Australian construction company Multiplex has completed the installation of three tower cranes above the water on its New Sydney Fish Market site.
Undertaking the project with Marr Contracting’s supplied tower cranes and SMC Marine, Multiplex’s crane installation and associated support systems required complex planning and engineering because of the site’s location and exposure to marine conditions – inclusive of “tidal waters”, according to Multiplex Project Manager Paul Couani.
“The first two tower cranes were installed within the waters of the Bay and before the cofferdam was closed off, which meant we were exposed to tidal changes,” he said.
“We undertook detailed planning in partnership with Marr Contracting and SMC Marine, and the complexity required four times the typical amount of time needed to complete a dry land installation.”
The companies could only install the third tower crane in after Multiplex successfully dewatered 100 million litres of water from the cofferdam. This created a watertight enclosure and a dry working environment for the structural build to commence. Because of the unique site location, a specialist marine barge was required to be anchored in Blackwattle Bay to operate from.
The tower cranes used are among the first in Australia to use HVO100 renewable diesel, with sustainability being a key pillar of Multiplex’ future. HVO100 diesel is a 100% renewable fuel with up to 90% reduction in overall emissions when compared to fossil fuel.
Once complete, the Sydney Fish Market will have a 100-year structural design life with energy efficient services and systems, to achieve a 30% reduction in energy use. Construction is set to be complete in late 2024.
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