Tipperary Cotton Gin involved the building of a new 6,500 sqm cotton gin facility located near Katherine, NT. The design features a towering 23 metre high central processing building equipped with a 10-tonne gantry crane, surrounded by 12 m-high structures, and included a 3 metre deep basement.
The gin was designed to be built over 2 stages:
- Stage1 aimed to process approximately 14,000 bales per month.
- Stage2 provided the flexibility to scale up processing to meet grower demand and crop output.
SKCE was engaged to provide structural design and documentation of the new 6,500 sqm Tipperary Cotton Gin facility in the Northern Territory.
The key design components of the structural design included:
- Waterproofing, particularly for the basement
- Steel framing integrated with the heavy-duty 10 t gantry crane
- A construction methodology that allowed the foundations and steel framing to be installed prior to the basement excavation
- Structural allowances for heavy equipment, ensuring the building could handle the operational loads and mechanical infrastructure
Following the design phase, SKCE was responsible for the steel framing that was done up to tender (on both stages). The team subsequently managed the co-ordination and independent review of the steel framing.
SKCE also provided some construction management and coordination support throughout the build to help keep things on track and ensure the build met delivery requirements.
When the steel fabricator was appointed, some elements of the design changed. One of the key changes came from the client and fabricator wanting to install the building before excavating the basement, to avoid delays due to the approaching wet season.
This meant that the foundations had to account for the building being fully constructed while the footings were still exposed during excavation. This was a unique sequencing challenge that required careful planning and coordination.
Another challenge the client had experienced on previous projects was waterproofing failures. To prevent this, we incorporated multiple layers of waterproofing into the build, ensuring this would not be a problem in the future.
The client benefitted from the team delivering the design in a short timeframe. The client was keen to go to tender quickly to ensure the structure was erected before the wet season. As part of this process, we adapted the design to suit changes in the steel fabricator’s requirements without any delays.
One of the big wins for the client was the allowance for future extensions in the initial design. We used piered foundations and precast elements so that any future additions could be completed without any concrete cutting. This forward planning paid off, as it allowed the client to move straight into Stage 2 immediately after completing Stage 1.
Engineering Design
Tipperary Cotton Gin (Stages 1 & 2) - Katherine, NT
Orion delivered the structural design for the new 6,500 sqm Tipperary Cotton Gin near Katherine, NT. This complex facility required a carefully planned construction sequence, with the building erected before basement excavation to avoid delays from the approaching wet season. Orion incorporated multiple layers of waterproofing in the build. As well as future proofing the design for expansion, which allowed the client to progress directly from Stage 1 to Stage 2 without any delays.
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