Bolands Quay - Regeneration To Global Tech Hub

Overview 

Photo copyright and courtesy: Donall Murphy

Shortlisted for An Engineering Excellence Award

Bolands Quay is a large urban regeneration project in Dublin, fronting Grand Canal Dock. Three landmark buildings up to 53m high were constructed, providing approximately 36,851 m2 of office, residential, retail, and cultural space. Protected mill buildings were restored, and a new civic plaza and pedestrian bridge were also constructed. Completed in 2022 to provide Google's EMEA Headquarters, the entire campus can accommodate up to 2,500 workers and over 36,851m2 of office, residential, retail and cultural spaces. The basement construction works have been undertaken by PJ Edwards & Co. Ltd., with BAM Building responsible for the main building works.

Our Role

Ayesa prepared the design and detailing of the secant pile retaining wall, along with the temporary propping and tie-back anchors to restrain the pile wall at a high level. The secant wall solution consisted of 640mm diameter rock socketed piles, installed to a depth of 16m below ground level to facilitate the basement excavation. Ayesa interfaced with several stakeholders, obtaining approvals for value engineering proposals linked to the basement and foundation solutions and adopting them for the development. Ayesa also completed the design of tension uplift piles to provide resistance to groundwater uplift pressures acting on the new basement slab. In addition, Ayesa were engaged by BAM, the main contractor, to prepare a construction methodology report for the proposed pedestrian link bridge bearing piles. The bridge consisted of a suspended steel deck supported on bearing piles and installed within Grand Canal Dock. The piles were driven tubular steel piles installed from a floating barge. The construction methodology report formed part of a technical submission to Waterways Ireland to provide an outline and concept description of the proposed pile construction methodology. The detailed design was subsequently completed by Ayesa, with Ayesa also present on site frequently to inspect the construction.

Innovation & Value:

The works on Bolands Quay works started following a policy change by the Dublin City Council prohibiting the use of traditional steel tie-back anchors beneath public streets. Ayesa worked with Dublin City Council and the contractors to obtain approval for using Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) tie-back anchors to restrain the pile wall along Barrow Street. This was one of the first sites to obtain this approval, setting precedence for using this solution across the city. Today Ayesa have extensive experience in the design of GFRP anchors and interfacing with relevant stakeholders.