VD&D Design & Project Management

13/10/2026

01/10/2026

📍 FRED CATERSON RESERVE, CASTLE HILL

32 m LIGHT POLES
FOUNDATION ENGINEERING DESIGN 

Progress continues on the light pole foundations as part of The Hills Shire Council’s sports field upgrade, with pile drilling underway, steel reinforcement cages being installed and foundation bolts being positioned ahead of the concrete pours.

Supporting the main field’s 32 m high lighting poles, these substantial foundations comprise 1,200 mm diameter bored piles socketed a minimum of 5 m into sandstone bedrock. Each pile is detailed with 15 N32 longitudinal reinforcing bars, N16 ties at 300 mm centres and 75 mm concrete cover, with 40 MPa concrete specified.

💡 Engineering for height starts below ground.

High-mast lighting allows sports fields to be illuminated from elevated positions, supporting evening training and competition while keeping the playing areas clear. At 32 m high, the poles and their lighting assemblies also impose significant demands on the foundations, particularly under wind loading.

This is where specialist structural engineering is essential. The foundation design must account for the pole manufacturer’s support reactions, ground conditions, lateral loading and overturning moments, transferring these forces through the reinforced concrete piles into the surrounding ground and sandstone. Coordination between the structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, pole supplier and construction team is critical.

The foundation bolt assemblies are being positioned centrally using setting templates, with careful attention to bolt spacing, orientation, embedment and projection. These bolts form the critical connection between the pole base plate and the concrete foundation, allowing the completed poles to be accurately connected and erected.

From verifying the rock sockets to checking reinforcement and bolt set-out before the pour, precision at this stage supports the long-term performance of the lighting infrastructure above.

VD&D Design & Project Management — delivering specialist structural foundation engineering for community sport.

29/09/2026

WILLOUGHBY EAST 🌏

🏛️ HERITAGE RESTORATION, RECTIFICATION & PROPOSED ADDITIONS

Preserving the character of a heritage building starts with understanding the structure that supports it.

Our VD&D engineering team is on site inspecting the existing building to assess its condition, understand how its structural elements work together, and identify the investigations needed to inform the restoration and proposed additions.

This assessment will help determine the requirements for:

▫️ Underpinning and strengthening existing foundations
▫️ Temporary propping and bracing during construction
▫️ Carefully sequenced removals and structural alterations
▫️ Rectification of damaged or deteriorated elements
▫️ Restoration and integration of the proposed additions

Working with existing buildings requires careful planning, particularly where heritage fabric needs to be protected. Understanding the load paths, existing connections and construction sequence is essential to maintaining stability throughout the works.

At VD&D, we bring design and construction considerations together to help give these buildings their next chapter while respecting their past.

📲 Planning a heritage restoration, renovation or extension? Speak with our team.

28/09/2026

📍 THIRLMERE | SWIMMING POOL PRE-POUR INSPECTION 🏊‍♂️

Steel in place — another exciting milestone reached!

Reinforcement for the pool shell, swim-out and splash deck is now complete, with our VD&D engineers on site carrying out the critical pre-pour inspection. 👷‍♂️🔍

Our team is checking reinforcement placement, spacing, laps and concrete cover against our structural design before the concrete is poured.

Dowel sleeves have also been installed, ready to receive the dowels connecting the next stage of slab works — planning ahead as the surrounding outdoor area takes shape.

These inspections are an important step in achieving the pool structure’s intended strength, durability and long-term performance, with attention to detail before everything is set in concrete.

Stay tuned as we bring this outdoor space to life.

VD&D Design & Project Management
From design documentation to inspections on site.