Completion Date: August 2017

Seqwater is the Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority and manages the SEQ Water Grid – an interconnected network of water catchments, storage dams, treatment plants, reservoirs and pipelines.

Wivenhoe Dam is the largest of these storage dams, supply drinking water to the greater Brisbane area. At Wivenhoe Dam, Seqwater uses rubbish or “trash” screens which are located at the inlet to the hydro pipework and filter any large debris before the water enters finer screening systems further along the water supply network.

At Wivenhoe Dam, there is a 3.2t trash screen crane situated on the dam wall that is designed to pick up and remove the trash screens to allow for the safe extraction of the rubbish.

This dedicated crane recently required a full mechanical and electrical refurbishment and Practical Engineering was engaged by Seqwater to undertake this project.

The work included:
– A complete mechanical and electrical refurbishment of the crane unit including a gearbox and hoist drive rebuild to bring it into line with current Australian Standards
– The upgrade of the walkways to be AS1657 compliant
– The addition of new platforms and fall arrest and restraint systems to allow maintenance and repair crews to access the crane safely
– The addition of a load cell with a data logger and LCD screen and the installation of an overload alarm and overload cut-out
– The inclusion of variable speed drives in order for all functions on the crane to be controlled using variable speeds
– The replacement of a singular ladder with a safer two-part ladder, separated by a mid-platform
– A full sandblast down to grade 2.5 (within the confines of a containment feature to prevent dust and residue from entering the water supply)
– A complete repaint

“Providing Seqwater with a fully refurbished crane that meets all relevant Australian Standards was satisfying for the Practical team. We took pride in commissioning a crane that is safer for staff and maintenance workers and we are confident it will operate at a high standard for many years to come,” says Operations Manager, Jai Rice.

With a team of experienced CPEng, RPEQ and NER qualified engineers, Practical Engineering is an industry leader for crane testing, inspections and certification. Call us today on (07) 3875 2133 or email sales@praceng.com.au to discuss your needs.