Rotorua Museum

Although it stands as one of New Zealand’s most iconic heritage buildings, significant features of the original plans were missing. When the Bath House opened in 1908 the building was only partially constructed. Nearly 100 years after opening the building is now complete and this involved significant foundation improvement works to the existing structure.

Grouting Services was engaged to undertake specialist foundation strengthening works which involved drilling and grouting within the basement of the sensitive heritage building in an active geothermal area. Site specific drilling and grouting trials were formulated in consultation with the Design Consultant to assess the nature of the material to be drilled into and the performance of the grout within the substrate which includes voidy silica sinter, lake sediments and eruption breccias. The complication of drilling within a sub 1.5m head room was overcome by using our ultra-low head drilling rig. Low-pressure injection grouting was undertaken on a triangulated grid system to ensure optimal grout coverage.