Outstanding finalists in ACENZ INNOVATE NZ Awards

June 4 2009

For Immediate Release

Outstanding projects named as finalists in ACENZ INNOVATE NZ Awards

From Pitcairn Island’s jetty to a high profile toll road, top engineering projects have been named as finalists in the Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand’s INNOVATE NZ Awards of Excellence.

ACENZ President Brent Meekan said the 35 finalists were excellent examples of how consulting engineers and associated professionals constantly work to provide clients with the best possible solutions.

“These are the people who find the innovative methods for project service, delivery and technical solutions,” he said. “The broad spectrum of finalists from all over New Zealand demonstrates the far reaching benefits the industry brings to clients and to the country as a whole.”

Projects selected as finalists required many creative and innovative solutions and designs.

They include Opus International Consultants who provided a design for a foundation of reinforced concrete floor slab on screw piles for the new Gisborne Police Station which eliminated most of the construction risks, sped up the process and provided substantial cost savings.

Building services provided by Beca for the Meridian Building in Wellington were instrumental in it achieving a 5-star NZGBC rating and the Northern Gateway Toll Road, by URS NZ Ltd and Tonkin & Taylor (on behalf of the Northern Gateway Alliance) established new codes for construction of the bridges and tunnels using modern international standards for construction and road safety.

The Ormiston Road Bridge in the Waikato, the first cable-stayed road bridge in New Zealand, stretched the capabilities of both the consulting and construction sectors of the New Zealand infrastructure industry due to a number of unique features including pylons inclined in two directions. Solutions were provided by Beca.

Engineering innovations for the Processing Factory for Kanuka Engineered Wood products in Hawkes Bay, by Structural Concepts, included the use of nails and cleats for every connection except the brace bays, and trusses used rather than a portal frame so as to span the required building width using smaller members.

The modular design of The Story of The Eel Bridge, in Auckland, by Duffill Watts also includes key innovation of a modular design with steel components that can be replaced if necessary.

Aurecon NZ Ltd developed a new energy absorbing system for the Te Puni Village, Victoria University of Wellington student accommodation, which incorporates large springs which acts as dampers during an earthquake. The system allows the transverse frames to rock up during a seismic event, in turn compressing the springs.

Tonkin & Taylor provided an innovative design for the Material Recovery Facility, in Onehunga, which incorporates future proofing, allowing for a straightforward upgrade to double the original capacity of the building.

Large scale projects named as finalists also included the Northern Busway by Beca, Opus International Consultants and Aurecon NZ, the Pike River Coal Mine Access Road Construction and Spring Creek Coal Mine State II Extension, both by McNulty Engineering Management, and the Wellington International Airport Southern Runway End Safety Area by Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd.

Several wastewater treatment plant projects feature including the Tauriko Business Estate – Wastewater Syphon by Aurecon, The Te Aroha Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade by Harrison Grierson and the Coromandel Eastern Seaboard Wastewater Treatment Plants by Opus International Consultants and Sinclair Knight Merz in joint venture with Downer EDI.

Other water projects are Hamilton City Council Securing Water Supply for 35 Years by MWH New Zealand and the Oamaru Water Supply Upgrade by Duffill Watts.

Bridge projects also include the Materials Handling System for the Auckland Harbour Bridge Extensions by Beca and Wanganui District Council Bridge 47, Mangamahu Road, by Holmes Consulting Group.

New buildings include the Manu Street Warehouses by Babbage Consultants, the Owen G Glenn Building – University of Auckland New Business School by Beca, The Stamford Residences and Sylvia Park – Building Services by Aurecon, and the Yealands Estate Winery by Structex.

Several specialist environment-related projects feature including Environmental Choice New Zealand by Tonkin & Taylor Ltd for the NZ Ecolabelling Trust and the Reducing Congestion Through Route Optimisation Project by GHD Ltd for the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority.

Heritage projects include work on the St Patrick’s Cathedral Conservation and Refurbishment by Aurecon and structural design solutions for the renovation, reconstruction and construction of the Hawkes Bay Opera House by LHT Design.

Tonkin & Taylor is also a finalist with three further projects; the Kai Iwi Rail Tunnel Bypass Project, the Ohope Escarpment Drainage Project and the Pitcairn Hill of Difficulty.

Aurecon also features for the Mercy Ascot Hospital Cancer Care Centre and Car Park Extension and for Lake Tewa At Jack’s Point Project. Opus International Consultants is also a finalist for two further projects; the Karangahake Gorge Road Safety Improvements and the White Horse Hill Campground Upgrade carried out for DoC.

Winners will be announced on July 25 at the INNOVATE NZ 2009 Awards Dinner to be held at the ACENZ conference in Queenstown.

ENDS

About ACENZ

The Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ) represents the consulting industry for engineering and related professionals. The organisation has 193 member firms that together employ in excess of 9,200 engineers, architects and supporting staff.

Finalists: Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand’s INNOVATE NZ Awards of Excellence 2009

Aoraki/Mt Cook

White Horse Hill Campground Upgrade. Opus International Consultants Ltd for Department of Conservation. Disciplines: Civil Engineering

Auckland

Northern Busway: Beca, Opus International Consultants Ltd and Aurecon for NZ Transport Agency. Discipline: Transport Engineering.

Northern Gateway Toll Road. URS NZ Ltd and Tonkin & Taylor Ltd (on behalf of the Northern Gateway Alliance) for NZ Transport Agency. Multidiscipline.

Owen G Glenn Building – University of Auckland New Business School. Beca for University of Auckland. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Manu Street Warehouses. Babbage Consultants for James Kirkpatrick Ltd. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Material Recovery Facility. Tonkin & Taylor Ltd for Auckland City Council, Manukau City Council and Visy Recycling Ltd. Discipline: Environmental; Geotechnical Engineering.

Materials Handling System for the Auckland Harbour Bridge Extensions. Beca for NZ Transport Agency. Discipline: Project Management.

Mercy Ascot Hospital Cancer Care Centre and Car Park Extension. Aurecon for Mercy Ascot Properties Ltd. Discipline: Civil/Structural Engineering.

Ormiston Road Bridge. Beca for Manukau City Council. Discipline: Traffic Engineering

Reducing Congestion Through Route Optimisation. GHD Ltd for Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority. Discipline: Traffic Engineering.

St Patrick’s Cathedral Conservation & Refurbishment. Aurecon for The Catholic Bishop of Auckland. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Stamford Residences. Aurecon for Stamford Property Services Pty Ltd. Disciplines: Structural and Geotechnical Engineering.

Sylvia Park: Building Services. Aurecon for Kiwi Income Property Trust Ltd. Discipline: Building Services Engineering.

The Story of the Eel Bridge. Duffill Watts Ltd for Waitakere City Council. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Bay of Plenty

Ohope Escarpment Drainage Project. Tonkin & Taylor Ltd for Whakatane District Council. Discipline: Civil Engineering.

Tauriko Business Estate – Wastewater Siphon. Aurecon for IMF Backstop Ltd. Discipline: Civil Engineering.

Bay of Plenty

Coromandel Eastern Seaboard Wastewater Treatment Plants: Opus International Consultants Ltd and Sinclair Knight Merz in Joint Venture with Downer EDI for Thames Coromandel District Council. Discipline: Wastewater Engineering.

East Cape

Innovative Foundation System for the Gisborne Police Station. Opus International Consultants Ltd for NZ Police. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Hauraki Plains

Karangahake Gorge Road Safety Improvements. Opus International Consultants for Transit NZ. Discipline: Traffic Engineering.

Te Aroha Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade. Harrison Grierson Ltd for Matamata Piako District Council Discipline: Wastewater Engineering.

Hawkes Bay

Hawkes Bay Opera House: LHT Design for Shand Shelton. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Processing Factory for Kanuka Engineered Wood Products Ltd. Structural Concepts for Kanuka Engineered Wood Products Ltd. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Marlborough.

Yealands Estate Winery. Structex Ltd for Apollo Projects. Discipline: Structural/Civil Engineering

Central Otago

Lake Tewa at Jack’s Point. Aurecon for Jack’s Point Ltd. Discipline: Geotechnical Engineering.

North Otago

Oamaru Water Supply Upgrade. Duffill Watts Ltd for Waitaki District Council. Discipline: Water supply.

Taranaki/Manawatu

Kai Iwi Rail Tunnel Bypass Project. Tonkin & Taylor Ltd for OnTrack. Disciplines: Civil & Geotechnical Engineering.

Wanganui District Council Bridge 47, Mangamahu Road, Holmes Consulting Group for Wanganui District Council. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Waikato

Hamilton City Council Securing Water Supply for 35 Years: MWH New Zealand Ltd for Hamilton City Council. Discipline: Water supply planning.

Wellington

Meridian Building: Site 7 Kumutoto Plaza: Building Services. Beca for DNZ Property Group, Wellington Waterfront Ltd and Meridian Energy Ltd. Discipline: Building Services.

Te Puni Village, Victoria University of Wellington: Aurecon for Victoria University of Wellington. Discipline: Structural Engineering.

Wellington International Airport Southern Runway End Safety Area. Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd for Wellington International Airport Ltd.

West Coast.

Pike River Coal Mine Access Road Construction. McNulty Engineering Management Ltd for Ferguson Brothers Ltd. Disciplines: Project Management; Resource Management.

Spring Creek Coal Mine Stage II Extension. McNulty Engineering Management Ltd for Solid Energy NZ Ltd. Discipline: Project Management.

Overseas

Pitcairn Hill of Difficulty. Tonkin & Taylor Ltd for British Government. Discipline: Civil Engineering.

General

Environmental Choice New Zealand: Tonkin & Taylor Ltd for NZ Ecolabelling Trust. Discipline: Quality Management

ENDS

© Scoop Media