Woolworths

With the seismic restraint placed on the project due to location in the South Island, the final design underwent a huge overhaul from its predecessor in the north island. Being only half the size of the DC in Auckland with the same amount of steel, this project was always going to be challenging in design through to completion.

With 400T of welded beams being used for the columns, 8 large K-frames weighing 37T each once complete. The main spine truss running down the full length of the building being 5.8m wide and 22m long was not only logistically challenging but also on a constructability point. The rafter truss once bolted together spanned 45m each and weighing in at 15T+, in some locations this rose to 56m and 22T. With a depth of 2.4m the sheer size of these trusses made for dual crane lifts and multiple rigging configurations, the connection back to the columns and spine truss calling for G10.9 bolts fully tensioned.

106 pairs of 150mm EA cross bracing between the main structure and the penthouse steel, this building not only looked impressive but also lived up to the seismic restraints.