Meadowbank Development – Platipus® Civil Anchors

Located in the heart of Meadowbank, Auckland, sports-mad property owner engaged Contrax to construct their own private hockey turf. The construction of the hockey turf involved raising ground level which involved increasing height and putting extra load on existing retaining wall. As alternative to costly demolition and reconstruction of retaining wall the retaining capacity of the existing wall was increased with the introduction of Platipus Earth Anchors.

Design

Both the contractor and Cirtex worked together to determine the best suited size and type of Platipus Anchor that would both provide sufficient additional retaining capacity and also be able to be installed easily using lightweight equipment. Following discussions, it was determined that Platipus Stealth S8 Anchors would meet requirements with a typical load range of 10-40kN (depending on soil types). Each Platipus Anchor was installed to an approximate depth of 3m terminated at the wall surface with a load plate and dome nut to provide an ascetically pleasing finish that was free from any sharp edges. A total of 25 Anchors were used and installed with a spacing of 1.5m between units.

Installation

The Contractor was able to quickly and successfully install these Anchors through the use of the relevant installation gear available for hire from Cirtex. With the assistance of the team from Cirtex, the contractor was able to take delivery, drive, test and complete anchor installation onsite within a matter of days.

The Platipus Earth Anchors used provided the following benefits to the project:

• Fast and easy to install using equipment available for hire
• Minimal onsite disturbance with utilisation of lightweight installation equipment
• An extremely effective solution to strengthen existing masonry wall with limited structural integrity
• Low environmental impact with no drilling and no grout