The new bottling hall included an amenities block, production office, store rooms and public viewing area. It was separated from the warehouse by a 4 hour fire rated precast concrete wall and 4 hour fire rated roller shutters.

The extensive use of masonry delivered a number of key outcomes for the client, including energy and thermal performance, food hygiene, acoustic control and heritage considerations. Acoustic control was important given the high frequency noise produced by the glass bottles moving along the plant, and the facility’s shared boundaries with residential and tourist accommodation. The tilt-up reinforced concrete and brickwork panels forming the walls were erected in reverse so that the smooth finished surface faces inward, allowing for a smooth food-safe painted interior.

Special challenges of the project included an extremely tight time frame dictated by Boag’s prior purchasing of the new bottling plant from Europe. Under the Fairbrother Guaranteed Maximum Price structure permitted builder selection early in the design phase, and an early start to construction while documentation was completed, greatly assisting Boag’s meet its deadlines.

A further challenge was that production was carried out while the existing bottling line and warehouse remained fully operational.