Hobson Engineering Warehouse

After acquiring approximately 8,400m² of land in Direk, Hobson Engineering sought a builder to help them achieve their goal of building the best Fastener wholesale distribution warehouse in South Australia. They had a comprehensive design and knew it would require a builder who was willing to go beyond a standard building approach. Woolcock Construction were awarded the contract with the goal of a 10 month build time.

The client requirements included a single structure with an open-air warehouse for racking, an office, and associated loading areas. Hobson Engineering maintain their own building standards and customisations which include specific materials, bespoke design features, and strict adherence to the use of their own products wherever possible throughout the construction. We were pleased to accommodate all requests despite numerous challenges along the way.

Challenges that were overcome:

• 20mm thick Bluestone tiles were required for the office. This is a relatively rare product from south-east Asia and was very difficult to acquire amid Covid supply chain challenges and a typhoon, which caused the Bluestone quarry to flood and close. Despite the time delay caused, the tiles were received and installed within the handover time frame.
• The specified fixings for the Danpalon panels on the warehouse proved insufficient given unexpected backdrafts generated when roller shutters were open. The air pressure overpowered the recommended installation method and we were forced to rethink the fastening technique. After some trial and error, we successfully reinforced the joins by fixing and joining each panel at 1800mm centres and bolting the panel joints together. This resulted in a considerably over-spec installation that has provided an enduring solution.
• A high spec, 260mm thick warehouse concrete floor with high Fmin tolerance was required to safely support Hobson’s forklift operations and 10m high racking. An Fmin of 70/80 was achieved through staggering pours, laser screeding, using a ride-on concrete float, saw-cutting within 3 hours of each pour, and armour edging.

The immense 8,000m² logistics warehouse is purpose-built primarily for the storage and distribution of Hobson Engineering products and allows for future expansion. It also includes an operations office. The ability to load and unload easily and quickly was an important criterion for the client, so four covered on-grading loading areas with associated roller shutters and one recessed loading dock were incorporated. The office space comprises multiple areas, including lunchroom, training room, meeting room, storeroom, computer room, private office, and an open-plan office space. Carparking for 31 cars as well as overflow parking spaces, signage, and landscaping completed the development.

Special features:

• Customised door handles shaped as Hobson Engineering logo on front door and boardroom door
• Various types and colours of sheeting to create a standout visual effect
• Danpalon SoftLite Ice personalised panels allow light to penetrate into the warehouse as well as highlight the Hobson Engineering logo
• Exposed aggregate feature floor at entry
• Bespoke exposed raked finish on precast panels as chosen by client
• Custom made shade awning at entry
• Bluestone tiles to create feature floor in office that is common to Hobson facilities
• Upmarket office fitout including touchless taps, soap and hand dryers
• Sound proof training room with engineered timber floors in training and meeting rooms

Hobson Engineering staff said they chose the right builder, were kept well informed and involved throughout the project, and it was a pleasant and remarkably smooth experience for them. They would not hesitate to have Woolcock Construction work on any other future projects that arise.

Our client also had full access to view the build through the time lapse footage captured on site. This project was the first that Woolcock Construction could showcase from start to finish by combining time lapse footage into a video, a concept that has been adapted for future jobs.