Construction of the first public building project with a 6-Star Design rating by the Green Building Council of Australia has been completed in Western Sydney.
Following four years of construction by Lendlease, fitout of the Parramatta Powerhouse is now underway ahead of opening later this year.
The project comprises two buildings joined by a glazed two-storey bridge. For the foundations, 35,000 tonnes of soil were removed and 230 piles installed.
This process involved drilling holes into the ground then using a crane to install a steel cage which would reinforce each pile. Concrete was poured into each hole and a concrete capping beam across each finished pile held it together. The piles provide vertical and horizontal support for the museum’s structure.
Around 12,000 tonnes of steel were required for the construction with a substantial portion allocated for the building’s exoskeleton – a 1237-piece steel lattice, designed to create column-free interiors.
With more than 4000 workers involved in the construction of the Parramatta Powerhouse, Lendlease revealed that 11.5% were women, and 3.8% of the workforce were First Nations people. Almost $14 million was also spent with First Nations-owned businesses.
The museum is the first project in Western Sydney and the first public building in Australia to be assessed as a 6 Star Designed project under the Green Building Council of Australia’s new Green Star Buildings assessment tool.
The museum will contain more than 18,000 square metres of public and exhibition space and a 60-bed accommodation academy for regional students to undertake immersive STEM programs. Around 10,000 students are expected to participate each year, according to the NSW Government.
Image: Piling during the Parramatta Powerhouse construction. Image: NSW Government.
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Desi Corbett
Desi is the Editor of Concrete in Australia, at the helm since December 2013, and our weekly news writer since 2016. Focused on concrete and construction for more than 11 years, her expertise in this field forms part of a journalism career spanning three decades. To get in touch please email desi@corbettcomms.com