PROJECTS
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The Pou KapuaOwner: Counties Manukau Pacific Trust The Pou Kapua or Cloud Pillar is the tallest Maori/Polynesian carving in the world. The Pou Kapua is the result of three years of intricate carving and is the largest known application of state of the art technology in glued-in-rod connections in timber. An innovative approach was required to ensure that the structural support of the Pou Kapua was as unobtrusive as possible. The Pou Kapua is 20m tall and consists of three parts. The base, approximately a metre high, is carved from pieces of swamp kauri estimated to be 50,000 years old. Above this sits Tangaroa, the guardian of the oceans, carved from a length of kauri trunk 3m high with a diameter of 1.6m. On top of Tangaroa stands the main carving of the pou, hewn from a 16m tall kauri tree trunk. At the top of the main carving is a sculpture of the mythological explorer Kupe, who discovered Aotearoa, flanked by a large wing carved from totara which spans 7m. A 1.2m deep octagonal reinforced concrete foundation pad was built on site and the lower section of the steel shaft for supporting the main sculpture was bolted to this foundation. The hollowed out Tangaroa was transported from the workshop and gently lowered and positioned onto a galvanized steel frame, which was bolted to the foundation pad around the lower shaft. The 14 tonne main carving, already connected to the upper portion of the steel shaft with prestressed glued in rods, was then lifted by crane and lowered into position with the shaft going through Tangaroa onto the lower shaft. Once this was placed the upper shaft was welded to the lower shaft. Kupe and the wings were then lifted and bolted into position. Finally, the pieces of the swamp kauri base were slid around the lower shaft and connected to complete the Pou Kapua. The teams who undertook the steel fabrication, directional drilling, pre-stressing and grouting showed extraordinary ingenuity in adapting their work for this unusual but unique sculpture. Dimensions Weights Structural Aspects Tongaroa is supported on a steel frame with four legs which is secured to the foundation pad The main pou is stressed onto a steel shaft which goes through Tongaroa, which is hollow, and is bolted to the foundation pad. The main pou and the steel shaft weighing 14 tonnes were lifted up by a crane and lowered down with the shaft going through Tongaroa to the foundation below. Design loads Credits Client: |
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