Rapid off-site construction of workers accommodation units

After securing a contract for 150 modular workers residences (dongas) on a new wind farm project, Johnson Building Group reached out to Besteel to help construct the structural steel bases and framing systems.

Overcoming the challenges of transportable accommodation 

The team at Johnson Building Group have plenty of experience building residential and commercial dwellings. However, this project needed additional design considerations to transport the modular housing to site without any movement or cracking of the joinery, tiles, or plaster finishes. A robust chassis, with a good strength-to-weight ratio, is required to lift the building with a crane and transport it to the destination via truck. We designed, engineered and constructed a fit-for-purpose framing system that could be mass produced to achieve Johnson Building Group’s targeted production of 10 dongas per week.

Project

Dubbo Wind Farm Camp Accommodation 

Client

Johnson Build Group 

Sector:

Resources & Energy

Completed:

xxxx

Modular bases for seamless transport and installation

As the dwellings are for residences in a workers village, the dongas needed to be designed for quick installation at the destination with minimal cost. We designed a base that encompassed the required services (air-conditioning and hot water units) within the frame as well as pre-engineered lifting arms and continuous bearers spanning the length of the dongas. This allowed the dongas to be quickly lifted into place for a plug-and-play connection to existing foundations and services at the destination site.

Our team of experienced boilermakers made sure the bases were fabricated to the highest of standards in our Coolum fabrication workshop. We only use trade-qualified welders, giving Johnson Building Group peace of mind that the dongas would pass the monthly QA compliance checks required by the principal contractor.

A steel framing system that drastically reduces weight

By choosing a Besteel frame, Johnson Building Group was able to keep the overall weight down for the dongas. They saved on transport costs as smaller cranes could be used for the lifts and less fuel consumed by the trucks over the long haulage distance to Dubbo. We achieve this lighter weight using components made from Truecore steel, which has a superior strength-to-weight ratio compared to conventional timber framing. Often, a Besteel framing system is between 30-60% lighter than an equivalent timber frame.

Tapping into Steelmart’s buying power 

Did you know that Besteel and Steelmart are part of the same company? This means increased buying power for volume projects like this 150 person workers village. Our clients benefit from direct-to-mill steel orders and import steel orders made by the Steelmart purchasing team. In this instance, Johnson Building Group were able to secure low-cost universal beams direct from the mill as well as competitive pricing for galvanised purlins due to the volume discounts associated with the Steelmart buying network.

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We’re here to help you achieve your production targets on your modular housing project.