Thining of the Rill Tower walls due to abrasive wear resulted in a significant buckling deformation of the structure and concerns over the safety of personnel and continued production. Sinclair Knight Merz responded to an urgent call to site to set up a strain gauge monitoring and alarm system.
Sinclair Knight Merz provided advanced modelling and analysis capability to determine the nature of the stress field in the structure so that strain gauges could be positioned to capture relevant information about the structure. A strain monitoring system was installed that assisted site personnel to remediate the structure using welded bracing and concrete while monitoring strains in the tower for collapse-related behaviour.
The participation of Sinclair Knight Merz brought to the project:
- Advanced structural analysis and computer modelling skills
- A talented team of test engineers skilled in instrumentation and data acquisition systems
- Rapid response to minimise production losses
- A focus on safety-in-design and site safety