1986/18. Foundation Conditions at A Proposed Flagpole Site, Lower Macquarie Street, Hobart

~~i~_ i~
1986/18. Foundation conditions at a proposed flagpole site, Lower

Macquarie Street, Hobart
D.J. Sloane
Abstract
A proposed flagpole site near the Old Gasworks, Lower Maoquarie

Street, Hobart, is underlain by soil and clayey sediments containing
pebbles and boulders up to 0.4 m diameter. This material overlies
dolerite bedrock at about 2.3 m from the ground surface.
INTRODUCTION
At the request of Plastic Fabrications pty Ltd, foundation

investigations were conducted at a site in Lower Macquarie Street adjacent
to the Old Gasworks. It is proposed to erect a 45 m high free-standing
aluminium flagpole on the site. The nature of the underlying materials and
the depth to bedrock had to be determined.
GEOLOGY
Dolerite crops out at the BMG cement works and railway yards some
100 m to the north. Foundation investigations for the Hobart International
Hotel have revealed dolerite bedrock at a depth of 5.5 m in a diamond drill
hole at Evans Street approximately 100 m to the south of the flagpole site.
It was therefore anticipated that the dolerite bedrock occurs at a depth of
between two to three metres below the proposed site.
RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS
A Gemco diamond drill rig was used to Core an investigation hole,

close to the proposed site. The drill log is appended. Due to difficult
drilling conditions resulting in high core loss, the top of the bedrock was
difficult to determine. The drill log could indicate a 1.65 m to 2.5 m range
in the depth to bedrock, depending on interpretation. The short section of
dolerite core between 1.65 m and 1.95 m could be either a boulder or an
unweathered corestone, as a trace of clay was present at 1.95 m and core
loss occurred below this depth. The top of the dolerite bedrock was
interpreted at 2.25 m from the ground surface.
To improve the confidence of the depth to bedrock interpretation a

short seismic spread was fired, with a geophone spacing of one metre. This
seismic spread indicated a first layer velocity of 350-470 rn/sec and a
second layer velocity of 900-950 rn/sec. The second layer velocity is con-
sistent with weathered and fractured dolerite bedrock. The interpreted
layer boundary was calculated at 2.1-2.4 m from the ground surface. This
confirms the interpretation from the diamond drill hole.
CONCLUSIONS
The site is underlain by sandy clay containing pebbles and boulders of

quartzite, sandstone and dolerite, extending to a depth of about 2.3 m
from the ground surface. Dolerite boulders above the bedrock may be of the
order of 0.4 m in diameter. An alternative interpretation is that these
boulders may be unweathered cores tones surrounded by extremely weathered
dolerite. This material should be easy to excavate.
The borehole informat~on indicates that closely fractured and

moderately weathered dolerite extends from 2.3 m to 2.75 m. This material
18-1
should be relatively easy to excavate.
Below 2.75 m, excavation may be more difficult as the bedrock is not

as weathered and the joint spacing is wider. The seismic velocity of
900-950 m/sec indicates that the material is rippab1e but the size of the
excavation and the type of machine used will affect the ease of excavation
below this depth.
Dolerite bedrock is often variably weathered and jointed and therefore

some variation in foundation conditions may occur over the site.
[16 May 1986]
Figure 1. Diamond drill hole and seismic spread location.
Scm .-1
18-2
borthol. no.
TASMANIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES
H1-
ENGINEERING LOG - CORED BOREHOlE .hoot I of
project FLI\ "901. E
co-ordin.t.. drilllyJl hoi. comm.ncod 11./ ~/'"

2./ '"
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inclinltiH ~.A'H.4~
drill method II Cl .,.
drill fluid w~,e A..

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ID9Ved by :t., ......... f
b.,ri •• chocked by
rock rock ...n dlfecu

not.. I_n. met"s ~ ....._ oIncriptil.
nck typI: .rlin ch,rlCt.riatiu.
d.f.ct dllcription
thic:knlU, type, inclinltlon. planlrity.
:l_"~x!;;1 Ji colaw! ItructUri. ",inor eomponlnt•. foughness. cOlting .

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1986/18. Foundation Conditions at A Proposed Flagpole Site, Lower Macquarie Street, Hobart

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~~i~_ i~

1986/18. Foundation conditions at a proposed flagpole site, Lower

A proposed flagpole site near the Old Gasworks, Lower Maoquarie

At the request of Plastic Fabrications pty Ltd, foundation

A Gemco diamond drill rig was used to Core an investigation hole,

To improve the confidence of the depth to bedrock interpretation a

The site is underlain by sandy clay containing pebbles and boulders of

The borehole informat~on indicates that closely fractured and

Below 2.75 m, excavation may be more difficult as the bedrock is not

Dolerite bedrock is often variably weathered and jointed and therefore

[16 May 1986]

Figure 1. Diamond drill hole and seismic spread location.

project FLI\ "901. E

co-ordin.t.. drilllyJl hoi. comm.ncod 11./ ~/'"

drill fluid w~,e A..

rock rock ...n dlfecu

:l_"~x!;;1 Ji colaw! ItructUri. ",inor eomponlnt•. foughness. cOlting .

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