From corrosion protection through to passive fire protection, the IKEA project demonstrates our ability to successfully coordinate multiple specialist coating systems within a single, large-scale construction programme.
InterGroup played a key role in the construction of New Zealand’s first IKEA store, delivering specialist corrosion protection and passive fire protection for the structural steelwork across the extensive development at Auckland’s Sylvia Park.
Working for Culham Engineering, via Naylor Love, we delivered a comprehensive coatings package incorporating corrosion protection, epoxy intumescent coatings and cementitious fireproofing systems – achieving fire ratings of up to 180 minutes.
A CHALLENGING WORK ENVIRONMENT
With 34,000m2 of retail space and a substantial volume of structural steelwork, this was one of the country’s largest retail construction projects. Delivering specialist coatings at this scale demanded meticulous planning and coordination. As multiple trades worked simultaneously across the site and construction fronts continually evolved, our team carefully sequenced coating activities to maintain programme certainty while meeting stringent quality and fire protection requirements.
We deployed a large workforce of supervisors, specialist blaster painters and coating technicians – with up to 25 personnel on-site at peak times, working six days a week. To support on-time delivery, some of the steelwork was prepared and coated at our off-site blast and paint yard and then transported to site which allowed coating activities to progress in parallel with the wider construction programme.
Industrial dehumidifiers were used to maintain suitable environmental conditions throughout the winter months, while carefully planned management of hazardous substances and strict containment and ventilation systems facilitated the safe delivery of coating works within this very busy construction environment.
ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST QUALITY FINISH
We implemented an enhanced QA framework on this project, developed from lessons learned through our delivery of the intumescent coatings scope for the construction of the New Zealand International Convention Centre https://intergroup.co.nz/case-studies/nzicc-large-scale-protective-coatings-and-fire-remediation/.
Designed specifically for large-scale passive fire protection projects, our framework provided complete traceability from surface preparation through to final inspection and sign-off. Detailed inspection records, calibrated testing, photographic evidence and staged quality hold points ensured each coating system was applied in accordance with the specification and manufacturer requirements – providing confidence that the required fire ratings had been achieved.
PROVEN CAPABILITY ACROSS COMPLEX COATINGS SYSTEMS
Successfully delivering three different coating systems across one of New Zealand’s largest retail construction projects required careful planning, technical expertise and rigorous quality management. From corrosion protection through to intumescent and cementitious fireproofing, every system had its own application requirements, inspection regime and performance criteria – all of which needed to be coordinated within a live construction programme.
Our successful delivery of this complex coatings scope for the IKEA project is testament to InterGroup’s ability to manage complex multi-system coatings packages from planning through to sign-off. With our combination of specialist resources and equipment, purpose-built facilities and proven quality systems, we delivered this technically demanding project in line with all programme, quality and safety requirements.
