Lyttelton Port of Christchurch – Midland Port
Goods on the move
Our team has been closely involved with the development of the 27ha Midland Port freight terminal project in Rolleston, south of Christchurch. The main project was completed via an accelerated programme in 2016 and subsequent smaller extension projects have been ongoing.
Our role has spanned every stage from outset to handover, including feasibility, budget development, business case support, resource and building consent applications, contractor procurement, design development and construction. We also coordinated all commissioning, inspections and handover activities.
Taking the fast lane
We put together a fast track design and construction programme that achieved practical completion just 12 months after concept design sign-off, and required starting construction on site just two months after concept design was complete. The fast track approach meant that all stakeholders had to work very closely to ensure design progressed ahead of construction and tight deadlines were met. Weekly design team meetings were held in order to resolve the immediate issues that allowed the next week's construction to progress.
Points of interest
- The project was the first use of PortPhalt® in New Zealand.
- The subsoils were found to be high in moisture. Several options had to be designed and tested on site to mitigate the soft soils and allow the pavement construction to continue on programme.
- The maximum gradient of the site was dictated by the rail siding, and all cut and fill had to be designed around the maximum allowable slope.
