The Kinleith Mill operated by Oji Fibre is situated just outside Tokoroa is one of NZ’s largest industrial facilities. Built in the 1960’s, many of the original structural elements of the mill are reaching the end of their service life and require repair. The challenging environment of the mill, with many chemicals and gases used in the production of the pulp and paper adds to the deterioration of the concrete structures.

Contech took on the challenging task of undertaking concrete repairs to the Chem Plant building. The project involved the hydro demolition of severely damaged concrete columns and beams followed by reinstatement using micro concrete. The work required the team to work around many services including electrical, gas and chemical supply pipes. Maintaining the ongoing operation of the mill and a high standard of safety was critical to the successful delivery of the work.

The Contech site team worked closely with the plant operators to understand the operating requirements of the mill manufacturing processes and the impact on their work. The repair work was staged so that there was no risk to operations and to accommodate the staged relocation and temporary decommissioning of existing services.

Working in and amongst the machinery and services required a high level of flexibility from the team. Changes to the order of the work were frequent to accommodate operational requirements, and the execution of the work was challenging at times due to the difficult access.

Over a three-month period, approximately 6m3 of concrete remediation work was successfully completed with no impact to the client’s assets and no safety incidents.

Having developed an understanding of the mill’s operating environment the team have moved onto more repair packages of in other areas of the mill.

Visit our Concrete Repairs page to read more about Contech’s concrete repair services.