tackling extremes
LARGE STRUCTURES
to Curtis Island from all over the world to build the LNG tanks.
It said construction work was on schedule and the first LNG is on
course to be exported worldwide in 2014. By 2015, the plant is
expected to be operating at the maximum production level.
Meanwhile, falsework and formwork manufacturer Meva said
calls for better worker safety on large structures from international
contractors are increasing. It said that while regulations differ
from country to country, fall protection is common
“Often however, makeshift arrangements are pieced together
on the site from whatever material is lying around. This method
proves penny-wise but pound-foolish in contrast to all-in-one,
tested safety systems, especially when costs for consumables and
tedious assembly are compared,” the company said.
Meva said its SecuritBasic equipment answered demand for a
simple, cost-effective worker safety system. It is a modular system
with integrated non-slip working platform as well as side, front
and guard railings, access hatch with ladder, inside corner and
filler platforms.
The system was put to use by contractor Erne in Switzerland.
The company required safety equipment that would meet SUVA
(the Swiss national occupational health and safety authority)
standards for a CHF 500 million (US$ 553 million) project to
build new production facilities for pharmaceutical group in Stein.
Wall pouring
Meva’s Mammut 350 panels (2.5 m wide, 3.5 m high) were
stacked up in fours to accomodate the 14 m pours required to
build the factory walls. Meva said SecuritBasic could be assembled
on the ground and moved as a complete unit together with the
formwork in a single crane. It said a lifting arm and standard
crane hook were all that was required to move the SecuritBasic
system, saving time and keeping worklflow smooth.
Machine control technology can also be useful when it comes
to co-ordinating equipment at work on large projects. The
South-North water transfer canal development in northern
China certainly falls into this category – it is one of the largest
infrastructure projects currently underway in the country.
Access support
Access lift and hoist manufacturer Geda, meanwhile, is supporting
construction of another large structure – the US$ 18.5 billion
Stantos liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Queensland,
Australia.
The project aims to convert gas extracted from coal seams into
LNG and is a joint venture between Santos (30%), Petronas
(27.5%) and Kogas (15%). Contractor Bechtel has been tasked
with building the LNG tanks on Curtis Island, and drafted in
two Geda PH 2032 650 single hoists to help with access on the
project.
The hoists, which can run to 400 m with a lifting speed of up to
90 m/min, are moving with the formwork panels as the tanks are
built, until they reach their planned height of 41 m.
Each hoist boasts a 1.55 m by 3.20 m platform that has a
capacity of 2,000 kg – this means a maximum of 25 people and/
or a range of construction materials. The hoists feature overload
protection as standard.
Geda said 260 individual steel components are being delivered
Access lift
and hoist
manufacturer
Geda is
supporting
construction of
the US$ 18.5
billion Stantos
liquefied natural
gas plant in
Queensland,
Australia.
Excavators equipped with Moba’s Xsite Link system are
monitoring and measuring earthworks as they go on the huge
South-North canal project in northern China.
