approximately 1500m3 of concrete. The pouring of this concrete took place continuously day and night, which was made possible through the use of three pumps. A 500mm buttress ring provides lateral structural support to the Beacon. Epoxy-coated reinforcement is used throughout the project. The structural plaza slab is 400mm thick generally; however, a thickening of 600mm was required to provide the necessary support for the 500-ton crane in front of the main entrance used during the construction process and for future maintenance requirements.
Reinforcement in the pile cap provides ties to the primary structural supports of the beacon. Ties from piles to pile cap are provided to counter lateral movement. There is a waterproof membrane situated at the base of the pile cap. Lightning protection is co-ordinated through the pile cap to bury into ground. On-site equipment included a mechanized reinforcement bender and cutter and the localized touch-up of epoxy coating to reinforcement.
For the high-quality finish and appearance of this project, a slightly off-white concrete was chosen for all the precast elements. To achieve the color and durability requirements a 40MPa concrete with 440kg/m3 cement content was specified. Strengths in the order of 60MPa were achieved from the actual test results of the concrete batches. Steel reinforcement was specified as 420MPa with epoxy coating.
The design life of 100 years was a major criterionin the specification of these materials and the covers used on-site. All construction of the precast elements was completed within 50km of the site, ensuring the project was consistent with our studio’s sustainable design approach. UAP used local technologies and materials selected for their durability and longevity.