Technofast – Highway Engineering Australia – Airport – June 2021

TECHNOFAST TENSIONERS TOWER OVER NATURE’S FURY IN A GLOBAL LOW- MAINTENANCE MASTERCLASS

Versatile Technofast cable tensioners supporting Sydney Airport’s control tower have delivered a master class in low- maintenance engineering and construction technology after faultlessly withstanding the worst conditions nature could throw at them for 25 years.

The Australian-engineered stainless steel tensioning innovations- used in architectural, construction, infrastructure, energy, oil and gas, mining and crane applications globally -were installed in 1994. They tension the tower’s stay rods, using precise hydraulic force rather than torque to tension pairs of bolts supporting the slim, elegant structure overlooking the three runways of Australia’s busiest airport, which handles 44 million passengers in a typical year.

Since installation, the cost-effective, trouble-free and safe way of securing the stay rods to the foundation and post-tensioning the rods to ensure the tower’s stability has withstood winds exceeding 200kph in the nearby Sydney CBD (in 2015); daily rainfall exceeding 200mm (1998); constant deluges of salt from the seaside location and the heat of one of the worst droughts in Australia’s history.

Technofast - Highway Engineering Australia - Airport - June 2021

“The nuts have been so trouble-free in service that, after 24 years from the last contact we had with the tower’s operators, we got a request from Arup Partners for information about the nuts so they could continue safeguard the ongoing stability of the structure. The nuts were so reliable in service that it was easy to forget they were there,” says Technofast CEO John Bucknell, whose company sequentially removed, refurbished and reinstalled the tensioners to extend their safety and performance even further into the future.

“The tensioners enable the tower to be moved 30mm in any chosen direction to ensure perfect alignment using with the hydraulic control we established, says John Bucknell.

“Their future and past performance demonstrates the longevity of the versatile product and the range of extreme applications which can be addressed using them,” says Mr Bucknell.

“They are so quick and easy to use that many power plants use them to minimise downtime and service time on generators,” he says.

Different designs of rapidly actuated sets of Technofast hydraulic nuts – including the latest ExiTite designs – are used in applications as diverse as architectural and construction projects, oil and gas vertical structures, cable stays on mining and lifting equipment including draglines, and wind power generators. They are ideal for difficult or confined spaces, where vibrational or torsional stresses are a problem and where regular maintenance requires repeated adjustment or removal of nuts.

The latest EziTite designs are further enhancing the durability of the original hydraulic tensioners used at Sydney Airport.

 

EziTite features and benefits

  • Reduced maintenance downtime • Improved safety on the job
  • Reliable and precise tensioning across multiple nuts
  • Accurate and reliable loading
  • User-friendly, requiring little physical effort
  • Fast to fit and remove

 

Safe and Durable Solution for Sydney Airport

Technofast hydraulic nuts were originally selected for Sydney airport control tower because installation of them was so simple, safe and time-saving, while delivering a long-term durable and adjustable tensioning solution. Twelve 50mm Technofast nuts were used on the 45m-high control tower to anchor its stay rods to three concrete buttresses at its base.

After being screwed into place by hand until the base of the nut was against the working face, hydraulic pressure was applied extend the nut’s piston and push the nut body apart. This stretched and tensioned the 80mm steel stay accurately.

The threaded lockring, mounted on the piston, was then tightened to retain the induced load and the hydraulic pressure was released. The three control tower stays were tightened simultaneously by three personnel, each using a single Hydraulic hand pump with spider hoses attached to four Technofast tensioners. Pressure was raised in steps of 35bar/500psi until the designated tension of 840bar/12,000psi was reached. Once the tensioners were pumped up to the required pressure, the lock rings were nipped tight with a C spanner.

About half a day was spent on the original tensioning operation, with none of the customary problems associated with conventional torque-tightened fasteners, such as metal friction and heat build-up. The Technofast nuts were safe to install because they were locked mechanically at each step of the tensioning process.

“Their future and past performance demonstrates the longevity of the versatile product and the range of extreme applications which can be addressed using them.”

The three stays were checked and tightened if necessary every three months for the first 12 months of the control tower’s life, to counteract any settling of the foundations. “This was a very simple process in which the tensioners were repressured to re-tension the stays and secure the nuts again,” said Mr Bucknell. “Since then, maintenance requirements have been minimal. The stainless tensioners are engineered to be very resistant to corrosion from the salty air, which is in abundance at the airport,” he added. These are the same qualities that make them such a good choice for building sites in aggressive environments, as well as mining, energy, power and gas and water utilities.

 

ABOUT TECHNOFAST

Technofast Industries is a worldwide leader and specialist in Bolt Tensioning, providing innovative and effective technical solutions along with uncompromising customer service.

For more Information, contact Technotast Industries Pty Ltd, T: 07 3803 6550, E sales@technofast.com

or visit the website: www.technofast.com

Technofast EziTite nuts can be used singly (left) and in multiple sets (right) to facilitate rapid and safe installation and servicing of applications extending from buildings and mines through to energy plants, where access is restricted and timing is crucial to minimise downtime and avoid hazards.