Doka Australia executes formwork for major Queensland water project

Doka has completed its 28-month contract on the Rookwood Weir, a significant water project that will improve regional water security and economic development.

Doka Australia has completed its engineering and formwork contract for Australia’s newest major water infrastructure project, with a storage yield capacity of 86,000 ML. Sunwater, a government-owned firm that delivers bulk water to more than 5,000 clients in regional Queensland, completed the project.

The Queensland and Australian governments have each contributed $191.6 million to the project’s overall cost, with Sunwater covering the remaining.

Working with Acciona Construction Australia and McCosker Contracting, Doka provided a complete formwork solution for the major spillway monoliths, abutments, and intricate fish lock systems. Doka provided design, materials, site supervision, and engineering support from start to finish.  The full supply level was set at 16.2 metres above the riverbed, and the weir also had an impoundment length of around 60 km, a spillway length of 202 metres, and a structural length of around 350 metres. The fishlock is roughly 26 metres tall, with intricate compartments for valves, water input, and fish passage.

In addition to its size, the project was located approximately an 11-hour drive from Doka’s closest yard, requiring workers to stay on-site while logistics had to be carefully planned to maintain progress, particularly in terms of the pouring sequence, without incurring unnecessary costs. 

Working closely with the client from the start, Doka carefully calculated a formwork solution based on planning and overlapping the various areas to understand the required amount of products, equipment, and manhours to complete the project in the shortest amount of time. The project’s peak required roughly 2,500 m2 of Framed formwork Framax Xlife panels and 440 single-sided Dam formwork D22 brackets. By choosing a crane-operated repositioning solution, the combination of the Framax panels and the D22 provided enough adjustability to match the pour sizes and bracket distances, while also taking into account the low concrete strength to allow for the pour sequence and ensure quick repositioning. As a result, Doka used three-metre-high shutters and a 2×1.5-metre pour before each relocation. 

With early collaboration from Doka’s engineering team and the client’s construction team, the customer met the goal and had a clear view of the approach, resources, logistics, and engineering from the outset. As a result, the project team was able to follow the suggested workflow while being flexible enough to adjust its approach in response to obstacles that developed. The site construction team stated that Doka’s team supplied all of the necessary supervision from start to finish, notably in terms of adherence to the permanent and temporary work designs. The client was particularly impressed with the endurance of the Framax Xlife panels, which remained fully functional throughout the installation.

Doka began work on Rookwood Weir in July 2021 and was proud to finish in November 2023, contributing to the innumerable projects that will support agricultural, industrial, and urban growth in central Queensland.

For more information, visit: https://www.doka.com/in/index