Specialist piling, driveability and construction advisory services delivered across multiple LNG infrastructure developments in the Gladstone region, supporting the successful design and installation of marine and landside foundations for some of Australia’s largest energy projects.
Client
Various contractors and consultants across the APLNG, GLNG and QCLNG projects
Location
Gladstone and Curtis Island, Queensland
Sector
Mining & Resources
Services Delivered
Construction SupportDriveability AnalysisDynamic and Static TestingHammer SelectionPile DesignRisk Assessment and Verification
The challenge.
The Gladstone LNG developments involved construction of major export infrastructure including wharves, marine offloading facilities, jetties and associated infrastructure supporting LNG processing facilities on Curtis Island. Ground conditions comprised complex sequences of alluvial, colluvial and marine sediments overlying mudstone, quartz greywacke and chert bedrock. Variable weathering profiles and random chert bands created significant uncertainty regarding pile penetration, founding depth and installation performance.
The approach.
FSG provided specialist geotechnical and piling advice across approximately twelve LNG-related projects between 2010 and 2013. Services included pile design reviews, driveability assessments, hammer selection studies, pile length optimisation, procurement advice and construction risk assessments. Extensive dynamic and static pile testing programmes were undertaken to verify pile performance, calibrate design assumptions and develop practical installation and verification strategies based on real project data.
The outcome.
FSG’s involvement helped clients manage uncertainty associated with complex geological conditions and large-scale piling operations across the Gladstone region. Through the combination of driveability analysis, construction advice, pile testing and verification services, FSG supported successful delivery of numerous marine and industrial structures while developing one of Australia’s most comprehensive datasets of pile performance in Gladstone ground conditions.