24 | Groundwork specialist on top of its game Groudfix’s services include ground anchors and micropiles, slope stabilisation and rockfall protections. T T Russell Fredric REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT CCNZ: Groundfix The high level of expertise and successful project execution offered by specialist groundwork company Groundfix has led to consistently winning Civil Contractors of New Zealand (CCNZ) awards during the past decade. The company is headed by directors Justin Wilson, Simon Bourke and Elisabetta Wilson (CFO) who respectively have a doctorate, a degree in geology and a qualification as a chartered accountant. Operating nationwide, Groundfix has offices in Auckland and Christchurch, and its staff has expanded from five to currently just under 100 permanent employees. Its services include ground anchors and micropiles, slope stabilisation and rockfall protections, soil nails, shotcrete/sprayed concrete, and specialist grouting, with the variety and complexity of work it undertakes highlighted by the CCNZ awards achieved. Just two years after it was founded late 2013, Groundfix achieved Highly Commended in the 2015 national CCNZ Category 1 awards for projects of less the $1 million for its complex and challenging remedial work in the central Auckland Vodafone building basement car-park slab which was showing signs of structural stress. The job was complicated by the fact the basement had to remain a functioning car park throughout the works. “The award recognition gained from this project, so soon after the business started, was awesome,” Justin says. “Those awards are powerful; you say you won a national award for something and people sit up and listen. It’s exposure across our industry, all the big tier one companies are represented at those awards along with many others.” Building on this success, in 2016 Groundfix was the national winner for the Waterview Tunnel cross passage drilling and pressure grouting in the prestigious Category A section. The Waterview Connection was a $1.4 billion infrastructure project to complete Auckland’s Western Ring Route and included the construction of two parallel 2.5-kilometer-long motorway tunnels on Auckland’s southwestern motorway. The pre-treatment works were considered a substantial challenge with numerous risks, notably drilling through tunnel linings to within close proximity of the second tunnel, pressure grouting over pressurising the tunnel linings and blocking of the supply line to the tunnel boring machine. “Our works were on the critical path of New Zealand’s largest and most expensive ever infrastructure project and were completed ahead of time, with double the number of cross passages treated than originally envisaged, and within the original budget.” “We like these projects because they take a lot of thought and a lot of skill.” Groundfix also received CCNZ awards in 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024 for a residential slip repair project in Remuera, while this year it was Project Award Category A finalist for the Pinchgut Road Under Slip project in Kaukapakapa. Category A is for companies with turnover under $25 million and projects valued between $1 million and $10 million. Groundfix was engaged by Downer to undertake a major slip repair below Pinchgut Road. T he road suffered an under slip during the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods early 2023, which created a significant risk to the road and its users. “The remedial scope of works involved the clearance of slip materials from the face, installation of grouted soil nails and a steel reinforced shotcrete facing.” The biggest challenge for the project was access and limited available working area. “Working under traffic management on a hairpin bend, careful co-ordination and planning was required to avoid congestion on site and allow multiple tasks to be undertaken simultaneously.” “We pride ourselves on taking on difficult jobs and doing them well, working with a variety of techniques from off ropes to groundbased equipment.” AUCKLANDS NO.1 SPECIALISTS IN HOUSEFOOTING AND PREFABED REINFORCING CAGES & PILE CAGES Our main priority is providing the best service that we possibly can and delivering the required product on time. Auckland Reinforcing’s proven track record of quality is second to none. Pre-welded Footings | Pile Cages | RetainingWall Cages Precast Units | Rebar Cut & Bend Contact Us Phone (09) 296-2085 | Email info@aucklandreinforcing.co.nz | www.aucklandreinforcing.co.nz
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