Spantech helps defence secure and preserve explosive ordnance at Kauri Point

The New Zealand Defence Force engaged Spantech to design and construct a pair of modern, secure earth covered buildings at the Defence Armament Depot in Auckland.

Previously known as Kauri Point, the Defence Armament Depot was established in 1935 and has become the main explosive ordnance delivery point for New Zealand.

A Defence Ministry Report released in 2009 found much of New Zealand's (then) $155 million of military ordnance was stored in old and leaky warehouses with poor security. The report was particularly critical of the facilities at Kauri Point, where about 30 five-inch naval shells worth $120,000 had to be written off because they were damaged by water leaking through a roof. Only two of forty-one explosive stores at Kauri Point were in good condition.

Then in 2011 following the theft of ammunition, flares and cartridges, NZDF fast-tracked the planning and upgrade of the Depot and engaged Spantech to construction of two new secure Spantech ECB.

Challenging Site

The Kauri Point site is steep, with almost no level ground. Adding modern earth covered buildings to the site required an extensive amount of civil work.

The civil works had to allow for unstable ground, consider the location of historic WWII stores and avoid disturbing established Kauri trees, some of which were planted by previous Governors General, Defence Ministers and Senior Defence personnel.

Solution

The final design included a Spantech 13m ECB and a Spantech 23m ECB siting side by side with the headwalls facing toward the Waitematā Harbour. This arrangement provided the maximum EO licensing capacity for the new ECB and the depot as a whole.

Spantech delivered the new Spantech ECB in 2015. The 13m

The new buildings have safely increased the total holding capacity of the depot.

More importantly the new Spantech ECB provide a stable environment to ensure the longterm serviceability of critical Defence resources and delivered a new level of security to the site.

Client
New Zealand Defence Force

Location
Auckland, New Zealand

Builder
Spantech

Spantech Scope
Design and construct

Products
Woomera 300