Engineering

The formation of Smart Alliances has enabled the creation of a company that can handle the larger projects that a continually developing Marlborough offers.

Experts in civil and structural, harbour and coastal and geotechnical

Spearheaded by civil and structural engineer Richard Evans, the engineering division under the Smart Alliances banner has pooled the talent of experienced civil and structural engineers, as well as specialists in geotechnical engineering, and the highly technical area of harbour and coastal engineering.

What this means for Marlborough is a skilled, locally based design development company able to provide a comprehensive range of engineering and design services to a wide range of projects taking place in the region, from land and sea based commercial ventures to residential projects and developments.

Marlborough Sounds demand means more ambitious engineering designs

People are building further and further out in the Marlborough Sounds on sites nobody would touch before because of the difficulties in planning and access. These sites are now being bought up at premium rates, and Smart Alliances is regularly called upon to provide geotechnical advice and to draw up an engineering design for site development and vehicle access to satisfy the strict environmental rules that apply to the Marlborough Sounds.

Smart Alliances also handles civil engineering for subdivisions, which includes planning for roads and services, as well as resource requirements for any building or development project. For resource consent, the Marlborough District Council requires an engineer’s report for the stability of a site, access, stormwater and effluent.

Engineering Case Studies

Marlborough Bottling Company

At around 15,000 m2, this industrial plant in Riverlands would be the largest structural design to date in Marlborough for Smart Alliances. In particular, the 40 metre span roof trusses are fixed to 11m high precast concrete walls to enable maximum flexibility to the wine pallet storage layout. The internal columns are 11m cantilevered columns measuring only 400mm square to maximise available storage space. The building solution provided maximum storage space at low cost and fast construction time.

9,000m2 warehouse and bottling hall, precast concrete & steel

11m precast concrete wall panels provide robust cladding & insulation/thermal mass to wine storage

Architectural use of precast concrete to provide a hardwearing cladding to office facilities

Saint Clair Winery

This was one of several local wineries Smart Alliances designed. In particular, Saint Clair Estate, which we designed from concept and project managed through to completion. As a turn-key winery, which is designed and built before being passed on to an owner-operator, there was always the awareness that the end client was not the contracting client. The project was coordinated with service contractors to ensure that the whole building came together as one unit in time for vintage.

6,000m2 winery and tank farm

Structural steel trusses spanning red cellar

(Moorhouse) House, Sunshine Bay

Perched on a steep sloping hillside between Port Underwood Road and Sunshine Bay in Marlborough, this executive two level home required the design of a pole structure platform over 12m high in some places. In addition, the distinctive curved roof line and a parking deck added challenges that were solved economically.

10m high pole platform to take 2 story house

Galvanised Rod cross bracing to platform

Structural steel mullions were used to support wide span glazing to front window