AELLI constructions undertook the $400 million job of extending in Doncaster, Victoria.
The project was 200,000m2 and Caelli were assigned to complete all structural work over a 14 month period from the beginning of 2007. Caelli had 220 employees on site at the job’s peak.
In total, the entire cost of the project was approximately $600 million and actual retail space has increased from 51,000m2 to 109,000m2, space for 400 stores as well as extensions to existing stores.
Bulk excavation
During the course of construction 75,000m3 of concrete will be used; equal to around three average 40-storey buildings; 2,500t of structural steel will be required; 17,500m2 of metal roofing will be used, enough to cover around 90 average homes; 64,000m3 of bulk excavation will be removed, equal to approximately 4,500 truckloads; 5,500m2 of façade glazing will be required, it will be custom designed to reduce glare and double-glazed for thermal efficiency.
Caelli used lasers to complete large concrete pours. The new TPL dual grade laser was used on site as it was simple to use, the ease of dialling in grade, robust and most of all reliable. This laser allowed someone who is inexperienced in using lasers complete the most difficult of tasks when setting out, according to on site administrator Gerald Bonney.
“We wanted a laser that we could use on site that would be easy to use, not just for the experienced guys but for everyone that may need to use it. Like any construction crew we need robust and reliable tools, the TPL offers this with its toughened housing and fully sealed design,” says Bonney. “With such a big project any time we can save is an advantage so purchasing tools such as this has proven to be successful.”
“It is our team’s job to set up all the form work,” says Rob Juka from the carpentry crew. “If our levels are wrong then the job as whole is out. At first I was hesitant to use this new laser as I wasn’t sure of its capability but we had better than 1 mm accuracy over the whole concrete slab preparation,” says Juka.
Rotating beam
Approximately 10 to 15 lasers were used in rotation on the site in addition to a total station and theodolites. The TPL laser is a must have for any person who requires a constant rotating beam on a desired grade such as civil engineers, general construction contractors or site works crew.
Available in single or dual grade and with an optional full function radio remote control, MCE Lasers ’ TPL boasts a range of features including tilt warning, manual or fully automatic operation and MRS mode, which allows the unit to continue to perform under light ground vibrations.
The dual grade unit also offers a plumb beam, scan mode, automatic operation in both the horizontal and vertical mode and the benefit of allowing grade changes in both axis. The dual grade unit also allows the user to mount the unit vertically on a tripod and move the plumb beam to a desired grade giving you the flexibility to use the unit like a typical pipelaying laser.
Reduce waste
Measures were undertaken during the construction process to minimise any adverse impact on environment. “We go through many steps on site to minimise impact on the environment,” says Bonney, “we store all water in holding tanks for washing down the site and we have two workers full-time going through site rubbish and recycling any material that can be reused.”
According to a Westfield spokesperson, over the life of the project the target is to recycle 80 per cent of construction waste. “Thousands of tonnes of soil from Westfield Doncaster in recent months have been used as clean fill on housing estates and the EastLink road project.”
Source: Construction Contractor