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Project Overview

 

Location: 14 Karituwhenua Drive, Havelock North

Foundation system: QPOD Continuous and SlabTank™

Builders: Landmark Homes Hawke’s Bay, Build 100

Architectural Designer: CT Architecture

SlabTank and QPOD Continuous Foundation System
Carrying SlabTank on to Construction Site
Installing SlabTank and QPOD Continuous System
Installing QPOD continuous foundation system
Distribution Chamber for In-Slab Water Storage Solution

The Site

 Located in Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, this project sits within one of the region’s fastest-growing residential areas. Surrounded by productive horticultural land, Havelock North is renowned for its premium housing, lifestyle appeal, and strong connection to the region’s natural environment.

The site is characterised by relatively flat terrain and free-draining alluvial soils formed over thousands of years by the region’s river systems. These ground conditions are generally well suited to residential construction, but with increasing urban development comes greater emphasis on stormwater management and onsite water retention requirements.

On a compact site where every square metre counts, this project demanded an innovative solution – built smart from the ground up.

The Solution

 Subgrade Preparation:
Compacted granular base layers with verified bearing capacity exceeding 200 kPa, incorporating 150 mm of well-graded hardfill and 20 mm sand blinding over a damp-proof membrane (0.25 mm polythene with sealed laps).

 

QPOD Continuous System:
The open-sided QPODs joined together creates a continuous miniature ‘Raft’. Where load bearing walls or extra stiffening is required, a 300mm break is created.  The equivalent height of a traditional polystyrene pod at 220mm high is maintained, while QPOD includes an inbuilt 40mm up-stand to hold the mesh at the correct cover (no barchairs required).

SlabTank™ System:
This project included four 630 litre tanks, and one distribution chamber – providing a total water storage capacity of over 2,500 litres in the foundation of this home. With no interconnections between tanks, the SlabTank system reduces the risk of potential leaks.

SlabTank™ is covered by the QPOD Codemark, meaning this water storage tank solution requires no additional engineering.

Reinforcement:
As a CodeMark system the standard is SE62 G500E mesh in the 85 mm topping slab with H12 bars through ribs and perimeter beams. Bending and lap lengths designed per NZS 3101 for seismic performance.

Pipe Penetrations:

All connections for the SlabTank™ are on the outside of the foundation to reduce risk of leaks, unlike typical slab water storage systems. The under-slab services are routed via dedicated channels within the QPOD Continuous grid, with DN100 @ 1:60 min fall as per design manual standards.

Concrete Placement:
Continuous 20 MPa pour supplied by Firth, ensuring strength and uniform curing across the slab.

QPOD and SlabTank provided a well engineered, practical solution that integrated seamlessly into the build, particularly with the in-slab water storage in the garage. I think SlabTank™ is going to be a game changer for us at Landmark Homes.
The engineering support and flexibility from the QPOD team made the process straightforward and the Installation team seem to feel it went smoothly.
A solid system and a reliable team to work with.

Tony Lafferty

Director / Construction Manager, Landmark Homes Hawke's Bay

Environmental Impact

 

Every pod used on this project was manufactured using 100% recycled plastic, transforming waste into structural strength beneath this family home.

Across the build, the foundation locked in approximately 54,970 plastic bottles’ worth of recycled material — diverted from landfill and given decades of new purpose.

By choosing QPOD over traditional polystyrene systems and SlabTank for water rentention the project:

  • Eliminated EPS waste and site contamination risk.

  • Reduced overall concrete usage.

  • Created a circular foundation solution