When the City of Gold Coast set out to replace the staircase at Wallace Nicoll Park, Currumbin, the headland presented a genuine engineering challenge.
PCA Ground Engineering designed and constructed a micropile foundation system for the new staircase installation, overlooking Currumbin Alley Surf Beach. Construction was completed in approximately three weeks on a steep, constrained headland site.
The micropile foundations support a new public staircase and lookout platform that winds through established native trees from the beachfront esplanade to an elevated viewing point overlooking Currumbin Alley. The structure restores public access to one of the Gold Coast’s most scenic coastal outlooks, with views across the alley, beach, and coastline to Surfers Paradise. PCA’s foundation system was integral to delivering this outcome on a site where conventional construction methods were simply not viable.
Hard rock, buried concrete from old foundations, and severely limited access ruled out conventional piling equipment. Instead, PCA deployed a crane mounted drill mast, sled mounted drill rig, and grout pump. Due to the steep slope, the drill mast was suspended using rope systems anchored to trees, each inspected and certified by a qualified arborist before taking any load.
Working sensitively within the established native vegetation, the team carried out the works with minimal disturbance to the surrounding trees or headland environment. The site was fully fenced throughout construction, with traffic controllers and spotters managing safe movement during mobilisation and demobilisation within the active park environment.
The combination of steep slope, restricted access, challenging ground conditions, and a sensitive coastal setting required a practical and well coordinated approach, resulting in a safe and effective outcome for the site.
