ACOR were commissioned by North Sydney Council in January 2015 to undertake site investigations and modelling to determine a suitable remedial strategy which would allow the historically significant Coal Loader site in Waverton to be restored and converted to a public recreation, museum and learning facility. The Council’s intention was to create a vibrant community facility that recognised both indigenous heritage and European occupation. We provided remedial engineering consultancy services such as visual inspection, hammer, cover meter, resistivity, surface friability, half-cell potential, galvanic pulse and core sampling. Due to ACOR’s in-depth knowledge of the site and client-side project management experience, our commission was expanded during the course of the construction phase to include superintendence of construction aspects.
As the site has significant Indigenous heritage, sensitivity to prior indigenous habitation was a major consideration. The Cammeraygal people lived on the Balls Head peninsula for thousands of years as evidenced by significant rock carvings still visible at the site. In the late 19th Century, and as a consequence of European industrialisation, the site was developed into a coal loading, bunkering and export facility. Council’s intention was to create a vibrant community facility that recognised both indigenous and European occupation.
ACOR conducted visual inspection, hammer, cover meter, resistivity, surface friability, half-cell potential, galvanic pulse, core sampling testing together with destructive inspection techniques to complement the structure modelling. As part of documentation process ACOR undertook several trial repairs to ensure finishing contractors would be able to achieve acceptable finishes.
After preparing a detailed repair specification, several trial repairs of the sandstone tunnel work were undertaken to ensure building contractors would be able to achieve acceptable finishes. Following the trial and a ‘mark-out’ of over 2000 defects, the final specification included 35,000 litres of concrete repair; 2,000 square metres of surface coatings; 1,450 discrete anodes and 600 metres of crack repairs.
Due to ACOR’s in-depth knowledge of the site and client-side project management experience, our commission was expanded during the course of the construction phase to include superintendence of construction aspects.
In 2016 this project won the Australasian Concrete Repair Association (ACRA) Repair Industry Excellence Award. In the past 16 years this award has only been granted three times and this is the first time ever that an Engineering Consultant has received this special recognition.
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ACOR Consultants is a multi-service engineering consulting company with offices across Australia.
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ACOR acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their ongoing connection to land, waters and community.
We pay our respects to Elders, past and present
