ENGINEERING SERVICES

Directory of bulk handling

engineering firms
ABHR’s directory of bulk handling engineering firms is aimed at those companies contemplating, or about to embark upon,
a bulk handling project. This could be the design and installation of a new overland conveyor at a mine, or the upgrading of
chutes and transfers at a terminal. It could also take in a nest of new silos at a grain handling facility, bulk
handling systems at a sugar or cement plant, or a pneumatic system at a plant handling plastics or food
powder. The list includes those firms offering design and consulting engineering services, as well as some
related activities such as EPCM.
This is the first time ABHR has undertaken this exercise, so if your firm has been unjustly omitted, or you
can suggest improvements to the format and content, please contact me in confidence on telephone (02)
9080 4443 or email – charles.macdonald@informa.com.au

Aspec Engineering
Contact: Richard Morgan
Email: rmorgan@aspec.com.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Material handling machines: Design audits of stackers, reclaimers and ship loaders for mining companies and ports;
compliance design checking of existing machines; upgrade feasibility; retrofit detailed design. Consultation on the configuration of stock yard and shiploaders for new or
expanding coal terminals. | Structural integrity: Ongoing structural audits; specialist investigations for life extension of structures and mechanical components involving
finite element analysis, strain gauging, fracture mechanics and engineering design. | Engineering projects: ROM and rail dump stations; bins, bunkers and silos; conveyor
systems; reclaim tunnels; crane and machine runways; supports for vibrating machinery.
Key engineering staff: Richard Morgan, director: BE MEngSc | Frank Gatto, director: BE MEngSc PhD
Major or marquee projects: RG Tanna Coal Terminal Expansion – new conveyor systems CC4D and CC4E as part of the feed system to a new third shiploader.
Project involved complex retrofitting of the third conveyor into the envelope of existing structures with minimal interference to operation of the terminal | Waratah
Coal – materials handling and onshore facilities for new port in Central Queensland. Scoping study for an initial throughput of 50mtpa, then pre-feasibility study |
Hay Point Shiploader SL2 and Berth 2 Fender Replacement – EPCM services.

Aurecon Hatch
Contact: Ross Parslow
Ph: (07) 3166 7251
Email: parslowr@aureconhatch.com
Services and areas of specialisation: Complete pit to port engineering and project management for the coal export industry.
Key engineering staff: Ross Parslow | Steve Newland | Graham Moody
Major or marquee projects: (for more detail see story on page 52) | Alpha Coal Mine pre-feasibility study | West Cliff Coal Preparation Plant | Crinum East
Mine Project | Hail Creek | Maldon-Dombarton Rail Line | Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal | Abbot Point Coal Terminal | Wiggins Island Coal Terminal | Newcastle
Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) Coal Export Terminal

BMT WBM
Contact: Gary Ryan
email: gryan@wbmpl.com.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Engineering consultants for: materials handling systems for ports and mines (bucket wheel excavators, stackers, reclaimers,
ship loaders, large shovels, drag lines); large machines and conveyors (large overland, horizontal, vertical, cable); electrical consulting (HIV, LUV, SCAD); analysis consulting
(stress, fluid and particle modeling), FEAT, COD, DEM; Test and measurements; vibration, stress, rotational machinery.
Key engineering staff: Russ Morrison, director, chief executive, BMT WBM, wrmorrison@wbmpl.com.au | Dr Malcolm Jenkins , senior mechanical
engineer and BMT WBM Machinery Group general manager (Australia), dmjenkins@wbmpl.com.au | Gary Ryan, Melbourne, gryan@wbmpl.com.au | Peter
Essig, Melbourne , pessig@wbmpl.com.au | Rob Widders, Sydney, rwidders@wbmpl.com.au | Geoff Sokoll, Brisbane, gsokoll@wbmpl.com.au | John Parker,
Melbourne, jparker@wbmpl.com.au | Yong Kim, Melbourne, ykim@wbmpl.com.au | Russell Smith, Newcastle, rsmith@wbmpl.com.au | Steve Saflekos,
Melbourne, ssaflekos@wbmpl.com.au
Major or marquee projects: Kemi, Finland - material handling plant concept design - iron concentrate port facility. Key engineer - Gary Ryan, senior
mechanical design engineer. | BHP Billiton’s Escondida Mine Chile - material handling detailed conveyor design. Key engineer, Peter Essig. | Loy Yang Mine -
conveyor L310 detailed conveyor design, conveyor L801 tripper detailed design. Key engineer - Gary Ryan. | Yallourn Mine - E315 detailed conveyor design.
Key engineer, Gary Ryan. | Esperance Ports - berth 3 shiploader audit - machine inspections - berth 2 shiploader modification and upgrade. Key engineer, Steve
Saflekos, senior mechanical design engineer. | Maryvale Field - material handling conveyor concept design. Key engineer, Gary Ryan. | Xstrata - Mount Isa Mine -
copper rotary furnaces analysis and detailed design. Key engineer, Peter Essig. | BMT WBM - wagon vibrator. Key engineer, Russ Morrison. | China Light & Power,
Castle Peak power station material handling - conveyor audit, conveyor upgrade, grab unloader audit, stacker reclaimer refurbishment, electrical system upgrade.
Key engineer, Peter Essig.

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Bulk Materials Engineering Australia (BMEA)

Contact: Peter Wypych
Email: wypych@uow.edu.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Bulk materials handling: bins, hoppers, feeders, conveyor transfers, chutes, segregation, dust control, bin wall and feeder
loads, pneumatic conveying, dust explosion hazard minimisation.
Problem solving, engineering design, audits, validated computer simulations including calibrations.
Key staff: General manager: Peter Wypych | Expert advisors: Peter Arnold, David Hastie, Paul Cooper, Oliver Kennedy. | Lab manager: Ian Frew.
Major or marquee projects: New rail wagon design for efficient and reliable discharge of iron ore | High-angle belt conveying for alumina | Coal handling
plant design for New Zealand port | Washery modifications to avoid blockages and flooding problems | Improved bauxite handling operations | Reduced dust
emissions at coal terminals | Safe handling and conveying of highly explosible metal powders.

GHD, materials handling division

Contact: Colin Brown
PH: (02) 4979 9057
email: colin.brown@ghd.com.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Conveyor design including high lift, drift, overland and variable speed; automatic equipment design including boom stackers,
radial stackers, shuttle heads, ship and rail loadout facilities; ploughs/trippers; chute and bin design; reclaim tunnels; crushing and screening stations; storage bins and
stockpiles; mechanical guarding and safety audits; mobile stockyard machinery services and utilities; mining and loading machine integrity inspection, analysis and remedial
design; multi-discipline project management.
Key engineering staff: Brisbane: David Sheehy (07) 3316 3899 | Hobart: Dean Joannides (03) 6210 0638 | Melbourne: Paul Currie (03) 8687 8167; Ted
Waghorn (03) 8687 8901 | Morwell: Chris Johnston (03) 5136 5854 | Newcastle: Colin Brown (02) 4979 9057; Warwick Biggs (02) 4979 9009; Tim Kirkness (02)
4979 9999 | Perth: Peter Moore (08) 6222 8609; John Stocco (08) 6222 8607 | Sydney: Bradley Alsopp (02) 9239 7265; Terry Kershaw (02) 9239 7364
Major or marquee projects: Project 1 Bayswater Power Station – Conveyor MA1B Upgrade: The main coal feed conveyor to Macquarie Generation for Bayswater
Power Station is MA1B. Historically, coal has been fed to it from Mt Arthur and Drayton coalmines at its tail. It was originally commissioned in 1986 for 2,500 tonnes per hour
(+10 per cent) however this was never achieved, and transferring coal above 1,400tph led to difficulties. GHD was engaged to investigate, find a solution, and to assist the coal
feed conveyor achieve the original throughput objective of 2,750tph. In addition, during the project a new feed point option was generated to supplement the coal supply
to Macquarie Generation from the Antiene Rail receival system. This feed capability of 15Mtpa required the coal feed conveyor to now have an expanded rate of 4,000tph. As
such, GHD undertook further investigation for this mid-conveyor feed to recommend upgrading the installed power on MA1B from 740kW to 1,020 kW, with the additional
drive at the conveyor tail, additional inertia to the head drive and relocation of the brake to the tail. A major control upgrade was also required to synchronise and load share
between the head drive with fluid couplings and a VVVF tail drive. The “W” configuration topographically added to the challenge. | Project 2 – BMA’s Gregory Crinum Mine
Ramp Conveyor: The Gregory Crinum underground coal mine has planned annual tonnage of around 5.5Mtpa over five years. GHD carried out detailed design for civil,
mechanical and structural components of the ramp conveyor which is 1480m in length and has an 85m lift. GHD completed the mechanical, electrical, structural and civil
design for the trunk conveyors, ramp conveyor and overland conveyor, including its support structure and transfer chutes. GHD also produced full documentation for the
procurement, fabrication, construction and installation of the conveyors and provided on-site engineering assistance during installation and commissioning.

GW Engineers
Contact: Gene Zemaitis, director, business development
PH: (02) 9411 3722
email: info@gwa.com.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Materials handling and infrastructure: conveyors, bins and hoppers, crushing and screening, batch weighing and feed plant,
reticulation pipework and pumping systems. Concept, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies.
Key staff: Graham Wall, director mechanical/electrical engineering - heavy industrial | Allan Rose, director civil/structural engineering
Major or marquee projects: Ulan Coal Mine – concept, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies; relocation of in-pit crushing and conveyor system (2.6km);
upgrade original underground coal clearance system; increase rail load-out system including upgrade of bucket wheel reclaimer from 2,500 to 3,500tph | Bontang
(Indonesia) – upgrade shiploader feed system from 3,000 to 3,700tph; conveyor belt speeds increased from 6.1 to 7.2m/sec; plant has recently been successfully
commissioned | Boggabri Coal – structural and mechanical design for new stockpile recovery system to rail load-out | Wambo Coal – 3,500tph coal clearance
and stockpile system for new longwall installation | Curragh North – new in-plant upgrade including 500-tonne bin (with five outlets). Three new conveyors
and upgrade of existing washery and yard stockpile conveyors | NorthParkes Mines: new secondary crusher installation and 1.6km horizontal curved conveyor |
Hyrock – new copper concentrate storage including container tippler, 1,000tph conveyor system and major modifications to an existing shiploader | BlueScope –
upgrade of existing No. 5 blast furnace sinter conveyor system.

Haald EngineerinG
Contact: Andrew Reid
email: andrew.reid@haald.com.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Medium-sized engineering design consultancy established in 1997. Haald provides project based mechanical, civil and
structural design in particular, and can offer electrical and process design inputs via collaborative relationships with other similar sized consultancies. Design team combines
experienced engineers, drafters and technical support staff equipped with the latest 3D modelling, stress analysis and discrete element modelling technology as well as
project management tools.
Key engineering staff: Andrew Reid, managing director | David Arnold, principal civil structural and project lead engineer | John Hanna, lead mechanical
engineer | John DeAndrade, principal modeler/designer | Dr.Tarek Omar, senior civil structural engineer | Marian Giermanski, lead modeler/designer and drafting
co-ordinator | Steven Brown, project mechanical engineer.
Major or marquee projects: Design and drawings for Syntech’s Cameby Downs Surat Basin coal mine, including engineering and design of coal handling
plant, and structural engineering and design of coal preparation plant; modeling software used for project was ProE Wildfire 3 – M160 & EFX5 | Abbot Point bucket
wheel reclaimer (APBWR) chute design and deflector redevelopment using EDEM software. Haald redesigned chute work geometry and deflector layout on the
APBWR which displayed unsatisfactory behaviour during operation. EDEM discrete element particle analysis software was used to model flow of material through
equipment of interest. DEM, now widely used to simulate particulate flows, reproduces individual dynamics of particles in a system | Alcan Gove Expansion 

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– mechanical, civil and structural engineering and detail drafting services for Alcan’s $2.0bn expansion at Gove, including steel structures, conveyors, 1,000t
limesilo and screen house rebuild. Also, technical evaluation of all equipment for new and upgraded hydrate belt conveyors, and associated equipment for Gove
expansions; and design of transport for modules from Thailand | Mangoola (Anvill Hill) – design for stockpile and reclaim system including dual stockpile conveyors
and the reclaim system (with tunnel) up to the TLO and Newpac (Hunter Valley).

Hatch Associates
Contact: Peter Saxby, Global director bulk materials handling
Ph: 0421 588 579
Email: psaxby@hatch.com.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Engineering procurement, construction management (EPCM); cost definition and feasibility studies; conveying; stockpile
facilities; rail/ship loading and unloading stations; crushing, grinding, screening and sampling plants; materials quality control; plant automation and control; plant audit
maintenance; conveyor belt services; commissioning and operation audits.
Key engineering staff: Peter Saxby, Brisbane | John Ollivier, Brisbane | Milton Carruthers, Brisbane | Michael Hopkins, Wollongong | Brian Moore, Wollongong
| Leigh Paskin, Perth | Otto Chan, Sydney
Major or marquee projects: BHP Billiton, Groote Eylandt Manganese Company (GEMCO) | West Cliff, Illawarra | Caroona Mine, Hunter Valley | BHP Billiton,
Yabulu Nickel Expansion and Operations Support | Alcoa, Wagerup, WA | Hay Point Coal Terminal, Queensland | New Caledonia, Xstrata Koniambo Nickel | New
Caledonia, Vale Goro Nickel Commissioning | Chile – Codelco, Escondida | Canada – Mosaic Potash, Petro Canada Oil Sands.

Laing O’Rourke
Contact: Bob Waldie (East Coast) tel – 07 3308 7982; Bernard Haak (West Coast) 08 9362 7118
Services and areas of specialisation: “In-house” multi-discipline design team specialising in bulk materials handling; bulk material handling plants for the
power, steel, mining, cement and sugar industries; advanced overland conveyor design offering approx 10% capital and 20% operational savings against standard
designs; complex combined horizontal and vertical curves for overland conveyors; stockyard facilities including stacking and reclaiming machines, and underground
reclaim facilities; mining ROM pads, dump hoppers, surge and distribution bins, crushing stations; bunkering conveyors, trippers and shuttleheads and shuttling
conveyors; rail loading and unloading facilities.
Key engineering staff: Bruce Gerard, principal applications, 27 years in the group | Brad Lawson, principal mechanical, 12 years in the group | Paul Hough,
principal civil/structural, 12 years in the group | Bruce Glover, electrical, 28 years in the group | Ryan Campbell, mechanical, 10 years in the group | Craig Reiss,
mechanical, 10 years in the group.
Major or marquee projects: Overland conveyors at: Curragh (the award winning world’s longest conventional belt conveyor at 20.03kms for Wesfarmers
Curragh Qld including variable speed/variable load capability), Warkworth, Collie, Muja, Rio Tinto Yandi, Hope Downs South, Eastern Range, German Creek, and
Indokodeco (25km system) in Indonesia; North Parkes underground primary crushing and rising conveyors; Argyle Diamonds underground project (1st stage)
development crushing, drift and overland conveyors; Curragh North project also included ROM, crushing, distribution bin, integration and upgrade of existing
facilities; Blackwater coal handling plant (CHP) from ROM to loaded trains; stackers and reclaimers at Dartbrook mine, Wallerawang PS, Collie PS, Karumba Century
Zinc, and Pha Lai Vietnam.

Materials Handling Optimisation (MHO)

Contact: Chris Kirk
PH: 0448 771 831
email: chris@mho.com.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Systems concepts; throughput optimisation; systems reliability; material transfer; spillage control; fines recovery.
Key engineering staff: Mick Wordsworth, managing director and principal consultant | Chris Kirk, consultant and project management | David Richter,
designer/draftsman
Major or marquee projects: Concept and preliminary design associated with the eighth expansion of DBCT (8X). Working as a BBI representative with
Connell Hatch to develop preferred options for nominal 105mtpa capacity. | Implementation and management of the reclaim tunnel spillage project at GPCL’s
RG Tanna Coal Terminal. | Ongoing involvement with continuous improvement projects and optimisation at RG Tanna Coal Terminal. | Review of in-loading
and out-loading de-linking options at Barney Point Coal Terminal. | Rectification works associated with upgraded and new equipment installed during the
DBCT 7X project. | Review of conveyor system and yard machine design issues for Schade Australia. | Review design issues with Dawson Project overland
cable belt.

Minerva Engineers
Contact: Paul Leitinger, Melbourne
Email: paul.leitinger@minervaeng.com.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Material handling plant; conveyor systems; screening, crushing; materials processing; site engineering services; fluid systems;
root cause analysis investigation; feasibility studies; plant upgrades; procurement; expediting; QA.
Key engineering staff: Gary James | Paul Leitinger | Peter Dawson | Cameron Bain | Colin Preston
Major or marquee projects: Mesa A [iron ore, Pilbara WA for HWE (Pilbara Iron)] | Marradong (bauxite mine including 11km OLC for Worsley Alumina) | CIL
Heated Leach (gold plant upgrade for Fosterville Gold Mine) | Flash float and regrind (gold plant upgrade for Fosterville Gold Mine)

Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB)

Contact: John Spreadborough
Email: jspreadborough@pb.com.au
PH: 07 3854 6200
Services and areas of specialisation: PB’s mechanical engineering team delivers projects across mining, ports and marine, power, cement and aggregate and
agriculture. Areas of specialisation include: conveyor design, feed and transfer equipment design, bulk sampling systems design, storage facilities design, logistics simulation
from pit to port, train load out de-bottle-necking, wash down areas and workshops.
Key staff: Robert Simpson, mechanical engineering executive; John Spreadborough, technical executive materials handling; Peter Bradnam section operations manager
for PB’s Queensland mechanical engineering team; Mark Wolton.

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Major or marquee projects: projects for Adelaide Brighton Cement include cement mill upgrades, storage silos, automated stacker and reclaimer facilities,
raw materials handling and storage systems, shiploader upgrades, grinding mill facilities, conveying and sand drying plant | Major upgrading of the Gladstone
Grain Terminal, including six new 7,000 t silos with associated in- and out-loading facilities, new rail receival system and new ship-loading facilities | Mackay Grain
Terminal ‘Stac’ Conveyor Replacement, Globex Pty Ltd Mackay – cost-effective, low-maintenance replacement to a bridge conveyor between two silos. The design
used a custom-designed bucket elevator and drag chain conveyor, with a design throughput of 700 tph | Port Kembla Raw Materials Handling Facilities Projects
– included design of F1 and F36 feed hoppers, 10 yard conveyors and design of an elevated travelling luffing and slewing stacker for products including iron ore,
sinter, fluxes, coal, and coke | Territory Iron East Arm Port Stockpile Conveyors – detailed design (mechanical and structural packages including conveyors, transfer
stations, chutes and stacker) of infrastructure for materials handling of iron ore, conveying 1.5 mtpa | Tampakan Copper Mine extended pre-feasibility study –
materials handling assessments included 10,000 tph ore crushing and conveying system, 6,000 tph waste rock crushing and conveying system, 1,000 tph coal and
copper concentrate conveyor systems with ship loading and unloading equipment, enclosed 90,000 t copper concentrate stockpile with shuttle conveyor stacking
and mobile equipment reclaim and 120,000 t coal stockpile with automatic stacker and mobile equipment reclaim.

Sedgman
Contact: Tyson Clarke
Ph: 07 3514 1311
Email: tclarke@sedgman.com.au
Services and areas of specialization: Design and construction of coal handling and preparation plants. In the metals sector, design and construction of ore
crushing and screening and minerals processing plants and facilities. Via Halcrow, complete port, marine and onshore bulk handling facilities to the resources sector.
Key staff: Tyson Clarke, business development engineer
Major or marquee projects: Coal – Sonoma, Moorvale, Saraji, Wilpinjong, New Ackland, Lake Vermont, Moranbah North, Blair Athol, Hail Creek; Metals –
Coyote Gold, Gwalia Gold, Nifty Heap Leach Re-Mine, Kinsevere copper, Dikulushi flotation, Phu Bia gold project, Jaguar copper/zinc.

SKM – Sinclair Knight Merz

Contact: Maria Whaley
Email: MWhaley@skm.com.au
Services and areas of specialization: Design, construction and overall project management of mining-related materials handling systems, for, amongst others,
iron ore, coal, copper, and bauxite. This encompasses new plants and upgrades, surface and underground, and equipment including: conveyors, stackers/reclaimers, plants,
car dumpers, shiploaders, stockyards, crushers and in-pit crushing and conveying systems.
Major or marquee projects: Mt Arthur Coal Mine – coal handling plant & 1,200tph coal prep plant | Hail Creek – stage 2 expansion EPCM | Clermont mine
– EPCM, in-pit crushing & conveying, overland conveying | Dawson mine – detailed design, coal handling plant | Lake Lindsay mine | Nelson Point – north yard
materials handling upgrade | Area C Iron Ore | Cape Lambert expansion – new train unloading including new twin cell rotary car dumper | PACE Project for BHP
Billiton | Curragh North | Olympic Dam Expansion Project | Escondida Chile.

Telic Engineers (wholly owned subsidiary of Transmin)

Contact: David Eggleston
PH: 0437 802 251
email: david.eggleston@telicengineers.com
Services and areas of specialisation: Metallurgical support, processing plant design, project management and commissioning, robotics and automation,
electrical design and troubleshooting of existing control systems, expert witness services.
Major or marquee projects: Xanthate evaluation testwork: study looked at partial replacement of existing flotation collector in copper circuit with xanthate
collectors | 10tph iron ore pilot plant design. Plant to process Bauer drill cores of three ore types. Separation equipment in the wet processing module included
vibrating screens, cyclones, a belt filter and up-current classifier | Feasibility into copper oxide, gold/silver ore processing for major miner | Quicklime logistics
feasibility study for a major Western Australian alumina producer evaluated the options for delivering additional quicklime from the point of manufacture to the
refinery site. Study part of planned increase in refinery production from 3.5mtpa to 4.6mpta and increase in quicklime delivery to 300,000tpa. Study considered train
wagon unloading systems and procedural upgrades | 5,000tph semi-mobile sizing plant conceptual design and material take-off. ROM ore was to be reduced to a
lump size of -50mm and loaded onto rail wagons. Options were considered to optimise best configuration of primary, secondary and tertiary sizes.

TUNRA Bulk Solids Handling Research Associates (A Division of Newcastle Innovation),

The University of Newcastle
Contact: Dr Stephen Wiche
Ph: (02) 4921 7127
Email: Stephen.wiche@newcastle.edu.au
Services and areas of specialisation: Materials flow properties testing: worst-case handling moisture determination, critical arching dimensions, mass flow
geometry, wall friction characteristics, adhesion properties, dust extinction moisture determination, stockpile material lift-off, internal friction angles, repose angles, surcharge
angles, compressibility, abrasive wear characterisation. Materials handling equipment consultancy: dust minimisation in grain loading, stockpile draw-down geometries,
feeder load calculations, wall load calculations, belt conveying systems and testing, pneumatic conveying systems and testing, hydraulic conveying, transfer chute
conceptual designs, audits, instrumentation, site visits.
Key staff: Director – Professor Mark Jones | Founding director – Prof Alan Roberts | Associate director – Dr Craig Wheeler | General manager – Dr Stephen
Wiche | Operations manager – Dr Tobias Krull

Has your firm been omitted?

Contact the Editor, Charles Macdonald on
Tel - (02) 9080 4443 or
Email - charles.macdonald@informa.com.au

Australian Bulk Handling Review: September/October 2009 51