Duntroon Gymnasium completed with a day to spare

The ACT had avoided COVID-19 disruption until August 2021 when its first lockdown coincided with works at Duntroon. Despite delays, Duratec achieved a successful project outcome within the client's timeframe.

Built in the mid-1980s, the Duntroon Gymnasium at the Royal Military College in Canberra serves as a physical fitness centre for Australian Army personnel. In the mid-1990s, a two-storey extension was added to the north-east of the main gym floor. This extension acts as office space, a weights training area, and male and female change rooms.

Upon inspection, the building was found to be in poor condition having not undergone refurbishment for a number of years. The scope, therefore, involved a broad range of internal and external works across various service areas, from architectural, civil/structural and mechanical to hydraulic, electrical and fire.

Works included the replacement of ceilings, installation of new flooring and repainting of structural elements. Stormwater drainage was to be upgraded, while hydraulic works consisted of an upgrade to the hot water system and refurbishment of the ablutions.

Electrical works encompassed upgrades to lighting - including exit and emergency lighting - and replacement of the mechanical switchboard and main distribution board. Mechanical works involved the installation of a new heating system and upgrades to air-conditioning systems. Upgrades to fire services field equipment - involving HVAC, lighting and ceiling works - were also included in the scopes.

The construction kick-off meeting took place in late July 2021, during which details about the scope and program were finalised. Works were to commence in mid-August and a strict project completion date of 14 January 2022 was stipulated. COVID-19, however, had other ideas.

On 12 August 2021, Canberra's first acquired case of the virus in more than a year sent the ACT into lockdown - construction sites ground to a halt. The Territory had been lucky up until then as it had avoided a full lockdown for the first 18 months of the pandemic.

While the team had managed COVID-19 restrictions on other sites just like the rest of the ACT, this was the first time it had navigated a lockdown. There were a lot of unknowns, which meant an agile approach was needed to combat unexpected changes to the project.

It wasn't until 9 September that Duratec was able to commence onsite, having a lost approximately three-and-a-half weeks of its allocated construction time. Nonetheless, the initial project completion date remained as the building needed to be fully operational by the time cadets returned to the base post-leave.

Despite the time lost to the pandemic, Duratec managed to complete the works with one day to spare and handover took place on 13 January. The team was thrilled to achieve such a great result within the client's original timeframe.