Burton Coal Mine Widening Project
Thiess
2012
$2.8M
Northern Bowen Basin, QLD
Project Details
Attributes
Overview
Boosting coal production at Burton: Higgins delivers an Ultra Class CAT 797 workshop to support the mine's expanded fleet.
Designed for high-production mining and heavy construction, the Caterpillar 797 is the world's largest mechanical-drive haul truck. After purchasing a fleet of these vehicles, Burton Coal Mine needed a facility equipped to store and maintain them. To integrate these trucks into operation, Higgins managed the construction of a new workshop, carefully coordinating all work within the active coal mine.
Our scope involved laying concrete foundations, erecting structural steel up to 22m high, and installing access features like stairwells and a crane maintenance platform. We completed the structure with roofing, cladding, and a shared wall with the existing workshop. It houses a 25-tonne double girder crane and features large vertical lift doors, with an electrical setup that includes high bay lighting and power for workstations and equipment.
Process
Resolving design details in real time while coordinating construction within an operating coal mine.
Key challenges included fabricating and transporting substantial, welded beam sections and coordinating the integration of structural elements with the crane and door systems. The design and installation of the vertical lift doors, tailored for large openings of 11x14m and 8x8m and to withstand significant wind loads, necessitated innovative solutions to prevent interference with crane operations.
Our design process considered numerous factors, such as the installation procedure, integration with the crane beam in their fully opened position, and operational reliability in case of failure. Adopting a web design for the doors satisfied wind load requirements but initially conflicted with the crane rail, positioned 16.5m above the finished floor level. We made adjustments to the counterweight door to position the pull system beneath the door head. This modification and the two-panel system, each panel measuring 5.5m, ensured a seamless opening without interfering with the crane’s functionality.
Additionally, the logistics of delivering and installing the 25-tonne crane within the program required careful planning and adjustments to the construction schedule. Given the 20-week lead time from ordering and a construction timeframe of 17 weeks, we needed to modify the program to install the crane girders only after finishing the workshop’s structure and cladding.
To navigate these complexities, we collaborated closely with the former owner and operator (Peabody Energy Coal and Thiess) and our subcontractors, focusing heavily on design and detailing to ensure efficient and timely project completion. Unfolding within the environment of an active coal mine, we carefully coordinated our program to minimise disruption to its day-to-day operations.