Millharbour
GDG was appointed by Nicholas O’Dwyer to provide a detailed design for the temporary and permanent works.
Find out moreGDG was appointed by Doran Consulting Engineers to provide a Geotechnical Interpretative Report (GIR) and Geotechnical Design Report (GDR) for the City Quays 3 tower.
City Quays 3 is a 16 storeys high building designed by Belfast based architects RPP. Doran Consulting were the structural engineers on the project. Farrans Construction were appointed the main contractor.
The key challenge on this project was the deep deposits of Belfast Sleech in the harbour area, which have a very low strength.
GDG prepared a GIR to provide information to the Doran’s Design Team to enable preliminary design of the permanent structures. The GIR was also provided for information purposes to third parties.
GDG reviewed all available information including public records, technical reports, papers and the factual site investigation report to produce the GIR, which provides an interpretation and summary of the ground investigation data, desk study information and test results.
GDG also completed a three-dimensional finite element model of the foundation to provide spring stiffness values to Doran’s structural model. Following the completion of the preliminary design, GDG were provided with pile load test results from the neighbouring City Quays 2 and site-specific preliminary piles. This enabled further optimisation of the foundation design resulting in significant cost savings to the project.