We were brought on board to redesign the existing structural and civil proposals for a 96 aged care bed development at Keon Park, including a respite facility and administration area, to provide a more efficient solution.

John Corrigan, National Director- Property & Buildings, explains: “The builder requested a change to the foundation system – originally a stiffened raft on ground system with deepened edge beams – due to the highly reactive surface clay, which posed the significant risk of being unworkable.”

Inconsistencies in depths meant extra excavation and extra blinding/deepened edge beams to reach suitable founding material; additional transport and off site disposal of unusable fill; and with the construction program for foundation construction likely to extend through the winter, there was the potential that work would be hampered by site conditions, which would likely turn into a sticky, sloppy glue during periods of significant rain. All this would mean more time, creating a significant cost risk to the client.

“After a period of design development undertaken in collaboration with the builder, we came up with a hybrid solution of different standard foundation systems to meet the specific requirements of the job, from a time and cost perspective, and the individual capabilities of the builder and their subcontractors,” says John.

The end solution was a suspended waffle slab on bored piers laid out in a standard grid to suit commonly available void former size to enable a fast set out of slab with minimal cutting and customising of void former.  Our hybrid solution is less impacted by poor soil conditions during winter/wet periods therefore less down time and has more certainty of construction materials required for construction ensuring a more practical, buildable outcome.

Visit Keon Park on the web: http://www.scckeonpark.org.au/