The tropical coastal environment of the Cocos Keeling Islands is very corrosive due to the salt and high humidity. Standard building materials only last a few years and so the buildings require constant repair and high quality materials. The cost of construction also makes it a necessity to reuse and recycle anything that can be reused. One example is an equipment shed that had significant corrosion on the cladding and structure. Carey was engaged to repair and refurbish the shed before the asset was too corroded to salvage.
The scope of works included:
- Check engineering of the structure and proposed alterations to suit cyclonic region.
- Strip all roof and wall cladding and remove any obsolete fixtures, fittings and old equipment.
- Clean and repaint structural steel and any secondary steel that could be reused.
- Apply specialised corrosion protection to the steel.
- Replace damaged parts of the building with modern materials to suit the climate and location.
- Enclose the building on all sides and new access doors.
- Supply all materials from Fremantle to ensure materials are available when required.
Some of the challenges of the project include:
- Ensuring quality control and testing of concrete to meet strict engineering specification on a remote island with basic equipment.
- Planning and delivery of renovation work in a remote location with the extent of work was not completely known.
- Minimising waste and maximising reuse of materials to extend building life and save costs on waste transport.
- Selecting materials to withstand the harsh tropical coastal environment.
