Project Overview
SKCE provided complete structural engineering design and documentation for the redevelopment of the Thomas Brothers Mitsubishi site at 65 Dobney Avenue, Wagga Wagga. The project included a new showroom, workshop and staff amenities building, together with the structural integration of retained existing buildings.
The facility required two distinctly different structural environments: an open showroom with large clear spans, fully glazed walls and specific Mitsubishi architectural requirements, and a large steel-framed workshop with a heavily loaded concrete slab designed to support vehicle hoists.
SKCE developed a dual-direction portal frame system to achieve the required unobstructed spans while accommodating the building’s changing geometry, complex roof structure, fire-rated boundary walls and interfaces between new and existing structures.
SKCE Services Delivered
- Complete structural engineering design and documentation
- Reinforced concrete slab design
- Structural steel and portal frame design
- Dual-direction portal frame design
- Large clear-span structural solutions
- Workshop slab design for vehicle hoists and heavy loads
- Complex roof structure design
- Fire-rated boundary wall design
- New and existing structure interface design
- Structural detailing and connection design
- Coordination with architectural requirements
Value to the Client
Working closely with Noel Thomson Architecture and the client, SKCE developed a practical structural solution that achieved Mitsubishi’s architectural and corporate identity requirements while maintaining constructability and cost efficiency.
The dual-direction portal frame system created the large, unobstructed spaces required across both the showroom and workshop. Connections were designed for efficient fabrication and assembly, including pre-welded stubs at column heads to reduce congestion and minimise on-site welding.
Consideration of locally available materials and suppliers further supported an efficient construction approach, delivering a modern automotive facility tailored to the operational requirements of Thomas Brothers and the architectural standards of Mitsubishi.
