Brace Yourself - Cyclone Season Coming Soon - Just Screw it!

Posted by: Steve Lewenhoff 8 years, 2 months ago

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For some November 1 doesn’t mean much, but for those in the northern half of Australia it means the start of Cyclone Season.  Many are now starting to review their infrastructure needs in preparation as leaving it to chance is a thing of the past.

                                    

This BoM cyclone trace shows historical paths and landing frequency.  Intensity is another matter and although Australia's Wind Region Catagories are well defined, a storms destructive intensity can be anywhere.  Like Hurracane Alley in the US, Western Australia's history demonstrate its own alleyway.

                                               

West Australia encounters about 70% of the storms that make it to shore after developing in the warm tropical waters.   Regions C and D are at greatest risk of severity, but not always.  Storms in general are becoming more frequent and unpredictable as our planet heats up.  Severe wind damage is common, that damage is usually from moving objects not the wind itself.  Safely securing structures to the ground is therefore paramount.

                                 

The destruction that occurred at this mining camp highlighted the importance of not only getting the engineering right but also making sure installation quality at least matches the intended engineering outcomes.  Some people are still amazed at the lack of holding capacity a 200L (44 gal) drum full of concrete provides.  Do the sums yourself, it's virtually nothing.

                                
Screw piles are unique in that "dollar for dollar - kilo for kilo" the holding capacities of our screwpiles far outweighs any alternative.  That includes mass concrete, concrete piles, or products such as "Mega-anchor" or "Blade-pile" etc.  Anybody who wants to dispute that fact is welcome to throw up a test challenge as we're up for it!
                                 
The first portable buildings and infrastructure installed at Chevrons Wheatstone Project in Onslow (Pioneer Camp) were anchored to the ground directly for Bechtel by Screwpile Australia mostly using specifically designed 200kN tension screw piles for the applications.  Our QA management system provided a seamless compliance, design, sourcing verification, manufacturing, tracking, installation and testing procedures trail to our client.
                                 
Wheatstone, Onslow is arguably located in the highest cyclone threat area in Australia.  And the wind loadings were compounded by the height of the structures and the free air between them and the ground.  Multiple point pick-ups were required on the ground anchors and an ability to further tension tendons was requested by the client.
                                   
When you cut to the chase, there is simply no other method of founding and anchoring structures to the ground as safe, as fast, or as economical with zero environmental impact as screw piles.  For example complexed (grouped) buldings can be quickly assembled on a complexing rail system above screwpiles that are themselves connected using Screwpile Australia's "QWIK-Connect" interface brackets as can be seen in the image above.
                                 
This capacity confirming tension load test shows 9,359kgs holding using one of our a 1.5m embedment depth screw anchors.  Soil failure (not screwpile failure) did not occur until in excess of 15,000kgs.  Since 1996 Screwpile Australia has designed and installed thousands of its screw piles as tension anchor foundations for hotels, shopping centres, warehouses and workshops, remote housing, mining camps and accommodation village, conveyor lines and residential buildings.  They can be installed to work monolithically with a concrete footing or perform independently via direct bolt/weld or cable tendon connection.  As Western Australia’s only locally owned and operated audited ISO-9001 QA screw piling specialists we pride ourselves on the performance of our engineered products throughout the many dozens of projects already undertaken throughout our pioneering 20 year history.  Need to secure something to the ground? Just screw it!  Telephone +61 (0)8 9371 7711. Email: info@fegroup.net.au

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