Elphinstone Nominees Advanced Manufacturing Centre, Wynyard

Project Name: Defence Project, Warehouse Extension
Project Address: 91 Terra Nova Drive, Wynyard
Client: Elphinstone Nominees
Architect: 6ty Pty Ltd
Builder: Fairbrother Pty Ltd
Structural Engineer: Collective Consulting Pty ltd
Acoustic Engineer: Tarkarri Pty Ltd
Shop Drawings: Modeltek Pty Ltd
Key Personnel: Alan Leake (Principal Structural Engineer), Christopher Polis (Assistant Engineer), Trent McCarthy (BIM Modeller)
Completion: 2024
Value: ≈ $25 million

Advanced Manufacturing Facility for 450-Tonne Vertical Milling Machine

Elphinstone Nominees operates an advanced manufacturing facility at 91 Terra Nova Drive, Wynyard, which required a significant extension to accommodate a 450-tonne vertical milling machine. This enhancement enables a level of manufacturing capability previously unseen in Tasmania, with specialised capacity to produce advanced components for various industries.

Collective was engaged to provide comprehensive structural engineering services from the feasibility stage through to construction completion. The project is designed to generate future employment opportunities and support economic revitalisation in Tasmania's Northwest region, particularly in Burnie and surrounding areas, responding to the decline of traditional manufacturing industries over the years. Our client Elphinstone remains committed to bolstering the manufacturing sector in North-West Tasmania and beyond, which we are proud to support at Collective Consulting.

Engineering Challenges

• Vibration-Sensitive Machine Foundation: The 450-tonne milling machine demanded stringent vibration and deflection tolerances to ensure no external acoustic impacts would affect the manufacturing precision required for such an advanced machine. The foundation design had to accommodate significant bending moments, and displacement caused by the movement of workpieces across the milling machine, with strict curvature tolerances required by the manufacturer.
• Challenging Ground Conditions: The site featured mixed soft sandy soils with high ground water levels, requiring deep foundation solutions. Initial assessments from geotechnical investigation reaching approximately 10 metres deep indicated the required rock strength value would not be met by a simple foundation, with further complications arising from groundwater found approximately 5.5 metres beneath surface level.
• Multiple Vibration Sources: Existing manufacturing activities on-site, including the use of mobile cranes, could induce detrimental effects on the machine's precision. Additionally, the proximity of a state highway with heavy vehicle traffic required careful consideration and coordination with acoustic engineering experts from Tarkarri. In-situ acoustic testing and measurements were conducted to measure the scale of vibrations from both existing operations and highway traffic, in order that the design could be arranged to isolate the machine from these vibrations.
• Manufacturer Tolerances: Strict curvature tolerances imposed by the machine manufacturer required a foundation extending four metres below the natural surface with a piled foundation anchor extending into the rock below to achieve the required rigidity.
• Dewatering During Construction: Saturated site conditions required extensive dewatering efforts utilising steel piles and precast concrete wall panel sheaths along with stormwater pumps to facilitate a dry working environment.

Foundation Design

The foundation design addressed the dual requirements of acoustic isolation and structural stability. Driven steel tube piles were employed for the superstructure and Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) concrete piles for the milling foundation, both extending into the soft rock substrate. A piled raft foundation was designed to evenly distribute loads to the rock foundation underlying wet structured sands while adhering to the manufacturer's deflection criteria.

An assortment of below ground acoustic insulation materials was employed during construction to achieve the necessary isolation from vibrations. Rigorous testing was conducted to confirm the effectiveness of these measures, ensuring compliance with the project specifications. Additional testing included crane vibration assessments to ensure operational integrity within the existing manufacturing environment.

Substructure and Superstructure

Above the piles, the building substructure utilised strip and pad footings and concrete slabs, including isolation joints to mitigate vibration transfer to the machine foundation. The superstructure features a large-span structural steel shed constructed with universal beams and columns, fully detached from the existing facility to further prevent vibration transfer.

All project elements were developed using Building Information Modelling (BIM), ensuring precise geometry and complex integration, especially concerning the intricacies of the milling machine foundation, which included a multitude of inserts and anchor points specified by the manufacturer.

Construction & Value Management and Quality Assurance

Throughout the construction phase, the project team managed extensive dewatering efforts due to saturated site conditions. The foundation's design accounted for potential stress on high-level footings established on the drilled steel piles. Ground slab analyses confirmed that the building's main floor did not necessitate piling, as satisfactory settlement limits were established in-situ. This design realised substantial cost savings to the client.

Collective provided oversight during all construction activities, ensuring adherence to design standards and managing stabilising ground measures and waterproofing processes for the overall structure.

Quality assurance was paramount, as the milling foundation demanded strict tolerance levels, and verification was supported through extensive 3D modelling and acoustic testing. Modeltek was engaged to prepare shop drawings utilising Trimble technology for accurate site set-outs for contractors.

Collective collaborated with Fairbrother, the builder, to create temporary formwork for the milling foundation, emphasising the importance of maintaining exceptional geometrical accuracy to allow compatibility with the machinery. Collective also undertook the reinforcement detailing to accurately schedule the complex, three-dimensional reinforcement arrangement, in lieu of standard detailing, for the milling machine foundation.

Key Outcomes

• 450 tonne vertical milling machine successfully installed with vibration isolation meeting strict manufacturer tolerances.
• Deep piled foundation solution achieving required rigidity on challenging soft soil site with high groundwater.
• Acoustic isolation from both on-site manufacturing operations and adjacent highway traffic verified through in-situ testing.
• Manufacturing capability enabling advanced component production not previously available in Tasmania.
• Job creation and economic growth supporting North-West Tasmania's manufacturing sector revitalisation.
• BIM enabled precision coordination between structural, acoustic, and manufacturing requirements with Trimble based shop drawings.