Title: Comalco Alumina Refinery – ImportExport Wharf

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Publication: CIA

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Date: 2/13/2011

Abstract:
The import/export wharf for the Comalco Alumina Refinery (CAR) in Gladstone is a key part of the infrastructure for the Project. Potential to accommodate future Third-Party use has been considered, and the design allows for future addition of a Third-Party conveyor for the import of another bulk product. In the long term, a new Bauxite import wharf will be built to the south. The initial wharf will be used for the export of Alumina and Caustic receipt. The design was carried out under the control of the Project Managers, Bechtel Australia, in consultation with Thiess Golding Joint Venture, appointed by Bechtel as the constructor for the Wharf and Jetty. The design of the wharf superstructure was for a composite steel beam and reinforced concrete deck structure supported on steel tubular piles. The deck consisted of precast, prestressed concrete panels overlain by a cast insitu reinforced concrete deck, fully composite with the in-plane steel box beams. The paper discusses the evaluation of the design loadings for the wharf and jetty structure, the method of analysis of the three- 350 dimensional structures comprising the Wharf and Jetty, the issues dealt with in creating an effective computer model to evaluate the transfer of forces from pile to deck level and return, the design of the piles and composite steel beams, and the design of the precast and insitu deck concrete and pedestals for conveyor columns and the like.