HMAS Cairns Electrical and Communications Upgrade

Client: FK Gardner & Sons Pty Ltd
April 27, 2020

HMAS Cairns Electrical and Communications Upgrade

Client: FK Gardner & Sons Pty Ltd
April 27, 2020
Nilsen Qld was awarded the complete electrical and communications upgrade for this critical defence base in Australia’s maritime security network.

All works were conducted whilst ensuring base operations were not impacted. Detailed programming and logistic planning was required to ensure all critical stakeholders were engaged and not impacted. The primary scope involved the following:

  • Replacement of fibre optic terminations and fibre optic patch lead to LC connectors
  • Repair/replacement of communication cabinets
  • Additions and alternation to communication cabinet configuration including installation or adjustment of cable management systems and fibre optic break out trays
  • Installation of communication cabinet and distribution frame earthing systems
  • Provision and/or update distribution frame log books
  • Provision of additional power outlets/circuits for communication cabinets from building distribution board
  • Additional fibre optic cables and conduits between buildings
  • Removal of ‘abandoned’ fibre optic and telephone cable
  • Repair, replacement and maintenance of pits including clean and pump out of excess water
  • Replacement of damaged or aging switchboards
  • Installation of labels on cables, communication cabinets and switchboards
  • Replacement of power factor correction devices in the northern & southern switchrooms
  • BMS infrastructural fibre optic cabling
  • Provision of a cable support system for the northern switchroom
  • Adjustment and setting of trip units on circuit breakers on the northern main switchboard.

Once all cut overs were complete, we simply reterminated the original fibres, which then became the redundancy fibres. This added value to the client and demonstrated the businesses capacity to work collaboratively with all stakeholders to enhance the contracted outcomes.

The project was delivered with zero safety incidents which clearly demonstrates that safety is at the forefront of the Nilsen philosophy.

Instead of losing all comms to a building while existing fibres were reterminated, we developed a strategy to install and test the new redundancy fibres, this enabled services to be simply repatched onto the new fibres, with minimal impact on the base. All project milestones and objectives were met or exceeded.

Download the factsheet here

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