Casuarina Boat Harbour, Bunbury Waterfront, WA

Sector: Ports, Waterfront
Solution: Vibrocompaction

Project Overview

Bunbury’s Waterfront initiative is revitalising the city’s coastal precinct through a phased redevelopment spanning Koombana Bay, the Dolphin Discovery Centre, Jetty Road Causeway, and Casuarina Boat Harbour.

Stage 1 upgraded the Koombana foreshore with new open spaces, a children’s playground, a pedestrian bridge, and public amenities, and enhanced the Dolphin Discovery Centre with a reimagined building and interactive features.

Stage 2 focused on improvements to Jetty Road Causeway, including structural repairs, utility upgrades, additional parking, and landscaping works at Jetty Baths Park and along Casuarina Drive.

Stage 3 centered on expanding Casuarina Boat Harbour into a major marine industry hub through the construction of a northern breakwater and land reclamation for serviced boat-servicing facilities. This stage included the construction of a 460 m breakwater, placement of 200,000 tonnes of armour rock and 450,000 tonnes of core rock, and dredging of the harbour entrance. The upgraded harbour supports an additional 300-400 boat pens, service wharf infrastructure, universal-access fishing platforms, community facilities, and improved amenities, delivering long-term tourism, recreational, and economic benefits to the South West region.

The Challenge

The reclamation works utilised clean calcareous sand sourced from a local sand trap, supplemented by dredged material from the site. Approximately 54,000 m³ of loose sand was placed within an area bounded by existing rock armour on one side and newly constructed, geotextile-lined rock armour on the remaining two sides. Subsequent cone penetration testing (CPT) indicated that the achieved tip resistance did not meet the specified requirement.

The Menard Solution

Menard was engaged to undertake ground improvement using the vibro-compaction method. Menard deployed a vibroflot to treat the reclaimed sand on a triangular grid pattern, to a maximum depth of 12 m. In areas adjacent to the geotextile-lined rock armour, treatment was terminated 1.5 m from the geotextile to prevent any potential damage.

The optimal grid spacing was determined through an initial trial conducted at the commencement of the works.

Following completion of the ground improvement, ten cone penetration tests (CPTs) were carried out, confirming

that the vibro-compaction met the specified performance criteria.

Environmental Benefits of Vibrocompaction

Vibrocompaction is an environmentally friendly ground improvement technique that densifies soil without the introduction of additional materials. This approach significantly reduces the carbon footprint compared with ground improvement methods that rely on cementitious additives for soil stabilisation.

Talk to us

Planning development on reclaimed land? Menard can help you assess ground risk early and deliver practical ground improvement solutions that support program and long-term performance.

Vibrocompaction

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