Westland Milk Products – Pipe Bridge Foundations

Supporting Westland Milk Products’ new pipe bridge meant creating a foundation built to last. FPC managed the full build‑only delivery, placing 450m³ of concrete across more than 80 truckloads and installing 22 tonnes of reinforcing steel to ensure strength where it mattered most.

All concrete was sourced from Greymouth – 30 minutes away, resulting in more than 80 hours of trucking and a total of 6,500 kilometres travelled. But the real complexity lay underground. The new foundation route crossed existing inground services, requiring careful rerouting and bridging to avoid disruption.

On top of that, the notoriously unpredictable West Coast weather added another layer of challenge, testing the team’s adaptability and resilience throughout the programme.

We delivered nine reinforced concrete foundations to support approximately 225m of new pipe bridges and strengthen a further 145m of existing ones. Despite the logistical and environmental challenges, the team-maintained momentum and adapted to site conditions with precision.

Coordinating the volume of concrete movement and steel deliveries demanded meticulous planning, especially within the project’s tight timeframe. We managed this by bringing in trucks from surrounding regions to ensure pour volumes could be met.

When the client increased the project scope dramatically mid-delivery, we absorbed the additional work without extending the original programme – demonstrating flexibility and commitment to delivery.

• Programme resilience: Despite an increase in scope, the project was completed within the original timeframe – an outcome made possible by good planning and strong relationships with key subcontractors and suppliers.
• Planning: Managing over 80 concrete deliveries from Greymouth and 22 tonnes of steel required tight coordination and sequencing to keep the site moving efficiently.