| 63 CONTRACTING Master Foundations Phone: 0800 191 674 Email: info@mcvicaritm.co.nz Proud Suppliers to At Master Foundations, our primary goal is to provide cost-effective solutions while maintaining high-quality standards. With over a decade of experience in the Christchurch area, we have encountered a wide range of projects, from standard TC1 to Multilevel TC3 foundations with our speciality being in Rib Raft (Waffle) foundations. Contact us today for a free Quotation. www.masterfoundations.co.nz 021 222 0952 mark@masterfoundations.co.nz T T Kelly Deeks Getting the foundations right Master Foundations specialises in rib raft foundations (waffle slabs), alongside other foundation systems selected according to the building, site, and client requirements. Master Foundations is carving out a niche in Christchurch’s busy residential construction market by taking full responsibility for the foundation process and bringing foundation expertise into projects early. Director, Mark Skachill, says Master Foundations is busy across Christchurch, with a strong pipeline, including multi-unit developments where a single foundation can support multiple homes. Multi-unit activity is also beginning to pick up in Rolleston, although developments there are generally less dense, with duplexes and two dwellings on one section more common. Master Foundations specialises in rib raft foundations (waffle slabs), alongside other foundation systems selected according to the building, site, and client requirements. Mark came into the business with a builder’s background, and had worked for another major foundation company in Wellington before helping them expand to Christchurch after the earthquakes. In Wellington, he gained experience with technically challenging foundations, bringing this expertise to Christchurch at a time when fewer contractors were offering it locally. Three years ago, he stepped away to establish Master Foundations, building a business around technical knowledge, project management, and a hands-on approach to each job. The family business currently has Mark, three contract crews working on a square- metre rate, his wife, Lonnae, handling administration, and his father, Malcolm, overseeing site controls before concrete is poured. Mark had followed his dad into the building trade, so Malcolm’s experience gives Master Foundations the benefit of another experienced pair of hands on-site. Mark says time frames are one of the biggest challenges of the job. “We have to work to a schedule and stick to it.” To make the process as smooth as possible, Master Foundations takes responsibility for the foundation element from start to finish, coordinating with plumbers, electricians, builders, designers, and other contractors so the site is ready when the next trade arrives. That approach is particularly valuable when the company is involved early in the design stage, when relatively small changes can deliver substantial savings. On one recent project, Mark identified an expensive insulation product specified beneath the slab and suggested an alternative with the same thermal rating, saving the client thousands of dollars. “We get everyone collaborating and we get better results for the person who is paying for it.” Another project included costly steel stirrups throughout the foundation. Mark proposed a steel fibre concrete alternative, reducing the cost by about $10,000. He says involving foundation contractors early can make the construction methodology and cost part of the design process, rather than trying to solve problems once plans are already complete. “We get everyone collaborating and we get better results for the person who is paying for it,” he says. The same approach can help when unexpected site or consenting requirements emerge. On one project, the architect had not accounted for a minimum height requirement, meaning the foundation needed to be raised by 0.5 metres. Instead of building a block foundation around the perimeter and placing compacted hard fill inside it, Mark proposed stacking large polystyrene blocks to create a double rib raft. The solution added some time, but reduced the overall cost and complexity. Mark is now focused on building Master Foundations as a strong family business. “We’re busy all over Christchurch, and we want to keep doing good work, keep looking at better ways of doing things, and build our business from there,” he says.
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