Woolacotts were recently engaged by architect Thompson Berrill Landscape Design (TBLD) to provide structural engineering services for a section of the existing Coastal Walkway at Cape Banks, La Perouse. Located less than 20km from Sydney city, this coastal walkway boasts beautiful views across Sydney’s Botany Bay, from Bare Island in La Perouse to Cape Solander in Kurnell. In addition to a scenic experience, locals and visitors alike gain insight into Sydney’s rich history as this walking track offers glimpses into the fortifications required during both World Wars.

The Coastal Walkway Track is a Randwick City Council project that was undertaken in consultation with NSW Golf Club. The project is part of Randwick City Council’s long-term plan to create a continuous coastal walkway from Clovelly, at its northern boundary, to La Perouse at Botany Bay to the south. The existing Coastal Walkway track already connects with Bondi in the Waverley Council area. This project extends and formalises the Coastal Walkway from Henrys Head and Cruwee Cove in the Kamay Botany Bay National Park at La Perouse and also establishes a connection with the National Park car park next to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Base. This means walkers can now complete a return trip around the National Park via a looped track. The works also pave the way for future planned extensions north around the St Michaels and Coast Golf Courses at Little Bay, as well as around the Randwick Golf Course at Malabar.

Featured above: Cape Banks Circuit – Red indicates new works

Positioned along the coastline and traversing through NSW Golf’s iconic sixth hole, the project presented our team with numerous design challenges, including:

• Installation of berms along the walkway to provide protection from golf balls

• Poor ground conditions

• Constructing retaining wall footings and suspended walkways in environmentally sensitive areas

• Maintaining ground water flow paths

• Designing a durable walkway in close proximity to the coastline

Featured above: Construction of the Coastal Walkway extension (Photos courtesy Randwick City Council. Photographer Mark Bond)

To overcome these challenges and achieve the architectural vision of the project, Woolacotts provided site specific engineering design solutions for the retaining walls and suspended timber walkway, which included the following:

• Pile foundations and concrete footings to support the berm, bridge the poor ground conditions and maintain the ground water flow path

• Incorporating integral reinforced concrete upturns on each side of the concrete pathway to act as retaining structures. The upturns also performed as spanning elements to allow drainage channels to be maintained under the pavement

• Use of recycled plastic driven posts to support the elevated walkways which provided a durable solution with minimal environmental impact

Woolacotts were proud to contribute to the design and engineering integrity of this treasured coastal walk in Sydney’s East.

To learn more about our experience in community infrastructure across Australia, visit our projects page here.