Brisbane Markets Project Update
Construction on the trading floor roofing project at Brisbane Markets is well underway with twelve of the twenty support columns now erected.
Snapshot taken from the 3D design model of the roofing structure.
Wiley began works on site in early September after three years of planning and consultation with Brisbane market Tenants.
The $6.3 million project will see the installation of two roofing structures of around 4,000m², each supported by a single row of 10 columns. It also covers refurbishment of the flanking building facades and an upgrade to fire services.
Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) CEO Andrew Young said the final design will provide maximum cover for Brisbane Produce Market trading floor users.
“The project will have a significant impact on the appearance and the utilisation of the space at the front of Buildings B and C Selling floors.”
Each column placement point is managed as a micro-construction site.
Wiley Senior Project Manager Barry Murphy shared how co-operative and helpful the vendors have been during the construction and some of the challenges of this unique construction environment.
“Our work is scheduled outside of market trading hours to minimise impact on the vendor’s daily operations and we have had to plan and manage each column placement point as a micro-construction site.”
“With only 1mm allowance on every template, the cages for the column footing and head stocks were precision laser cut, fabricated and welded off site and scheduled for installation using ‘just in time’ project management techniques.” said Barry.
“Another interesting challenge we faced on site was the extreme load the cranes and other machinery would be placing on the bitumen. To address this we innovated and installed runners made from recycled conveyor belts that could take the weight and prevent cracking.”
“Each micro site needs to be contained to a 3.6 x 3.6 metre area to provide the surrounding vendors with as much space as possible to carry out their trade. This presented a challenge to working at heights on the head stocks of the columns. In response, we designed and had manufactured custom stairwells on wheels so we could mobilise and de-mobilise our construction team as quickly as possible.”
Once all the columns are erected, the steel roof frames will be craned into place.
Final works on this stage will be completed by April 2015 with stage two designs for further roofing solutions now underway.
Past projects with BML
Click here to read about Wiley’s previous award-winning Fresh Centre refurbishment project for BML
