STRUCTURAL
Structural engineering is at the heart of Osborn Consulting’s expertise. The partners and senior staff have decades of experience in this area, which enables cost effective solutions to be produced quickly and efficiently. Projects include residential, commercial, industrial, mining and public structures. These frequently include tilt panel warehouses, low and high rise residential and office buildings and school and regional government buildings.
However, the firm has never been simple “beam and column” engineers, and we have maintained our interest in the technical challenges of structural engineering by developing specialist expertise in the following areas:
Fabric Structures: Osborn Consulting is one of the major players in this field in Australia. Our experience ranges from highly decorative and prestigious Teflon-coated fibreglass structures, to acres of hail netting over car storages, reservoirs, orchards and cattle feed lots. A research program in conjunction with Netpro Protective Canopies and James Cook University investigating the structural actions on large net canopies is currently being undertaken.
Finite Element Analysis: Osborn Consulting has developed considerable expertise in finite element analysis to solve complex linear and non-linear, dynamic and heat transfer load applications to a wide variety of structures including vessels for the mining industry in areas of seismic activity.
Bulk Material Storage: Osborn Consulting has many years of experience in the design of material storage structures including grain silos and ore bins.
Prestressed Concrete, Light Gauge Steel Sections, CSR Hebel: Osborn Consulting has developed expertise in these materials, regarded by many engineers as being too difficult or too exotic to deal with.
Freeway Noise Barriers: Osborn Consulting are the structural engineers for Fenco, who are probably the largest builder of noise barriers in Queensland. This association has led us to design many noise barriers, and several innovative noise barrier panels.
CIVIL
Osborn Consulting provides civil engineering services for a wide range of infrastructure projects. These projects include land subdivisions for residential, industrial and commercial use, new and existing mining sites, stormwater management and flood studies and single lot developments. Large feedlot developments for the Cattle Industry have also been project managed from concept design to completion of construction.
The subdivision work has brought with it some complex road and culvert design as well as large scale water supply work, sewerage services and stormwater management plans. In addition to projects in the SE Queensland and Darling Downs areas, projects have included a mining project in Mongolia with major bulk earthworks and industrial developments in Mount Isa. This work is carried out in the Ipswich and Warwick Offices with the assistance of the software 12D, Watercom Drains and Pipes, Music and Hec-Ras. We provide a complete project management service for these projects which includes concept design, budget estimates, council liaison, managing the tender process and contract administration. Clients we have provided this service for include the Queensland Government and Defence Housing.
Extensive Stormwater Management Plans addressing water quantity and quality are now a standard requirement for new development projects together with detailed Erosion and Sediment Plans. We have developed our expertise to be able to provide relevant and up to date services for these issues.
With the increasing redevelopment of inner suburban land and changing design standards, there is an ever increasing requirement for overland flow studies and on-site water retention.
TENSILE
Tensile structure technology has advanced enormously in the last 50 years, driven by the development of durable, high strength architectural fabrics. Osborn Consulting has been heavily involved with this area of knowledge in general, and membrane structures in particular, and the company’s engineers have developed a great depth of experience in the area.
Within Osborn Consulting’s design office, these structures are divided into two types: architectural tensile structures, and agricultural/commercial hail and sun protection structures. While the laws of physics that govern the behaviour of both types of structure are constant, the distinction is found in the purpose of the structure and what our clients hope to achieve with it.
Osborn Consulting offers the whole range of services associated with these structures, including design, fabric patterning, cable and hardware detailing and steel shop detailing. Our staff are familiar with the requirements of the different fabric types from teflon coated fibreglass through facade mesh to knitted hail net. As well as having designed these structures in all states of Australia, Osborn Consulting has also designed membrane structures in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Lebanon, Italy, England, the United States of America, Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand.