When it comes to prestige building projects, sometimes it’s about the details you can’t see – using expert trades, choosing quality fittings – which is certainly the case with Catalina Bay, Auckland’s newest waterfront development, at the northernmost tip of Hobsonville Point.
Still under construction, developer Willis Bond positioned these apartments as the heart of this spectacular development, with vistas across the Waitemata Harbour.
The architecturally designed apartments include wide balconies to take advantage of the spectacular views the location offers. However, the site is susceptible to strong winds and bad weather, which is why construction company LT McGuinness chose 20mm OrbiPlate™ connectors to connect the structural steel to the steel frames on all the balconies.
“This is the third project where LT McGuinness have used Ramset OrbiPlate™ connectors,” explains project manager Blake Honeyfield. “The Catalina Apartments are very exposed to the weather, but have great views. It makes the project complex but impressive.”
LT McGuinness is a third-generation family construction company with a reputation for quality, performance, cost-effectiveness, trust and partnerships. The company has been involved in the successful construction and redevelopment of many landmark buildings in Auckland.
Why OrbiPlate™ was chosen
OrbiPlate™ connectors are made of high tensile steel. The OrbiPlate™ system delivers 360 degrees connection tolerances of up to 20mm in structural connections. Quick and easy to install, it delivers fine locational accuracy when positioning steel members.
OrbiPlate ™ is ideal for allowing tolerances in a complex build when having to connect a lot of steel to concrete. There were 900 OrbiPlate™ connectors used on the project.
“Having OrbiPlate™ on site to give us flexibility for this project has been ideal,” says Honeyfield, adding that the connectors saved time, costs, and increased the safety onsite.
“It is a really good product,” he added.
“OrbiPlate™ was used for steel-to-steel connections on all of the apartment precast concrete balconies – allowing tolerances for where the steel to steel connection doesn’t always line up and to install the balconies to the design levels. The (many) balconies were an intricate and tight-fitting design which needed to be constructed efficiently (which the OrbiPlate™ provided, because of the tolerance).”
Honeyfield said they would definitely use the connectors again on future projects and doesn’t know how they’d do it if it wasn’t for the OrbiPlate™.
He added that the alternative method of fixing the steel to the concrete would have involved reworking with gas work / welding, which would be messy and difficult especially it was such an exposed site and with the recent weather conditions in New Zealand.
About OrbiPlate™
Ramset’s patented OrbiPlate system delivers orbital connection tolerances of up to 20mm in structural connections. OrbiPlate is quick and easy to install, delivering fine locational accuracy when positioning steel members.
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