Located in the Perth’s heritage precinct at the east end of the CBD, BGC’s $500 million redevelopment of the former FESA headquarters site heralds a new era for the area – introducing exciting new accommodation, office and dining options for locals and visitors alike.
The jewel in the crown of this unique mixed-use development will be Perth’s newest and most luxurious hotel – The Westin Perth.
Hera Engineering have been appointed as the specialist designer of the post-tensioned slabs and we are extremely proud to be part of this iconic project. A confluence of factors beyond our control made the post-tensioned design particular challenging – a thin slab (predetermined before our engagement), large 2.4-metre two-way cantilevers and many less-than-ideal service penetration locations. Strict deflection criteria for the curtain wall added a further layer of complexity.
A huge focus of the site team was the speed of construction, with the goal to achieve 4-day cycle times for each 1100m2 slab level. An ambitious objective to say the least, requiring an array of time saving techniques such as jump-formed columns, high early-age strength concrete mixes and an advanced slab formwork system.
Most notably, however, was the decision to expand the working deck space with a cantilevered self-climbing platform. The loads from the additional construction equipment were monumental, and could not be accommodated by the already near-capacity slab. An alternative was required, and Hera Engineering were happy to step in and provide advanced temporary works design services. Numerous schemes were tabled to the client, and the final solution was a customised propping arrangement which gave the construction team the flexibility to work on the trailing levels unimpeded.