The creative construction company
For more than six decades, McConnell Dowell has been transforming complex visions into reality, earning its reputation as the creative construction company. From delivering remote resource and energy projects in some of the world’s most challenging environments to shaping the skylines and infrastructure of major cities, the company has built thousands of enduring, high-quality assets and facilities.
Guided by an engineering-led approach, McConnell Dowell’s expertise spans building, civil, electrical, fabrication, marine, mechanical, pipelines, rail, tunnel and underground construction.
With a workforce of more than 3000 highly skilled professionals across Australia, New Zealand and Asia, customers gain the advantage of deep local knowledge underpinned by global reach and experience.
In 2019, the company was honoured with the prestigious Australian Construction Achievement Award for the Chith export facility, a centrepiece of Rio Tinto’s Amrun bauxite project in far north Queensland. This large-scale, remote wharf development not only overcame formidable logistical challenges but also set new industry benchmarks in speed, safety and construction efficiency.
Comprising a 650m access jetty, a 350m loading wharf and an onshore conveyor system, the facility was designed in partnership with Jacobs and built in an extraordinary 10 months. The project’s success was further strengthened by constructability insights from Bechtel, ensuring innovation and practicality worked hand in hand.
At the heart of the project was a bold modular construction strategy, delivering remarkable gains in time, quality and safety:
- Wharf substructure: Seven pioneering “jacket” modules (each 680t and 30m high) replaced 100 piles with just 28, dramatically reducing the environmental footprint.
- Wharf topsides: Six fully pre-fitted modules (600–1400t) arrived complete with services, conveyors, roadways and walkways, enabling rapid “plug-and-play” installation.
- Access jetty: Built using McConnell Dowell’s innovative cantilever traveller frame, each bent was delivered in just three days, with minimal high-risk marine activity.
This integrated approach saved 300,000 job-hours, cut the schedule by 12 months and allowed the entire marine build to be completed within a single dry season, greatly reducing weather and cyclone exposure.
Efficient jacket & dolphin integration
Dolphin structures were fully integrated into the jacket design. This eliminated the need for separate dolphin modules, reducing piles, crane lifts, welding and on-site fabrication. The result was a safer, faster and more efficient build and a genuine leap forward in marine infrastructure construction.
Offshore fabrication benefits
Managed through McConnell Dowell’s overseas procurement office, all modules were fabricated in advanced, purpose-built facilities with dedicated cranage, paint shops and assembly areas. This controlled environment ensured exceptional quality, simplified logistics and minimised on-site labour. Parallel production at multiple sites accelerated delivery and further de-risked the schedule.
Optimised headstock connections
A strategic horizontal pile cut, while increasing plate thickness, produced a superior weld, simplified painting and delivered a more durable structure. This design struck the perfect balance between permanent material efficiency and construction cost savings, made possible by over-the-top construction techniques and repeatable, safe methodologies.
Smart temporary works
From the outset, the team sought intelligent solutions to reduce labour, improve safety and streamline delivery. One example was the custom trunnion walkways, which provided direct, safe access to heavy-lift ship trunnions throughout installation. These remained in place until modules were set, ensuring efficiency and minimising high-risk activities.
The Chith export facility stands as a showcase of McConnell Dowell’s ability to solve unique project challenges with creativity, precision and innovation.
By integrating leading-edge engineering, advanced construction techniques and a commitment to safety and sustainability, the company continues to redefine what is possible, delivering world-class infrastructure from concept to commissioning and beyond.
In addition to the Australian Construction Achievement Award, the project also received the prestigious Brunel Medal from the Institute of Civil Engineers, an honour reserved for global excellence in civil engineering.
This dual recognition underscores not only the project’s technical brilliance but also its lasting impact on the future of marine infrastructure. The same capability was on display at Groote Eylandt’s Wharf, where a devastating cyclone caused extensive structural damage and halted vital export operations.
McConnell Dowell mobilised to the remote island within days, assembling specialist marine crews, equipment and materials under extreme logistical constraints. The team carried out the safe demolition of the compromised wharf structure, managed complex environmental and safety risks and constructed a robust new facility designed to withstand future weather events. The rebuild restored the island’s export capacity quickly, safeguarding local employment and supporting one of Australia’s key manganese operations.
Whether restoring critical assets in the wake of disaster or delivering transformative new builds in major cities, McConnell Dowell remains committed to shaping infrastructure that connects people, powers economies and endures for generations.
