Design & Install Strengthening System – Woolworths Wollongong
DESCRIPTION
With the new emphasis on contactless commerce, the popularity of pickup facilities for groceries has increased exponentially.
This requirement for an existing Woolworths location in Wollongong was to utilize a 6m cantilevered awning, which was to be anchored to the existing PT slab and completely isolated from the non-structural façade of the existing building.
Slabtec were engaged to design, detail and install the strengthening system for the slab connection, as the awning contractors had only ever installed the structures into concrete foundations due to the substantial bending moments induced at the base of the column.
Solution – What we do
Observation
The strengthening detail was also complicated by the fact that the top CFRP laminates had to be installed across a 75mm external slab step. 
A custom SikaWrap fabric rope detail was adopted to achieve lapping, and the top tensile forces were accommodated. To ensure positive contact through the clamping plates, the lower plate was bonded with an epoxy paste upon installation.
The fixing bolts were pre-installed with a structural adhesive, which allowed the self-weight of the awning to be carried by the bolts only to enable fine tuning for verticality prior to the installation of the fabric membrane, which precluded wind loads at this time.
