Townsville Fertiliser Project and Phosphate Hill

Bonacci Infrastructure designed and documented the monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser stockpile building as part of the Townsville Fertiliser Project. Bonacci Infrastructure also designed the main filter building at Phosphate Hill and the $35 million port facilities in Townsville.

Bonacci Infrastructure were successful in winning the Townsville Fertiliser Project by providing steel trussed roof frames and clever bracing techniques that delivered an economical design for the Client. Connections were rigorously detailed to minimise the build-up of corrosive material deposits on structural members and connections, thus enhancing the long-term durability of the design. The large span trusses used to construct the buildings were erected in pairs to minimise temporary on-site propping during construction.

The main filter building at Phosphate Hill was 20 metres high, with the filter floor 10 metres above ground. It included four 7.5 tonne capacity monorails running longitudinally over each filter and one transverse monorail with a 15 tonne capacity.

The port facilities were built on reclaimed land and included a 220 x 65 x 25 metre high fertiliser storage shed, a sulphur storage shed, conveyors and a bottom dump rail unloading pit. The pit was 9 metres deep and was constructed using a 900 millimetre diameter secant piling system.

Bonacci Infrastructure was awarded the Institution of Engineers Australia Engineering Excellence award for the Phosphate Hill Project