CHRISTCHURCH BUS EXCHANGE

How many times have we heard that catch cry? It has paid dividends for Gary Hanser, Manager of Ashby Ready Mixed. On Wednesday the 23rd September,  Ashby’s along with the McAlpine St Allied plant delivered 1428.60 m3 of 30MPa concrete for the biggest continuous structural concrete pour in Christchurch.

The pour is the foundation for the city’s new bus exchange and is one of the key anchor projects for Christchurch signalling a significant moment for the city's rebuild. The pour of the 900mm deep slab on the 90m by 16m site comprised of 235 truck loads averaging 76 minutes per trip. The first load was batched at 2.06am with the last truck returning to the yard at 11.54am.

However this was the balance load, as the team had supplied 1410m3 into the foundation by 9.30am just 7½ hours after they started. Gary had agreed with the customer to supply 150m3per hour; the 190m3 they averaged meant some very happy and suitably impressed customers. Gary couldn’t be more proud of how all the teams worked so well together, from the dispatchers, batchers and slumpers to the efficiency of the drivers.

The concrete quality was consistent and delivery constant and when asked what could we learn from this pour to improve the next, Gary couldn’t identify anything, this is high praise indeed. It is also a testimony to the forward planning that he and the team have undertaken to ensure the success of the day.