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Weekly site progress

Tuesday 5 December.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Work on the upper bowl of the south stand continues this week. The scale of the arena is becoming clear as the upper bowl steelwork progresses. 

Over the last week, works have also continued on the structural steel works for all stands, and for the pre-assembly of the roof in the next few weeks.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western, southern and eastern stands. Concrete pours to top the western (Level 2) and southern and eastern stands' (Level 1) double tee floors are continuing.

Concrete pours to the ground floor slabs are progressing through the southern stand. 

Over the coming months, trucks continue to deliver oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

Past news and announcements

Weekly site progress

Monday 27 November.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Work on the upper bowl of the south stand continues this week. The scale of the arena is becoming clear as the upper bowl steelwork progresses. 

Over the last week, works have also continued on the structural steel works for all stands, and for the pre-assembly of the roof in the next few weeks.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western, southern and eastern stands. Concrete pours to top the western (Level 2) and southern and eastern stands' (Level 1) double tee floors are continuing.

Concrete pours to the ground floor slabs are progressing through the southern stand. 

Over the coming months, trucks continue to deliver oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Wednesday 22 November.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

The upper bowl steel to the south stand has commenced this week, starting to give an indication of the scale of the arena. Works have also continued on the structural steel works for all stands and preparing for the pre-assembly of the roof later this year.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western and southern stands. Concrete pours to top the western and southern stands' double tee floors are continuing.

All concrete elements of the ground floor are now complete, except for the northwest corner of the site. 

Over the coming months, trucks continue to deliver oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Tuesday 14 November.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

Works during the past week have focussed on continuing the structural steel works to all stands and preparing for the pre-assembly of the roof later this year.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western and southern stands. Concrete pours to top the western and southern stands' double tee floors are continuing.

All concrete elements of the ground floor are now complete, except for the northwest corner of the site. 

Over the coming months, trucks continue to deliver oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Warriors sign three-year Christchurch deal

Friday 10 November.

A deal announced today will see the One New Zealand Warriors taking an NRL home game to Christchurch for each of the next three seasons.

On the back of their landmark 2023 campaign, the Warriors have joined forces with Venues Ōtautahi and ChristchurchNZ to play NRL home games in the country’s second biggest city for the first time.

The Warriors have also confirmed they will play a Preseason Challenge match in Christchurch in February, having also done so this year when they faced Melbourne.

Under the partnership the 2024 and 2025 fixtures will be played at Apollo Projects Stadium before taking the 2026 game to Te Kaha, which is currently under construction.

Read more on Newsline.(external link)

Weekly site progress

Wednesday 8 November.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

Work on the western, southern and eastern stand superstructures continues to progress well: the rakers that will hold the tiered seating of the arena's southern stand are now all in place, and are now being installed on the eastern stand. 

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western and southern stands. Concrete pours to top the western and southern stands' double tee floors are continuing.

All concrete elements of the ground floor are now complete, except for the northwest corner of the site. 

Over the coming months, trucks continue to deliver oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

New timelapse shows a year of progress

Tuesday 7 November.

From bare land to three levels high, a new timelapse video shows just how much progress has been made on Te Kaha, Canterbury’s multi-use arena, over the past 12 months.

The lead contractor of the $683-million project, BESIX Watpac installed a site camera near their office on Tuam St in November 2022 and has captured images of the precinct every five minutes, documenting the different phases of work.

Read more on Newsline.(external link)

Faces of Te Kaha: Ifereimi Cawanibuka

Monday 6 November.

Position
Carpenter for Francis Ward Ltd.

Day to day I…
Do the concrete formwork for the foundations. I started by working on the footings and the base, and once the formwork is completed on the ground floor, we’ll work on the formwork on the next level, then the next level.

The best part of my job
It’s a huge project and I love the atmosphere, both at FWL and the whole Te Kaha team. I’m happy to do any work that I’m given – as long as I have something to do, I’m smiling. It could be carpentry, cutting Styrofoam, concreting and curing, breaking up concrete, whatever comes up, I’ll do it. I'm a friend of everyone and I love to smile.

Past projects
I’m from Fiji and moved here in February. I started building when I was 19 years old, and used to teach carpentry at the Fiji National University. Back home one guy does everything, so I used to also do cabinet-making, a little bit of electrical work, some welding and some plumbing. I moved to New Zealand in February to take up work on this project. My wife died in 2020 and I have four children still in Fiji; I’d love to bring them over to New Zealand one day.

Outside of work I...
Ride a bus home and I rest, as I know the next day will be busy again!

Weekly site progress

Wednesday 26 October.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

Work on the western, southern and eastern stand superstructures continues to progress well, with the rakers that will hold the tiered seating of the arena's southern stand now all in place. The external perimeter framing of the southern stand has also made noticeable progress over the past couple of weeks.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western and southern stands. Concrete pours to top the western and southern stands' double tee floors are continuing.

All concrete elements of the ground floor are now complete, except for the northwest corner of the site. 

Over the coming months, trucks continue to deliver oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Weekly site progress

Wednesday 19 October.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

Work on the western, southern and eastern stand superstructures continues to progress well, with the rakers that will hold the tiered seating of the arena's southern stand now all in place. The external perimeter framing of the southern stand has also made noticeable progress over the past couple of weeks.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western and southern stands, with these two stands now effectively joined up. Concrete pours to top the western and southern stands' double tee floors are continuing.

All concrete elements of the ground floor are now complete, except for the northwest corner of the site. 

Over the coming months, trucks continue to deliver oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Celebrating the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals

Friday 13 October.

The contractors at Te Kaha are getting into the Rugby World Cup spirit, hanging the flags of the teams contesting this weekend's quarter-finals from the cranes around the site.

May the best teams win!

Video: Level 1 concourse starts to take shape

Monday 9 October.

Latest drone images

Friday 6 October.

Here are a bunch of the latest drone shots from Te Kaha, showing the latest progress. We'll have a video update to share on Monday.

View from the southwest corner, showing the level 1 concourse progress.

Vertical construction continues to progress well in the western stand.

Steel vertical construction in the eastern stand.

Looking at the steel rakers in the southern stand.

Ground floor concrete formwork is nearing completion in the northwest corner.

Faces of Te Kaha: Courtaney Carpenter

Tuesday 3 October.

Courtaney Carpenter

Position
Approvals and sustainability coordinator.

Day to day I…
I do a bit of everything. I package all the consent applications and submit them, and compile the sustainability metrics that we report on monthly and quarterly, working with Upstream New Zealand. I also deal with the client, our sub-contractors and consultants, communicate with them and make sure their paperwork is accurate for our submissions. Once the consent applications drop off, I’ll move to closing out the consents, the code of compliance and closing the loop. I’ve been working on the project for two years and it’s been great to see it move through the design phase and into construction.

The best part of my job
I love the challenge and variety that commercial construction provides, and interacting with a whole range of people involved in the project. There’s definitely a buzz working on such an important project. I live in Selwyn, so we’ve been waiting for a replacement to Lancaster Park stadium for ages. Being part of this last milestone project to be built after the earthquakes is a cool experience.

Past projects
I’m the first New Zealand employee for BESIX Watpac, but before this I worked at Fletchers for 10 years, including on their last vertical commercial project in the South Island, the Greymouth Hospital. I relocated and lived there for a few years and worked on the project admin side of things, document control and closing out consents.  Before that I worked on the Atlas Quarter apartments and the earthquake recovery for Fletchers.

Outside of work I…
Enjoy spending time with family and friends. I live on a lifestyle block with miniature horses out in Leeston, so there’s plenty of outdoor activities to keep me entertained and busy on the weekends.

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 26 September.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

Work on the western, southern and eastern stand superstructures continues to progress well, with more white structural steel being installed in the south and east, including more rakers that will hold the tiered seating of the arena's bowl.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western and southern stands, with these two stands now effectively joined up. Concrete pours to top the western stand's double tee floors are continuing, while this topping will also begin on the south stand this week.

All concrete elements of the ground floor are now complete, except for the northwest corner of the site. 

Over the coming months, trucks will be delivering oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Weekly site progress

Monday 18 September.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Work on the western, southern and eastern stand superstructures continues to progress well, with more white structural steel being installed in the south and east. 

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western stand and southern stands. Concrete pours to top the western stand's double tee floors, and further concrete pours for the eastern slab are continuing.

You can also see more external facade walls now installed on the southwest corner and southern stand.

Over the coming months, trucks will be delivering oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 12 September.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Work on the western, southern and eastern stand superstructures continues to progress well, with more white structural steel being installed in the south and east. 

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western stand and southern stands. Concrete pours to top the western stand's double tee floors began last week, while further concrete pours for the eastern slab will continue.

You can also see more external facade walls now installed on the southwest corner and southern stand.

The pouring and unboxing of the concrete columns and walls on the ground floor is nearing completion, with this work now confined to the northwest corner of the site.

Over the coming months, trucks will be delivering oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Quarterly drone fly-over video

Wednesday 6 September.

A new season means it's time for our quarterly drone flyover of the Te Kaharoa precinct, as BESIX Watpac's Adrian Jones talks you though the latest happenings on site.

The video gives you a great idea of how quickly Te Kaha's superstructure is progressing, with Level 1 double tee flooring being installed on two stands, and the rakers for the tiered seating being put in place in the southern stand.

Weekly site progress

Monday 4 September.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Work on the western and southern stand superstructures continues to progress well, with more white structural steel rakers being installed. These will hold the tiered seats in the southern stand.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western stand, with this work also now extending to the southern stand. Concrete pours to top the western stand's double tee floors will begin this week, while further concrete pours for the eastern slab will continue.

You can also see the first of the external facade walls now installed on the south-west corner, and steel piles are beginning to emerge on the eastern stand.

The pouring and unboxing of the concrete columns and walls on the ground floor is nearing completion, with this work now confined to the northwest corner of the site.

Over the coming months, trucks will be delivering oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Faces of Te Kaha: Mark Noonan

Thursday 31 August.

Position: 
Project director of finance and assurance for Christchurch City Council.

Day to day I...
Keep the financial side of the project running smoothly. I pay the bills, consultants and BESIX Watpac, and I’m responsible for liaising with and arranging the draw-down of the $220 million of funding from Treasury. I work very closely with the Council’s delivery and design project director, Kent Summerfield, and we both represent the Council in project meetings.

The best part of my job:
I really enjoy being part of an enthusiastic, passionate team and working with a really good contractor. I’m not an autocrat or like being one of the guys in charge, but I love working as part of a team to build these community facilities in Christchurch. I’ve been working on the Te Kaha project since Day One with the investment case that needed to be signed off by both Council and the Government, so it’ll be nice to see the entire process through to completion.

Past projects:
I was in charge of the post-earthquake rebuild of the Taiora: QEII Recreation and Sports Centre. It wasn’t just the financial side, but the construction and delivery as well, and we finished the project early and under budget. It was my second time working on QEII, as I’d initially been involved in its rebuild from 2000 to 2004, where we added a 50m pool and a mezzanine floor with sports courts and a gym. I’ve looked after the redevelopment or construction of seven Rec and Sports Centres over the years.

Outside of work I...
Manage two harness-racing syndicates. Harness racing is my passion; we’ve got 15 trotters and had 129 wins, so we’re probably one of the most successful harness racing syndicates in New Zealand. I probably spend two-thirds of my weekends every year travelling around the country to different races.

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 29 August.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday morning.

Work on the western and southern stand superstructures continue to progress well, with more white structural steel rakers being installed. These will hold the tiered seats in the southern stand.

The pouring and unboxing of the concrete columns and walls on the ground floor is nearing completion, with this work now confined to the northwest corner of the site.

The precast concrete double tee floors continue to be installed on the western stand, and work to backfill the field of play area has also been completed. Concrete pours to top the western stand's double tee floors will begin next week.

Over the coming months, trucks will be delivering oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Installation of 'double tee' flooring begins

Wednesday 23 August.

Another milestone has been reached on Te Kaha's construction, with the first of the 'double tee' concrete flooring panels being installed on the first floor of the western stand.

These large concrete panels consist of two prestressed 'ribs' and a connecting top slab, and are often used in large buildings, stadiums and multi-story car-parks where large, column-free spaces underneath are required. Cranes are lifting the double tee panels into position from the field of play. 

 

While this work is currently focused on the western stand, contractors will begin installing the double tees on the southern stand shortly.

Speaking of the southern stand, these drone images from RCP show the steel construction of this stand is progressing quickly, with the rakers that will hold the tiered seating now being installed in the south-western corner. 

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 22 August.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday morning.

Work is progressing well with the steel construction of the western and southern stand superstructure. As the structural steel extends northwards along the western stand, there's been significant progress on the southern stand, with the white structural steel rakers being installed. These will hold the tiered seats in the southern stand.

The pouring and unboxing of the concrete columns and walls on the ground floor is nearing completion, with the wall work also now wrapped up on the eastern stand.

The first precast concrete Double Tee floors have begun being installed on the western stand, and work to backfill the field of play area has also been completed

Over the coming months, trucks will be delivering oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Weekly site progress

Monday 14 August.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Work is progressing well with the steel construction of the western and southern stand superstructure. As the structural steel extends northwards along the western stand, you can see some noticeable progress has taken place on the southern stand, as more of the white structural steel has been installed. 

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed, and the wall work is now extending well along the eastern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns has now progressed into the north-western and north-eastern corners of the site. 

You aren't able to see it in this photo, but this week the first of the ground floor ceilings was also installed in the south-western stand. We'll have images to show of this later in the week.

Over the coming months, trucks will be delivering oversized components of structural steel to the site. These movements will be happening before 7am so that the oversized, wide loads are off the road before the restrictions begin at 7am. Contractors will unload and lift the loads from 7am.

We expect to receive about two oversized deliveries a week. However, we are unable to provide specific times due to the susceptibility to work processes and weather conditions, such as priming and painting.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Weekly site progress

Monday 7 August

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Work is progressing well with the steel construction of the western and southern stand superstructure, with the perimeter structural steel extending northwards as more of the western steel bowl structure is installed. 

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed, and the wall work is now extending well along the southern stand and up the eastern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns has now progressed into the north-eastern corner of the site. 

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) was completed last week, marking the end of that phase of the project. 

A smaller series of concrete pours to finish the concrete slab on the northern side of the arena will be completed later on, as the workers need to access the field of play from this end to continue work on the superstructure.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

August 2023 construction update video

Wednesday 3 August.

Major concrete pours completed

Monday 31 July.

The final concrete pour taking place

Another key phase of Te Kaha's construction was finished today, with the last of the major concrete pours taking place this morning. This means the substructure and foundation work for the multi-use arena is now complete.

Work on the foundations began in January, and since then, 55 major pours have taken place, with almost 26,000 cubic metres of concrete poured into Te Kaha's substructure.

More than 4,800 tonnes of reinforcing has been used in the substructure to ensure Te Kaha is able to withstand any seismic movement in the future.

A smaller series of concrete pours to finish the concrete slab on the northern side of the arena will be completed later in the project.

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 25 July.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

Work is progressing well with the steel construction of the western stand's superstructure, with the first of the curved perimeter structural steel now in place for the external wall. You can also see steel construction beginning on the southern stand, with the white pieces of steel starting to emerge on top of the ground floor concrete pillars and walls.

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed, and the wall work is now extending well along the southern stand and up the eastern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is now largely complete, with the final major concrete pour on the northern stand foundations to be completed on Monday 31 July.

A smaller series of concrete pours to finish the concrete slab on the northern side of the arena will be completed later in the project.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Faces of Te Kaha: Marcus Brown

Thursday 20 July.

Marcus Brown in the cab of his crane.

Position

Crane operator for Daniel Smith Industries.

Day to day I...

I work all over the site, lifting heavy items with the crane. I started in November lifting reinforcing bar for the foundations, but now I'm mostly lifting shutters, which is the formwork for the concrete walls. Once the shutters are installed, the concrete is poured in to create the walls. After the concrete sets, the shutters are pulled off and I lift them to the next section that needs to be formed. 

The best part of my job

I work with a good bunch of people, which always helps make any workplace great. It's also very rewarding when buildings come out of the ground, and you see real progress on your projects. 

Past project

I came to Christchurch after completing the Beaumont Bridge across the Clutha River in Central Otago, where I lifted shutters for concrete pours, and bridge beams with tandem lifts. Before that, I spent two years working on a new mall and car park in central Invercargill City. It was a big job, but very rewarding.

Outside of work I...

Try and play a bit of golf if I can. I've also just had my first grandchild, so I try and spend time with her and with family. That's what life is all about, really.

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 18 July.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed, and the wall work is now extending well along the southern stand and up the eastern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

You can also see more of the large steel pieces that form the western stand's superstructure have also been installed, and white-painted steel beginning to be installed internally on the southern stand.

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is now largely complete, with the final major concrete pour on the northern stand foundations to be completed on Friday 28 July.

A smaller series of concrete pours to finish the concrete slab on the northern side of the arena will be completed later in the project.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

The final major concrete pour rescheduled for next week

Monday 17 July.

Marking the completion of one of the main phases of Te Kaha's construction, the final major concrete pour for the arena's foundations will take place in the early morning hours of Friday 28 July (weather permitting). This pour was initially planned for the 19 July, but contractors need additional time to access the field of play to prepare a crane pad for the bowl superstructure.

The final major pour will take place on the northern stand, completing the substructure and joining the eastern and western stands together. This phase of the project has been under way since January and has seen thousands of concrete trucks transport concrete onto the Te Kaha site several times a week, where it's then pumped into sections of the arena's footprint.

The concrete slab that will house the 5,000 temporary seats in the northern stand will be filled later in the project. This is because contractors and vehicles need to keep using this area to access the field of play while Te Kaha is under construction. 

Weekly site progress

Monday 3 July.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning.

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed, and the wall work is now extending well along the southern stand and up the eastern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

You can also see more of the large steel pieces that form the first elements of the western stand's superstructure have also been installed over the past week.

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is almost complete along both the Barbadoes and Madras Streets, with the major concrete pours for the foundations expected to be completed by 19 July.

The concrete pours for the large western stand foundations have been completed, meaning just the northern stand foundations remain. 

A smaller series of concrete pours to finish the concrete slab on the northern side of the arena will be completed later in the project.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Council gives green light to upgrade Te Kaha's surrounding streets

Wednesday 28 June.

Christchurch City Council has approved a suite of work to upgrade the streets around Te Kaha, Canterbury’s Multi-Use Arena, so they’re able to cope with huge influxes of pedestrians and traffic on event days once the arena opens in 2026.

The sweeping changes include a refined option to upgrade Lichfield St West between Manchester and Madras streets, which will see it retain its current dual-direction state, but with a 10km speed limit to ensure it remains safe for pedestrians.

Read more on Newsline.(external link)

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 27 June.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday morning.

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed, and the wall work is now extending well along the southern stand and up the eastern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

You can also see more of the large steel pieces that form the first elements of the western stand's superstructure have also been installed over the past week.

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is almost complete along both the Barbadoes and Madras Streets, with the major concrete pours for the foundations expected to be completed by 8 July.

The final concrete pour for the large western stand foundations will take place early on Thursday morning.

A smaller series of concrete pours to finish the concrete slab on the northern side of the arena will be completed later in the project.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Weekly site progress

Monday 19 June.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street today.

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed, and the wall work is now extending well along the southern stand and into the eastern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is almost complete along both the Barbadoes and Madras Streets, with the major concrete pours for the foundations expected to be completed by 30 June.

A smaller series of concrete pours to finish the concrete slab on the northern side of the arena will be completed later in the project.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

June 2023 construction update video

Friday 16 June.

Faces of Te Kaha: David "Crusher" Park

Thursday 15 June.

Position
Project Safety Coordinator for BESIX Watpac.

Day to day I...
Spend most of my time on site, making sure everyone is working to the SWMS (Safe Work Method Statement) and work procedures, as well as review paperwork and sitting in on meetings to guide the safety principles that keep everyone safe at work. This isn’t the biggest job I’ve worked on, but it’s certainly the most high-profile.

The best part of my job
Helping people, getting alongside them, improving their knowledge and safety practices, and ensuring the workers get home safely at the end of the day. It’s everyone’s job to make sure they’re doing the right thing.

Past project
I worked on the Herston STARS Hospital in Brisbane for three years, which had a comparative budget, but hospital construction is a lot more technical. I then spent 12 months on three regional NSW jobs before I took on this role.

Outside of work I...
Enjoy travelling around New Zealand and hiking, which I’d never really done until I came here.

How I got my nickname
When I was playing Under 19 football I had a beard, and at the time there was a bloke who used to play for NSW called Noel “Crusher” Cleal. My nickname was originally “Cleal” because I had a beard, even if it was a pretty pathetic one. When I went to A-Grade footy they said, “your new nickname is going to be Crusher,” and everyone laughed and I thought it was the end of it. But here I am, many years later and I’m still called Crusher, even though I don’t have a beard anymore. I made an effort to come over here and introduce myself as David, but it’s just followed me, as people from Brisbane knew me and it’s just snowballed again. It could be a worse nickname, I guess!

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 13 June.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

Three large pieces of structural steel are now in place in the western stand, after the first was lifted into place last week.

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed, and the wall work is now extending well along the southern stand and into the eastern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is almost complete along both the Barbadoes and Madras Streets, with the major concrete pours for the foundations expected to be completed by 30 June.

A smaller series of concrete pours to finish the concrete slab on the northern side of the arena will be completed later in the project.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

First steel locked into place

Friday 9 June.

Passers-by are about to start witnessing the vertical construction of Te Kaha – Canterbury’s multi-use arena – emerging further above the site hoardings, with the steel construction of the main grandstands beginning this week.

Yesterday the first steel elements of Te Kaha’s superstructure were successfully lifted into place, marking the beginning of the next phase of the project.

Te Kaha Project Delivery Chief Executive David Kennedy says now that the superstructure work has begun on the $683 million project, people will see a marked increase in the speed at which the arena rises vertically.

Read more on Newsline.(external link)

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 6 June.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

As the contractors get ready to begin installing the structural steel of the western stand this week, a new blue crane (left side of the image) has been mobilised on site.

The small stormwater retention pond in the south-western corner has also been partially filled in.

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed in the southwest corner, and the wall work is now extending well along the southern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is almost complete along both the Barbadoes and Madras Streets, with the major concrete pours expected to be completed in the coming weeks. The concrete pours for the western stand are expected to be completed on 16 June.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 23 May.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

Concrete columns and walls continue to be poured and unboxed in the southwest corner, and the wall work is starting to extend along the southern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is almost complete along both the Barbadoes and Madras Streets, with the major concrete pours expected to be completed next month.

As the contractors get ready to begin installing the structural steel of the western stand in the coming weeks, a new blue crane (left side of the image) has been mobilised on site.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

On the cusp of the next construction stage

Friday 19 May.

Construction on Te Kaha, Canterbury’s multi-use arena, will enter a new phase in the next few weeks as the foundation work wraps up and the installation of structural steel for the grandstands begins.

Te Kaha Project Delivery CEO, David Kennedy, says the $683 million project continues to meet its timeframes and budget, with the major concrete pours expected to be finished next month.

“We are very pleased with how the project is tracking, with the major concrete pours due to finish ahead of schedule,” says Mr Kennedy.

Read more on Newsline.(external link)

Watch the new drone and site update video(external link).

Weekly site progress

Tuesday 16 May.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

More concrete columns have been unboxed and more walls forming in the southwest corner, including wall work now beginning on the southern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is also progressing well along the Barbadoes Street side of the site.

Concrete pours on the western stand (along Madras Street) are also entering their final stages.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

NAWIC Canterbury visits Te Kaha

Monday 15 May.

Late last week 20 members of the Canterbury chapter of the National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC) had the opportunity to take a tour of the Te Kaha site and hear a presentation from the BESIX Watpac team about the project and some of the construction methodology.

BESIX Watpac's design manager, Janelle Campbell, is part of the Canterbury chapter's committee, and organised the visit and presentation.

"Thursday's visit was an opportunity for our members to get up close with the Te Kaha project, ask questions and find out more about some of the design and construction work of this really important project for Canterbury", says Ms Campbell. 

NAWIC is a voluntary, non-profit association of women who work either in the construction industry, or for business organisations who provide services to the construction industry.

The number of women in the construction industry has grown exponentially in recent years, and this growth has prompted the establishment and success of NAWIC in New Zealand.

Latest site image

Tuesday 9 May.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street yesterday.

More concrete columns have been unboxed and more walls forming in the southwest corner, including wall work now beginning on the southern stand. The vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns continues to extend northwards on the eastern stand. 

The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is also progressing well along the Barbadoes Street side of the site.

Concrete pours on the western stand (along Madras Street) are also entering their final stages, with the whole concrete pour stage of the project now over the halfway mark.

Emerging Safety Leaders site visit

Monday 8 May.

On Thursday 4 May 2023, 20 members of the Emerging Safety Leaders (ESL) network visited the Te Kaha site.

BESIX Watpac's Health and Safety Coordinator David Parker led the visit around the site, focusing on the safety management of vertical formwork, major plant, and working with large-scale sub-contractors.

Emerging Safety Leaders supports people developing their careers in the occupational health and safety (OHS) industry in New Zealand.

It is an open forum that was established to provide these people with the opportunity to engage with, and learn from, their peers, with the hope of increasing the number of young people entering the profession.

Latest site image

Tuesday 2 May.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam St yesterday. There's been noticeable work across the site, with more concrete columns unboxed and more walls forming in the southwest corner, and the vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns extending northwards on the eastern stand. The poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) is also progressing well along the Barbadoes St side of the site.

Concrete pours on the western stand (along Madras St) are also entering their final stages, with the whole concrete pour stage of the project now over the halfway mark.

The white crane arrived on site several weeks ago. This crane will service the initial superstructure works as the vertical construction of Te Kaha gets underway.

Hearings panel makes Te Kaha streets recommendations

Monday 24 April.

A Hearings Panel will recommend Christchurch City Council proceed with a raft of changes to the streets surrounding Te Kaha, Canterbury’s Multi-Use Arena so the roads can cope with huge influxes of pedestrians on event days.

The recommendation includes support for a revised version of Lichfield Street between Manchester Street and the arena.

The new version retains Lichfield Street’s current dual-direction state, while a 10km speed limit will ensure the street remains safe for pedestrians. Flexible outdoor dining spaces and loading and parking allowances have been added.

Read more on Newsline.(external link)

Foundation work is now complete on southern stand

Monday 17 April.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam Street this morning. You can see that a number of concrete columns and walls have now been unboxed in the southwest corner of the site. Read more on Newsline(external link).

Foundation work is now completed on the southern stand, and the major concrete pours are now beginning to focus more on the eastern stand (along Barbadoes Street).

Across the rest of the site, there's an increase in the vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns across the western and southern stands. 

A third crane (white in the picture) arrived on site two weeks ago. This crane will service the initial superstructure works as the vertical construction of Te Kaha gets underway.

Latest site image

Tuesday 4 April.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from Tuam St yesterday. You can see the first of the concrete columns unboxed and the walls beginning to form in the southwest corner of the site. There's more information on this work on Newsline.(external link)

Across the rest of the site, there's an increase in the vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns across the western and southern stands, and the poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) now extending into the south-east corner. Steelwork is now beginning to be put in place on the eastern stand.

The red crawler crane (on the east of the site) arrived two weeks ago, joining the large 300-tonne capacity crawler crane to take care of all the heavy lifting. Both cranes are currently helping install the reinforcing, and will also be used to lift the concrete formwork and structural steel later in the project.

The all-weather surface of AP65 and AP40 gravel continues to be added to high-traffic areas to minimise mud over the winter months and manage any dust during drier periods.

Vertical construction begins

Monday 3 April.

The concrete structure of Te Kaha – Canterbury’s Multi-Use Arena – is now emerging vertically from ground, with the first of the concrete columns breaking cover today.

The first four five-metre-tall columns were boxed and filled with concrete on Thursday, then left to cure for three days before the formwork boxing was removed.

Te Kaha Project Delivery Chief Executive, David Kennedy, says the work in the south-west corner of the site signals the start of the next phase of the 30,000-seat arena’s construction.

Read more on Newsline.(external link)

Latest site image

Monday 27 March.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from BESIX Watpac's offices this morning. You can see vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns of the western and southern stands, and the poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) now extending across the southern and western stands, while the steelwork is now beginning to be put in place on the eastern stand.

A new crawler crane (red in the southwest corner of the site) arrived last week, joining the large 300-tonne capacity crawler crane to take care of all the heavy lifting. Both cranes are currently helping install the reinforcing, and will also be used to lift the concrete formwork and structural steel later in the project.

An all-weather surface of AP65 and AP40 gravel has been added to high-traffic areas. This will minimise mud over the winter months and manage any dust during drier periods.

Timelapse video published as ground improvement work nears completion

Tuesday 21 March.

(external link)A new three-month timelapse construction video of Te Kaha, Canterbury’s Multi-Use Arena, has been published, bringing into sharp focus the extent of the work being carried out and the magnitude of the $683 million project.

Captured from the BESIX Watpac offices on Tuam St, the one-minute timelapse documents the ground improvement works being carried out across the site, before the substructure (foundations) and major concrete pours begin from the south-west corner.

Te Kaha Project Delivery chief executive David Kennedy says the ground improvement works – where rammed aggregate piers are pushed deep into the land – is on track to be completed ahead of schedule.

Read more on Newsline(external link).

New drone images

Monday 20 March.


 

Last week, project management company RCP captured some great drone images of progress taking place on Te Kaha.

In this footage, you can see the ground improvement rigs nearing completion in the north-east corner of the site, and the substructure and perimeter of the 30,000-seat covered arena really starting to emerge.

Latest site image

Monday 20 March.

Above is a photo that was taken of the Te Kaha site from BESIX Watpac's offices this morning. You can see vertical reinforcing steel for the ground floor concrete columns of the western and southern stands, and the poured concrete of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) now extending across the southern and western stands. 

An all-weather surface of AP65 and AP40 gravel has been added to high-traffic areas. This will minimise mud over the winter months and manage any dust during drier periods.

The large 300-tonne capacity crawler crane in the middle of the shot takes care of all the heavy lifting. It is currently helping install the reinforcing, and will also be used to lift the concrete formwork and structural steel later in the project.

Latest site image

Tuesday 14 March.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from BESIX Watpac's offices on Monday 13 March 2023.

Progress on the western and southern stands' steel framework of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) continues to progress well, and the work from the major concrete pours now extending northwards along the land that will hold the western stand, and along the southern stand (Tuam St end).

The large 300-tonne capacity crawler crane has also moved north to help install the reinforcing on this area of the western stand. Later in the project, this crane will be used to lift the concrete formwork and structural steel.

Latest site image

Tuesday 7 March.

This photo was taken of the Te Kaha site from BESIX Watpac's offices on Monday 6 March 2023.

Progress on the western and southern stands' steel framework of the substructure (foundations and underground supports) continues to progress well, and the work from the major concrete pours now extends northwards along the land that will hold the western stand.

The large 300-tonne capacity crawler crane has also moved north to help install the reinforcing on this area of the western stand. Later in the project, this crane will be used to lift the concrete formwork and structural steel.

You can find a new library of previous site progress images(external link) below. 

Major concrete pours off to a smooth start

Wednesday 22 February.

Seven major concrete pours have been successfully completed on-site over the past three weeks, as the substructure and foundations work gets underway on Te Kaha’s western and southern stands.

The largest of these pours was around 1000 cubic metres (approximately 160 truck-loads) and the smallest was about 300 cubic metres.

The aim is to complete two pours every week over the next month (weather permitting), with this stage of construction expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year.

Ground improvement works are ahead of schedule and entering their final stages, with the rigs now working on the land that will hold the northern and eastern stands. This work should be completed in the coming weeks.

The BESIX Watpac team continues to work on the detailed design and this will be largely completed during Quarter 2. Shop drawings have begun for structural steel, and the fabrication and testing of the buckling-restrained braces (more information on these below) is underway.

Investing in local businesses

Friday 17 February.

Image: Before and after the BRB testing rig upgrade.

The Te Kaha multi-use arena project has supported the upgrade of facilities at Christchurch's Holmes Solutions so that the engineering firm can test the huge buckling-restrained braces (BRBs) required for the arena’s structure.

A BRB is a structural brace designed to allow a building to withstand the forces and loadings caused by earthquakes.

Before the Te Kaha project upgraded Holmes’ BRB testing rig, there was only one facility in the world that could test BRBs to the length and high capacity that’s required for this project.

Te Kaha Project Delivery Chief Executive David Kennedy says chipping in to upgrade Holmes Solutions' facilities has both environmental and commercial benefits.

“These upgrades mean we can reduce our carbon footprint by not shipping BRBs to Taiwan for testing, significantly shortening these specific timeframes by testing the BRBs locally, and it will leave a legacy in Christchurch long after the Te Kaha project is finished,” Mr Kennedy says.

“Ours is the most comprehensive, project-specific testing programme ever conducted worldwide, and to be able to test longer BRBs at a higher capacity right here in Christchurch is a win-win result for everyone.”

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Site progress images

Below is a library of progress images that have been taken from near the BESIX Watpac offices on Tuam Street, opposite the site.

We add new images to this section weekly.