Tutorial Journal Week 7 – Lachlan Hine Description of site: The site we visited was on Victoria St in Richmond, and had approximately 500 apartments being built. The building had been split into three stages; this was possible as there were four different blocks of apartments to be built. Observations about general build: Throughout the whole Example of use of structure concrete is the most concrete common material used, with concrete plates being fabricated offsite and cut to size before being put into place once they are bought to the site. This is in line with much of Melbourne’s high-‐density buildings, as it is both cheap to build and can be erected quickly. However, not all of the concrete was prefabricated; the columns in the building were Photo courtesy of Diana poured in situ, this allowed Galimova them to be reinforced by placing steel columns inside of the concrete column (primary structural elements). Upper Floors: To build the upper floors, the steel beams were first put into place (along with the concrete layer around them, before the process was repeated. For every floor this process would take approximately 5 to 7 days, as it takes that long for the concrete to set acceptably. The concrete floors of each different story also helped provide a place for the services to be placed (in a hidden, our of the way place). The higher the building rose the bigger the concern with waterproofing grew, this was solved by adding a concrete additive which expands when it comes into contact with water, and also by using a layer of waterproof membrane.
Carpark: During the construction period this was being used as the storage area/unloading area for the build, and also Ventilation Fan contained a few impermanent offices. Structurally, the carpark contained numerous ventilation shafts so that fumes Photo courtesy of Diana from the cars which Galimova would be in there could escape safely. Also important to note about the carpark was that it was where the main services were transferred in to power the building (eg the water was transferred in from Victoria St, and the electricity needed was sourced from a local ministation(?)). Interior: Through the build waterproofing was a major concern; this concern became even larger when building the interiors. To get around it they used waterproofing membranes in the balconies and bathrooms to help ensure there were no leaks. As they are located on the exterior of the building, however, the balconies got a double coat of membrane (slab, first membrane layer, cure, screed and then second membrane layer), whilst most likely due to the fact that it is located inside the building the bathroom only needs one layer (except for the shower, which has two layers going up the walls as high as the tiles go). Interesting fact: One of the buildings on the site is being built over the top of a branch of Centrelink, which is remaining open during the Centrelink branch build. However, since the Centrelink’s foundations needed to be improved (so that it could hold the increased weight of the new building), the reinforcing of the Photo courtesy of Diana basement had to occur Galimova outside of their operating hours.