Northern Gateway Toll Road Sustainability Award

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday, 9 October

Northern Gateway Toll Road Awarded Cement And Concrete Industry Sustainability Award

The Northern Gateway Toll Road, a $360 million extension of State Highway One from Orewa to Puhoi, has taken out the 2009 Concrete3 Sustainability Award in Rotorua tonight.

The 7.5km four-lane highway was completed by the Northern Gateway Alliance and is the New Zealand Transport Agency’s largest ever capital project.

Amongst numerous other features the project achieved top honours in concrete sustainability for the concrete lining in the road’s twin tunnels, which made extensive use of polypropylene fibres for fire resistance, and its bridge structures which used timesaving match-cast technology for the first time in New Zealand.

The award, which is part of the Concrete3 initiative launched in 2007 by the Cement and Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ), acknowledges companies whose product, programme or initiative demonstrates excellence in environmental, economic and social sustainability.

CCANZ chief executive Rob Gaimster says the Northern Gateway Toll Road is a truly significant project and the Alliance behind it demonstrated a genuine commitment to large scale sustainable construction.

“All aspects of this project, from design through to operation, have considered ways in which to contribute to New Zealand’s sustainable development. The project’s use of concrete for its sustainable properties, in particular durability and fire resistance, is outstanding.” Rob says.

Three commendations were also announced for projects that excelled in differing areas of sustainable concrete construction.

Excellence in Concrete Construction Innovation was awarded to Allied Concrete Limited for its use of recycled crushed concrete in ready mixed concrete production for the Wellington Zoo Hospital Complex.

Excellence in Residential Concrete Construction was awarded to Cranko Architects Limited for Sustainable House, a stylish private dwelling which took advantage of concrete’s thermal mass for energy efficiency, and its low maintenance features.

Excellence in Commercial Concrete Construction was awarded to Studio Pacific Architecture for Site 7: Meridian Building, New Zealand's first 5 Green Star building, which used concrete as an integral structural material.

For more information about the award, go to www.sustainableconcrete.org.nz.

ENDS

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