PROJECTS

Hydraulic Jack Installation at One New Zealand Stadium

Christchurch, New Zealand

Situation

One New Zealand Stadium, with 30,000 seats and a 36,000 capacity for concerts, is New Zealand’s premier covered venue.

The roof trusses, which connect both sides of the stadium, are now being installed, marking a major project milestone. Each truss consists of three sections supported by a hydraulic frame that moves along the field. Roof cladding will begin in November, with steelwork continuing into 2025.

Meccanico New Zealand was engaged to support this installation, ensuring the entire roof structure was connected and lowered into position via a engineered frame which was used to place the trusses into during the assembly.

Challenge

Heavy Load Management: Roofing components weighed up to 100t per piece, requiring precise lifting. On securing the load we then needed to lower the jacks in a controlled sequence 1mm at a time until the structure was self-supported.
Restricted Access: The work had to be completed at height approx. 30ms above the playing field. The communication had to be extremely well managed due to the noise of multiple cranes and other machinery operating plus with the height distance away from the computer and technical engineer at ground level.
Precision Engineering: The roof required millimeter-level alignment.

Solution

Meccanico deployed 100 – ton vertical double acting jacks and 60 – ton hydraulic hollow core piston horizontal jacks for their power and precision.

Hydraulic Jack Features:
- High load capacity to handle roof components.
- Hollow piston design for dual lifting/tensioning functionality.
- Remote operation for enhanced safety.
Installation Methodology:
- Step 1: Rigging & Positioning– Roof segments were precisely rigged and positioned.
- Step 2: Incremental Lifting – Sections were lifted in small increments for stability.
- Step 3: Final Alignment – Jacks ensured accurate adjustments. Displacement sensors ensured a safe execution of load management.
Safety Measures:
- Pre-lift inspections by engineers.
  - Built in safety systems in our equipment. Displacement transducers sensors.
- Emergency backup systems for hydraulic stability.

Results

On-Schedule Completion: No compromises on quality.
Enhanced Usability: Events can proceed in all weather conditions.
Client Satisfaction: The management team praised Meccanico’s expertise.

Conclusion

Meccanico New Zealand successfully leveraged advanced hydraulic technology to overcome complex challenges, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted engineering partner.

TESTIMONIALS

Working with the world’s best

I have been involved with Rod and Meccanico for three large bridge lifts on two of New Zealands significant infrastructure roading projects in the last few years. I was the structures lead for the design team and was involved in the construction monitoring during the construction phase of the projects.

Jacking each bridge was a complex operation and required well controlled load and displacements in each of the jacks as we simultaneously lifted (up to 13 beams) concrete bridge beams that were rigidly connected together by a concrete deck.

Our company is also involved in the maintenance for many of New Zealand’s existing bridges and I would have no hesitation in using Meccanico when we need to jack an existing bridge to replace the existing bridge bearings in the future.

Ted Polley

Technical Director Structural Engineering

Martinus engaged Meccanico for the demolition of an existing wall inside Britomart Tunnel in Auckland CBD. Scope of works consisted of jacking to transfer load from the existing wall to a newly constructed wall, continuous monitoring of deflections, and design of all associated temporary works. Meccanico engaged Quoin to develop the temporary works design in collaboration with Martinus, Aurecon and City Rail Link Ltd. and developed the jacking methodology in accordance with the permanent works design requirements. The jacking works were completed successfully as critical path works during a rail shutdown with a very happy client as a result.

Throughout the works, it has been great to work with Meccanico as a trusted partner to deliver a robust solution, work to the program, and produce solutions where required. Impressed with the ability and flexibility of the team to get the job done. It was a pleasure to work with Rod & team!

Martinus Rail

We engaged Rod and his team to lift and an industrial warehouse roof back in March 2022 in New Lynn.

Rod visited our site and provided a safe methodology and successfully raised the full roof structure to the heights we required meeting our agreed timelines and budget.

I would have no hesitation recommending Rod and his team and will definitely chose to use them again for any future works we have.

Mark Niccolls

QDC Works Ltd

Due to unexpected settlement, the bridge had warped and required intervention to remove the warping stresses. We engaged Meccanico for this challenging operation, which involved synchronous operation of each jack and precise control of jack loads to prevent structural damage.

Under the leadership of Rod, his team worked with efficiency and competence, demonstrating excellent collaboration skills when dealing with higher than expected loads. Throughout the project, Rod kept variations to a minimum and provided a reasonable price for his services.

Overall, we were impressed with Meccanico’s expertise and professionalism in handling this complex project, and we would not hesitate to recommend them to others in need of similar services.

Dylan