Les Wanke

Les Wanke is a highly respected Principal Structural Engineer with more than 40 years of experience delivering complex structural solutions across the mining, oil and gas, and heavy industrial sectors.

Les brings deep technical expertise in the design, assessment, and construction of steel and concrete structures, particularly within the mining and process industries, with additional exposure to offshore oil and gas developments. His strengths include dynamically loaded structures, modularisation for transportation, and engineering solutions for large-scale process infrastructure.

His project experience spans a wide range of critical assets, including crusher and screen structures, stockpile stacking conveyors, mobile stackers and reclaimers, reclaim tunnels, train load-out facilities, pipe racks, pump supports, tanks, furnaces, chimney stacks, thickeners, and process plant support structures. He has worked across multiple commodities, including iron ore, coal, nickel, copper, mineral sands, gold, bauxite, alumina, and sulphuric acid plants.

Les has extensive international experience, having worked in Perth, Melbourne, Taiwan, Iran, China, and Chile. This global exposure has strengthened his ability to deliver practical, reliable solutions across diverse operating environments.

He is recognised for his strong technical authority in both design and construction. At BHP Iron Ore, Les developed detailed Structural Design Criteria along with new steel fabrication, erection, and concrete construction specifications, setting high standards for engineering consistency and quality. He was also responsible for compliance assurance of all lifting activities, ensuring alignment with Australian Standards.

Les is known for his practical engineering judgement, rigorous approach to safety and compliance, and his ability to deliver robust, constructible solutions for complex industrial projects.