National Biocontainment Laboratory construction progress

Construction of MPI's new high-level biocontainment laboratory in Wallaceville started in 2016. Explore the photo gallery showing construction progress.

April 2020

Immunology/Virology PC3 room at MPI's new Wallaceville laboratory
Immunology/Virology PC3 room.

 

ESR Virology PC3 room at MPI's new Wallaceville laboratory
ESR Virology PC3 room.

 

PC3 tea room at MPI's new Wallaceville laboratory
PC3 tea room.

 

Change Rooms – PC3 at MPI's new Wallaceville laboratory
Change Rooms – PC3.

 

Feb 2019

Power cables in the plant room at MPI's new Wallaceville laboratory
Power cables in the plant room.

 

Nov 2018

Ducts and piping in the ceiling at MPI's new Wallaceville laboratory
Ductwork in the roof space.

 

Oct 2018

A newly built room in MPI's new Wallaceville laboratory with flooring and ceiling trunking
Flooring and ceiling trunking.

 

August 2018

New controls cables beiling installed in the building management system in MPI's new Wallaceville laboratory
Installing controls cabling for the building management system.

 

May 2018

Laboratory wall framing being erected May 2018
Laboratory wall framing being erected.

 

Laboratory Arcoplast walling system fitted May 2018
Laboratory Arcoplast walling system fitted.

 

February 2018

A large chiller unit being guided onto the building roof by a crane and 5 construction workers.
Site crane lifting and manoeuvring chiller units on the building roof.

January 2018

The inside of the building roof showing large metal ducts and a network of supply pipes with valves.
Interior fit-out of essential services (ductwork and supply pipes) underway.

September 2017

Building site showing metal framework of the building with orange metal cladding and windows on one side.
As the steel structure nears completion, the installation of the facade has begun.

June 2017

Building consists of a steel framework for 2 floors.
Upper level steel beam installation and floor preparation well underway.

March 2017

Aerial shot of the whole site and Upper Hutt Valley
Aerial shot of the whole site and Upper Hutt Valley.

 

A side view showing major steel framework in place on 2 ends of the building site.
Both ends of the building have now been raised.

November 2016

Construction site consists of a large rectangular concrete slab , an on-site crane, and metal framework starting to be installed on 2 sides.
The new lab is beginning to take shape with the structural steel going up.

 

new concrete slab with steel structures being erected
View of the construction site. When finished, the new lab will extend the length of the concrete in this image.

September 2016

Contractors buff the ground floor slab with a concerete finishing tool.
Contractors buff the ground floor slab with a concrete finishing tool.

 July 2016

Busy construction site with numerous workers installing the foundations and reinforcing.
A view of the construction site – progress on the foundations continues.

 

Side-view of a base isolator being installed on the construction site.
One of the lead rubber bearings (base isolators) mid-installation.

April 2016

Timelapse video of the crane being erected at the site – YouTube (22")

Excavated building site showing a grid of concrete pads at the base with reinforcing steel embedded in the concrete.
Partially-finished foundations showing concrete pads and reinforcing steel embedded in the concrete.

 

Close –up of reinforcing steel bars suspending smaller square reinforcing frames.
Close up of reinforcing steel.

 

A worker assembling reinforcing steel surrounded by steel bars and framework on the building site.
Assembling the reinforcing steel for the building's foundations.
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