Long-term success

To stand the test of time a building needs to be firmly anchored into the ground below it. What's less obvious is how complex this aspect of a development project can be.

For the engineering, MSC Consulting Group provided the design and documentation for the structure and monitored the construction of the Slider Building, which presented a complex challenge from the ground up.

The land was a former creek bed filled in over the years, with poor ground conditions requiring a lot of piling work, foundation beams and concrete to provide the required level of structural support for the building.

"The site conditions dictated that it would be tricky to get out of the ground and the requirements of the architect, service engineers and client added to the complexity," says MSC director Tom Donald.

The building's quality and individuality comes from its innovative design, including shear walls on three faces, made from honed concrete panels and honed concrete spandrel edge beams. To ensure the structure delivered the aesthetic requirements, the team at MSC liaised closely with the architect throughout the project.

The client requirements for large, open floor plates dictated that long span flooring and beams would be required. There are also 4.5m cantilevered floor sections on the upper two levels that support precast concrete panels on the outer edge. With National Library NZ as the anchor tenant, the level 1 floor was designed for a very high loading. Concrete-filled slender steel columns were used to support the three-level glass facade of the atrium.

The high-tech nature of the building called for trunking rebates around the perimeter of the floors, and the floor beams were haunched to accommodate the building services within the restricted ceiling spaces.

MSC Consulting Group, a civil and structural engineering consultancy, has a 30-year track record working on large and small projects in New Zealand.

For more information, contact MSC Consulting Group, PO Box 33426, Takapuna, North Shore City 0740, phone (09) 486 2210, fax (09) 486 0225. Email: msc@msc.co.nz. Website: www.msc.co.nz.

Story by: Trendsideas