Mine sets new concrete record 12/29/2009

ABOVE: Troy Brell, of Brell Concrete Pumping, left, project supervisor Paul Morris and project manager Glenn Barker celebrate the completion of a record-breaking concrete pour.

IT took 30 men, nine days and 1310 cubic metres of concrete.

The longest line of concrete to be poured in Australian history was completed at North Goonyella Coal Mine last week, according to one of the project supervisors, Paul Morris. It stretched for 1042 lineal metres, creating an Australian record, he said. It also almost doubled the previous record for pumping 320 lineal metres of steel fibre concrete.

Mr Morris, of Morris Builders, said the $1.8 million project resurfaced the “one in seven” drift at the mine, which is operated by Peabody Energy Australia. The job took 30 workers nine days, working in around-the-clock shifts, he said. “It (the drift) had to be resurfaced because it had a lot of holes in it,” Mr Morris said. “We started at the very top and worked our way down to 1042 metres – we were about 150 metres underground.”

Mr Morris said although he had expected a few hitches, the pour was a success. “Obviously there were months of research that went into the job. “Everything (with the project) went extremely well.”

Mr Morris said Mackay’s Brell Concrete Pumping, Mansell Premix and Capital Consulting Engineers were also involved in the project. Brell Concrete Pumping owner Troy Brell said it was nice the job could be done locally.

“We used a 140-bar machine and we have on the way another 200-bar machine,” Mr Brell said. “Once we get this 200-bar machine we’ll be looking to do more works of this type.” The North Goonyella Coal Mine is about 160 kilometres west of Mackay.

Peabody Energy Australia acquired North Goonyella in April 2004.