Worksite Productivity
Royal Wolf delivers on complicated project for Rare Earth Processing
The Project
Royal Wolf delivered a custom L-shaped container office for Lynas Rare Earths’ Kalgoorlie Rare Earth Processing facility, providing a safe and functional workspace with full visibility over the plant.
Summary
Royal Wolf combined a 20-foot and 10-foot high cube container to create an observation and control space featuring a cantilevered glass section for panoramic views, integrated kitchenette and storage, secure mounting for control equipment, electrical systems, air-conditioning, and durable flooring. The project involved structural modifications, careful off-site fabrication, and on-site assembly using bridge clamps, resulting in a versatile, transportable solution that can be relocated and reconfigured for future facilities.
Challenge
Lynas Rare Earths required a container solution that could form an L-shaped structure, provide a 180-degree view of the processing plant through glass panels, include kitchen facilities, maintain strict safety and security standards, and be fabricated off-site for easy transport, installation, and integration on-site.
Solution
Royal Wolf’s in-house design and engineering team worked to ensure DIAB Engineering’s needs were met, despite facing particular challenges in creating the ‘L’ shape using a 20-foot and 10-foot container.
To create the shape and size required, Royal Wolf’s modifications team cut 1.2m out of the 20-foot container and then performed structural stability work to create a strong cantilevered section.
A structural assessment was completed by Royal Wolf’s engineers to determine what stability work needed to be done to adjust for the container’s new size.
“It was a complex project. As stability requirements had changed, we modified the container with new frames to ensure structural strength,” says Ranjith Raghunath, Royal Wolf Project Supervisor.
“Once the 20-foot container was at the right size and structurally safe, we added bridge clamps so we could join it with the 10-foot container to create the ‘L’ shape.”
Solutions provided:
- 1x 20-foot high cube container
- 1x 10-foot high cube container
- Container modifications to suit client needs, including:
- Containers joined together to form one large room in an ‘L’ shape
- Access door
- Kitchenette
- Office space with desk and chair secured to the floor to ensure no damage to the viewing window
- Floor penetrations to allow for client’s cabling and control equipment
- New vinyl flooring
- Electrical work
- Air-conditioning
- Paintwork
- Transportable structure
- Easy connection system for on-site installation
Outcome
The security and functionality of the finished product as an observation deck and kitchenette is only the beginning.
“The benefit of choosing to build a structure like this with shipping containers is that it’s transportable,” Ranjith says.
“The containers aren’t joined permanently, so the bridge clamps can be taken out and the containers transported and then joined together again to create the same structure at a new location.”
Ranjith says he was filled with a sense of pride and satisfaction at being able to deliver such a complex project, with the client happy with the end result.
“I loved working on this project and doing something out of the box. There were lots of challenges, but with that comes a lot of satisfaction,” he says.
