Architect and Builder April/May 2019 | Page 72

Franki Sails Supreme at The Yacht Club Leveraging working experience in the Foreshore area, where the complex geological environment presents taxing conditions to undertake any geotechnical work, Franki pulled out all the stops to successfully install lateral support and foundation piling for one of Cape Town’s most sought after destinations, The Yacht Club. L ocated on the Cape Town Foreshore in the Roggebaai Canal Tourism Precinct, AMDEC Property Development’s (AMDEC) The Yacht Club, a multi-use development including commercial and residential space, is yet another prestigious AMDEC/Franki Africa partnership. Franki was contracted to install lateral support and foundation piling for this particular project, and successfully delivered on time and within budget – but not without challenges. “We know Franki’s exceptional capabilities in the Foreshore area. We had no hesitation in awarding Franki this contract and their performance certainly lived up to expectations,” says AMDEC’s Project Manager Arnon van As. The site’s shale bedrock is covered by stiff residual material followed by marine deposits and fill comprising of old harbour facilities, tipped rubble and dredged sands. The ground water table was intersected at an average depth of 0.86m with the bedrock falling from around -0.84m on the west to -2.9m on the east (elevation levels in ASML). “It is evident that from a geotechnical perspective the Cape Town Foreshore is not the easiest area in which to operate. The varying ground conditions with old rock-filled docks and piers and the high- water table present a significant challenge,” says Franki’s Rod Schultz. Franki’s scope of works included the design and installation of the lateral support and foundation piling to this multi-storeyed, double-basement project, the excavation and disposal of some 65,000m 2 of bulk earthworks, 508lm of lateral support and 271 no. foundation piles. The soldier piles for the lateral support were a combination of 400mmØ Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) piles and 325mmØ Rotapiles tied back with a single row of anchors and gunite arches. The anchors had to be carefully positioned and inclined sufficiently to not intersect with the canal, which runs very close to the site. CFA piling is a fast and economical system with no vibration and limited noise levels associated with it. “This was particularly advantageous on a site which is close to live canals and railway lines, contains a labyrinth of existing services and has neighbours who are particularly sensitive to noise,” concludes Schultz. 011 531 2700 | franki.co.za | [email protected] Site overview showing the phased construction sequence and restricted access. Piling and bulk earthworks operations at peak with upwards of 5 piling rigs, 2 excavators and more than 200 tipper truck loads per day 72 Advertorial