Overland conveyor system design and structural detailing.
Case study: ASTCAD delivered the full mechanical design, structural detailing and shop drawings for an overland conveyor system serving a Western Australian iron ore operation — including idler frames, drive heads, take-up stations and gallery structures.
Project overview
ASTCAD provided complete mechanical and structural engineering documentation for a 4.2 km overland conveyor system commissioned by a Western Australian iron ore producer. The project covered idler frames, drive heads, take-up stations, transfer towers and elevated gallery support structures, all designed to operate in cyclonic-region wind loading and high-dust conditions.
The challenge
The conveyor route crossed three watercourses, ran through cyclonic-region terrain rated to Region D, and required maintenance access under live-belt conditions. The client needed a single contractor to deliver structural, mechanical and idler design as one coordinated package, with all documentation aligned to AS 4324 and AS 4100.
Our approach
- Idler frame design with 5° trough angle and rotating impact stations at transfer points
- Drive head and tail pulley mechanical layouts to ISO 5048 for power calculation
- Gallery support structures with 24 m spans and Region D wind loading per AS/NZS 1170.2
- Transfer chute design with replaceable wear liners and chute lift access
- Take-up station mechanical and structural design with safety cages and lockouts
Deliverables
- 1,240 fabrication shop drawings — galleries, idler frames, transfer towers
- Drive head and pulley assembly drawings with bearing schedules
- Tekla Structures model of all elevated steelwork and supports
- Concrete footing details and anchor bolt setting plans
- AS 4324 compliance documentation and load schedules
Outcome
The overland conveyor was fabricated and installed within the client’s 11-month delivery window. ASTCAD’s coordinated mechanical-and-structural model eliminated rework typical of two-supplier engineering, and the Tekla model fed directly into the fabricator’s CNC profiling machines. The system has been operating to design throughput since commissioning.