Upgrading Cahill Park Playground on the Cooks River
Cahill Park Playground is the second of three projects Glascott Landscape & Civil will have undertaken for Bayside Council this year.
Part of the Cahill Park master plan, the playground was designed by Umbaco Landscape Architects and comprises new play equipment with cantilever shade shelter, modern furniture, coloured pavement that winds around gardens, and natural elements including sandstone walls and boulders, logs and timber bridges.
The playground is situated 50m from the Cooks River and is prone to flooding. Playground levels were raised significantly to allow for the one in a hundred year storm event and for king tides. Also subgrade conditions were poor. The geotechnical investigation and report highlighted several problem areas with poor bearing capacity. This meant the structural components needed to be carefully engineered to suit the 50kpa bearing capacity.
Furthermore, a High Pressure Gas line was found to be running through the site on the original survey plans. The private gas line runs direct from South Australia to a nearby manufacturing plant. Glascott contacted APA Group – responsible for overseeing construction works within the gas easement – to supervise the early stages of construction.
Glascott managed the process ensuring minimal time was lost in scheduling the work, which included Non-destructive excavation and surveying of the gas line with construction of a reinforced concrete protection slab at the site entry. The protective measures outlined by APA were implemented inclusive of delineation of the service easement and limitations on weight and vibratory compaction in certain areas.
With the site ready, the team constructed the new playground and even delivered the project ahead of program. Bayside Council are pleased with the result and have since awarded Glascott Landscape & Civil with another park and playground project; Eastlakes Reserve, already underway.
Cahill Park Playground Scope
- Construction of 4,500m2 raised platform atop poor subgrade conditions due to close proximity to Cooks River
- Approx. 4000T of engineered fill and imported topsoil for turf and garden area
- Construction of 600m2 of plain grey and integrally coloured concrete pavements and garden/turf edges
- Installation of detailed stormwater drainage components and connections to existing 450mm concrete pipe
- Construction of sandstone walls and edges using boulders and sandstone logs (500x500x1000)
- Area lighting – 17 new lights + MSB and mains connection
- Installation of playground equipment and street furniture
- Installation of cantilever shade shelter and 10 x 10m cantilever shade sail
- Installation of softfall rubber and mulch, and construction of small timber bridges
- Installation of turf and garden areas