Late last year, we were informed that the concrete footings for the new Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) building (which were installed in summer 2010) would need to be repoured in a different location. This was due to the building’s proximity to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Stevenson Screen. The search lasted a couple of weeks and involved many different stakeholders, but eventually a new site to the east of the Wombat building was approved.
Our first task was to clear the years of accumulated ice and snow from the site and then mark out the corners of the footings. With this completed, we then fired up the air-track drill and drilled nine rock anchors 1500mm deep into solid rock. These were then grouted into place and cut to height.
The perimeter of each footing was then cut with a diamond saw to approx. 60mm deep. The rock was then scabbled away leaving a recess for the concrete to be poured into.
After a couple of trips to the Boneyard, we had enough concrete shutters to commence the formwork around all nine columns. This took us a few days to complete as the ground wasn’t exactly level. Steel reinforcing was also scrounged from the leftover stock in the Boneyard, and was expertly bent into the shape required.
The plumbers gave the batching plant the once-over and the chippies collected the pre-mixed concrete and tested the conveyor that delivers the mix into the truck.
With all this complete and formwork oiled and reinforcing placed, we’re now ready for a concrete pour on Monday.
Chris Wilson