The challenge
Poor ground conditions, in particular a high-water table, presented serious obstacles to the construction of a concrete raft foundation on this West Auckland site. The design required dozens of penetrations of the concrete slab which raised the question, “How could these penetrations be created without compromising integrity?”
The Conqra solution
The design called for driven piles to control ground conditions under load-bearing elements. Conqra created custom-made Conqra Apache to cover each pile head before reinforcement cages were installed. There was also a requirement to protect 167 penetrations designed for plumbing and electrical services.
Working on site with the design and construction team, Conqra supervised Apache installation for all penetrations of the concrete raft floor.
The result
The building’s owners were presented with a high-performance concrete raft floor, with over 160 penetrations of the slab but no water ingress.
Apache’s unique design makes it quick and easy to install on site, so the project was bought to a successful conclusion. Apache caps on the piles prevent wicking while a strong damp-proof membrane provides complete peace of mind.
This pile-driven solution with Apache protection has now been adopted by design engineers on other large commercial projects where poor ground conditions are an issue.