Coates Hire has launched one of the world’s lightest heavy duty structural support system for temporary works, as part of a million-dollar, multi-year partnership with Monash University.
Quadshore 150 has a 150-tonne capacity and promises to make construction sites and temporary works more efficient, while also lowering costs significantly for construction sites of all kinds.
Traditionally, structural support systems have required a significant installation time due to their heavy weight. Quadshore 150 design uses lightweight, high-strength structural elements, as well as boltless connections.
These features are expected to reduce labour, handling, storage, installation, and de-installation costs. Beyond the financial benefits, the lighter weight means that shipping and transportation requirements decrease, resulting in a lower carbon footprint. It also improves safety by reducing the likelihood of injuries to workers who might engage in manual handling.
Coates Hire General Manager, Engineering Solutions Rafi Tchopourian said the project has been more than a decade in the making and its one the construction sector has been crying out for as it’s far lighter than anything else on the market.
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“In addition, the Quadshore 150 uses far fewer parts than other propping systems, so it’s more cost effective to develop as well as to install,” Tchopourian said.
Monash University’s Civil Engineering Department had been developing the concept of lightweight high-strength structural systems for 12 years. The $1 million partnership with Coates Hire, which commenced in 2018, helped to fund the project to transfer research outcomes to the industry.
“Our belief is that the engineering faculties at universities offer a deep breadth of capability, market intelligence and access to PhD students who are able to bring the passion, practical and engineering disciplines to research and development projects,” Tchopourian said.
“The development of a world-leading structural support technology is a testament to this, and Quadshore 150 is just the first cab off the rank.
“We are also working with Monash University to develop a Ground Shoring System and Lightweight Tilt Props which are due for release in the near future. These are only the first projects of several the investment will fund, with a number of projects planned within the next two years.”
Since the commencement of the partnership, the Quadshore 150 project engaged several civil engineering students in Melbourne.
Head of Structural Engineering at Monash University, Associate Professor Amin Heidarpour, said the development has the potential to elevate further the status of the University’s Civil Engineering Department on the world stage, which will be crucial when international students look to return to Australia.
“Australia has some of the best engineering minds in the world, and our department offers the facilities and autonomous environment that allow world-changing ideas to flourish,” Heidarpour said.
“This project is a testament to that ingenuity; a propping system that saves money at a time when budgets are under strain, and one that reduces the impact on the environment, particularly when climate change is front-of-mind.
Coates Hire will partner with the University of Technology Sydney to help spearhead several other engineering projects, particularly looking at ways to support and improve construction water treatment processes.
“The education sector is our biggest export market for a reason; it possesses some of the world’s best and brightest minds,” Tchopourian said.
“We will continue our investment into the local sector as there is incredible potential for our construction industry to lead the world in innovation, with the Quadshore 150 solution clearly demonstrating what our country is capable of.”