Mount Gellibrand Wind Farm

Mount Gellibrand Wind Farm is located in the Colac Otway Shire on Victoria’s Western Plains. 63 wind turbine footings were constructed in JV with WBHO, producing enough energy to power 90,000 Australian homes.

The project consisted of stringent environmental and cultural heritage restrictions, confining the works corridor to just 20m wide. With a designed two-way cross fall roadway of 6m wide, plus swale drains on either side of the road, the restricted work zone created significant logistical challenges as the nature of the project required large earthworks plant and equipment.

The footings constructed were approximately 25m in diameter, 3.5m in height founded on the rock. The excavation for the base involved a stringent process where all loose rocks were removed, and dust blown out by compressed air. The project also accompanied a very tight construction time frame, hence the large construction team consisting of up to four sub-earthworks teams, four sub-concrete and steel fixing crews, and one local subcontractor crew completing the external road works. Each team consisted of significant manpower, with more than 80 men on-site daily from the early works stage.