Opzeeland Warehouse

Seismic strengthening of an operational warehouse complex, improving resilience and compliance while minimising disruption to daytoday operations.

Client: Opzeeland Properties Ltd
Location: Christchurch
Services: Structural engineering
Status: Completed in 2023

The Brief

The Opzeeland warehouse complex was identified as either earthquake-prone or an earthquake-risk structure. We were engaged by the owner to carry out a seismic assessment and develop an appropriate strengthening solution for the site’s truck depot and warehousing site comprising four interconnected industrial buildings, a sizeable canopy structure, and a two-storey office.

Our involvement extended from the initial stages of obtaining consent to overseeing the completion of the strengthening works, providing a seamless and efficient approach throughout the entire project.

What We Did

We completed a detailed seismic assessment of the entire warehouse complex and developed a comprehensive strengthening strategy to achieve 67% of the New Building Standard. This included incorporating extra bracing, restraints and tie beams to establish efficient load paths for transferring lateral forces from the structure into the foundations.

As part of this work we prepared and submitted the building consent application, liaised with the builder and client, carried out construction monitoring and oversaw the completion of strengthening works. The strengthening works had to be undertaken while the commercial building was still in operation so works were detailed to minimise interference with the day-to-day operations.