AT&L Drives Engineering Innovation for Landmark Dragons High Performance Facility

Project Details

Date

2024-2026

Client

FDC Construction & Fitout

Infrastructure Value

$50M

Service

AT&L was engaged by FDC Construction and Fitout to provide civil engineering, stormwater design, flood management advice and construction-phase services. Working closely with the project team, AT&L delivered practical engineering solutions that resolved challenges within the original design while maintaining project objectives, improving constructability and supporting successful project delivery. 

Project Overview

The St George Dragons High Performance Centre is a landmark $50 million sporting and training facility delivered by FDC Construction and Fitout for the St George Illawarra Dragons. 

Designed to support elite athlete development and club operations, the project involved the delivery of a modern, purpose-built high-performance facility on a site with significant flood-related constraints. 

Project highlights include: 

  • $50 million development value 
  • 18-month construction program (October 2024 – March 2026) 
  • State-of-the-art high-performance training and administration facility 
  • Complex flood-affected site requiring specialist engineering solutions 
  • Extensive civil, stormwater and flood management infrastructure 
  • Design optimisation and value engineering to improve constructability and long-term performance 

AT&L’s Role & Key Infrastructure Features

AT&L worked collaboratively with FDC Construction and Fitout to provide civil engineering expertise and construction-phase support, ensuring the efficient delivery of the project’s infrastructure requirements. 

Scope included: 

  • Civil engineering design 
  • Stormwater management design 
  • Flood impact assessment and management 
  • Utilities coordination 
  • Construction phase services 
  • For Construction (FC) documentation 
  • Engineering certification 
  • Construction support services 
  • Value engineering and design optimisation 

Key infrastructure features: 

  • Comprehensive civil infrastructure servicing the High Performance Centre development 
  • Stormwater management systems designed to operate within a flood-affected environment 
  • Flood mitigation and site drainage solutions 
  • Integrated civil and stormwater infrastructure supporting the facility’s operational requirements 
  • Construction-ready documentation and certification services 
  • Ongoing engineering support throughout project delivery 

Design Innovations That Reduced Disruption

One of the project’s most significant challenges was the site’s substantial exposure to flooding. The existing Development Application (DA) design contained a number of errors and omissions that required resolution during the detailed design phase without adversely impacting the overall flood performance of the site. 

AT&L successfully refined and finalised the design while maintaining acceptable flood outcomes and supporting the project’s construction programme. 

Design innovations included: 

  • Resolution of design errors and omissions identified within the approved DA design 
  • Optimisation of site drainage infrastructure while maintaining flood compliance requirements 
  • Replacement of shallow stormwater pipework with non-compliant longitudinal grades by open drainage channels 
  • Improved drainage system maintainability through simplified infrastructure arrangements 
  • Reduced risk of future blockages and maintenance issues through open-channel design solutions 
  • Modification of the southern driveway build-up to simplify construction methodology 
  • Enhancement of floodwater conveyance efficiency across the site 
  • Delivery of practical value-engineering initiatives that reduced construction complexity while maintaining project objectives 

Through proactive engineering assessment and design optimisation, AT&L was able to improve constructability, reduce operational risks and deliver more efficient flood and drainage outcomes.

AT&L’s technical expertise in civil engineering, stormwater management and flood modelling enabled FDC Construction and Fitout to successfully deliver the St George Dragons High Performance Centre after many years within the planning system. The project was completed without compromising quality while achieving key programme, budget and operational objectives. 

Key Outcome & Benefits

Successful delivery of civil, stormwater and flood engineering services for the $50 million High Performance Centre development 
Resolution of significant flooding constraints affecting the site 
Elimination of design issues inherited from the original DA design documentation 
Delivery of cost-effective value engineering solutions that improved constructability and long-term maintenance outcomes 
Improved flood performance and drainage efficiency across the site 
Reduced risk of drainage blockages and future operational issues 
Provision of construction documentation, certification and construction support services throughout delivery 
Completion of the project within programme and budget objectives 
Successful collaboration with FDC Construction and Fitout throughout the design and construction phases 

Client Testimonial

AT&L helped the Dragons reach the highest standards in elite sporting infrastructure, stepping in as the specialists needed to keep us on target and retain our timeline when unforeseen challenges impacted the project. Thanks to AT&L’s expertise, commitment and care we now have a class-leading facility the whole region can be proud of.   

Gen Gordon – Dragons Director 

Enough Talk, Let's Design Something Together