Rapid construction

Press, 18 November 1982, Page 25

Rapid construction

Development and construction of the $4.5M. Triangle Centre has taken 16 months. At various times more than 100 people have been working on the site.

The main contractors, Williams Construction, Ltd, say that one of the main reasons that construction time was kept to a minimum

was the use of a pre-stressed flooring system.

This system enabled the floor to be installed in large sections and twice as quickly as traditional floor installation.

The use of polycarbonate, aluminium, Formica and tiles have been chosen to achieve a low-maintenance building.

Polycarbonate is used throughout the building. The

material was imported from the United States and was shaped to meet the unusual design. Because polycar-

bonate can be moulded and

is extremely resistant to damage, it has also been used on the surrounds of the staircase.

One of the more compli-

cated jobs was the construction of the spiral staircase. This was formed on site and took about three weeks.

Installing the roof about each overhead walkway was also a delicate job. The roof was made in eight sections that had to be lifted by crane and then bolted together.

Williams Construction has been involved in property development and construction in Christchurch for the last 18 years.

It was the first company to build high-rise flats in the city.

Among the commercial buildings developed and built by Williams are York House in Worcester Street, the premises of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Co., Ltd, in Cashel Street, and the offices of Pyne. Gould, Guinness, Ltd, in Cashel Street.