Australian Naval Infrastructure provide update on construction of Osborne shipyards

Since the first erection of structural steel in December 2018 the construction of the Osborne Naval Shipyards has continued at a rapid pace.

The enormous buildings are now visible from 40km away at the iconic Mt Lofty lookout.

Australian Naval Infrastructure Pty Ltd (ANI) was established in mid-2017 to undertake the development and construction of infrastructure at the Osborne Naval Shipyard as part of the Federal Government’s Naval Shipbuilding Plan.

ANI’s primary objective is to support the Government’s Plan through its role as owner, developer and manager of shipyard infrastructure and related facilities. To date, ANI has focussed on fulfilling this objective through the acquisition of land and the construction of the Osborne South Development Project (OSDP), appointing Lendlease as Managing Contractor.

The Project comprises the construction of three large, new industrial buildings – a 50m high Block Outfitting and Ship Erection Hall, a 28m high Block Assembly Hall and a Steel Fabrication and Unit Workshop – as well as a Blast and Paint Hall and ancillary buildings including offices and a canteen.

These buildings will house the future shipbuilding operations and are an important step in improving Australia’s shipyard productivity and performance to internationally competitive standards.

Approximately 55,000m³ of expansive concrete floors – up to 1.5m thick – have been poured since September 2018. The concrete slab designs are unique and they will ultimately support 10,000 tonne ships, so it is critical that the quality of this Australian asset is maintained to the highest level.

With individual pours up to 700sqm in size and 1.5m thick, the concrete was placed in three layers during a ‘continuous pour cycle’ to prevent excessive cracking. The sequencing of the concrete pours – undertaken in a checkerboard pattern – has also been carefully planned with the pour, placement and finishing of individual sections sometimes taking up to 15 continuous hours.

More than 85% of the steel used on the project has been sourced from Australian steel mills and fabricated by Australian organisations. The remaining 15% of steel grade and components are unavailable in Australia.

The OSDP’s objective is to refurbish, modernise and construct facilities that support the continuous build of major surface combatant vessels, so the facilities have been designed and built not only for the current planned purpose – construction of nine Hunter class Frigates – but to support a continuous build program for future vessels.