The Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) Defence Logistics Transformation Program (DLTP) is designed to “modernise and enhance Defence’s warehousing and distribution functions to provide optimum support to Defence operations.” As one pivotal part of the ADF’s Logistics Reform Program, the DLTP is purpose-built to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Australia’s defence capability.

With the project requiring construction of warehousing, maintenance and testing facilities, getting this strategically vital infrastructure to the state of ‘combat readiness’ was a small battle in itself.

According to Marvin Hicks, Sales Area Manager Commercial Market, Lysaght, manufacturing the required 460 tonnes of steel to completion and to specification was just the start of the challenges.

“The large tonnage and long lengths of the KLIP-LOK 700® roofing needed to be manufactured and loaded directly onto the truck and delivered early next morning,” said Marvin.

The efficiency of Lysaght’s supply chain had a very positive effect downstream, with the roofing contractor, Axis Metal Roofing, confirming one of the best things about working on this job was the smart approach to service and supply from Lysaght.

“The sheer scale and time constraints of this job meant that we could not afford any delays whatsoever,” said Cameron Tabone, Axis Metal Roofing Project Co-ordinator.

“The availability of the product, on time, every time was a huge plus with this job,” he said.

“Lysaght certainly came through with the goods.”

Cameron noted that in terms of actual coverage, “We laid 81,000 square metres of KLIP-LOK 700® roofing plus some 19,000 square metres of 0.48 mm SPANDEK ZINCALUME®.”

To get a measure of the size of this job, the volume of purlins required was telling. According to Lysaght, the SUPAZED® 200 purlins tipped the scales at just over 270 tonnes - some 60,000 lineal metres in total.

The job’s size meant that 50-60 workers needed to be managed and co-ordinated for the first 3 months, 6 days per week, “But thanks to Lysaght, it all went like clockwork,” said Cameron.

Marvin Hicks said this commitment to manufacturing and delivery excellence was something they factored into the job well before it started.

“One of the arrangements we made with Axis from the start was that our customer service reps managed the project from order take to order delivery, which they do on all major projects.”

Furthermore, he said this was “The first major project where we used the new, LOK-KLIP™ end and expansion joint solution – we used approximately 560 lineal metres of the lapping system.” The low profile of the LOK-KLIP™ system maintained the long clean lines of the roofing, without cluttering it with clearly visible step joints.

Marvin pointed out that “Due to the sheer scale of this project, making sure we had enough coil in stock to fulfil the customer’s requirements was pivotal.”

In practical terms, this meant ensuring the stock was always ready for Axis to use and communicating with Lysaght stock control and updating them with the ongoing project progression was just one factor in this process.

“We made sure to schedule our transport (extendable trailer) so that it was available for the customer’s deliveries. The trucks were off loaded in a reasonable time frame so they were able to return back to Lysaght the same day for loading and delivering to other customers’ orders the next day,” said Marvin.

For his part, Cameron said one of his biggest on-site challenges was the building of the 30m high parachute drying tower which had to be completed in three sections on the ground in sections and then put together “a bit like a Lego structure.”

Also constructed from 0.48 mm SPANDEK ZINCALUME®, the parachute tower work, thanks to the open communication and smart delivery scheduling by Lysaght, went off “smoothly and without a hitch.” “While the DLTP was one of the bigger jobs we have done to date, at the same time, we had no major issues to deal with,” concluded Cameron.