Auckland is a home for Soletanche Bachy ’s New Zealand headquarters. The company is a vital partner in some of the region’s largest infrastructure projects, bringing structural foundation expertise and equipment, previously unavailable in New Zealand.
For Soletanche Bachy International, setting up an office in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has led to a double win: it has brought its unique civil engineering expertise to Aotearoa New Zealand while also expanding its global potential and IP.
Expansion into New Zealand
Founded in France, and now operating in more than 50 countries, Soletanche Bachy International specialises in ground engineering works, particularly foundations for buildings, bridges and tunnelling. In 2012, Soletanche Bachy International purchased New Zealand firm March Construction, which carried out core business operations locally, while contributing to the reconstruction of Ōtautahi Christchurch post the 2011 earthquakes.
In 2015, Soletanche Bachy New Zealand’s first project, in collaboration with Downer New Zealand and March Construction, was the C1 stage of the Britomart City Rail Link. Completed in 2021, this package involved a cut-and-cover tunnel (and underpinning) beneath the former Central Post Office building to link Britomart and Aotea stations.
The expertise required for city-scale infrastructure
Wissam Karaki, Finance and Administrative Manager at Soletanche Bachy International New Zealand, explains his company’s invaluable contribution to City Rail Link’s C1 stage and other works. “Soletanche Bachy International is a world leader in a number of techniques, such as diaphragm wall installation and soil mixing, that are new to New Zealand. We have been able to import our specialist expertise and equipment that this scale of project requires.”
Diaphragm retaining walls – or D-Walls – are ideal for deep excavation and foundation projects, particularly in difficult conditions such as rock excavation, compacted soil or tight construction tolerances. The City Rail Link C1 foundation wall is built in panels up to seven metres wide using a purpose-built rig on a base crane. Where necessary, Soletanche Bachy International uses its patented Hydrofraise® machine, which uses counter-rotating cutters suspended on a crane and can enable depths of up to 100 metres.
Another patented Soletanche Bachy International speciality is Geomix®: using the ground material itself to improve the substrate of a construction site.
In 2022, the Downer-Soletanche Bachy JV was awarded New Zealand’s Construction Excellence Award by Civil Contractors New Zealand, for the performance of its C1 package, on a range of levels, from planning and control to risk management and customer satisfaction – and thanks in no small part to Soletanche Bachy International’s innovative contributions.
Importing and sharing expertise
Currently, Soletanche Bachy International New Zealand is contracted (with other Link Alliance partners) on the Auckland City Rail Link project which includes a complete redeveloped station (Maungawhau/Mt Eden) and two new underground stations (Karanga-a-Hape & Te Waihorotiu/Aotea). Alongside, the company participated to the Downtown Infrastructure Development Programme. March Construction has supported Soletanche Bachy International on CRL works with its staff and resources, and is also heavily involved in other operations in Auckland (Ikea Auckland) and all over New Zealand (such as Canterbury Museum, New Dunedin Hospital).
Alexis Behaghel, Major Projects – Managing Director at Soletanche Bachy International New Zealand, explains how the company benefits the country. “We can bring highly specialised services to large infrastructure projects. We build our own equipment in France and import it; our experts then train local teams on the tools and techniques. So, we’re accelerating the knowledge of our IP into the New Zealand market.”
To date, Soletanche Bachy International holds no fewer than 500 patents and has designed more than 2500 machinery units.
We collaborate locally on joint ventures,” adds Wissam. “For Britomart Station (alongside Downer New Zealand), for instance, we imported a building-lifting technique from our sister company Freyssinet, as well as Sixense (who managed structure monitoring), both of whom have Auckland offices, as well as Downer New Zealand.
Link Alliance upskills current and future workers
Soletanche Bachy International New Zealand is one of the seven members of the Link Alliance, a consortium of companies delivering the main stations and tunnels for the City Rail Link project. This provides a key channel through which to collaborate and share expertise on the works packages.
Through the Link Alliance, Soletanche Bachy International New Zealand is involved in a partnership with the University of Auckland through which 90 interns a year are placed with the key City Rail Link companies. “We are taking construction apprentices and engineers, male and female, and the Alliance so far has inducted over 10,000 people to its training hub, Te Manawa,” notes Alexis. “We are adding to local engineering skills, which are already at a high level here. It’s a positive social and career outcome, and helps the project and industry fill skills shortages.”
Auckland a supportive environment
For Soletanche Bachy International New Zealand, Auckland has proved the ideal base for its 130-odd employees, as Wissam explains, “We hired 60 per cent locally and brought the rest in from overseas for their skill sets. In fact, we’re leaning now towards bringing in more trainers to upskill local teams. Between us, we cover 30 nationalities, and everyone feels at home here.
New Zealand is a stable environment, with strict regulation and very low corruption complemented by fair contracts and the ease of doing business. Here in Auckland, we’re at the epicentre of the major construction projects, with logistical solutions and raw materials on hand. We also have beaches and nature, restaurants and cultural attractions – all on our doorstep. You don’t find that in many other countries.
Visit Soletanche Bachy International and March Construction websites.
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