Southern Cross Cement Terminal

Bonacci Infrastructure’s scope included the piled foundations and concrete superstructures which support six steel cement silos with a combined cement storage capacity of 42,000 tonnes, as well as the piled foundations for two steel transfer towers. The top of the tallest silo is approximately 36 metres above the finished ground level.

Bonacci Infrastructure’s alternative design permitted a reduction in the number of piles as well as the simplification of the foundation into discrete pile caps joined together by a diaphragm slab. The reconfigured design also eliminated the need for weighbridge set-downs in the ground slab and drop panels in the upper level slab which reduced the complexity of the earthworks, formwork and steel fixing.

Approximately 440 square reinforced concrete piles were driven roughly 40 metres into bed rock to support the facility, with the piles being subject to significant loads as a result of vertical and lateral seismic effects. The facility is located on reclaimed land which presented challenges with pile bending and buckling due to soft upper soil conditions. Additionally, careful attention to slab joint detailing at the ground, mid, and upper levels was required to accommodate differential settlements between silos due to the axial shortening of vertical elements.