The Age of Aquariums
Tsunami Resistance
Beneath the unit, four 750mm steel piles secure the structure to the seabed. These were driven into the sand without damaging the coral; but the four metres to the coral bedrock was less than Mr Murphy had expected: "I did some calculations and it was borderline. We had to anchor the piles with extra concrete. It was better to be safe. The extra cost at that stage was money well spent."
The result is that the top of the restaurant sits 1.8m beneath the water's surface. Diners needn't worry – although Mr Murphy did when he first heard news of the Boxing Day Tsunami.
"The factor of safety on the acrylic is quite amazing, about 15 or 20," he explains. "I've also added a foot or so to the maximum design water level for potential global warming over the next 20 years – the anticipated life of the structure."
The tsunami wave, however, could have been a problem; Mr Murphy feared that the rising water would flood the whole thing, the entrance being about 1.5m above the water. In the event, there were about 30cm to spare.
COP Outcome development and evaluation
The US$2 million project – it doesn't sound much when you consider what a drawcard it could be – was completed in mid- March 2004 and opened on April 1. For Mr Murphy, it ranks as one of his most memorable projects: "It stretched the ingenuity a bit. It was a non-standard job, which I like, in an exciting location and for prestigious clients. It was a fascinating project, and an honour to work on."
