Coates Hire launches 150t capacity structural prop

Coates Hire has developed a 150 tonne capacity, lightweight structural prop which it said will lower the cost of temporary works and increase efficiencies on construction sites.

The Quadshore 150 prop - described as the world’s lightest heavy-duty structural support - is the result of a A$1 million joint research project by Coates and Monash University.

The Quadshore 150 prop from Coates Hire.

The patented prop uses lightweight, high-strength structural elements, as well as boltless connections. This removes the need for consumables and reduces weight, making them easier to transport and handle on site.

Coates and the university are also working on a new ground shoring system and lightweight tilt props which are due for release in the near future.

Decade in the making
Rafi Tchopourian, General Manager, Engineering Solutions at Coates Hire, said; “This project has been more than a decade in the making and its one the construction sector has been crying out for.

“It’s far lighter than anything else on the market, ensuring it can be shipped to site quicker and in greater volume, and erected faster.

“In addition, the Quadshore 150 uses far fewer parts than other propping systems, so it’s more cost effective to develop as well as to install.”

Rafi Tchopourian, General Manager, Engineering Solutions at Coates Hire.

Monash University’s Civil Engineering Department has been working on concept of lightweight high-strength structural systems for 12 years.

The partnership with Coates Hire, which started in 2018, helped translate the research into the real world and at the same time gave the University direct feedback from construction sites.

Deep breadth of expertise
“Our belief is that the engineering faculties at universities offer a deep breadth of capability, market intelligence and access to PhD students who are able to bring the passion, practical and engineering disciplines to research and development projects,” said Tchopourian.

“The development of a world-leading structural support technology is a testament to this, and Quadshore 150 is just the first cab off the rank.

“We are also working with Monash University to develop a Ground Shoring System and Lightweight Tilt Props which are due for release in the near future.”

Tchopourian paid tribute to the Coates Hire team working on the project, including Sudhir Raina and Rex Turner, both engineers at the company.

Head of Structural Engineering at Monash University, Associate Professor Amin Heidarpour, said the development has the potential to elevate further the status of the University’s Civil Engineering Department on the world stage, which will be crucial when international students look to return to Australia.

The patented Quadshore 150 has been part of the research conducted by Esmaeil Pournamazian Najafabadi during his PhD study at Monash.

Amin Heidarpour, Associate Professor and Head of Structural Engineering at Monash University, standing next to the Quadshore 150.

World changing ideas
“Australia has some of the best engineering minds in the world, and our department offers the facilities and autonomous environment that allow world-changing ideas to flourish,” said Heidarpour.

“This project is a testament to that ingenuity; a propping system that saves money at a time when budgets are under strain, and one that reduces the impact on the environment, particularly when climate change is front-of-mind.”

The success of the project with Monash has led Coates Hire to partner with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) on several other projects, particularly looking at ways to support and improve construction water treatment processes.