CONSTRUCTION
Project brought in on budget and time despite strict conditions Total Construction had only 28 days to turn around a $3.8 million project that had a raft of restrictive conditions. Mike Wheeler explains how they did it.
M
ost construction builds have challenges. But when there are a few hardcore caveats attached that will have an impact on getting the job completed on time and within budget, it is important to have people on the ground who are not only experts but can perform under pressure. Food and beverage construction specialist Total Construction found this to be the case when it tendered and won a contract to complete a
considerable alteration at an infant milk powder processing plant. Total Construction’s national manager for food and beverage, Tony Tate, knew it would be a hard job, but one that the company and its staff would be up for. It would also prove that the commercial building specialist had what it took to turn a job around quickly and to the client’s specifications. Tate and his team knew from the outset that if the job wasn’t finished
on time, it would cost not only the client, but Total Construction, a lot of money. This was due to the penalty clauses in the contract. The main issue of concern was that the plant might become contaminated during the build, which means it would not meet Australian standards when it came to producing foodstuffs. This entailed a whole raft of restrictions to be put in place that meant Total Construction had to carefully plan and execute the build so as not
to be liable for any overruns or contamination of the factory. How does a company meet strict criteria, all the while completing a job to its own high standards? Experience and planning were the two main components, according to Tate. They also had to persuade the milk powder manufacturer that Total’s methods of tackling the job were the best way forward. “The plant had a shutdown period of only one month. For them to shut
Epoxy flooring helps keep contamination to a minimum. 32 Food&Beverage Industry News | February 2020 | www.foodmag.com.au
