AFRISAM INNOVATION AWARD FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
RMB 8 MERCHANT PLACE
I dentifying the need to improve the quality of its employees’ work-life balance, private bank RMB planned to consolidate various employee well-being offerings into a new integrated lifestyle facility building within its existing Merchant Place Campus in Sandton, Johannesburg. Structural calculations revealed that the load- carrying capacity of the existing columns and foundations in the basement was insufficient to support the additional load from the new building. Accomplishing the aesthetically striking architectural vision and client’s concept for the new building required exceptional ingenuity and civil engineering expertise. Zutari played a crucial role in bringing this wellness centre to fruition by providing structural, civil, wet services and sustainability consulting services. The building was awarded a 4 Star Green Star certification under the Public and Education Building scheme of the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA). Occupants’ health and well-being and optimal building performance are central to the design of the building. Strengthening details were developed for the existing columns using reinforcement concrete collars. The existing foundations were strengthened by underpinning with new micro piles and pile caps. The surface bed was removed to a size that allowed sufficient access for the piling rig to install the new micro piles. Existing services in the basements (e.g., water tanks) could not be moved, which posed additional challenges, resulting in some of the foundations
having the underpinning piles installed eccentrically to avoid existing services. Tie beams were introduced to resolve the eccentric loads showing the tie beam reinforcement. Once micro piles and the pile caps were cast, the columns were strengthened. This was done by casting reinforced concrete collars around the columns. To transfer the new building loads to new micro piles, a new reinforced pile cap was constructed underneath the existing pile cap. The load from the current pile cap is transferred to the new pile cap through a combination of the bearing of the exposed part of the bottom of the existing pile cap on the top of the new pile cap and shear friction (enhanced by dowels) between the shaft of the current pile and the new pile cap. The loads are then transferred to the micro piles from the new pile cap through a strut-tie mechanism. The strengthening work had to be carried out with minimal interference to the functioning of the building and vehicle movement along Bute Lane and in the basements. Although the parking bays next to the columns and foundations being strengthened were temporarily blocked, most of the basement parking area remained accessible. Zutari was responsible for ensuring that measures were implemented to mitigate the risk. This included assessing the additional load on the existing structure during construction and the life of the new building and developing strengthening solutions to enable the structure to remain fit for purpose. The necessary details and information required for the strengthening of the existing building and the designs for the new building were communicated
94 21 st Best Project Awards 2022
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