| Work Detail |
Eastgate Shopping Centre is changing its profile once again by adding another
5,74MW of solar power to its expansive property.
The solar panels to generate this power will cover 30,000 square metres of the centres rooftop. This has meant careful planning of the sequencing of the project and management of customer traffic to minimise any disruption.
The location of the solar panels on the rooftop presents various challenges to the construction process.
The low load-bearing capacity of the rooftop parking area, for instance, makes it off-limits to cranes and ready-mix trucks. This requires contractor Concor to use small dumpers for transporting concrete, and the company designed special scaffolding to accommodate conveyors carrying concrete into the column form work.
Weight implications of solar at shopping centre
The weight of the structural steelwork underpinning the large domes of solar panels is significant.
This has meant that the concrete columns securing the steelwork have to be drilled and dowelled onto the existing columns supporting the rooftop slabs, thereby transferring the weight to the centres foundations.
This requires careful scanning and opening up of the column heads, to avoid any damage to the post-tensioned cables.
Concors contract manager, Martin Miller, explains: llWe are conducting the project in stages so we limit work to one confined area at a time, leaving as much parking available to shoppers as possible. We also meticulously manage the traffic flow to ensure convenience and safety." |
