Hutchinson Builders contracted Watkins Steel to supply and install steelwork for the Bigger Big Rig Viewing Platform.
This tower was to sit 40m high and have a 100m long treetop walkway on the banks of Bungil Creek.
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Tones of Stainless Steel
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Bolts
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Treads
Navigating the trees for the treetop walkway to avoid having to remove/cut any.
Ensuring that as the tower got higher, it did not deviate from its true shape to ensure stability
Ensuring all steps met compliance and didn’t deviate from one to the next.
Each column for the walkway had 12 holding down bolts in a circular formation, meaning scanning was essential to ensure they were orientated correctly to avoid site modifications such as hot works so as not to jeopardise the integrity of the coating.
Staging of each section due to the tight confinement on site
Watkins Steel was able to model the walkway inside the captured point cloud data of the site to ensure no trees or branches conflicted with the steel structure during installation.
As the tower was built higher, Watkins Steel utilised a HoloLens (Augmented Reality) on-site to assess the accuracy of the installed structure compared to the model. Additionally, a second scan was captured, allowing our in-house drafting team to compare the built structure to the original model. This process attributed to a smooth installation and meant sections could be fine-tuned rather than the impossible task of moving the whole structure after completion.
Laser scanning when the HDs were poured allowed for cross-checking of the baseplates to the as-builts (using our point cloud data). This ensured an accurate fit the first time around. This process revealed that 4 of the 11 columns were slightly out in orientation, allowing us to make necessary changes in our workshop before sending the column to coating. This also ensured the best protection on site.
Due to the confined space on-site, the scan data was used to plan where the crane would sit to reach all sides of the tower whilst leaving enough room for two 130ft booms and the staged steel.
