Hera Engineering was appointed to undertake structural design and construction engineering supports for the construction of the new Westpac branch on Murray Street. As is commonly the case, despite being a smaller-scale project there were many intricacies that needed careful thought, such as:
- New heavy point loads (up to 5t) on existing thin suspended slabs.
- New conduits to be casted in existing suspended slabs.
- Existing active retail shop underneath the working slab, hence difficult to undertake strengthening works.
New penetrations to be accommodated in the suspended slabs
Our team worked in close collaboration with the contractor and provided several options for the strengthening existing suspended slabs which were up to 30 years old. Rigorous in-situ testing and detailed finite-element analysis was essential for the study of the existing floor structure.
The final solution Hera Engineering developed incorporated all the Westpac requirements and did not compromise the business activity of the shop below. This was a triumphant team effort and resulted in a major success for this complex project.
