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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
SEPTEMBER
2017
20
Special attention was required to an existing sub-surface canal
running south to north which intersects the eastern portion of the site
with both the lateral support and piled foundation design modified to
accommodate and maintain the integrity of this structure.
“It is evident that from a geotechnical perspective the Cape
Town Foreshore is not the easiest area in which to operate. The
varying ground conditions with old rock-filled docks and piers
and the high-water table as described above present a significant
challenge,” says Franki’s Rod Schultz. “But our previous experience
on the neighbouring Harbour Bridge and Canal Quays projects gave
us a thorough understanding of the prevailing ground conditions in
the area and enabled us to quickly offer our client the most cost-
effective solution,” he says.
Schultz says that it took some years of on-and-off development
proposals by all, before AMDEC succeeded in producing a workable
solution by securing the land and obtaining the necessary partner-
ships to go ahead.
Due to the past successful working partnerships between Franki
and AMDEC, Franki was the preferred contractor for this challenging
geotechnical work. “We know Franki’s exceptional capabilities in
the Foreshore area, which requires a special understanding of its
complex geological conditions. We had no hesitation in awarding
Franki this contract and their performance certainly lived up to
expectations,” says AMDEC’s Project Manager Arnon van As.
Franki’s scope of works included the design
and installation of the lateral support and
foundation piling to this multi-storeyed, double-
basement project, the excavation and disposal
of some 65 000 m
3
of bulk earthworks, 508 lm
of lateral support and 271 no. foundation piles.
The soldier piles for the lateral support were
a combination of 400 mmØ Continuous Flight
Auger (CFA) piles and 325 mmØ Rotapiles
tied back with a single row of anchors and
gunite arches. The anchors had to be carefully
positioned and inclined sufficiently to not
intersect with the canal, which runs very close
to the site.
CFA piling is a fast and economical system
with no vibration and limited noise levels
associated with it. “This was particularly
advantageous on a site which is close to live
canals and railway lines, contains a labyrinth of
existing services and has neighbours who are
particularly sensitive to noise,” says Schultz.
The main feature of the Rotapile system
is its ability to penetrate boulders and
rock formations. Socketing into hard rock
COVER STORY
The Yacht Club, a multi-use development including commercial
and residential space, is destined to become one of Cape Town’s
most sought after destinations and is yet another prestigious
AMDEC/Franki Africa partnership.
The site is situated on the Malmesbury group deposition of
the Cape Peninsula, Cape Supergroup in the Foreshore area of the
harbour reclamation development of the 1920s and 1940s. The
shale bedrock is overlain by very stiff residual material followed by
marine deposits and fill comprising old harbour facilities, general
tipped rubble and dredged sands.
The ground water table was intersected at an average depth of
0,86 m with the bedrock falling from around -0,84 m in the west to
-2,9 m in the east (elevation levels in ASML).
Plain Sailing with Franki …
The Yacht Club, a testament to
FRANKI’S FORESHORE EXPERIENCE
AMDEC Property Development’s (AMDEC) The Yacht
Club development is a picturesque, nautically in-
spired design, located on the Cape Town Foreshore
in the Roggebaai Canal Tourism Precinct near to the
Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC)
and directly south of the new multi million Rand
cruise liner terminal.
Piling and bulk earthworks operations at peak
with upwards of five piling rigs, two excavators
and more than 200 tipper truck loads per day.