Commercial Development
Avid Project Management was engaged to manage the tender design and tender process for a commercial building development in inner Newcastle. The site was located within a designated mine subsidence area, introducing geotechnical and approval risk to the project programme and budget.
Our approach
Authority approvals were outside of our formal scope of engagement. However, the team identified an inconsistency in the geotechnical engineer’s position: the original report had already confirmed grouting was not required, yet additional testing was being proposed to substantiate that same conclusion.
Drawing on direct experience with comparable projects across Newcastle, we:
- Challenged the geotechnical engineer’s recommendation, citing local precedents where grouting had not been required under similar conditions
- Liaised with the structural engineer to confirm design parameters could be achieved without grouting
The solution
The geotechnical engineer revised their advice and provided further analysis and substantiation of the original report findings – without conducting additional on-site testing. This was achieved by:
- Reviewing the existing geotechnical data already captured in the initial report
- Providing additional technical analysis to directly address SANSW’s queries
- Liaising with the structural engineer to confirm that the proposed design parameters could be achieved without grouting, removing any ambiguity in the submission
The revised submission was accepted by SANSW. No grouting was required, no additional on-site investigation was undertaken, and the project proceeded through the approval process without the cost or programme impacts that had initially been flagged.
The result was an estimated saving of approximately $3.5 million, along with the avoidance of significant delays to the construction programme.
The results
Cost Saving:
Approximately $3.5 million
Geotechnical Testing:
No additional on-site testing required
Authority Approval:
SANSW accepted submission without further investigation
Programme:
Significant delays to the construction programme avoided
This outcome was the result of proactive project management and a willingness to question advice that wasn’t consistent with the evidence already on the table. By stepping outside the formal scope of engagement, applying local knowledge, and facilitating the right conversation between the geotechnical and structural engineers, we resolved a significant risk before it had the chance to impact the client’s budget or programme.
A potential $3.5 million cost and the delays associated with additional testing and grouting works were avoided – not through additional spend, but through the right questions being asked at the right time.