Integrating the wastewater system into the planning and construction of the $20 million straddle workshop was a deliberate effort to advance Lyttelton Port Company's sustainability targets.
Integrating legacy wastewater infrastructure with a modern system
Lyttelton Port, which has been historically regarded as the “Gateway to Canterbury” for colonial settlers and home to the area’s main port since 1877, has had a recent makeover.
Part of Lyttelton Port Company’s container terminal expansion plans, Te Whare Whakatika a new integrated complex became operational in 2023, encompassing offices, general amenities, maintenance facilities, and a straddle workshop. The new workshop at Te Whare Whakatika replaced the original straddle workshop from the 1970s, and a temporary facility which was built in 2018. It provides shelter and maintenance for specialised straddle carriers and vehicles engineered for the handling and stacking of shipping containers.
Nowadays, Whakaraupō/ Lyttelton Harbour operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is responsible for moving 500k TEUs, making it the largest Port in the South Island of New Zealand.
“We had to bring in a design solution that was both robust and low maintenance, whilst considering future development upstream of the pump stations and installing the equipment within a reclamation area. Additionally, the solution has to withstand a harsh marine environment, with the tanks being buried in a tidal zone.”
— Jim Thompson, Associate Engineer – Civil – Egis (formally Calibre)
A durable product ensuring operational excellence in a harsh, marine environment
We partnered with Egis (formally Calibre) to design and manufacture and install (through Hawkins and Aquapro drainage-Contractors) a wastewater system to support the LPC Straddle Crane Workshop’s operations and surrounding buildings.
Based on the overall layout provided by Egis, Aquatec provided recommendation on the size of the discharge line, the pump Station and storage chambers.
The system includes the following components, offering a 24-hour storage capacity in the event of an emergency:
- 1 x 16,000 litre (2200mm diameter x 4600mm deep) fibreglass chamber manufactured to AS2634/BS4994 with a heavy-duty class D cast iron cover and safety grates
- 1 x 15,500 litre (1500mm diameter x 10,000mm long) fibreglass storage vessel manufactured from heavy duty filament-wound fibreglass and built to AS2634/BS4994
Upon request, the alarm system was engineered with future remote operation capabilities in mind.
Key to success: clear communication for the system design and installation
The site was complex, with challenging conditions caused by a number of factors:
- incoming tide
- reclaimed land
- strict storage space on-site
- working within the existing infrastructure of the Port
- restrictions due to the port operating 24/7 and trucks moving in constantly
To work through these challenges we maintained constant communication with the Egis’ and Aquapro’s Drainage teams, throughout every stage of the project. Once the design was complete and had been approved by Egis, Aquatec directly engaged with contractor – Hawkins – and the installer – Aquapro Drainage – to ensure the system would be installed and signed off as per the design.
Timely delivery was essential for delivery day and and the ease of installation was facilitated by the lightweight material of the pump station and storage vessel, perfectly suitable to the site conditions.
“From a design perspective we not only needed a good product but also needed a holistic design that would meet the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code and the Christchurch City Council standards. We understood that Aquatec would meet these expectations.”
— Jim Thompson, Associate Engineer – Civil – Egis (formally Calibre)
