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Downer NZ
CATEGORY 4: Projects with a value greater than $50 million
Securing a strategic future
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An unusual construction project involving new concrete storage facilities at two ports brought out the best in this contractor. Client Holcim NZ was closing down its concrete manufacturing in New Zealand and planned to import material from Japan. It needed two large dome storage facilities. Downer was engaged for an ECI process to work with Holcim and its designer Beca to achieve two, large capacity dome storage silos at the waterfronts of Auckland and Timaru. A global search was conducted to determine the most appropriate technologies and suppliers. Key designers, suppliers and subcontractors
CATEGORY were identified and Downer was awarded CONSTRUCTION EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2016 WINNER 4 CATEGORY 4 the main construction contract (valued at $51 million) on the Import Cement Terminals Project. Downer engaged and managed over 80 consultants, subcontractors and suppliers from around the world to build the first dome storage facilities in the country. A complexity to the project was the need for works to be performed on an existing wharf at the Ports of Auckland and a new wharf at Timaru, also built by Downer.
This turnkey project was started in February 2014 and handed over 27 months (and 226,000 working hours) later with an excellent safety and environmental record, at the right quality, on time and within budget.
“The work was so complex that the methodology needed to consider the health and safety aspects of a great number of elements during construction, planning was embarked upon to address these issues and to gain approval from WorkSafe NZ for the works to commence,” says Downer.
The relationship with the client depended heavily upon mutual trust, which developed over months of collaboration and co-location at the ECI phase.
Holcim put a great deal of trust in Downer to embrace the principles of the project – providing a concept and then allowing Downer to take a significant portion of ownership over Holcim’s long-term country plan, approved by their head office.
Holcim New Zealand country manager Glenda Harvey says: “The so-called ‘minion’ has been made a reality on time and within budget.” l
