Reef HQ, Townsville

Demolition of the Great Barrier Reef Wonderland

Abyss Demolition proudly showcases its exceptional capabilities through the successful delivery of the Reef HQ project in North Queensland captured in this impressive timelapse video.

This complex project includes the specialised demolition of the integrated Great Barrier Reef Wonderland Building on Flinders Street. The project includes the iconic IMAX Theatre, 3-story office building and mixed-use commercial space. Demolition occurred in close proximity to the neighbouring Museum, and also the REEF HQ Aquarium

• Demolition of the iconic IMAX Dome Theatre, the old Reef Headquarters Aquarium, and an adjacent 3-story office building required extensive preparation, including comprehensive mold removal due to the building’s age and prolonged vacancy.

• Following mould removal, the buildings were extensively stripped out using hand tools and small machinery. This part of the process means removing all non-structural materials, so as to leave the concrete and steel structures remaining.
• This greatly improves recycling, whereby 95% of all materials on this project were recycled

• Mechanical demolition utilised multiple excavators, including a 49-ton excavator with a 24m high-reach arm. The high reach was essential for dismantling the Dome Theatre, with crane assistance to safely remove the spire.

• The demolition project includes full height containment scaffolding, ground vibration monitoring to the neighbouring New Aquarium to the East, and Museum too the West. Survey marks were established to monitor any possible movement to the wharf, and Traffic Control was integrated throughout the project for the duration of demolition works.
• The project also involved extensive dust control, using a Dust Boss water cannon, and a hose system built into the containment scaffolding