Michael Webb

Michael successfully established this boutique engineering consultancy which has earned a reputation for high level design expertise and service. Project work includes:

• Wineries

We have provided engineering services at Denton View Hill, Medhust Wines, and Helen & Joey Estate in the Yarra Valley, as well as the Mitchelton Estate in Nagambie.

• Ocean Grove Surf Beach Complex

This $7.5m Surf Life Saving Club and Restaurant is built into the dunes and overlooks the surf. It has concrete floors and a steel framed roof.

• Penguins Plus, Phillip Island

Structural and civil design of this international award-winning board walk, viewing platforms and underground viewing bunker was incredibly challenging and rewarding due to the curved architectural forms and the extremely sensitive environment.

• The Tea Room

This tea room addition to a 1960’s factory building is the winner of the 2016 Australian Steel Institute’s Special Judges Award for Steel Excellence. The tea room is perched on top of the existing factory via a beautifully detailed steel frame that cantilevers in all directions.

• Architectural Homes

Michael has designed hundreds of innovative, purpose-built structures for high-end architectural homes. From large $5m+ new homes to intricate extensions, high density to expansive country estates, we select the building materials and design solutions to suit each individual site and client.

• Ongoing Clients

We take great pride in our extremely high client retention rate. Most of our projects come from architects that we love working with, and who return time and time again for our expert services. We enjoy working with new clients who have been referred to us from satisfied architects and builders. We also cherish our ongoing relationships with client like Coles, La Trobe University and Haileybury, who we have completed more than 50, 50 and 20 projects with respectively.

2007 – 2010 BURNS HAMILTON AND PARTNERS PTY LTD (now FMG Engineering), Associate Director

One of Michael’s initial roles was to modernise this reputable practice including rolling out new computing environment and changing work practices to optimise productivity. Project work included the following:

• Sydenham and Cowies Hill Reserviors
These design and construct projects involved replacing the existing roof framing on three of Melbourne Water’s aging suburban potable water reservoirs. The reservoirs are tanks up to 74m in diameter and 11m high. To achieve the 80-year design life a stainless- steel framing system has been developed. All roof members are fabricated by folding high strength duplex stainless steel into channels and purlins. The design is fully optimised to minimise wastage and simplify fabrication and erection.

• Essendon Fields – Office building
An existing heritage building was converted to a three-level office building. Two light weight composite steel framed floors were inserted into the building, allowing for a very tight design and construction program and budget to be achieved.

Other Projects include:

• Modular design of St Andrew’s Christian College
• NMIT (now Melbourne Polytechnic) Heidelberg – Technical Education Centre
• Ballarat Aquatic Centre

2003-2007 CARDNO GROGAN RICHARDS (now Cardno), Associate

Auburn Power Centre, Sydney

As the multi-disciplinary project leader Michael delivered integrated structural, civil and traffic engineering services for this landmark bulky goods retail development. This $80m project is in suburban Sydney and has a retail floor area in excess of 30,000m2 over two levels. An impressive cantilevered canopy and extensive water-features give the development a unique and striking street frontage.

Cabravale Leisure Centre, Sydney

This project was the first of a new breed of community facilities, located in suburban Sydney. It combines some of the roles of traditional leisure and community centres, into a building of intricate geometry. Ecological sustainability was a key objective of the project

The site is located on an old outdoor pool site and the gym building was located directly over the 50 m pool. Instead of demolishing and filling the existing pool, and installing piles for the new building, a suspended slab on load bearing precast walls was placed over the pool. The walls were orientated to create a long snaking tunnel referred to as the labyrinth. By pumping air through the underground labyrinth, the thermal mass of the system is used to cool the air for the building above, reducing the energy and emissions required to air condition the building.

Other Projects include:

• Glen Waverley Hotel and Office Development – 13 stories
• Edgewater Resort and Spa, Warburton
• Point Cook Town Centre
• Rylands of Kew
• Balnarring Shopping Centre
• Eastland Shopping Centre
• South Melbourne Market redevelopment.

2000-2003 W P BROWN & PARTNERS PTY LTD (now Calibre Group), Senior Structural Engineer

• Toyota – Corporate Headquarters (Melbourne)
This $32m, four-storey office building has a total floor area of more than 11,000m2, and features an 80m long, 16m tall, curved, glass atrium façade. This steel framed structure consists of portal frames, which utilise state-of-the-art continuous composite beam technology. The curved shape of the atrium façade has been used to produce very slender and efficient arching circular hollow sections to support the glazing.

Other projects include:

• Boyne Aluminium Smelter – Gladstone
• 94 Ormond Street, Kensington – new lift core to upgrade earthquake capacity
• 10 Riverside Terrace, Barwon Heads
• Toyota – Victorian Regional Office
• Echuca Regional Health Redevelopment – Age Care
• 259 Malvern Road – Concrete Spalling Repairs

1995 – 2000 CONNELL WAGNER PTY LTD, MELBOURNE (now Aurecon), Structural Design Engineer

• The Age New Printing Facility (Tullamarine)
A new State of the Art, $200m printing facility at Tullamarine. A landmark building with stunning curved roofs and inclined walls. Other architectural features include a 120m long steel canopy and a 32m tall sculptured glass newspaper. Working closely with the architect and other consultants, I was responsible for all of the steelwork design, from concept to final documentation.

• Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre (Albert Park)
A $65m project comprising a 75m competition pool, 3 leisure pools, 10 basketball courts, table tennis, badminton and squash courts, gymnasium, aerobics and associated facilities. The lightweight roof structure is made of three cable stayed, curved roofs, which utilise the cables to support gravity loads and catenary action to resist wind uplift. I was involved in the design of the structure from the preliminary stages through to the end of construction.

• Etihad Stadium – Docklands
A major sports stadium with a seating capacity of approx. 54,000 and a retractable roof. Duties included analysis and design of the concrete frames, concrete cores and slabs, and a preliminary analysis of the main roof trusses.

Other jobs include:

• Eureka Tower – Analysis and design of lateral stability system.
• Federation Square – Certification and constructability review
• 35-39 Connaught Road, Hong Kong
• China World Trade Centre – Phase 2
• Zinzhaung Station, Shanghai
• Hong Kong Airport – Air-bridges
• Hisense Arena – Design of retractable roof and seating.

1998 – 1999 MOTT MACDONALD, LONDON, UK- Project Manager/Structural Design Engineer (12-month secondment)

• Millennium Point, Birmingham
A £60m project comprising of a 6 storey museum, exhibition, university and office building. A 3 storey retail complex, an IMAX cinema and large space framed atrium area. Duties included analysis of the tender documentation to identify any areas of optimisation.

Other projects include:

• Gatwick International Airport – Documentation of a 3,500 space carpark.
• Edinburgh Castle – Retractable seating structure for the Edinburgh Tattoo.
• RAF Lakenheath, Cambridge
• 6 George Street, Edinburgh – 7 storey office building.
•  Belvedere Waste to Energy Plant – Waste incineration plant to convert London’s household waste into electricity via a boiler and turbine.
• London’s household waste into electricity via a boiler and turbine.