Principal Partner
2011 WA Engineering Excellence Awards
Entries into the 2011 WA Engineering Excellence Awards are grouped into nine categories. The judges recognise that excellence and exceptional engineering may take many forms - large or small, traditional or new age, technically complex or astonishingly simple. Projects located anywhere in the world are eligible for entry, provided that a significant element of the engineering component was completed in Western Australia.
Listed below are the winners for 2011. The Southern Seawater Desalination Integration Project, submitted by the Water Corporation, was announced Overall Winner.
Resource Development
UTAH Point Mulit-User Bulk Export Facility
Port Hedland Port Authority, PINC Group
The Utah Point Multi-User Bulk Export Facility addresses the need for expanded port facilities to meet global demand for WA mineral resources and provides small and emerging resource companies an opportunity to access export markets.
The Utah Facility introduced a range of innovative and new technologies to improve port efficiency and throughput capacity, including installation of an automatic mooring system and has mitigated a number of community concerns in relation to dust, noise and traffic.
Within the first six months of operation, Utah Point has proved capable of delivering 9Mtpa throughput of trucked ores representing estimated export sales of $1.5 billion.
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Infrastructure and Building
Southern Seawater Desalination Integration Project
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Water Corporation, Southern Seawater Alliance, GHD
The Southern Seawater Desalination Integration Project was undertaken to provide a much needed boost to Perth’s water supplies at a time of reduced rainfall that has left dams at critically low levels.
The $955 million project, the largest integration project ever undertaken by the Water Corporation, involved construction of a large scale desalination plant and ocean inlet and outlet pipelines on the coast about 30 kilometres north of Bunbury, as well as major works to bring the new supply into the existing distribution system.
The new seawater desalination plant will initially deliver up to 50 billion litres of water per year.
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HIGH COMMENDATION: State Theatre Centre - Mechanical and Sustainable Design, Fire Safety Engineering and Pedestrian Simulation Studies
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Aurecon
The new State Theatre Centre of Western Australia is a $100 million theatre complex and is considered a prime example of contemporary theatrical performance design.
Aurecon was engaged by the WA Government Department of Building Management and Works and was involved in the final building design for mechanical, ecological sustainable design (ESD), fire safety engineering disciplines, and extensive pedestrian modelling simulations and has used the full range of its advanced analysis capability to develop innovative HVAC, energy and fire safety solutions.
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Products and Manufacturing
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No award given in this category |
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Environment
Quarantine Management System
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Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
Barrow Island is a unique place. It is an important refuge for many rare and threatened species, some of which are endemic to the island and the surrounding waters.
This submission highlights our quarantine commitment of ensuring the future of terrestrial and marine species by maintaining their habitats and preventing the introduction of any non-indigenous species.
The comprehensive nature of the QMS ensures the island’s full suite of native species remains intact. It pioneers a new, risk-based quarantine approach, with an interrelated set of more than 300 procedures, specifications, checklists and guidelines. It is the world’s largest non-government quarantine initiative.
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Engineering for Regional Communities
Nannup Bore and Transfer Main
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Lowes Churchill and Associates Pty Ltd
The Nannup Bore and Transfer Main was an emergency drought relief project.
Reduced rain flow into Millstream Dam created a critical supply shortfall for the Bridgetown Water Scheme. By 2009 the scheme’s supply would be insufficient to meet demand.
This fast track project included construction of a bore and the delivery infrastructure to supply bore water to Millstream Dam. The delivery timeframe for all engineering, approvals, and construction was eighteen months.
The project was delivered on time and $12,000,000 under budget using many innovative strategies, including a novel risk management approach that has been nationally recognised.
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Management of Engineering
Southern Seawater Desalination Integration Project
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Water Corporation, Southern Seawater Alliance, GHD
The Southern Seawater Desalination Integration Project was undertaken to provide a much needed boost to Perth’s water supplies at a time of reduced rainfall that has left dams at critically low levels.
The $955 million project, the largest integration project ever undertaken by the Water Corporation, involved construction of a large scale desalination plant and ocean inlet and outlet pipelines on the coast about 30 kilometres north of Bunbury, as well as major works to bring the new supply into the existing distribution system.
The new seawater desalination plant will initially deliver up to 50 billion litres of water per year.
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HIGH COMMENDATION: Quarantine Management System
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Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
The Quarantine Management System (QMS) was specifically designed to protect Barrow Island’s environment.
The project includes rigorous risk assessment, comprehensive baseline study of invertebrates, widespread community and government consultation and an extensive training program, which demonstrate the “people dimension” of excellent engineering management.
The QMS does not run itself – it is our people who put the 300 documents that govern our operations into practice. It is achieved in their implementation of plans and application of procedures, underpinned by a workplace culture that values the protection of Barrow Island.
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Innovation and Development
Wellington Dam Remedial Works
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Water Corporation, Welington Dam Alliance
A major upgrade of Western Australia’s iconic Wellington Dam has been completed four months ahead of schedule, and within budget.
The Wellington Dam Alliance completed the $40 million Wellington Dam Remedial Works, bringing the 70-year-old concrete weir into line with modern engineering standards, securing the viability of a multi-million dollar irrigation industry and ensuring the safety of downstream communities.
The project comprised the installation of high-tensile steel cables vertically through the 35-metre-high wall into bedrock, construction of a maintenance bridge on the dam crest, and repairs to existing internal access chambers.
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Control Systems, Reports and Procedures
Oakajee BFS Supply Chain Simulation
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AECOM, Oakajee Port and Rail
AECOM was appointed to undertake discrete event simulation modelling of Oakajee Port and Rail’s (OPR) iron ore supply chain, supporting engineering design and tariff estimation.
AECOM’s simulation and associated analysis has delivered a high return on investment to OPR by identifying potential bottlenecks through the use of supply chain modelling and allowing for a superior engineering design.
As a result of this project, OPR now has a comprehensive model of their mine to port supply chain that captures the dynamics of the integrated system and will allow it to be optimised.
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Small Company Projects
State Theatre Centre of Western Australia - Redefining Structural Elegance
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Airey Taylor Consulting
Airey Taylor Consulting offered an elegant, advanced structural engineering resolution to provide 100 year design life for the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia.
Large portions of the Centre were submerged below the water table to reduce the building footprint and height impact on adjoining low-rise heritage buildings. Airey Taylor developed a unique system to “anchor” the complex.
The Main Theatre was placed on top of the Studio Theatre, and the foyers connecting the various entry points to the building were vertically stacked.
Acoustic excellence was attained through creation of independent shells, where each compartment became structurally independent, with their own floating floor.
Perth can now boast of its world standard performing arts centre. Congratulations are due to all who took part in its creation.
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