Construction

It is important that noise management strategies are implemented to not only reduce impact to the community, but also to our workers who are often working at the source of the noise or vibration where it is most impactful. Some construction activities are inherently noisy and generate vibration which cannot be avoided.

A Construction Noise and Vibration Management Plan has been prepared to understand potential noise and vibration impacts during construction. It identifies measures to implement to reduce and manage potential noise and vibration impacts.

Noise and vibration monitoring is occurring on site in line with the project’s Condition of Consent.

The new Sydney Fish market is being constructed over water and requires over 400 piles to support the new building structure, wharfs and adjacent promenade. Marine piling is expected to continue until late 2022. The marine piling process is illustrated in the following diagrams (click to enlarge):

Multiplex is currently undertaking works to upgrade the power supply for the new Sydney Fish Market. This work involves trenching and installing conduit and cabling along a 1.8km route from Lyons Road in Camperdown to the site in Bridge Road, Glebe.

Works include saw cutting the top layer of pavement, followed by trenching, duct installation and temporary pavement restoration. To minimise the impact on community, the noisier work will be undertaken prior to 12am to provide respite to residents. Work will be limited to 2 nights per week in each zone.

These works are expected to continue into early 2023. For more information, refer to the power upgrade fact sheet below.

We provide fortnightly email updates regarding the location of work sites, scheduling and progress of the work. To receive works updates register for construction updates.

A cofferdam has been built within Blackwattle Bay to create a dry space to safely carry out the work of the main structure of the new Sydney Fish Market.

The cofferdam is a swimming pool-type structure, built around the perimeter of the new building.

Once completed, the cofferdam will be around 20,000 square meters (the size of about 4 football fields) in area.

Over 1,000 interconnected steel sheets and tubular piles, driven up to 22 metres into the seabed are used to build the cofferdam wall.

The cofferdam is installed using Giken Japanese technology. The Giken is often referred to as the ‘silent piler’ because it is typically quieter than most of the typical construction activities occurring on site.

Sheets have been installed commencing from land, working out towards the water using a press-in method. Silent pilers utilise their own weight and reaction against already installed piles to push sheets into the ground to required depths.

Typically, piles are installed using vibratory hammers which are considerably louder than a press-in method due to the vibration of steel on steel as opposed to steel sliding against each other.

The draining of the cofferdam is an engineering feat and a major milestone for the project. It is one of the most exciting, unique, and highly technical elements of its construction.

Over 100 million litres of water have been pumped out (equivalent to 40 Olympic swimming pools) to drain the cofferdam to a level around 4 metres below sea level.

De-watering took 14 days and was undertaken using 9 barge-mounted pumps.

A suitable base within the cofferdam will be set up to construct the basement and floors of the new building.

More than 230 marine piles have been drilled into the seabed to support the building structure, wharves and adjacent promenade.

Precast panels and stairs for the promenade will be built at Glebe Island and brought to site by barge. This will help minimise the impact on traffic and local community.