Location: Gracemere QLD
Products: EGRID3030 & TerraTex 464 Geotextile
Project Overview
The customer, Australia’s largest rail freight operator and rail transporter of coal from mine to port for export markets. With operations in all states of Australia, hauling more than 500,000 tonnes of coal per day. The Wiggins Island Rail Project (WIRP) creates a vital link between the new Wiggins Island Coal Terminal in Gladstone, and the mines in the Southern Bowen and Surat basins. Leighton Contractors were awarded the Rocklands to Stanwell track duplication which is a key component of the WIRP
Key Challenges
This project involved 18 kilometres of track duplication serving coal trains up to 1.7Km in length. With each wagon potentially weighing in excess of 100T, the tracks needed to withstand huge cyclic loads. These loads, coupled with an extensive design life resulted in the use of biaxial geogrids for strength and stabilisation in the track design.
- Over 200,000m2 of EGRID 3030
- Over 30,000m2 of TerraTex 464 Geotextile
- Various subsoil drainage products
The Results
The benefits of EGRID on this job:
- The geogrids structural junctions, rigid ribs and thick walls helped lock aggregate, increasing its shear resistance and providing lateral restraint under vertical loads.
- Distribution of loads and therefore reduction in stress concentration over the soil
- Increase in load distribution (Bearing Capacity Increase)
The qualities outlined above translated to reduced fill thickness which results in:
- lower excavation and fill costs
- faster construction time
- improved design life
- a major reduction in the carbon footprint of the project