OCEAN BATHS PAVILION CONSERVATION WORKS, NEWCASTLE, NSW
The Newcastle Ocean Baths are a tidal seaside facility between Newcastle Beach and Nobby's Beach. The Baths were opened in 1913 and the Pavilion, a reinforced concrete structure consisting of open-air changing rooms and other facilities, was built in 1922. The Baths are well patronized all year round and the Pavilion is of major heritage significance in Newcastle.
Following increasing evidence of deterioration from environmental exposure and the effects of the 1989 earthquake, Newcastle City Council called tenders in 2006 for conservation and cathodic protection works to preserve and protect the concrete structure and refurbish the changing rooms and other facilities in the Pavilion.
In July 2006, Marine and Civil Maintenance was awarded a contract to carry out the following works:
- repair and cathodic protection of the reinforced concrete walls and pilaster columns of the pavilion buildings,
- structural and building code upgrading of the middle block,
- redevelopment of the southern wing for both male and female amenities,
- decommissioning and strip out of the northern wing facilities,
- new protective and decorative heritage paint coatings to concrete and timber surfaces.
In addition to the above contract works, extensive structural strengthening and reconstruction of the walls and columns of the building were found to be necessary once the conservation works were underway.
Due to the variable structural condition of the building frame, approximately 120m² of concrete walls and columns were demolished and reconstructed in rendered structural block masonry, and 300m² were strengthened with prefabricated steel frames or structural masonry.
Concrete repairs were undertaken with handheld jackhammers and dry-sprayed gunite techniques. Over 320m² of concrete repairs were completed.
Approximately 3.4km of ribbon mesh anode was installed in the wall elements and 820 discrete anodes were installed in the columns.
The contract was completed in 2008.