Case Study

ANI Osborne Naval
Shipyards Infrastructure

Client: Australian Naval InfrastructureOsborne, South AustraliaConstruction Verifier / Structural Engineer

1200 tonne crane lifting structural steel at Osborne Naval Shipyards

1200T crane lift — Osborne Naval Shipyards (2022)

Project Overview

The Osborne Naval Shipyards are at the heart of Australia's sovereign naval shipbuilding capability. The Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI) precinct supports the construction of the Hunter-class frigate programme and the future Attack-class submarine programme, and demands an exacting standard of structural and civil engineering across every facility on the site.

I provided construction verification, structural engineering input, and heavy-lift coordination for several key infrastructure works at Osborne, including a 1,200-tonne crane operation and the installation of a dedicated pedestrian footbridge linking critical zones of the precinct.

Working in a security-cleared environment with a Tier 1 contractor, I confirmed that critical works met both the design intent and the additional defence-grade compliance requirements applied across the site.

2019-2020 — CSPIF, PLBTF & Power Plant Buildings

Industrial Services Design Coordination

At the Osborne Naval Shipbuilding Precinct (ONSP) for ANI I worked across three flagship industrial buildings: the CSPIF, the PLBTF and the Power Plant.

Industrial services design considerations across all in-situ FRP concrete works, precast panel works, and structural steel works
CSPIF (Common Site-wide Precinct Infrastructure Facility) — services design integration
PLBTF (Pipe Lay Barge Test Facility) — structural and services coordination
Power Plant building — integrated industrial services design alongside structural delivery

Scope of Work

Construction verification of structural and civil works on the Osborne precinct
Independent review of design documentation against on-site execution
Heavy lift planning and coordination for the 1,200-tonne crane operation
Structural engineering input for the pedestrian footbridge installation
Hold-point witnessing and ITP (Inspection and Test Plan) sign-off
Defence-grade compliance verification and audit-ready documentation
Multi-contractor coordination across mechanical, electrical, and civil trades
Risk assessment and mitigation for live, security-cleared environments

Key Challenges

Defence-grade compliance

Verification work needed to satisfy both the engineering specifications and the additional defence-sector requirements applied to every Osborne facility, including audit-ready documentation at every hold point.

1,200-tonne lift planning

The 1,200-tonne crane operation required a fully-engineered lift plan, lift point validation, ground-bearing capacity verification, and a coordinated traffic and exclusion-zone plan across the active shipyard.

Security-cleared environment

All works were carried out under controlled access. Coordinating personnel, deliveries, and inspections required tight planning to minimise productivity loss while maintaining strict site security.

Technical Details

1,200T

Crane lift capacity deployed

Defence

Compliance environment

Multi

Discipline coordination

Cleared

Security access required

1,200T Crane Operation

Heavy lift planning included rigging design review, lift-point capacity verification, ground-bearing capacity confirmation, and full coordination with the crane operator and shipyard scheduling.

Footbridge Installation

Construction verification of the pedestrian footbridge structure, including foundations, supports, deck installation, balustrades, finishes, and final handover documentation.