How prefabrication improved construction productivity at ALDI Tarneit

When construction programmes come under pressure, finding time without compromising quality, safety or productivity can be one of the biggest challenges on site.

At ALDI’s new distribution centre in Tarneit, Victoria, BARMAT® prefabricated reinforcing mesh helped recover valuable time in the construction schedule, supporting the project team to maintain momentum on one of Australia’s largest logistics developments.

InfraBuild Reinforcing supplied BARMAT® through ARC to Calibre Concrete Group, the concrete contractor responsible for delivering more than 183,000 square metres of concrete works across the site. ARC helped deliver this project end-to-end.

Project at a glance

• 102,000m² distribution centre
• 183,000m² of concrete works delivered
• 500+ tonnes of prefabricated reinforcement installed in suspended slabs
• 32 days recovered across the suspended slab programme

Supporting one of Australia’s largest distribution centres

Located within the Tarneit Logistics Hub in Melbourne’s west, the new ALDI Distribution Centre spans 102,000 square metres and represents a significant investment in Victoria’s supply chain infrastructure.

Developed by Charter Hall and constructed by Qanstruct, the fully automated facility features ultra high-bay warehousing, temperature-controlled storage and advanced logistics technology capable of processing close to 2.3 million pallets annually.

As part of the project, Calibre Concrete Group delivered:

• 70,000m² of warehouse floor slabs
• 85,000m² of hardstands
• 28,000m² of suspended slabs

The scale of the concrete package demanded a solution that could support productivity while helping the project team meet critical delivery milestones.

A programme under pressure

Like many major construction projects, the Tarneit development faced unforeseen challenges during delivery.

Delays in structural steel installation and formwork reduced the time available to complete suspended slab works, placing additional pressure on the construction programme.

Traditional suspended slab reinforcement requires significant on-site labour to place, tie and assemble individual reinforcing bars. With the programme already compressed, the project team needed a faster and more efficient approach.

Delivering productivity through prefabrication

To help recover lost time, the project team adopted BARMAT® prefabricated reinforcing mesh.

Manufactured off-site as pre-assembled reinforcing panels, BARMAT® eliminates the need to tie reinforcement bar by bar on site. Panels are lifted directly into place by crane, allowing installation teams to work quickly and efficiently across large slab areas.

For the Tarneit project, the results were significant.

Each suspended slab was completed approximately one day faster than would have been achieved using traditional reinforcement methods, resulting in a total programme saving of 32 days across the suspended slab package.

“Switching to BARMAT® on the suspended slabs gave us back control of the programme. Eliminating the need to tie over 500 tonnes of steel on site made a significant difference to our sequencing and productivity, and the prefabricated panels installed efficiently with crane access across the site.

The solution worked great at Tarneit, especially with the large, open and consistent slab layouts.”

Ryan Wong, Senior Project Manager, Calibre Concrete Group

Designed for large-scale construction

BARMAT® is particularly effective on large, open slab areas where reinforcement layouts are consistent and repetitive.

The suspended slabs at Tarneit were ideally suited to this approach. With crane access across the site and a uniform reinforcing design, panels could be installed in sequence with minimal handling and reduced site labour requirements.

By prefabricating reinforcement off site and accounting for laps during manufacture, the solution also reduced on-site coordination and supported a smoother installation process.

Building more with less

The Tarneit project demonstrates how prefabrication can help improve construction productivity and support project teams when programmes come under pressure.

While BARMAT® was introduced as a response to a scheduling challenge, its impact extended beyond programme recovery. By reducing on-site labour requirements and accelerating installation, it enabled the concrete team to maintain progress without compromising quality.

“Supplying BARMAT® through ARC, who delivered to a project of this scale, demonstrates how prefabricated reinforcing can help improve productivity on site. When programmes are under pressure, reducing installation time and on-site labour can make a meaningful difference to project outcomes. Recovering 32 days on a project of this scale is a strong example of the value prefabrication can deliver.”

Rupinder Saraan, Account Manager, InfraBuild Reinforcing

Delivering practical outcomes

As Australia’s industrial and logistics sector continues to expand, project teams are increasingly looking for ways to improve productivity, reduce complexity and maintain programme certainty.

The ALDI Tarneit Distribution Centre highlights how prefabricated reinforcing solutions such as BARMAT® can help deliver practical outcomes on large-scale projects, supporting faster construction and helping customers build more with less.

Please contact us to learn more about how BARMAT® can support your next project