Constructability of Adelaide Conventional Centre

This research paper reviews the analyses and evaluates the Adelaide conventional centre by majorly focusing on its constructability, construction methods, site establishment and organization. Adelaide conventional centre is a huge convention centre on South Australian North Terrace. This was the first purpose-constructed convention centre to be constructed in Australia. The Adelaide conventional centre was built over the previous Adelaide railway station. This conventional centre project has been reconstructed and extended upon the number of times since its initial construction in 1987. The extension of the project was planned in 1999 and it was later unveiled in 2001.

Constructability

The constructability of the Adelaide Conventional Centre evaluates involves the planning, design, and construction of the project as well as its significance to the environment and economy. In 2010, the State Government publicized its guarantee to the redevelopment of Adelaide Conventional Centre with an allocated $397 million on the project. The redevelopment will re-establish this conventional centre as one of the major conference destinations, ensuring its unrelenting competitiveness in international and national markets and contributing substantially to the tourism and economic growth of South Australia. The project is also a significant part of the vision of the State Government for revitalized Entertainment Precinct, complementing other considerable investments in infrastructures such as new Royal Adelaide Hospital, new Footbridge, and Adelaide Oval (Chudley & Greeno, 2016).

The Adelaide Convention Centre, constructed in 1987 and then redeveloped in 2001, was the first purpose constructed the conventional facility in Australia. The Adelaide Convention Centre has been a success to the economy for South Australia. The centre is a multi-award winning centre with reputations renowned internationally. The centre has the ability to host 28,000 visiting national and international delegated yearly with more than 100,000 bed nights. In the past two decades, the convention centre has produced approximately $960 million directly to the economy as a result of tourism and associated delegates. This centre consistently funds its operations and significantly provides a yearly return to the State Government (Mohamed, 2008).

While the Conventional Center has been successfully functioning in a highly competitive exhibition industry and global convention, there have been rapid changes in the market, with clients demanding multi-purpose, larger spaces with latest service and quality within the facility. The re-establishment of this conventional centre will ensure the continued competitiveness and it is approximated that the centre will produce about 4.3 billion in other economic activities as well as in tourism in the next two decades. The commitment of the State Government to the redevelopment of the Adelaide Conventional centre and its surroundings in 2010 recognized the critical significance of the Riverbank Entertainment Precinct and the centre to the tourism and economic growth of the State (Mohyla & Arch, 2012).

Construction Methods Used

The construction of the Adelaide Convectional Center was expected to the delivered after a timeframe of six years which was to end in 2017 upon the completion of the two stages so as to reduce a loss of revenue and disruptions to the operations ongoing at the convention centre. In the first stage of construction involved the expansion of the current Adelaide Conventional Center to the west above the railway lines and joining the new structure to the Montefiore Road Bridge. The first stage of the construction expanded the capacity of the conventional centre by adding 1000 seat auditorium ballroom, and numerous meeting rooms to the West of the current convention centre, and also adding a space of approximately 4300 m² of multi-purpose convention floor (Hutton, 2011). The figure below shows the construction process of Adelaide Conventional Center.

The second construction method applied during the redevelopment of the Adelaide Conventional Center involved the replacement of the present plenary structure which was constructed in the 1980s with a new multi-purpose facility state of the art.

The proposed framing system for this project was composed of the combination of in-situ concrete, precast concrete panels, and structural steel. The application of precast concrete during the process of construction helps in faster beguiling erection and less construction duration since concrete takes to settle down so as to attain the strength required. The major advantage of using concrete fir structural framing is because it provides flexibility in the design and has higher strength of compression which can withstand huge loads.

The type of roofing system used in the Conventional center was the standing seam roof and usedelZinc flatlock panels roof system. The seam roof and elZinc flatlock facade panels cover an area of 5000m2. The covering of façade and roof system is known as standing seam roofing system. This system permits long strip profile to the assembled by the formation of double folds on the top stands.

Site Works and Demolition

The Adelaide Conventional Center was to be constructed over the section of the Adelaide railway station, and the Exhibition Hall, and the InterContinental Hotel in 1980. The project team has to dismantle the previous existing building and was conducted in controlled and preplanned procedures. The site establishment of the redeveloped centre is located in the middle of the Central Business District of Adelaide overlooking the Torrens River. This high-profile and large Adelaide Conventional Centre development is positioned in the middle of a well utilized and highly visible public precinct and integrates significant quantity of the current structure with the new development. Once completed, the redeveloped structure was expected to be more than 7000m² of column-free floor space (Mohyla & Arch, 2012). Demolition consultancy investigating site establishment and temporary was performed according to the engineering requirements.

Site Establishment and Organization

KingFlor KF70 was selected for this project due to the long span of the project hence this steel has longer capability of spanning compared to the other steel decks on the market. To attain the planned design of the biggest construction project in the state, the team involved in the site establishment and organization has to overcome some of the challenges both in the construction and operation of the project. One of the major challenges faced by the project team was the site location and establishment of the Adelaide Conventional Center, with the centre floor elevated over nine railway lines (Mohyla & Arch, 2012). The figure below shows the site establishment of the Adelaide Conventional Center.

The construction and operation of the project by the project team around the busy inner city railway network made the construction and design of the site organization to be very challenging. However, when the project was near its completion, there was low rate of disruptions caused by the inner railway lines since the project team closely worked with the rail authority of TransAdelaide to ensure that at any given instance, the two railway lines are closed because of the construction purposes and that the closure takes place normally during off-peak commuter durations. The initial restrictions placed on the project by the railway network were hugely overwhelmed by the elements or prefabrication of the major floor of the conventional centre, and by the use of long-span steel elements (Rogers & Davidson, 2015).

• Steel grade: G550
• 5m sheet lengths
• Total of 6,000m2 of KigFlor KF70

To attain the significant floor capacity of 20kPa for T44 semi-vehicles and to accommodate intensive construction movable loads of crane of about 170 tonnes during construction, the floor of concrete was poured on a composite metal deck encasing the headstock beams. The design of the beams was such that they act compositely with the slab to attain continuity over the headstock support beams, by the use of extra compressive steel stress block, top reinforcement, and shear studs to the bottom flanges (Yi & Li, 2014).

The plumbing services started in 2013 July, the team of mechanical services installed and manufactured stainless steel condenser pipe work of length 50mm to 600mm under contract to O’Connor’s Air-conditioning. This site is exceptional because of the restricted access available for the installation of huge bore pipe work. The concrete pipes, stainless steel pipes, and PVC pipes were used during plumbing works of the Convention Center because of their non-corrosiveness, durability, strength, an also increase the lifespan of the structure in which they are installed. The water pipes were made of PVC, steel, and glazed cast iron. The drainage system and venting which were the major waste disposal which were connected to the primary sewage pipes of the city (Chudley & Greeno, 2016).

Safety Management

The electrical services of the Adelaide Convention Center were undertaken by NSG Boffer who were issued the contract which included maintenance, testing, and installation of background music system, audio visual, MATV system, communication equipment, lighting control system, electrical distribution, specialist lighting, and high voltage systems. The industry electrical policies, sops, and standards provided guidance to the electricians, electrical contractors, suppliers, designers, and workers. Electrical switchboards were designed and installed as per Australian Standards (Mohyla & Arch, 2012). All switches including isolation and main are accessible easily, and market clearly and can be locked in an open off position. Standard engineering materials were used in the construction of the heat pump and air conditioning systems. The compressor bodies are basically fabricated from gray cast iron but hermetic categories are made of sheets of steel. Galvanized sheet steel was used for outdoor equipment, normally ductwork and air-conditioning components.

Conclusion

This paper reviews the analyses and evaluates the Adelaide conventional centre by majorly focusing on its constructability, construction methods, site establishment and organization. The constructability of the Adelaide Conventional Centre evaluates involves the planning, design, and construction of the project as well as its significance to the environment and economy. The methods of construction adopted during the construction of Adelaide Conventional Center include the first stage and the second stage. The first stage of construction involved the expansion of the current Adelaide Conventional Center to the west above the railway lines and joining the new structure to the Montefiore Road Bridge. The second construction method applied during the redevelopment of the Adelaide Conventional Center involved the replacement of the present plenary structure which was constructed in the 1980s with a new multi-purpose facility state of the art.

Allen, M., 2008. Advances in Tannin and Tannin management: Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, South Australia,. Perth: Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology.

Australia. Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, 2010. Building and Construction: Bulletin, Issue 7. Melbourne: Australia. Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics.

Chudley, R. & Greeno, R., 2016. Building Construction Handbook. Perth: Routledge.

Fitch, R., 2009. Commercial Arbitration in the Australian Construction Industry. Sydney: Federation Press.

Frost, A., 2008. The Construction of Australian Space. Adelaide: La Trobe University.

Hutton, J., 2011. Building and construction in Australia. Melbourne: Cheshire for the Institute of Applied Economic Research, University of Melbourne.

Mohamed, S., 2008. Current Trends in Australian Construction Management Research. Melbourne: CSIRO. Division of Building, Construction and Engineering, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (Australia). Division of Building, Construction and Engineering.

Mohyla, L. & Arch, B., 2012. Construction in Australia: Law and Project Delivery. Adelaide: LBC Information Services.

NRMA Insurance Limited, 2011. Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology,. Adelaide: NRMA Insurance Limited.

Rogers, T., 2009. Conferences and Conventions: A Global Industry. Perth: Routledge.

Rogers, T. & Davidson, R., 2015. Marketing Destinations and Venues for Conferences, Conventions and Business Events. Gold Coast: Routledge.

Yi, R. & Li, M., 2014. Construction Safety and Waste Management: An Economic Analysis. Adelaide: Springer.