Both Civil and Structural services were provided by PUNCH Consulting Engineers. The structural services included assessments of the existing structure and back analysis of the load bearing capacity of the floor structure to establish a safe working load capacity for the refurbished area.  Other works included the removal of internal cold rooms, compartment walls and the repair of the damaged existing floor.  These refurbishment works required a detailed phasing strategy to minimise disruption to the existing centre which remained operational throughout the works.

Tesco Ireland is one of the largest grocery retailers in Ireland and is continually expanding their presence around the country.  The refurbishment of the existing distribution centre at Apollo Road in Belfast involved the refurbishment of an area of the existing building to create a new free movement area, the construction of a new frozen chamber, 3 no. dock leveller pods and new access ramps both internally and externally.  The refurbished distribution centre has doubled the capacity of the original building providing a pivotal hub to Tesco distribution in Ireland.

As PUNCH was not involved on the construction of the original scheme, back checking and careful assessments of the existing structure was essential.  The geotechnical conditions on site also proved challenging and the new structure was founded on pile foundations due to the compressible nature of the existing ground.