Landmark Position

Fifty-two tonnes of structural steel had to be fabricated to provide the necessary support for the Papamoa Library and Community Centre. The manufacture and installation of the structural steel framework for the library was undertaken by Tauranga-based engineering business Morgan Steel.

Morgan Steel's managing director, Chris Carter, says his company took the architect's design for the building and produced its own drawings on its Autocad Prosteel Drawing System. From these drawings it then fabricated the structural steel.

"With the autocad system, we can draw in 3D. This allows us to rotate the screen and effectively walk through the building before we begin the fabrication process. It's easier for the client to visualise the final result, and make changes before it is too late," he says.

Morgan Steel was also responsible for the structural steel that supports the canopy over the front entrance, the framework for the windows, and the rolled steel in the clerestories. It also fabricated and supplied the diagonal bracing and the internal bracing supporting the roof, which is visible from inside the library.

Morgan Steel has been operating in the engineering business for three and a half years under the current ownership, undertaking residential and commercial projects of all sizes. It also specialises in metal work such as gates, stairways and balustrades. The company's portfolio includes the gymnasium at Aquinas College and the Gate Pa Retail Centre, Tauranga, various buildings in the Fashion Island complex, Papamoa, and the Papamoa Medical Centre.

Contact Morgan Steel, PO Box 3218, Tauranga, phone (07) 927 7260, fax (07) 927 7266, mobile 021 498 537. Email: chris@morgansteel.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas