I'll drink to that

The first thing that is apparent about the new Lion Nathan facility at East Tamaki is the scale from the two storey-high logo emblazoned on the facade of the brewhouse, to the 60,000m² of built environment. Even when considered as constituent parts, the numbers are huge.

Mainzeal was the main contractor, and project manager Mike Turner says, "We installed 16km of steel piles, and half of them, some 270-odd, are beneath the tank farm alone. But when you consider that each tank weighs around 250 tonnes when full, it suddenly doesn't seem all that many."

Under an early contractor involvement (ECI) strategy, which sought to foster an open sharing of expertise, Mainzeal was involved in the project at the planning stage to provide logistical input, says Turner.

"One of the areas in which we assisted, along with our partner D&H Steel, was in the design of the steel trusses that span the warehousing facility. A big factor in erecting the trusses was having an understanding of the different loadings placed on them as they're being lifted an example of the sort of intricacies we face with every project."

While the building elements weren't complex in themselves, again it was the sheer scale that posed the biggest challenges, says Turner.

"Simple tasks, from a construction standpoint, such as pouring concrete, took on an entirely different aspect for this project.

"Due to the large quantities involved, of between 900m³ to 1000m³ at a time, pours started at 2am and went through to 10am in order to guarantee continuity of supply and quality. This meant that everyone in the supply chain had to be on board in order to ensure a successful outcome."

"Lion Nathan has made a huge investment in re-locating their business, and to have some responsibility for that was daunting at first," says Turner. "However, the opportunity of being involved from the initial stages and working as part of a collaborative environment has been very significant for Mainzeal, and certainly a career highlight for myself personally."

For further details, contact Mainzeal, PO Box 3978, Shortland St, Auckland 1140, phone (09) 375 2100, fax (09) 375 2102. Email: mzakl@mainzeal.com, or visit the website: www.mainzeal.com.

Story by: Trendsideas