Pilbara Minerals – Pilgangoora Warehouse

Our team provided structural engineering and design for a new warehouse for a Western Australian located Lithium miner.

This project required detailed engineering to create a warehouse to be resilient to the environmental challenges of the Pilbara region.

The design was for a large steel portal framed building with industrially load rated slab and foundations suitable for a mining warehouse. Our design was engineered to support the warehouse storage requirements which included racking and vehicles, and high wind loads for the cyclonic region.

As part of the engineering service, we also provided our client with construction quality reviews carried out at various intervals throughout the building of the shed ensuring the as built design reflected the engineering requirements.

As part of the project we also delivered the design of 3 other smaller buildings for reagent storage and mine maintenance.

For the warehouse foundation, we chose a slab on grade with integrated footings, which offers a reliable and cost-effective solution. The foundation is designed with a total slab dimension of 80.65m x 40.5m. Given the varied loading conditions in different sections of the warehouse, the concrete slab was designed with two different thicknesses: 175mm for lighter loads and 275mm for areas subject to heavier loads, such as where storage racks and machinery are to be used. This approach optimises material use without compromising structural integrity.

To enhance the strength and performance of the warehouse, the steel frame was designed with haunches at the knee joints, which optimises the overall frame strength. These haunches were combined with the use of fly braces to provide lateral and rotational restraint, ensuring that the warehouse can withstand the high wind loads typical in cyclonic regions.
The frame is spaced at 8m intervals, ensuring adequate support and stability for the entire structure. The combination of haunches and fly braces reduced the tonnage of the steel used in the design while improving rafter strength and minimising deflection, resulting in a lighter yet highly efficient design.

After completing the evaluation, we provided a detailed report to our client. This is something that ARP does for all projects and clients. Our use of Space Gass and adherence to Australian Standards ensured that all statutory and legislative standard requirements were met. This provided Trumpet Events with a reliable and secure platform for the corporate circus event, and the confidence that they could provide a spectacular performance without incident.
Trumpet Events is known for delivering seamless and unforgettable experiences, and ARP’s contribution helped ensure the event met the highest safety and performance standards.

The warehouse demonstrates our in-house engineering expertise. By selecting the right materials, optimising the foundation design, and optimising the steel-framed system, we ensured that the warehouse would not only meet the load and wind requirements but also do so in a cost-effective manner. Using software such as Space Gass, we have been able to develop a structural solution that is both safe and durable, ensuring the long-term performance of the warehouse for our client.