Revamped Aotea Square On Track

in RWC 2011 by Jon C — May 3, 2010 at 5:52 pm | 1 comment

Auckalnd City confirms the revamped Aotea Square is on track to open in October and is boasting it’s saved $4.8m on the project.

A further $5 million reduction from the project’s contingency that was not needed for work that has already taken place has also been achieved.

Chairperson for the council’s Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee, Councillor Greg Moyle, says there have been a number of efficiencies and gave these examples:

• Landscaping in Aotea Square was removed and a new roof for the Civic Car Park was built over the existing one, while the car park remained open for use
• A waterproofing membrane system with a memory material which can re-form to its original size if stretched. This reduces membranes tearing when movement occurs. The waterproofing membrane has not been applied in this way in New Zealand before and proved to be a more cost effective option. It has only been used for smaller and vertical services.

• An electronic leak detection system that’s accurate in detecting damage and leaks to the waterproofing membrane both during construction and on completion of the works. This reduces construction time and costs. This system has never been used in New Zealand before.
• The concrete mix has been specially designed. It’s a premium concrete with low shrinkage constantly monitored through a quality assurance system to ensure the performance of the new roof complies with the high specification required.
• The use of carbon fibre to reinforce existing concrete beams. This has not been done much before in New Zealand

The Aotea Square project was originally driven by the need for repairs to the leaky Civic Car Park, however it has also provided the council with an opportunity to refresh and modernise the square. Construction began in October 2008.

Tags: Aotea square Auckland City Council Greg Moyle