P1000 SR001 Switchroom Structural Verification

We were engaged by Pilbara Minerals to support their Switchroom upgrade as part of the P1000 Expansion Project.

Pilbara Minerals planned to replace the Pilgan plants’ 7-tonne Siemens Gen IV GH180 Harmony Drive with a Gen Ve unit complete with a Frozen Charge detection system, weighing 10 tonnes.

BGER’s Javier Blocki, Principal Structural Engineer and Jerico Siron, Graduate Structural Engineer, conducted the site inspection alongside Pilbara Minerals. Our team were engaged to conduct structural checks and review the proposed methodology to secure the structural adequacy of the building.

We were engaged alongside other project delivery partners including Proton Power Pty Ltd, DIAB Engineering Pty Ltd, DRA Global and DDC Automation, to work collectively to solve the challenging project.

With a switch room built approximately 7m wide and 2m off the ground with only a standard double-door entrance, the project delivery team had a challenge ahead of them.

Javier Blocki, Principal Structural Engineer at BGER says, “Following the site visit, we designed the floor modifications to cater for the new cabinet footprint and gland plate’s locations and assisted with the temporary platform design and fabrication.”

He adds, “One of the key tasks was verifying the building structure and flooring for the transport and jacking loads, which significantly exceeded the floor capacity.”

Through creative engineering, the collective team overcame the hurdles of the complex project to deliver a project on time, on budget, and most importantly, safely.