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- Client Name: GR Engineering
- Location: Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia
- Project Type: Mining
The Thunderbird Mineral Sands Project represents more than just a major mining development — it stands as a benchmark for construction efficiency and strong safety performance. Moddex was proud to contribute to the success of the project with our Tuffrail Industrial Handrails. These essential safety components offered an efficient alternative to traditional handrails, streamlining installation while maintaining high safety standards.
About the Thunderbird Mineral Sands Project
Located in Western Australia, the Thunderbird Mine is one of the world’s largest and highest-grade zircon mineral sands deposits. With a projected mine life of over 30 years, it represents a long-term investment in sustainable mineral production.
GR Engineering was appointed by Kimberley Mineral Sands to lead the design, engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning of key infrastructure, including the Wet Concentrator Plant, Concentrate Upgrade Plant, borefield, and associated services.
Successfully commissioned and operational by October 2023—four weeks ahead of schedule and within budget—the project benefited from the use of Moddex’s prefabricated modular handrails, which proved to be a fast, efficient solution compared to traditional on-site welding methods.
Challenges
One of the key challenges for GR Engineering was staying on schedule while managing the timely delivery and installation of multiple handrail sections. With strict requirements around when each handrail section needed to arrive on site, coordinating installation was a time-consuming task that required precision and efficiency.
Traditional welded handrail systems lack the flexibility for off-site manufacturing, making it difficult to coordinate precise delivery schedules. These systems also require extensive on-site fabrication, which not only increases installation time—up to 50% longer—but also adds complexity to project logistics. Without the ability to pre-assemble and deliver components exactly when needed, installation becomes less efficient and prone to delays. For a high-risk site with strict scheduling demands, this approach simplywasn’t viable – and Moddex’s offsite manufactured, modular handrails proved to be the ideal solution.
Moddex Solution
Working closely with GR Engineering, Moddex supplied our hot-dip galvanized TR20 Industrial Handrail system. A unique numbering system was developed to clearly identify each section, so components could be efficiently packed and transported in metal crates for a streamlined on-site installation—an approach made possible by the flexibility of a modular, prefabricated system.
Custom mounts were designed specifically to suit the client’s requirements of fixing to the steel beams on the Concentrate Upgrade Plant. Additionally, the handrails in this area were designed at 2m high for safety purposes.
Results and Benefits
- Flexibility in design and customisation: The use of prefabricated construction provided a high degree of design flexibility for GR Engineering, allowing for customisation of our modular systems to meet the specific needs of the project. This adaptability was especially crucial given the unique structural elements of the site.
- Efficiency and Safety Gains with Off-Site Manufacturing: At its peak, the project employed 165 people on-site and achieved an impressive milestone of over 500,000 hours worked without a Lost Time Injury (LTI), a remarkable accomplishment for such a large-scale, high-risk site.
Moddex played a key role in this achievement by leveraging offsite manufacturing capabilities to minimise the time and number of workers needed on-site, reducing the risks associated with health and safety hazards.
The use of prefabricated, clearly numbered handrail sections, efficiently packed and transported, allowed for faster and more organised installation, supporting the project’s early completion—four weeks ahead of schedule—and keeping it within budget.
Offsite manufacturing not only accelerated installation but also reduced the complexity and safety risks linked to time-consuming on-site processes like welding and assembly. The prefabrication process minimised the need for on-site labour and mitigated weather delays, ensuring smoother logistics and reducing unnecessary truck movements
Various studies illustrate the efficiency gains associated with prefabrication. For example, a recent study on a large hospital project demonstrated the cost- and time-saving benefits of prefabrication. The project used prefabricated bathroom pods, exterior wall panels, overhead utility racks, and patient headwalls. Despite a 6% cost premium compared to traditional site-built methods, the prefabrication approach reduced the project schedule by 10% and diverted over 150,000 work hours from the job site. This reduction in on-site labour, combined with the schedule savings, can be quite significant when quantified.
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Ready to learn more?
If you would like to discover how our products can help with your next project, call the Moddex team today on 1800 663 339 (AU) or 0800 663 339 (NZ).
