Te Kaha, Canterbury’s Multi-Use Arena being delivered by BESIX Watpac for Christchurch City Council in New Zealand, has been progressing well since major works commenced at the start of this year.
The project recently reached a key milestone in construction. The last of the major concrete pours for the substructure was completed and this marks the completion of foundation works. This phase of the project commenced in January this year, and since then, 55 major pours have taken place, with almost 26,000 cubic metres of concrete poured into Te Kaha's substructure.
More than 4,800 tonnes of reinforcing has been used in the substructure to ensure Te Kaha is able to withstand future seismic movements. This has been a significant component of the project due to Christchurch’s location.
The project has shifted focus to constructing the vertical steel that provides the structure to hold the seating bowl and the western corporate stand and function facilities.
The first steel elements of the superstructure have been lifted into place and the team is making progress northward along the western stand as well as along the southern and eastern stands.
Other works include commencement of the 'double tee' concrete flooring panels being installed on the first floor of the western and southern stands (see picture below).
These large concrete panels consist of two prestressed 'ribs' and a connecting top slab, and are often used in structures where large, column-free spaces underneath are required.
Although the arena has really begun to take shape recently, the construction of very large structural steel that is due to commence in coming months will see the stadium rise into the skyline. The detailed design is also nearing completion.
Once complete, the Te Kaha multi-use arena is set to become New Zealand’s premier and most accessible, inclusive and sustainable venue. The arena will provide 30,000 seats with capacity to accommodate 36,000 patrons for large concerts all under the cover of a roof.
Sustainability initiative
The project enabled the upgrade of facilities at a Christchurch-based engineering firm, delivering both local benefits as well as a more sustainable option for testing the buckling-restrained braces (BRB) – special structural steel elements designed to withstand seismic activity. The testing facility is now only one of two of its kind globally to test these very large steel members – the other being in Taiwan. It is now capable of facilitating the most comprehensive, project-specific BRB testing program in the world and has also reduced Te Kaha’s environmental footprint by eliminating the need to ship the BRB’s from the test facility in Taiwan.