Mephisto Tank
- Category
- Architectural Design, Engineering
- Location
- South Bank, QLD
- Client
- Engineering Contractor
- Completed
- 2018
The brief
Moving one of the rarest WWI relics into its new home
Mephisto, a German WWI tank, needed to be relocated from Ipswich to the Queensland Museum. Moving one of the rarest relics of the war was a complex engineering and architectural challenge, and the new ANZAC Gallery had to be redesigned to carry its weight.
At the museum, only 40 mm separated the tank from the gallery entry. The client needed the tank's exact specifications and a 3D model to design the transport systems and the new gallery space, and we developed the scope of work together.
How we did it
Scoping with the client
Our involvement began when an existing client explained the challenges they faced. We worked together to develop a scope of work around them.
Scanning the tank, the gallery and the route
We laser scanned the tank, the gallery space and the proposed transport route at the museum. The gallery was so compact that scanning was difficult, and the team completed it anyway.
A final scan with the tank wrapped
The team completed a final laser scan of the tank once it was wrapped for transport, capturing it exactly as it would travel.
A 3D model for design and delivery
The 3D model contained the information needed to redesign the gallery space and the sub-floor structural steel. On delivery, it supported the planning of the tank’s movement into the gallery.
The outcomes
- 40mm
- Entry Clearance
- 3
- Spaces Scanned
- ~100
- Years Old
- 1
- 3D Model
The gap between the tank and the gallery entry
The tank, the gallery and the transport route
Rare WW1 relic
Used to redesign the gallery and sub-floor steel to carry the tank's weight
Mephisto's move into the Queensland Museum was planned around an accurate 3D model, including the 40 mm of clearance at the gallery entry. The redesigned ANZAC Gallery was built to support the tank's weight.
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