Bayswater Power Station
Transformer Runway Slabs
Delivering structural assurance for mission-critical transformer upgrades in one of NSW’s most significant power stations.
CSS provided specialist structural engineering services to support the replacement of a decommissioned transformer with a new 325-tonne unit at AGL’s Bayswater Power Station in Muswellbrook.
Working within a constrained, high-risk brownfield environment, CSS undertook detailed assessments of the existing transformer runway slabs to ensure they could safely accommodate increased transporter and installation loads. Through soil–structure interaction modelling, performance-based engineering, and rigorous limit state checks, CSS validated the structural integrity of the slabs without requiring significant reconstruction. This solution enabled the safe installation of the upgraded transformer—supporting AGL’s broader modernisation program and contributing to a projected 100 MW increase in generation capacity while maintaining operational continuity.
Technical Achievements
CSS delivered a robust performance-based structural assessment that justified atypical transformer and transporter loads on existing infrastructure, supported by detailed soil–structure interaction modelling to accurately predict slab behaviour under extreme loading scenarios. The team undertook comprehensive ULS and SLS limit state checks to verify slab stability, deflection, and load-transfer performance, and developed targeted strengthening strategies to mitigate risk while avoiding unnecessary reconstruction. All engineering work was completed within a high-risk brownfield environment, ensuring full operational continuity and zero disruption to live power station activities.
Benefits to the Client
CSS’s solution enabled the safe reuse of the existing runway slabs, avoiding major reconstruction and significantly reducing project cost, construction duration, and operational impacts. This approach maintained full operational continuity during the transformer upgrade, ensuring no loss of power station output. By providing high-confidence structural assurance for heavy-lift operations within a constrained brownfield environment, CSS reduced project risk and enhanced safety. The assessment also supported AGL’s broader modernisation program, improving asset reliability and long-term network resilience. Through strategic reuse of existing infrastructure, the project delivered meaningful sustainability benefits by reducing embodied carbon and avoiding material-intensive interventions.
