International engineering and advisory company Aurecon has been recognised with three awards for its Cape Lambert and Dolphin Port upgrade: the Global Ports Forum Award 2022 for port or terminal of the year in Australia or New Zealand; the engineering News-Record (ENR) Global Best Project Award of Merit – Airport/Port category; and Good Design Australia Award Winner with client Rio Tinto, Product Design – Commercial and Industrial category.
The recognition highlights Aurecon’s digital innovation and collaborative partnership with Rio Tinto to sustain the life of critical export infrastructure at Cape Lambert, one of the largest iron ore export facilities in Australia, supporting the country’s access to export markets for distribution of commodities, job provision and economic prosperity.
The awards recognise Aurecon’s use of a digital approach to this complex sustaining capital project that enabled risks to be identified and addressed early with a collaborative and multidisciplinary design developed in partnership with Rio Tinto.
Anthony Richardson, Aurecon market managing director for resources Australia said: “Through uncovering the problems to be solved, and by understanding Rio Tinto’s aspirations, Aurecon helped unlocked design, construction, budget and timeframe value by providing a structural system that was clear to navigate and is efficient to use and maintain.
“Using digital solutions such as 3D modelling and digital survey data sets to verify the accuracy of a digital twin in developing the project’s design, Aurecon enabled Rio Tinto to avoid additional construction costs and time when upgrading its dolphin and jetty structures.
“A significant challenge on this project was working within a brownfields environment, where there’s significant downtime, safety and schedule implications for any interruption to operations.
“This required an innovative design approach right from inception, with significant upfront planning and construction sequencing, due to spatial site constraints.
“While focusing on design requirements imposed by the up to 300-metre-long iron ore vessels, the underlying approach was to ensure that prefabricated structural elements were safely and efficiently installed within the operating wharf environment.
“The strengthened jetty is updated to current Australian design standards, which require strength and resilience to 1 in 500 year cyclonic events.”
The carefully designed and staged new dolphin structures ensure that Rio Tinto can maintain its export productivity and has flexible and adaptable infrastructure for future operations.
Manfred Braun, Ports, Marine & Coastal Practice Leader for Western Australia and Northern Territory at Aurecon, highlighted that the team’s design innovation and collaboration with various stakeholders was critical to delivering the project’s award-winning outcomes.
Braun said: “Digital engineering tools for surveys and the engineering designs were critical for managing clashes with a forest of existing and demolished piles, and other obstructions, under water.
“Virtual reality also informed upfront decision-making regarding necessary digital surveys and supported collaboration with Rio Tinto and stakeholders to unlock value.
“The methodology and tools used for the design of these unique dolphin structures represent a bold new concept and have achieved a significant shift away from traditional design conventions.
“The project is an example of exceptional industrial design, and the principles can be applied to infrastructure across different industries to contribute to a better, safer, and more prosperous future for business and communities.”
Aurecon’s digital innovation to sustain the life of critical export infrastructure has been recognised with three industry awards:
- Winner: The Global Ports Forum Awards 2022, for Port/Terminal of the Year Australia/New Zealand, awarded for enhancing capacity and productivity with sustainable and consistent growth and providing value added quality services.
- Award of Merit: Engineering News-Record (ENR) Global Best Project Awards, Airport/Port category, honouring the best global construction projects and the challenges, risks and rewards of designing and constructing in diverse and remote locales around the globe.
- Winner: Good Design Australia Awards, with client Rio Tinto, Product Design – Commercial and Industrial category, recognised by the World Design Organization (WDO) as Australia’s peak international design endorsement program.