Meridian Mall seismic upgrade

We completed a range of seismic strengthening works at Dunedin’s Meridian Mall, including new roof trusses, wall and parapet braces, plus wall and floor slab strengthening.

We were engaged on an ECI basis to assist with the design and buildability, working closely with our structural steel subcontractor. Our initial investigations revealed that the drawings that the engineering consultant was working off didn’t match the conditions on site, with many clashes between the design and the existing services and structure. We helped the engineers to update the drawings, allowing them to redesign the structural works early enough to make the installations a seamless process with minimal clashes and variations.

Safety was a huge consideration in the live retail environment. We did much of the heavy lifting when the mall was closed, manoeuvring 300kg steel beams into ceiling spaces and ensuring that the services and linings were back in place and that everything was spick and span when the shops reopened. Bolted connections and splices were incorporated where possible to avoid hot works inside the tight, enclosed spaces.

We used Sika CarboDur carbon fibre rods to strengthen the top car park slab, deftly installing 13 rows of 60m lengths with no joins.

Meticulous planning and a concerted effort to maintain good relationships with the mall management and tenants paid off, with the 30-year-old retail complex now strengthened to a high standard.