Integrated Marine Operations Centre, Port Hedland

ASKIN’s XFLAM Exterior wall panel was used for Port Hedland’s Integrated Marine Operations (IMOC) to withstand cyclonic winds and severe storms.

Project Overview

The Port of Port Hedland in East Pilbara Western Australia required a state-of-the-art Integrated Marine Operations Centre (IMOC) located adjacent to the existing administration building. It replaced the existing and outdated Shipping Control Tower.

Carabiner Architects designed the facility, specifying ASKIN’s XFLAM Exterior panel. Pindan was awarded the building contract.

Challenges

The challenge when designing the IMOC was the building’s location. The harbour of Port Hedland is located on the edge of the Indian Ocean, rated Region D area, which is known for being subjected to the most severe cyclones in Australia.

The IMOC required building products that would withstand these extreme wind and water elements for years to come while still retaining their aesthetic appeal.

Solution

To meet the building requirements a Low-High-Low (LHL) Cyclic Testing was required on ASKIN’s façade panel to demonstrate the performance of the cladding to a given pressure.

Representatives from both ASKIN and Pindan travelled to the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University Townsville. Cyclic Testing was conducted at 20.4kpa to achieve a 15.6kpa rating, which is equivalent to 360km per hour winds.

ASKIN XFLAM panel outperformed expectations under the testing conditions, achieving an outstanding result of 30% more than what was required for the build.

ASKIN provided engineering, testing and documentation to ensure all requirements were met, resulting in achieving a required post-disaster and Civil Defence Importance Level 4 Building. Meaning the building needs to be functional in case of a civil emergency.

XFLAM Exterior panel was used for the exterior walls with a flat profile in COLORBOND® Ultra steel Shale Grey™ for enhanced corrosion resistance.

Result

The new Integrated Marine Operations Centre (IMOC) was completed in early December 2018 and is now fully operational. It oversees more than 6,000 safe and efficient vessel movements in the harbour each year.