from the ground up

As our knowledge of the destructive power of natural events such as earthquakes increases, so too does our understanding of the need for highly engineered buildings. Construction standards today provide clear requirements regarding the inner strength of buildings.

For 80 Queen Street, Dominion Constructors built to the specifications provided by structural engineers Holmes Consulting. Dominion Constructors supplied and finished all the concrete work for the structure, from the floors and the ramps linking the levels in the basement car parks through to the top of the building, to meet these standards.

The company also constructed the central concrete core of the building, which houses the lift shafts and service ducts. More importantly, however, this core ensures the integrity of the building, providing it with the levels of rigidity and strength necessary to withstand an earthquake.

To build the central core and the floors throughout the building, Dominion Constructors designed and supplied a proprietary self-climbing formwork system. Challenges for Dominion Constructors included the depth of the excavation required, and the necessity to complete the building work by working on the upper levels while still completing construction on the lower floors and the basement.

Meeting the specifications so the building could achieve a Green Star rating was also part of the brief for the company. For Dominion Constructors, this meant ensuring that all formwork timbers and ply, even though they were only used during the construction process, were made from sustainable materials.

DOMINION CONSTRUCTORS

PO Box 17254, Greenlane, Auckland 1546Phone (09) 526 5808 Fax (09) 526 5809www.constructors.co.nz info@constructors.co.nz

Story by: Trendsideas