OCEANS UMHLANGA MALL

Oceans Umhlanga is one of KZN’s iconic retail parks. The  mall development faced significant challenges, including the   requirement for well-engineered retaining structures for   large cut embankments at the rear of the site. The retaining   structure needed to be vertical and form part of the   superstructure’s final aesthetic. The wall created a platform   for a service road above. The design had to consider   geotechnical limitations and existing municipal services,   whilst the vertical wall had to be constructed within a   confined space because the multi-storey building   construction was underway. The retaining wall was to be   designed to butt against a contiguous piled wall that was   already constructed for the superstructure. Standard design   codes require a minimum tieback length of 0.7 multiplied by   the overall height. This was not achievable and additional   measures had to be used in the form of shotcrete and soil   nails for embankment stabilisation, thus allowing for the use   of shorter tieback lengths without compromising structural   stability. Stringent deadlines and rigorous QC & QA   procedures demanded exceptional quality from design,   manufacture, supply and installation with minimal margins   for error.