Northland Radiotherapy and Oncology Centre

Customised Solutions and Supporting Green Star Rating Goal

Overview 

The new Radiotherapy and Oncology Centre in Northland provides much-needed treatment services for cancer patients in the region.

The facility includes three main levels. The top level will have reception, consultation, and waiting areas. The middle level will contain staff workspaces and amenities. The lower level, partially underground, will house the specialised treatment rooms. These rooms are designed with thick concrete walls and roof to ensure radiation safety.

Along with serving the needs of patients, the structure aims to achieve a 5-star Green Star rating.

To support the facility and its mission, Fireshield was selected to provide expert guidance and fire protection solutions.

Our Involvement 

The architect approached us initially to provide intumescent coating solutions that met the requirements of Green Star.
We were also able to provide our comprehensive testing on how attachments interface with intumescent-coated steel. The deletion of fire rated boards around inaccessible junctions was another benefit as this removed the requirement for complex detailing.

Our team worked closely with the main contractor to provide alternative options to suit the proposed construction methodology. An on-site option was produced and tabled alongside the off-site solution.

It was agreed to proceed with a full 920KS 2 pack epoxy solution which allowed the intumescent to be applied direct to steel without a primer for C1 and C2 corrosivity zones.

However when the tenders were returned there was significant inconsistancy between the submissions which highlighted some of the sub contractors were interpreting the scope differently, with some allowing for only 70% of the required work while others over specified, leading to pricing discrepancies.

To address this issue, all sub contractors were issued our comprehensive markup that clearly defined the entire project scope. This was carefully checked and approved by both the design team and the construction team and was distributed it to potential tenderers.

Our detailed markups provided a level playing field that prevented contractors from under or over-scoping the project.
With the applicator then selected, we also provided additional support by conducting training for the applicator team, ensuring a streamlined application process with minimal delays.

Outcome 

Our collaborative approach and comprehensive fire protection strategy were key in the successful progression of the Northland Radiotherapy and Oncology Centre project.

As the only fire protection experts in New Zealand with in-house fire engineers and designers, our team was able to adapt our approach and provide tailored solutions that kept the process running smoothly and on time.

The project remains on track, with the new oncology building scheduled to open in 2025.