Major Project - Warehouse & Office Design

Major Project -
Warehouse & Office Complex Design.

We have referenced the Innovation Building at Digital Harbour, Docklands, Melbourne and also the St Kilda Library, Melbourne both designed by Ashton Raggatt McDougall.

Office - 6m H. x 20m W.x 30m L.
Warehouse - 8m H. x 40m W. x 40m L.




The Construction technology for these buildings are a Post and Beam structural system with pre-cast concrete cladding and curtain wall glazing with individual windows.

The Northern façade of the office building is articulated by Louvres at 3700mm H. x 800mm W., which function as individual decorative fins, and also as efficient sun shade protection. This solution has been utilised to address sustainability concerns and reduce the operating costs of the complex.

Site Visit 5 - Concrete Pour for Raft Slab (House)

The following photos show the preparation of and concrete pour for a raft slab (house). The site is for a two storey dwelling at the rear of a subdivided property in Parkdale, Melbourne.

Foundations and blinding can be seen in this photo. The blinding, which requires a weaker grade of concrete, has been poured at 600mm deep as the site is at a low point on a flood plain and therefore the slab needs to be raised above flood level. Apparently there is a lot more concrete needed for this job than their would normally be due to the location of the flood plain.





Plumbing lines which have been raised above the top of the floor slab and string guides can be also be seen. Pads which are built ip with soil between the strengthening beams have a 150mm thick layer of sand on top and have been prepared with guides for screeding.
The vapour barrier, bar chairs, and reinforcement have been laid. Square reinforcement has been laid on the top of the pads and rectangular between the pads (on top of the strengthening beams). The site has now been prepared and is ready for pouring (At this point it was 7:05am and we were waiting for the concrete trucks to arrive…)






Polystyrene blocks were put in place for the later application of brickwork and a rebate will be formed underneath the polystyrene blocks for the brickwork to sit on. The blocks have been tied back to rough but very sturdy formwork with pins as indicated in the photo.















There are some site specific issues on this job. A telegraph pole and lines are located very close to the property which can be seen in this photo, therefore a boom cannot be used and the concrete has to be pumped through a horizontal line.














The concrete pour is about to begin....

The external channel has been poured first and so far the concrete truck has been replaced just the once.

This photo shows the concrete being pushed into the rebate below the polystyrene blocks.

As a boom can’t be used the concrete hose line has to be moved manually. As concrete is incredibly heavy when wet, the hose needs to be dragged over pegs with a hook.

Unfortunately I was unable to stay for the whole process, and did not get to witness the screeding and the final finished slab, but I now understand how a slab is prepared and poured.

ASHTON RAGGATT MCDOUGALL - Research for Major Project

ARM - Ashton Raggat McDougall

Melbourne based Architectural Firm, Ashton Raggat McDougall (ARM), have received International recognition for their excellence in the design of Commercial/Retail, Cultural, Masterplanning, Health and Education and Residential Projects.

Since the company’s inception, ARM has maintained its dedication to design research and to speculative proposals that push the boundaries of architectural culture and of the city. ARM is at the forefront of research in digital imagery, the perception of space and form, and finally, the conversion of digital ideas to built form.






The Innovation Building at Digital Harbour, Docklands, Melbourne, was built in 2004 and was the highest performing ‘green’ building in the Docklands precinct at that time. This building, references themes from the technological age, by appropriating circuit boards, barcodes, morse code and binary numerals which are revealed by the randomly striated pre-cast concrete panel cladding and glazing.

The ‘Open Book’ extension to the existing St Kilda Town Hall and Library was built in 1994 and has received many design awards. The façade consists of a stone - clad book, the design referencing the bookish role of libraries, while the computer monitor shaped window penetration suggests that the technological age is emerging from the pages of the book. The open space in Carlisle Street was redeveloped as a public space, establishing a crossover to the library.

Deakin University Site Visit - Excursion (28.04.2008)

Deakin University - Site Visit 4
Excursion

This shows an existing column which has been sprayed with some type of fire retardant. It has been applied to prevent the steel structure behaving like 'spaghetti' in the case of a fire, Bruce mentioned that it would last at least a couple of hours - long enough to evacuate the building. It is also assumed that it meets the latest industry standards.











This is the underside of the new extension to the existing brick building. As can be seen, concrete construction has been utilised. Bruce mentioned that the concrete is nearing the end of the setting process and the last of the angle bracing will soon be removed.








This photos illustrates all the correct safety fences
required for contractors on Union sites.



















This photo is an excellant example of utilising the old structure to help build the new structure . Firstly, the existing floor provides tradesman and materials with protection from the elements on the worksite, while also having the potential to allow a slab or similar to complete the setting process. Secondly it could be used as a kind of formwork, a platform to help contractors build the new glass atrium which is part of the design at roof level.











Shown here is a steel column with bolt holes, this indicates where the ceiling level was previously, the ceiling beam and therefore the ceiling and floor levels have been raised to suit the design of the new building. The building now has 5 levels instead of 6 levels.













The existing building has been utislised many times throughout the construction to fix new elements. Here you can see new cross-bracing elements connected to existing steel beams and columns.











While, this photo shows the detail of a new pre-cast concrete panel lift shaft tied back to an existing brickwall and column with the use of 'C' purlins also.














A steel portal frame with an exposed ceiling. Purlins and fire services can be seen.

Article 3 - Code sets out safe practice

National Building News

Volume 8, No. 3 Pg.28.

In an attempt to prevent the rising number of fatalities and injuries that have occurred on construction sites since 2000, the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC) have announced that a code of practice for tilt-up and precast construction work will be implemented by jurisdictions within 2 years of declaration.

These accidents have occurred when concrete elements have collapsed from inadequate bracing, panels being knocked down by cranes or while being loaded or unloaded from trucks.

The new code comprises several important issues including; risk management, handling, storage and transportation, safe design, duty-holder responsibilities, prefabrication and casting, erection and demolition of tilt-up and precast panels.

This National Code of Practice has been developed to improve the safety of workers in all areas of construction, as the preservation of life is the most crucial issue confronting the construction industry today.

Site Visit 3 - Concrete Precast Panel Construction

Dandenong Road Carnegie, Melbourne.

Bracing/propping can be seen, which keeps the concrete pre-cast panels stable. It is interesting to note that full height bracing is only required for the exposed panels, the rest of the building is partially strengthened by bracing, but mainly supported by the first floor level.

Visible in this photo is a combination of timber and steel formwork supporting the dead and live loads, while the first floor concrete slab completes the drying process.

Timber and steel formwork is visible on the column; bracing has been provided in two directions and is at right angles. The formwork extends down to the bottom of the column; this is necessary because during the concrete pour pressure increases with depth, so this then helps to prevent deflection. Also visible are safety rails on the first floor level.

Shown here is bracing at 30-60° for the horizontal concrete pre-cast panels.

A Band beam can be seen in this photo, while the Bondek is exposed, forming the underside of the first floor concrete slab. Also visible are piles of formwork which have just been dismantled as the concrete setting process has past the critical stage, although bracing is still required for the columns and pre-cast panels to prevent collapse of the first floor level.

Tutorial 6 - Two Storey Office Block