PROJECTS /DUNE BARGARA



Project Dune Bargara
Location Miller Street, Bargara
Client CABE Developments
Architect PCA
Project Engineer Peter Ide
Summary of the Project
The project comprised a four storey concrete and
masonry framed structure with basement level car parking, three
apartment floor levels and a concrete roof. The building was
constructed fronting the beach and was to be founded into the loose
sands that overlaid the volcanic boulders and clays at depth.
Situation
Westera Partners was tasked with providing civil and structural
engineering services for the project. The main issue was to
determine an appropriate foundation for the building. On other
projects in Bargara we have been able to excavate down to the
boulder matrix and found spread footings into this very hard
material. However on this project the boulder matrix was too deep
for this approach to be practical. Also the remoteness of the site
meant that adopting specialised piling techniques would be
uneconomical.
Solution
It was decided the most economical approach would be to adopt low
bearing capacities and to design large spread footings to found
into the relatively loose sands at the base of the excavation. As
necessary these sands would be compacted to minimise settlements
after construction. Conventional reinforced concrete slabs, columns
and corefilled blockwork were the main structural elements of the
building supported by the foundations.
Result
The approach adopted for the building foundations worked well and
the building was constructed without incident on time and within
budget.