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Project Overview

 

Location: Oliphant Rd, Hastings

Architect: Spearhead Architecture

QPOD Installed By: Reliable Foundations (RFL)

Engineer: QPOD Engineering Team

Concrete: Holcim Concrete

Project Type: 231 m² – Raft Foundation System

The project involved a new dwelling in Hastings requiring an engineered raft foundation on improved ground.

Site Challenges

 

  • Geotechnical Conditions: Moderate liquefaction risk (TC2 classification).
  • Ground Improvement: 0.8 m excavation to remove fill, followed by geotextile (Class B/F7) and basal geogrid (Tensar TX160 or Duragrid 30/30) over compacted AP65 in ≤200 mm lifts to ≥95 % MDD per NZS 4431.
  • Founding Level: ≥200 kPa GUBC achieved across the site.

Implementation

Subgrade Preparation:

Engineered ground improvement per Detail G1, including geogrid, geotextile, and AP65 placement compacted in 200 mm lifts to achieve a minimum bearing capacity of 200 kPa.

QPOD System Installation:

Foundation Area = 231.22 m²

Perimeter = 102.39 m

Internal Thickening Lengths = 64.41 m (300 mm) and 11.43 m (400 mm).

Reinforcement Placement:

SE72 mesh with H12 bars (top and bottom) through ribs. Tie-beams reinforced with 2-H12 bars top and bottom and R6 stirrups @ 100 centres. 150 mm returns into perimeter beams and 800 mm laps.

stirrups @ 100 centres. 150 mm returns into perimeter beams and 800 mm laps.

The team from RFL making light work of installing the QPOD plastic void formers

Environmental Impact

 

From a sustainability perspective, the 1201 Oliphant Road foundation locks in a substantial amount of recycled material—made entirely in Napier from post-consumer plastics.

 480 closed two-side pods (42,270 plastic bottle equivalents)

  • 256 extenders (9,728 plastic bottle equivalents)
  • 453 × 100 mm spacers (1,359 plastic bottle equivalents)
  • 156 × 300 mm spacers (936 plastic bottle equivalents)
  • 17 × 400 mm spacers (153 plastic bottle equivalents)


Total: 54,896 bottle equivalents diverted from landfill

That’s the equivalent of over 10 kilometres of plastic bottles laid end-to-end, or roughly one tonne of recycled plastic given new life beneath this site.

All QPOD components were manufactured locally in Hawke’s Bay, reducing transport emissions and demonstrating a closed-loop circular system where waste plastic becomes part of the next generation of buildings.

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All pods are made right here onsite in Hawke’s Bay from 100% recycled materials.

Results

  • Seismic Resilience: Reinforcement strategy tailored to mitigate TC2 liquefaction effects.

  • Thermal Efficiency: XPS insulation delivering consistent under-slab performance.

  • Aesthetic Finish: Polished concrete floor to be achieved without visible cracking or surface defects.

  • Sustainability Impact: Over 13,700 recycled bottle equivalents embedded in the foundation structure.

  • Efficient Build: Modular QPOD system reduced labour time and site disturbance, and was easy to deliver and install on a tight site.

 

Results & Conclusion

Another clean, efficient build that delivered on strength, performance, and sustainability.
This 231 m² raft foundation not only met the engineering demands of TC2 ground but also locked 54,896 recycled bottles into a permanent structural role.
Proof that circular design and practical construction can work hand in hand — built strong, built smart, built on QPOD.