From 2009 – 2014, McElligotts completed gradual remediation works on the Kununurra Diversion Dam regulating structures as part of a five-year contract for the WA Water Corporation. The Kununurra Dam consists of 20 gates, requiring us to complete works on at least four per year. The remediation process included abrasive blasting, scaffolding, and protective coating application on the internal and external structures.
Our team had to setup specialised equipment on barges and engineer specially-designed scaffolding for the unique conditions presented in this project. Each gate took about three months to finish, owing to the accessibility and sheer scale of each radial gate. We carefully assessed the surroundings and identified suitable primers and protective coatings that will last for many years to come.
The Darlington Bridge upgrade project was a $620 million development planned to protect the bridge from corrosion and degradation. The project marked an important stage in the delivery of Adelaide’s North-South corridor and will add on an extra (approximately) 3.3km to the existing Main South Road.
In this Australian and State Government funded project, McElligotts is proud to have been contracted to install protective coating across selected surfaces and structures. In alignment with our values here at McElligotts, the project focused on using Australian approved and manufactured components.
Roads and bridges are constantly exposed to the harsh elements and vibrations from vehicle movements and therefore are threatened by corrosion and degradation. Repairing a bridge from corrosion can be incredibly expensive, up to billions of dollars, so it is important to appropriately protect the structure from the elements. One of the two main ways to protect a bridge from corrosion is to isolate the structure from the environment with a protective coating. For this project, we were responsible for applying the protective corrosion resistant coating to the steel box girders present on three of the eight bridges. Each of the 22 bridge girders, weighing 1300 tonnes in total, were abrasive blasted to Class Sa21/2 which produces an even textured surface, making it easier for the coating to adhere. After this, the girders were primed and had two layers of top coat applied to complete the job.
The Challenge:
Of course, no project is complete without some material and weather challenges. As the bridge was not yet constructed, it made sense to have painting conducted on beams before they were erected. Therefore, each girdle was delivered to our facility to be profiled, primed and coated, which meant that lack of space was a challenge we had to overcome. We also found the large sections of the girdles made it challenging to maintain a ‘wet edge’, which meant we continually had to adjust our materials to extend the drying time of each coating layer. In addition, the length of the project meant that some of the coating work took place during the Tasmanian winter, a less than ideal climate for applying coating. In order to meet deadlines, we had to adjust our work schedule to reduce the amount of heating required to apply the paint.
Overall, the Darlington Bridge Painting project was a challenging, yet rewarding job that tested our skills and gave us the opportunity to problem solve. The project also saw us work with some of the largest components we have ever worked with which was pretty exciting.
Trevallyn Dam was built in 1955 and McElligotts are proud to have assisted in maintaining this historic piece of Tasmanian infrastructure. As part of the remediation process to keep Trevallyn Dam in good shape, our team stripped and re-lined three 30m x 1500mm conduits. This project required a quick turnaround, owing to rising dam levels.
Our team were required to abrasive blast the existing coal tar epoxy lining, which had heavy surface pitting, posing some challenges with surface preparation. From there, we repainted the conduit internals with a protective coating suited to the client’s needs. Our team had to deal with water leaks from stoplogs stream throughout the painting process, but we developed processes to ensure the quality was not compromised.
McElligotts works with Hydro Tasmania to conduct remedial maintenance works on their infrastructure facilities around the state. We work on everything from dam and penstock infrastructure to turbine and power station internal works. Much of our work centres on removal of lead-based paint (as lots of these structures were built many decades ago), abrasive blasting, protective coating and lining and surface preparation.
This particular project was at the Hydro Tasmania Meadowbank facility. We were involved in painting two different types of protective coating systems on the upstream and downstream sides of crest gates, each spanning 35 metres.
When our client requested an earlier deadline, we established night shifts during critical parts of the project. Difficulties we had to overcome included poor access and weather (sub zero, high winds and waves). One of the key measures of success we take away from each project is our safety record, and we completed this project in 3000 man hours with no incidents to report.
The Batman bridge was built in 1968 and was one of the first cable-stayed structures in the world. Located to the North of the Tamar River the Batman Bridge provides a vital link between West and East Tamar.
This structure spans over 430 metres, requiring robust protective coating from the corrosion-inducive environment below. Our abrasive blasting and protective coating work is conducted from a motorised gantry, purpose-built for our remedial maintenance works. All protective coating is conducted in an encapsulated area.
McElligotts was contracted to apply protective coatings on wind turbine structures as part of the Musselroe Wind Farm from 2013 – 2014. Our team worked with Haywards Steel Fabrication and Construction, who supplied 56 Vesta Towers for this project. This was possibly one of the largest, most intense projects we’ve completed in our 60-year history. Approximately 87,000 square metres of steel was prepared using over 70,000L of paint, comprising of a three-coat specialised protection system supplied by Hempel.
Part of this project even included expanding our own Launceston facilities to ensure we could efficiently paint these large structures to scheduled delivery times. The painting process included presence of full time 3rd party inspectors to ensure all specifications were met precisely. Each tower comprised of three sections, up to 30m in length and weighing between 47 and 60 tonnes each.
The Musselroe Wind Farm provides power to 50,000 Tasmanian homes and we’re proud to have been a part of this vital infrastructure project. Check out the video below to watch McElligott’s Director, John McElligott, discuss this project in more detail.
In 2016, Queensland Rail sought a solution from the McElligotts team to undertake the refurbishment of the Merivale rail bridge in Brisbane. The Merivale bridge was opened in 1978 and had not received any major remedial maintenance since then. Our primary role in this project was to strip, clean and apply protective coating to the bridge deck, cables, arches and other structural surfaces.
As the Merivale bridge serves as the only rail link between South and North Brisbane, it was essential that no services were disrupted. This project also included replacement of all rail sleepers and installation of a gantry, which meant we had to closely collaborate with other contractors on site to ensure everything went smoothly with no interruption to services. As a result, this project spanned two years, finishing in July 2017.
The full schedule of works included:
Application of a biodegradable degreasing solution to remove any grease, oil and other contaminants accrued over the years
Pressure washed the surface with 5000 psi to remove all salt deposits and degreaser residue
Cleaning of all corroded surface areas, removing any mill scale and flaking paint
Mechanical abrasion of the remaining surface to remove loosely adhering coating, oxidation and all remaining contaminants
Application of a spot coat of zinc, a spot coast of epoxy mastic and two coats of Ferrox A finish
The bridge had extensive contaminant residue and corrosion, requiring plenty of attention before the surface was adequately clean to begin protective coating application. There was also the added hurdle of tight access space and short timeframes between rail services. We were very pleased with the end result and managed to complete the project safely and sustainably, in alignment with our McElligott’s values.
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McElligotts have offices in Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and New South Wales. We work on projects all throughout Australia.
