What we do
Network and headworks design
Irrigation system design from the field to the pump station, modelled in IRRICAD and specified on what suits the block, not a brand.
Overview
Every pipe, pump and filter sized for a reason.
Our designers and engineers design, specify and model irrigation infrastructure on jobs of every size. We set out what the system has to deliver first, then size each part to meet it, with power use over the life of the system in mind.
New developments
Field design, mains and headworks drawn from the farm plan.
Upgrades and expansions
Existing systems mapped, then extended or rebuilt to meet new demand.
Owners going to tender
Drawings and specifications any installer can price.
What we do
What we cover.
Field design for drip, sprinkler and pivot
We design the in field system block by block, whatever the method. Existing systems and networks are mapped first, so new work ties in with what is already there.
- Drip, sprinkler and centre pivot designs
- Laterals, submains and valve layout
- Flushing allowed for in each block
- Existing systems and networks mapped
System requirements first
Before anything is sized, we work out what the system has to do and write it down. That way each pipe, pump and filter can be traced back to a requirement.
- Flow now and for future expansion
- Head, including suction lift and losses
- Suction and discharge manifold losses
- Allowance for system deterioration over time
Pump stations, filtration and fertigation
The headworks are where water, power and nutrients come together. We design and specify the pump station, filtration and fertigation as one system, along with the automation network that runs them.
- Pump station design and specification
- Filtration design and specification
- Fertigation system design and specification
- Automation network design
Power use over the long term
The pump station is where the power goes, season after season. We weigh pump selection and pipe sizes against running costs over the life of the system, not just the purchase price.
- Pumps chosen to run efficiently at their duty
- Pipe sizes weighed against pumping costs
- Efficiency reviewed as the design develops
- Future demand allowed for from the start
Drawings, 3D models and fabrication
Designs are drawn in IRRICAD and BricsCAD. Our designers and engineers also model and draw pump sheds, dams, swales and fertigation stations in 3D and 2D.
- Irrigation and network drawings
- Engineering and installation drawings
- 3D models and aerial maps of all infrastructure
- Fabrication breakdown for the whole development
What you get
Everything an installer needs to price and build it.
- System requirements, set out in writing
- Field designs for every block
- Pump station specification
- Filtration and fertigation specifications
- Irrigation and network drawings
- Engineering and installation drawings
- 3D models and aerial maps
- Fabrication breakdown
Questions
Irrigation design, answered.
How much does an irrigation design cost?
It's priced on application, because every job is different. What drives the price: the area and number of blocks, the crop and type of system, whether there is a pump station, filtration or fertigation to design, whether the site needs surveying first, and how much drawing and fabrication detail you need. Send the details and we'll come back with a scope and a price.
How much does it cost to install irrigation in Australia?
It depends mostly on the type of system and what has to be built to feed it, so there is no fair figure without a design. Drip needs pipe down every row and good filtration, sprinklers typically need more pressure and so more pumping, and a pivot puts more of the cost into the machine than into field pipe. On any system, the pump station, distance from the water, power to the site, automation and earthworks move the price. A design taken to tender gives you real installed prices to compare. Send the details and we'll come back with a scope and a price for the design.
How can I design my own irrigation system?
On a small, simple block a grower can set out rows and choose drippers with help from a supplier. Where an engineer earns the fee is the hydraulics: pressure variation along the rows, sizing mains and submains, pump selection, filtration and power use over many seasons. Mistakes there show up as uneven watering, blocked emitters or high power bills, and they cost more to fix later than to design out now. We can also check a design someone else has drawn.
Do you recommend a particular brand?
No. Each design is specified on what suits the block, the water and the budget, regardless of brand. We do supply and install Motorola IRRInet and WiseConn automation, but the design still calls for whatever fits the job best.
Related
Designing a new system or upgrading one?
Send the property location, the crop, the area and your water source. Nick, Matt or Aaron will call you back with a scope and a price.