Piling – The Sum of the Parts: Volume 3

In this recorded webinar, our presenter – Daniel McAteer presented on the construction of a $1.2bn tower, situated just metres from Cavill Avenue in the heart of Queensland’s Gold Coast. The building reached a height of 297m and contain three levels of shops and dining as well as over 470 bedrooms.
The building required a six-level basement carpark to be constructed while the construction of the upper floors were in progress. Ground conditions involve layers of sands, clays, and underlying medium strong rock. There is a high-water table with strong tidal influence that also had to be accounted for. 
Keller worked with the end client and their engineers to develop a buildable, value added ‘top down’ construction method.  The works include 1.80m diameter bored piles to depths of 42m incorporating large prefabricated reinforced concrete plunge columns, and 1.5m x 2.8m barrettes installed to 60m that contain steel plunge columns.  More barrettes formed the large core structure through the centre of the building. A diaphragm wall installed to 38m formed the perimeter retention system that prevents water ingress into the basement.
This presentation is an in-depth analysis of the Spirit Tower Piling contract on Surfers Paradise waterfront, highlighting the importance of client engagement, technical analysis and innovative solutions.