The Qualia Resort on Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays is one of the first five star resorts in Australia. To complement the sites’ natural features, gabion walls were selected for the majority of the earth retaining walls. After a less than successful start with another wall contractor, Hamilton Island Enterprises engaged specialist retaining wall contractor EarthTEC. “Our works program required EarthTEC’s team to co-ordinate their activities to suit other site work, like foundation preparation and earthwork filling operations, said Jason White, Civil Construction Manager of Hamilton Island Enterprises. “This also required special attention to safety when working around others.” The works involved the construction of a series of retaining walls around the development, some of which were 4 - 5 metres high. Of particular significance was the helipad walls which required a concave face, using flexible woven mesh gabions which provided a suitable first impression to the resort for guests arriving by air.
