Project – Synlait Milk Limited

SYNLAIT MILK LIMITED – SITE DEVELOPMENTS

During 2014 we have been involved in a wide range of projects at the Synlait Factory at Dunsandel. All with tight timeframes, with varying degrees of design and build, and against a background of an operational factory and compliance with Synlaits export certification. Numerous other contractors were also on-site and works had to dovetail around their contracts.

The initial project involved the construction of an access road to service the recently completed Drystore 3. A temporary staff carpark was constructed as part of the original carpark was required for the road corridor. The old borrow pit that underlies the alignment had to be excavated to waste and backfilled to ‘engineering fill’ standards. Existing underground services were located and protected as necessary, either by lowering or re-positioning. The sub-grade was then trimmed and rolled and the sub-base and basecourse layers constructed. Slip-formed concrete kerbing was used to construct the traffic islands and then asphaltic concrete surfacing 50mm thick was applied. Finally security gates were installed and the fencing completed. Other projects flowed on from this. The road alignment traversed through the middle of the existing irrigation field so this was re-configured to effectively create 2 fields. Mainlines, laterals, control cabling, and control valves were re-laid or re-positioned. The firemain was re-positioned to allow for future expansion of the store and extended to service Drystore 3. This included installing hydrants and the riser connection to the drystore, and then pressure testing the system. A larger staff carpark for 96 vehicles was developed from the temporary carpark with asphaltic surfacing and pavement marking.

The second phase of projects involved upgrading and extended services for the Dryer, Drystore, and Canning Plant developments. Sewer mains were extended and additional manholes installed. We supplied and installed an Aquate Pumping Chamber, and then laid a rising main connecting the chamber to the treatment facility. A First Flush Basin for treatment of the stormwater was constructed as the site of the existing facility is required for the Boiler expansion. This involved backfilling part of the existing basins and constructing the new facility. Components of the new facility included a splitter manhole to divert flows, stainless steel weir and baffles, galvanised scruffy dome, clay lined settlement basin, infiltration basin with punched drains, and a gabion weir. The stormwater system was then upgraded in 3 stages and connected to the splitter manhole. We supplied and installed manholes and 450mm diameter concrete pipes. The remainder of the redundant stormwater basin was backfilled and the pipework decommissioned.

We undertook the design and build of the enlarged Transport Yard. Ground levels for the existing yard, and floor levels for the Transport Office, Workshop, and Re-fueling Facility had to be factored in to the design to ensure surface run-off was channelled into the swales and soakage pits we constructed.

Various other site developments included construction of the contractor’s hardstand area for the Dryer 3 project, construction of the re-positioned contractors village, the decommissioning and salvage of redundant underground service lines, and construction of a temporary tanker access track around the Boiler Expansion site.

Work is on-going with another suite of projects awarded to us for completion in 2015.

Our successful completion of the civil works has seen us retained by the Engineer’s as Project Manager for all future civil works.