Metropole, Ventnor

The original Metropole Hotel was a very large Victorian 6 storey building built on Ventnor Esplanade at the toe of a large landslide. It was to be replaced by a similar size building with flats above and shops and a bar on the ground floor. Car parking was to be achieved by excavating into the back at the rear and supporting it with a retaining wall.

Although I had prepared a Stability Report for a previous owner, the building had changed hands and new architect and engineers appointed. They had proposed that the foundations should be constructed as a stiff cellular raft.

Because I had prepared the stability report for the site I was brought in advise on the foundations. Using sophisticated 3D finite difference modelling of the retaining wall, landslide and foundations I was able to redesign the foundations as a piled raft at a saving of about 40% of the original projected cost.