MSC civil and structural engineers faced some unusual challenges when they undertook structural and civil engineering design work on Mainfreight’s $30 million new head office. This incorporated a freight terminal, including a dedicated rail link with the rail line entering the building beside the front entry, office accommodation and warehouse.
The Mainfreight head office project was unique in that a rail line entered the building beside the front entry at ground level, with the first floor of office accommodation above the freight terminal at the back.
The complex incorporates 7,800m2 of warehousing, 13,200m2 of freight terminals and a two-level 2,800m2 office complex.
The project had a number of challenges, as the site was on an existing rubbish tip from which hazardous rubbish had to be removed. The variable ground conditions required the building to be suspended on driven steel piles to a depth of 13 metres.
Due to the poor ground conditions, the warehouse slab was supported on a 1.5m grid of bored stone columns that extend four metres below ground level.
The freight terminal and warehouse were constructed using Steltech portal frames with a post tensioned floor and a raised dock area.
