Regional Mail Centre, Mallusk

Doran Consulting provided the full civil and structural engineering design services for this 120m by 100m sorting office building for Post Office Property Holdings at Mallusk. The accommodation includes a sorting office, warehouse, distribution section, 2-storey office, welfare accommodation and plant room. The project was constructed in 14 months and handed over on programme to the client's satisfaction.

The site subsoils comprised rock sloping across the site overlain with fill. The substructure design was complex and required piling over part of the building. External works included site development involving bulk excavation, diversion of streams, roads, hardstandings, drainage, a transformer house, vehicle washing, service compounds and transport workshops. The floor design was innovative, using a suspended fibre mesh floor in lieu of traditional reinforced concrete, resulting in the entire floor being laid in 9 days of continuous pours. The building was designed for low maintenance and the design was subjected to a formal value engineering exercise. The programme and cost control procedures ensured the project was delivered both on time and within budget.