Mammoth task to showcase some giant gear in heart of Perth

South West business institution Piacentini & Son has had to get mining equipment into some precarious positions in its 70 years in mining services, but last week was a whole new level of hairiness.

Executive director Kim Piacentini was faced with the daunting prospect of getting a 745 articulated haul truck into the heart of Perth at Elizabeth Quay as part of the Resources Technology Showcase 2019.

That by itself was always going to be tricky, but the job was made even more difficult by the sprawling Panther float that was connected to the truck — with a monstrous D9 dozer on its back for good measure.

Months of planning came to a head last Sunday night when the Panther Series II 130T Low Loader was transported from Guildford in two sections — the biggest being 6.5m wide and weighing 45 tonnes.

“The site required a large weight distribution pad to be constructed to ensure the loaded Panther didn’t cause any damage to the hard stand areas on The Landing at Elizabeth Quay,” Mr Piacentini said.

“Timber beams and steel plates were used to distribute the weight.”

Getting the 130 tonne Panther in position safely wasn’t the only thing on the minds of the 10 Piacentini workers on site. The company was also in charge of transporting an enormous Caterpillar 785D truck from WesTrac’s headquarters in Guildford into the city.

The machinery came down Riverside Drive and up Barrack Street and then into Geoffrey Bolton Drive to the front of the Ritz Carlton at Elizabeth Quay.

“The 785 was transported with the cab and tray removed to get into the city so it could pass under bridges,” Mr Piacentini said.

“All loads required 2 Heavy Vehicle escorts and a police escort and to be moved between 11pm and 5am of an evening.”

“Once all loads were at Elizabeth Quay, the Cab was placed on the truck, then the tray. The truck was then positioned and the Panther was then moved into place.

“There were no incidents during the project and this is a credit to all involved. Everyone involve should be extremely proud of what has been achieved, it’s a credit to the capability and dedication of our engineering and transport team.”

Panthers weighing up to 360 tonnes are designed and manufactured in Bunbury by Piacentini & Son using many local suppliers.

The business began in 1949 when family patriarch Albert, who was running a timber mill in Dardanup at the time, was given a Cat D6 bulldozer on the condition he cleared land around Margaret River given to war veterans.