The Brief
Wallace Building Contractors delivered the concrete and formwork package for the National Biocontainment Laboratory, a highly specialised research facility developed for the Ministry for Primary Industries at the National Centre for Biosecurity and Infectious Disease.
As part of the $87 million development, our scope included reinforced concrete foundations, base-isolated structural elements, in-situ concrete beams, rattle-space walls, hold-down pile connections, and 2,200m² of 200mm thick F5-finished in-situ concrete floors. The building sits on 10 base isolators and 20 slider bearings and is anchored by four 1.8-metre-diameter hold-down piles extending approximately 14 metres below ground level. All formwork was manufactured in our Porirua workshop and installed on site using prefabricated units to ensure the highest levels of quality and precision.
Designed to remain operational following an extreme seismic event, the facility was engineered to meet the same earthquake performance requirements as critical infrastructure such as hospitals and airport control towers. The project required strict quality assurance processes, specialised concrete specifications, and a 30-day water-curing regime to achieve the demanding performance standards required within a high-level biocontainment environment.
This project highlights Wallace Building Contractors' expertise in complex concrete construction, specialist formwork, and technically demanding research facilities. We deliver high-quality construction solutions that contribute to outstanding project outcomes.