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With the experience of successfully opening nearly 560 outlets around the world and becoming America's third largest retailer, Costco knows exactly what it needs from construction partners.

That's why it entrusted the design and construction of its first outlet in Australia to local and overseas companies with a proven record of success.

And that's why BlueScope Buildings was enlisted to provide a scope-of-works for the Docklands, Melbourne project that covered structural elements, cladding, project coordination and even shopping-trolley-bay frames.

With Costco determined to make construction of its Australian debut store a template for future expansion, it appointed Hansen Yuncken as head contractor and Californian steel building construction specialist Span Construction as leading sub-contractor.

BlueScope Buildings provided Span Construction with a unique combination of supply and coordination of materials.

Its role centred around the combination of global technologies and techniques delivered with local expertise.

Costco Wholesale Australia CEO, Patrick Noone, explained the reasons for the approach to building the Docklands outlet. "We had an established relationship with the BlueScope company, Butler Buildings, in the United States as our designer," he said.

"We have a particular way we want to see our buildings designed and constructed and it just made sense to partner with BlueScope down here in Australia,"

"We didn't want to reinvent the wheel. We just wanted to use designs and systems that have been proven at Costco sites around the world over many years,"

"Span Buildings is our preferred construction contractor for our Butler Buildings' designed outlets in the United States and elsewhere, so we went with them for the Docklands store. Having BlueScope Buildings involved also made life easier.

"It is doubtful if any similar commercial design and construction project in Australia has embodied as many international elements or required the coordination needed to create this first Australian Costco site.

"Our role was to deliver some key elements of the project," BlueScope Buildings Project Manager Henry Martignago said.

"Costco's commitment to partners and materials previously involved in its unbroken record of successfully establishing new sites dictated key aspects of the Docklands' project,"

"Span Construction specified three-plate tapered beams from Butler Buildings in Shanghai for the structural members after previously using them for a Costco outlet in Taiwan,"

"BlueScope Buildings carried out their structural design and sent it on to Butler Buildings to produce the shop drawings, fabricate, paint and ship the components."

The Docklands' Costco building design also used truss purlins that span twice the distance of conventional purlins. As fabricated trusses made from pipe and tube, but used as conventional purlins, they allowed rafters to be used at 17-metre centres.

These members helped minimise the need for internal columns, creating a layout with wide bays ideally suited to the installation of racking.

Conventional purlins and girts were used for areas of the building such as the entry canopy.

BlueScope Buildings also coordinated the supply of coils of COLORBOND® steel from BlueScope Steel at Port Kembla for roll forming into deeply profiled sheets, for use as wall cladding in a style nominated by Costco.

The building also incorporated the use of MR24 roofing products; a proprietary Butler lock-seamed concealed-fix profile that is a Costco preference for its outlets around the world.

With a building footprint of 14,600 square metres, Costco's Docklands site, with its 'parking beneath' format, did not allow storage of structural materials on-site during the building program.

BlueScope Buildings solved this coordination and logistics challenge by establishing a staging area nearby.

It also coordinated design, fabrication and cladding of the building's canopy.

"We coordinated many elements of the construction program for Span," BlueScope Buildings' Henry Martignago said. "That even included the carpark façade screens, precast concrete panel-support steelwork, 145 skylight frames in the roof, a rotisserie frame to support the oven exhaust ductwork in the kitchen and the trolley-bay frames in the basement carpark."

"The result may be along the lines of a conventional 'big box' design and construct challenge, but it became a showcase of just what we can achieve for clients."

Costco opened its doors at Docklands, Melbourne, in August 2009 and according to CEO, Patrick Noone, the building has performed faultlessly.

"We have had no problems at all. The big rainstorm, which hit Melbourne in March, was a great test for our site and there were absolutely no troubles."

"The interior of the building is very similar to Costco warehouse outlets in other parts of the world, but on the exterior we have used more steel cladding."

"We are happy with the steel solution. It has given us confidence our future buildings in Australia can be economical but still fit in with the planning requirements of local jurisdictions."