76 | to page 78 ENGINEERING George Grant Engineering Collaboration key with complex build Karen Phelps ndt solutions ltd 56 Wiseley Road, Hobsonville Auckland, 0618 Weld Inspector 021 060 8509 24/7 Emergency Services services.ndtsolutions@gmail.com marius geering PHILLIP LOWE: DIRECTOR/ OWNER PHONE: 022 094 1961 EMAIL: ADMIN@CHALLENGERCONTRACTING.CO.NZ STEEL, CONCRETE WORK, ASPHALT WORK, WELDING WORKS FOR COMMERCIAL PROJECTS The Foodstuffs North Island head office building at Auckland Airport was a highly successful project that finished one month ahead of schedule with George Grant Engineering (GGE) delivering the structural steel components for the build. GGE contracts manager Janani Grant says that the entire project stood out as an example of the difference collaboration can make in construction. “From safety, through quality assurance and the use of BIM, GGE worked closely with client Hawkins to deliver an exceptional project,” he says. Designed to resemble a mound of earth, the 8,500sqm building structure emerges from the surrounding landscape with the constructed earth bunds at each end a symbol of Foodstuffs’ connection to the land. Janani says that steel was the material of choice to create the complex lines of the “Our vision is to be New Zealand’s premier specialists in steel construction and we pride ourselves on being small enough to remain agile yet still have the capability and capacity to compete for the big projects. We want to strive to grow better, not bigger.” building and the structure for the façade and feature concrete panels. GGE worked closely with the designers and Hawkins using BIM techniques to identify services clashes and inaccessible areas in connections to avoid site remediation. GGE was heavily invested in the design of the two curved roof sections overhanging the east and west ends of the building, designing the steel support structures for the complex angles of the GRC roof panels and developing the design of the curved steel structures to ensure transportability and enable efficient construction. The position of splices, design of enclosed connections and general constructability were developed alongside BGT structures. Janani says that some of the members in the roof overhangs required universal beams to be welded toe to toe, which prevented access to many of the bolted connections. GGE overcame this by designing shaped washer plates that were welded to the connection and captured the nuts. The feature stair is also constructed around a complex steel structure. A fully fabricated custom member forms the leading edge of the stair and supports a spider web of steel beams to form stringers. Janani says the feature stair is nestled into an expansive parabolic shaped atrium that separates the east and west areas of the floor plan. The full size skylight situated above the atrium, along with a full height glazed façade produce exceptional natural lighting, which was a major contributor to the project being awarded the targeted five green star environmental rating. It is also a Steel Construction New Zealand Inc. 2021 Excellence in Steel Awards Finalist, which Janani says is a real tribute to the talents of the GGE team. GGE is specialists in the fabrication and installation of structural steel for commercial, industrial, civil construction and infrastructure projects.
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