FLOOD MONITORING SYSTEM TOWER
Product: Floor Monitoring System TowerÂ
Application: SEQ Water
Sectors: Infrastructure; Government
Location: Queensland
Forged in Steel provided the steelworks for the Flood Monitoring System Tower for Aquamonix in Central Queensland. The flood tower keeps track of rainwater and river levels for early detection of flood conditions.
The tower consists of the base, mast, deck, cage, and solar panel frame at 3 meters from the base to the top of the cage. The base is made with a 425mm diameter and 25mm thick plate. On the centre is a hole through which the 50mm electrical conduit passes through. Eight M16 bolts hold the base to the footing.
The mast is a Grade C250LO circular hollow steel with a 273.1 outer diameter with the bubbler tube inside. The top of the mast is covered by a mast cap plate made with a 10mm mild steel plate. Four deck mount cleats made with 6mm mild steel plate connect the mast to the flooring of the deck. Another hole is cut through one side of the mast just below the flooring as a passageway to the other end of the electrical conduit. On each corner of the mast are four deck braces cleats through which the 50x50x6 equal angle struts are bolted as support to the flooring of the deck.
The underside of the floor is further supported by mild, equal-angle beams. The deck floor is 1.2 m2 and made with a 6 mm checker plate surrounded by a kick plate made of flat mild steel. A cage or handrail made with circular hollow steel surrounds the floor. The cage has a 727mm opening on one side for the gate and ladder. The gate is made with mild steel, circular hollow steel, with the hinges on one side and the latch plate on the other. The gate is attached on the top half of the rail and swings inwards for ease of access.
The solar panel frame assembly is made of two parts. The frame at the bottom connects from one side of the flooring with T-plates and supports the frame at the top. The frame at the top, on the other hand, holds the 150W solar panel and is attached on top of the handrail.
All in all, the Flood Monitoring System holds the rain gauge, Blackhawk M2M antenna, Logix cabinet, Surveillance CCTV IR Light, and PODV80 camera.
The structural steelwork for the tower is done in accordance with AS 4100, which defines the minimum requirements for the fabrication and erection of steelwork in structures; AS 1554, which outlines the requirements for the welding of steel structures made with combinations of various steel components such as steel plates, sheets, and sections; and AS 1252, which specifies the requirements for steel bolts and nuts used in steel structures.
Grade 300 hot-rolled sections and Grade 250 floor plates are used in the fabrication of the tower. Grade 300 steel is known for their resistance to corrosion and rust, while Grade 250 steel is particularly strong and formable. All steelwork is welded with a 6mm continuous fillet weld for mild steel sections and 3mm continuous fillet welds for cold-rolled steel using G493 or T493 welding consumables. The steelwork is also sandblasted and hot-dipped galvanised.