Fenner Conveyors has successfully resolved critical structural issues with a stacker conveyer system for a coal mine in the Bowen Basin.
ACE general manager Mark Wilcock said that through extensive risk management, the teams from ACE and Fenner Conveyors were able to determine the best practices to address the foundational movement beneath the conveyor.
“We conducted various engineering and risk review processes to understand the problems extent,” Wilcock said.
“With the experience of our conveyor engineering team and engineering partners, we evaluated critically and recommended robust safety measures to protect both personnel and site infrastructure.”
All conveyor components were installed before being joined and lifted into position. Wilcock said that this was key to solve the conveyors’ structural problem quickly and efficiently.
“Pre-assembly works enabled us to significantly reduce the construction time and manual handling risks on site,” he said.
The process includes all kinds of technical work, including the development and implementation of temporary structural modifications, the delivery of a 40m truss bridge across two trestles, and the elimination of overreliance on footings.
ACE and Fenner Conveyors collaborated closely during the entire process, and Wilcock said it was a strong team effort from everyone involved.
“Working with Fenner Conveyors’ service crew made job execution highly coordinated as they were established and well-known with site teams,” he said.
“While the old best was removed, the Fenner Conveyors team removed the existing trusses and carried out the required structural modifications. Finally, the new truss and new belt were installed.”
Fenner Conveyors reported over 3,000 labour hours injury-free, completing all work under pressing time constraints without compromising quality and safety.
“Our team of highly experienced technical and project management professionals are focused on solving conveyor challenges for our clients, no matter how complex the solution may be,” Wilcock said.
“This close engagement between our expert teams and our client’s teams set up for a seamless transition to delivery on-site. We are proud to have supported our client with this replacement and commend the team for the safe and efficient execution.”