This project involved producing approximately 50 prefabricated glass balustrade supporting frames that were hot-dip galvanized (HDG). Located on the 11th floor of a prominent Gold Coast building overlooking the Southport Spit, the project required millimeter-perfect fabrication and installation due to the glass’s minimal adjustment tolerance.
Our detailing teams worked diligently to evolve the initial supplied designs, which indicated that reinforcement in the existing concrete facade parapets needed to be avoided. We introduced connections that offered the right amount of tolerance and developed an installation methodology that reduced the need for extensive Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) investigations.
Additionally, we had to verify the final floor and tile levels and concrete hobs prior to installation. These were constructed during our drafting phase and finished just before fabrication. This required a fast and effective way to review what others had built to ensure it did not affect us or, more importantly, our client. While it would not have been our problem and likely resulted in back charges to other trades, we could predict the risk, propose a mitigation plan, and execute it. This process revealed clashes due to latent conditions, which we resolved prior to fabrication, preventing costly conflicts that only we and the client were aware of.
With nearly 400 fixings into concrete, each one needed to avoid existing reinforcement, and none were compromised as a result. Our precise data capture and innovative solutions ensured the project met all structural and aesthetic requirements without impacting the building’s integrity.
