Where is the Opal Tower located?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Opal Tower is a residential tower located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was completed in August 2018. The high-rise residential tower was built by Icon, developed by Ecove and designed by Bates Smart Architects.
What happened to Opal Tower at Sydney’s Olympic Park?
Opal Tower builder Icon has cleared residents to return to the Sydney apartment building, which was evacuated 12 months ago after cracking was discovered in... Since the evacuation of Opal Tower at Sydney’s Olympic Park, Construction giant ICON claims it has spent AU$24 million (US$16.2 million), despite putting only AU$1...
What is the latest on the Opal Tower Case?
Sydney Opal Tower Federal Court update. Icon and QBE have been handed a win in the Federal Court after a trio of judges found Liberty Mutual Insurance should cover the claim arising from Sydney’s infamous Opal Tower. The court battle comes after the evacuation of the Opal Tower building in Sydney’s Olympic park in December 2018.
How much did icon spend on Opal Tower?
Peter Rae "In the past two years, Icon has outlaid more than $42 million on Opal Tower, covering relocation expenses for owners and tenants, hotels, rental and lease costs, security, pet accommodation, removalists and furniture storage, insurance and transport," an Icon spokesman said.
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Who built mascot towers?
Aland DevelopmentsAland Developments was founded by Hrsto 20 years ago, growing into a significant developer since then with an average of 1000 new homes developed a year, as well as being a major sponsor of the Parramatta Eels NRL men and women's teams.
What are Australia's other defective towers aside from Sydney Opal Tower?
Centenary Park, 81-86 Courallie Street, Homebush West, Sydney.World Tower on Sydney's Liverpool Street. ... World Tower and other Sydney CBD towers.Cladding – Lacrosse Tower, 673 La Trobe St, Docklands, Melbourne.Cladding – 59-65 Stawell Street, Richmond, Melbourne.Cladding – 45 Bowman Street, Pyrmont, Sydney.
How much money did Icon Construction Australia NSW Pty Ltd reportedly lose spend on fixing problems on the 392 unit Opal Towers apartment building?
Opal Tower: Builder Icon Co spent $26 million on accommodation, repairs | news.com.au — Australia's leading news site.
Is Opal Tower safe to live in?
“Safety is always our top priority and we have been committed to ensuring residents were back in the building as quickly as possible,” Icon managing director Nicholas Brown said. “We believe Opal Tower is now the safest building in Australia when it comes to structural integrity.”
When was Opal towers built?
August 2018Opal Tower / Opened
Why did the Opal Tower crack?
A NSW government-commissioned report in February found critical support beams in the tower were left susceptible to "bursting" because they were under-designed and made from lower-strength concrete.
Who was at fault for Opal Tower?
The tree is not going to fall but the branches are cracking." After residents were evacuated from the 36-storey, 392-apartment Opal Tower, a blame game exploded between the developer Ecove, the builder Icon and the engineer WSP.
What are hob beams?
The report found the hob beams — a beam that sits on the edge of a slab of concrete or pillar — were "under-designed" at several locations in the building. A decision to "grout only partially" a section between the hob beams and panels "significantly raised the levels of stress" in the building.
What was wrong with the Opal Tower?
It was revealed some precast walls were constructed of “lower-strength concrete”, with “under-designed” horizontal support beams, called hob beams, prone to bursting under extreme pressure.
Why did the Opal Tower crack?
A NSW government-commissioned report in February found critical support beams in the tower were left susceptible to "bursting" because they were under-designed and made from lower-strength concrete.
What is the icon in the Opal Tower?
It is understood Icon is referring to parts of the Opal Tower final report, released by the State Government in February, which outlined numerous key construction and material deficiencies, particularly the design of a critical hob beam that burst under pressure.
Why was the Opal Tower evacuated?
Opal Tower was evacuated on Christmas Eve last year after cracks were found in its foundations. In the latest development in the continuing saga, Icon, the builder of the tower, has lodged documents in the NSW Supreme Court alleging the cracking and damage was caused by "shortcomings" in its design. It alleges WSP Structures, the global engineering ...
Where is Michael Bleby?
Michael Bleby covers commercial and residential property, with a focus on housing and finance, construction, design & architecture. He is based in Melbourne. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at [email protected]
Is Icon Construction Australia still operational?
Separately, Icon last week put into administration an entity, Icon Construction Australia (NSW) Pty Ltd that completed its last project in 2017 and was no longer operational. It had liabilities recorded at $1.2 million, administrator Ben Verney said.
How much did ICON spend on the opal tower?
Since the evacuation of Opal Tower at Sydney’s Olympic Park, Construction giant ICON claims it has spent AU$24 million (US$16.2 million), despite putting only AU$1...
When was the Opal Tower final report made public?
The Opal Tower final report, made public on March 1, 2019 after a two-month investigation, found that critical hob beams in the residential tower were...
What is a single function tall building?
A single-function tall building is defined as one where 85% or more of its usable floor area is dedicated to a single usage. Thus a building with 90% office floor area would be said to be an "office" building, irrespective of other minor functions it may also contain.#N#A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (or uses), where each of the functions occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not constitute mixed-use functions. Functions are denoted on CTBUH "Tallest Building" lists in descending order, e.g., "hotel/office" indicates hotel function above office function.
What is floor spanning made of?
Both the main vertical/lateral structural elements and the floor spanning systems are constructed from concrete which has been cast in place and utilizes steel reinforcement bars.
What is a group of buildings which are designed and built as pieces of a greater development?
A complex is a group of buildings which are designed and built as pieces of a greater development.
What is GFA tower?
Tower GFA refers to the total gross floor area within the tower footprint, not including adjoining podiums, connected buildings or other towers within the development.
What is a building with 50% floor area?
A 'Building' is a structure where at least 50% of the height is occupied by usable floor area. A 'Telecommunications / Observation Tower' is a structure where less than 50% of the structure's height is occupied by usable floor area.
How much did it cost to build the Opal Tower?
Opal Tower is one of several new apartment towers in Olympic Park and cost $165 million to build. It was developed by Ecove, which also built many other new towers in the suburb along with One30 Hyde Park tower in the Sydney CBD.
Where did the residents sleep in the Opal Tower?
Residents were left to sleep on the concrete ground in a temporary shelter at the nearby Royal Agricultural Society. A spokesman for Planning Minister Anthony Roberts said he was ' very concerned about the situation with the Opal Tower'.
How many people were evacuated from the Opal Tower?
Up to 3000 residents were evacuated from Opal Tower and neighbouring buildings at Sydney Olympic Park on Christmas Eve after those living in the recently completed building heard and saw cracking in a wall.
Is Opal Tower a significant development?
Opal Tower was approved by the Planning Department as a 'state significant development' in 2015 and certified by a private certifier. 'The private certifier has the original occupation certificate and all related structural, electrical, hydraulic certificates issued by engaged engineers,' Parramatta City Council said.
Where is the Opal Tower?
The Opal Tower at Sydney Olympic Park.
How many apartments are there in the Opal Tower?
The much-publicised Opal Tower saga now enters its fifth week of uncertainty with 105 of the buildings 392 apartments declared “unliveable” and structural repairs potentially required on every level.
Why is the Opal Tower failing?
Many commentators have highlighted a “systemic” problem rife throughout the industry and have blamed Opal Tower's failings as the result of the privatisation of building certification.
Who designed post-tensioned concrete floors?
The post-tensioned concrete floors were designed by Australasian Prestressing Services and the precast wall panels were fabricated by Evolution Precast Systems.
How many panels were inspected in the vertical garden?
Investigators inspected more than 200 similar panels in vertical gardens around the building looking for similar damage.
Overview
Structural problems
Doors were pried open by police and fire brigade with heavy equipment to allow residents to exit the building. Buildings, roads, and a railway station all within a radius of 1 kilometre were evacuated. After the evacuation, experts determined it had shifted between 1 and 2 millimetres. Cracks were found on the 10th and 4th floors.
A fissure on the 10th floor, millimetres wide, created a loud bang, and police were called at 2:45 …
Building features
The building has 392 apartments, a childcare area, and a retail area. Upon opening, prices for flats ranged from $800,000 to $2.5 million.
In February 2019, it was noted that the government owned 43 or more of the units in Opal Tower.
All remedial works were completed on 30 June 2020 (the building thereby being fully reoccupied). Icon's parent company, Kajima Corporation of Japan, subsequently provided a 20-year warranty …
Future implications
The New South Wales government has decided to reform the building approval and oversight processes in an attempt to better secure consumer confidence and greater transparency in NSW's, particularly Sydney's, housing market. Sydney's rapidly growing transient and permanent population has caused a high density development boom over the last decade. Australia has national building standards. These codes ensure that developments built in Australia must mee…
See also
• Grenfell Tower Fire