Port Hedland’s Integrated Marine Operations Centre (IMOC) will replace the existing and outdated Shipping Control Tower. The new facility will:
- Control the marine operations of the port, including vessel movements in the inner harbour through the channel and off-shore anchorage
- House best practice Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Systems and state-of-the-art equipment for the harbour master function, dredging management, port security, marine pilot briefing facilities and improved incident control capability
- Support 6,000 vessel movements through Port Hedland port in 2018
Project features:
- The building is over 50m high, located on the peninsula forming the main entrance of the port, with coastal sightline of 270 degrees
- It is future-proofed for further development as an operational hub for the north west coastline
- The building’s structural form was designed to be repetitive and simplified to aid construction
- It is the most significant control tower on the WA coast in the last 25 years
Project challenges:
- Working in cyclone area (Wind Region D) and staging construction in line with cyclone season
- The building classification as post-disaster building, level 4 means it must be operational immediately following a disaster event. The design responded to a more critical/onerous criteria
- The remote location required a focus on prefabrication and transportation logistics
- The building is situated on reclaimed land with a high water table, requiring a pile solution and a plan to deal with contamination
