Structural Integrity Engineering has celebrated 25 years of supporting thousands of projects in the mining and material handling sectors.
Over the past 25 years, Structural Integrity Engineering’s (SIE) mission has remained the same: providing independent specialist expertise in structural engineering with its talented team.
“Our role is to ensure that our engineering and our auditing aligns with the middle word in our company’s name being integrity,” Structural Integrity Engineering managing director Doug Hawkes told ABHR.
“That’s both an engineering outcome but also a cultural outcome that we value.
“We value the ability to convey our messages to our clients in a frank manner because we value integrity and independence.
“That’s both structurally, and also morally, because at the end of the day, there are people who rely on our work to be correct, and their lives depend on it.”
Fundamental to SIE’s operations is its experienced team of engineers who specialise in the mining, ports, bulk handling and heavy sectors.
Hawkes leads a qualified team that has specialist skillsets including deep standards knowledge, design, risk assessments, finite element analysis, 3D modelling and reality modelling and years of industry experience across the bulk handling, mining, ports and heavy industrial sectors. This range of skills has also be used in applications involving bulk materials handling machines.
The team also maintains a strong connection with the industries they work in through leadership roles. Hawkes has been part of several Australian Standards committees, including the ME-043 Committee for AS4324.1, where he has been the drafting leader for the last two revisions, as well as BD-001, for AS4100 and AS/NZS 5131.
There is a sense of responsibility that the SIE team carries with it when conducting structural design, assessments and inspections in these sectors. The machines are often subject to immense capital expenditure by SIE’s clients, and, in circumstances where things can go wrong, it can be costly and hazardous.
Therefore, SIE has team members with a depth of knowledge in structural mechanics, Australian design standards, and the skillset to utilise the latest technology in their work.
The result is an economical and efficient design and assessment process. In sectors that can scarcely afford downtime and shutdowns, SIE’s efficiency means engineering solutions can be designed with the client’s constraints in mind.
“We train our people to have a depth of knowledge,” Hawkes said.
“This is not only in the engineering sphere, but it is also important to understand what clients in our sectors expect. Our industries have very little downtime or the ability to shut things down for extended periods of time.
“The way we engineer solutions for our clients has to consider the client’s constraints and the engineering constraints.
“The value of experience sets us apart. We always have young engineers who are able to perform some services, and they have the oversight of our senior and heavily experienced engineers. The depth of knowledge that our team has is a key advantage.”
Since it was established, the company has honed its skills specifically in some of Australia’s biggest sectors and completed thousands of projects. When it comes to stackers and reclaimers, SIE has supported projects from concept to decommissioning and everything in between.
As an independent expert, SIE has worked with clients across the lifecycle of their machine. From the early stages, SIE can complete the specification for new machines, undertake tender assessments and perform their specialty – design audit services. For fabrication, SIE can provide advice and carry out inspections to determine if fabrication is being completed according to Australian Standards.
Within the operational scope, SIE has carried out machine condition inspections and risk assessments, as well as upgrade feasibility and detailed assessments, life extension and decommissioning assessments, and incident investigations. The Australian-based consultancy has also supported customers with their operations through assessments for the replacement of machines and the impacts on existing infrastructure.
Hawkes told ABHR that a key difference is SIE works for the owners of the machinery rather than the machinery manufacturers.
This means the client can have peace of mind that they are receiving an honest perspective in the advice received with the owner’s interests in mind.
“We’re not aligned with the machine suppliers; we respect their role but we work for the owners. We always have the owner’s interests as the primary consideration and that allows us to provide frank and fearless advice,” he said.
“Our clients respect our trusted advisory services, and we can advise them on solutions that achieve their desired outcomes.”
Over the years, SIE has managed to maintain a trusted reputation for its ability to deliver independent advice its customers rely upon.
“Our purpose is in our name to deliver structural integrity through engineering and that means we’re all about safety,” Hawkes said.
“It is a responsibility that we take very seriously.”