Marine fendering systems are necessary to absorb the energy of the moving ship as it berths at the wharf and thus protects the supporting wharf structure from damage. Mooring systems hold the vessel securely at the berth. If a ship undergoes excessive movements on its mooring lines, the fenders are required to prevent damage to both the ship and the wharf.
The International Standard ISO5049.1, for bulk materials handling machines such as stackers, reclaimers, ship loaders and ship unloaders, was used in Australia until 1995. Since then Australia has followed the AS4324.1 standard. There are significant differences between the two standards; this article will explain further.
ASPEC is excited to see the Surf Lakes Full Scale Prototype enter final construction and commissioning phase. ASPEC is very proud to have been involved in this project and look forward to seeing the first waves breaking in Yeppoon in the coming weeks!
In August Aspec Engineering celebrated their 15th Anniversary. Commencing operation in Brisbane, Richard Morgan and Frank Gatto founded ASPEC in 2003. Now 15 years later ASPEC span over 4 offices nationwide with a main focus of Material Handling Systems and Infrastructure for Ports and Mines. Aspec is keen to see what the next 15 years will hold.
Mobile equipment for continuous handling of bulk materials, such as stackers and reclaimers, are designed to the loads (such as dead load E, live load F) and load combinations defined in AS4324.1. The load distributions for the design parameters were generated for a number of mobile machines based on site measurement data, and those load distributions were used to verify the design parameters in the latest AS4324.1.
Chutes for loading and unloading conveyors are of critical importance to bulk material handling industries. Although seemingly simple, if a comparatively blasé approach is followed in the design of a chute, there is a high risk that, just as with other – more complex – equipment in a given plant, the chute could become a bottleneck by not efficiently passing material from one system to the next.
In Australia, the use of travelling, slewing and luffing stackers and bucketwheel reclaimers, is common for stockpile management. Today, the majority of new stockyard machines in Australia are fully automated, and many older machines have been retrofitted with modern control systems to achieve full automation. There are often opportunities to improve facility performance through an understanding of the key operating modes for these machines, and the relative strengths and weaknesses of each operating mode. This article describes some of the key features of common stacking and reclaiming modes.
Knowing the maximum capacity of existing conveyors is crucial when owners and operators wish to increase the overall throughput of transporting systems. This article provides some insight on the processes behind determining the maximum capacity.
Wind loading of structures is a complex phenomenon and a major consideration when ensuring the safety and design of industrial assets. This article aims to investigate the historical changes to Australian wind loading standards and the rationale behind them.