New school centre with pool, fitness centre, health education centre, classrooms

A tight timeframe and challenging logistics are to be expected in a school construction project. But the St Cuthbert's Centennial Centre for Wellbeing project added an extra challenge for the main contractor Dominion Constructors the pool had to meet the official standards of FINA, the international governing body for water sports.

Dominion Constructors site manager Trevor Mould says accuracy was critical to the construction. Preset dimensional tolerances needed to be adhered to so the pool can be used for official time and record keeping.

"There were other significant factors to take into account," Mould says. "This was a major construction project, which also included a learners' pool, fitness centre, student support centre, health education centre and sports office. It was a very busy operational environment with residential neighbours. Deliveries were restricted to school hours only. And the programming had to accommodate international deliveries and ensure these were on time."

The stainless steel gutter and filtration systems for the pool were imported from the United States, and the moveable fibreglass pool floor came from Germany.

"The floor was installed by a small team who came from Germany," says Mould. "There are two motors in the basement that turn a spindle, like a screwjack, which jacks the floor up to the required height. Small gaps in the floor allow the water to flow through, so the displacement is relatively easy."

Mould says the installation of the extra-long 34m glue-laminated roof beams in the centre was another logistical challenge. It involved special road access permits to get the beams on site, and a lot of collaboration was required between riggers, crane drivers and builders.

"The entire build needed to keep to a very tight timeframe, so each phase could proceed on time. The concrete pour, for example, need to happen in stages. Because concrete shrinks, we had to pour sections in a chequerboard pattern, and wait seven days for these to cure, before proceeding. This has ensured we have delivered a completely waterproof pool interior that meets all the FINA regulations."

For more details, contact Dominion Constructors. Email: enquiries@constructors.co.nz. Or visit the website: www.constructors.co.nz

Story by: Trendsideas