SPH were engaged by Western Power and later novated to Wauters to design the 3ha Albany Fleet Maintenance and Logistics Depot. The site was a vacant lot adjacent an existing depot within an existing industrial developed precinct. A number of issues were faced:

Existing in ground high pressure gas main traversed the site - this required detailed surveying, revised master planning layout, authority consultation and negotiations, design for gas pipe relocation, and staged works by the contractor to manage the impact to gas services.

Continuity of services - the new facility required part of the existing depot to be demolished, as such to maintain the operations of the existing depot during construction, the design must allow all functions to be ongoing throughout construction, and required staged delivery / handover of works.

Clay soils and 1 in 50 year rain events – during construction July 2021, Albany experienced 1 in 50 year rainfall which significantly impacted progress on site. It also highlighted design requirements for greater water management. As such the civil design was altered to provide revised layout for in ground drainage, and provide temporary water management during construction to allow works to recommence much sooner. This mitigated the impact to programme and cost to the client, and ensured long term better water management for the completed Depot.