This Manly apartment building was a landmark building at the time of its construction in the late nineteen sixties. The building is located on the beach front and due to its triangular shape all units have excellent water views and sun.
Close Consultants were employed to undertake initial building investigations, prepare tender documents, award contracts and project manage the building works.
The building is constructed from reinforced concrete throughout except for the doors and windows. The large cantilevered balconies are supported off the upturned balcony walls that form the lower part of the balustrades. Over the life of the building the concrete has been exposed to the harsh marine environment and this exposure has taken its toll. At the request of the owners corporation a detailed investigation of the building was undertaken and a detailed condition report prepared for the owners corporation.
Based on the results of the report it was decided to undertake a major restoration of this iconic building. In addition to extensive structural concrete repairs and waterproofing all other parts of the building were upgraded, such as new windows, new foyer, new tiling, landscaping, internal alterations and the addition of a lift between the basement carpark and the lobby.
What is unique about these concrete repairs is that an impressed current cathodic protection system (CP) was installed at critical locations throughout the structure. The system was designed and installed by specialist contractor Savcor. The system was chosen to extend the life of the new concrete repairs. This was considered particularly important at this site given the aggressive marine environment. Savcor were also retained upon completion of the works to monitor the CP system.
The building also has magnesite topping on the internal floors. This material was used extensively in the sixties and seventies as a floor leveller and acoustic barrier. Unfortunately the material is associated with structural damage to the underlying concrete floors (concrete cancer) and so in critical areas (wet areas and local to external doors and windows) the magnesite was removed and where necessary any structural damage to the floor was made good.
On completion of all the concrete repairs, the building was painted with a protective coating to further add durability and life to the building.
