Ground Anchors / Retaining Walls
Rotorua Retaining Wall Ground Anchors
Before a Rotorua retaining wall could be built, its tieback ground anchors had to be installed and proof-tested with verified capacity for consent. Geo Mana installed nine 10.0m Platypus Bat Anchors with a 5-tonne excavator, working through variable ground to refusal at 9.5m to 11m, then proof-tested every anchor to the 24 kN design load with purpose-built hydraulic equipment. The full scope was delivered in a single day with a clean QA record, keeping the wall programme on track.
The challenge
What made this difficult
A new retaining wall in Rotorua could not proceed until its tieback ground anchors were installed and proof-tested. Consent and compliance required verified anchor capacity up-front, with auditable records to show every anchor met the 24 kN design load. On top of that, the full scope — installation and testing — had to be delivered in a single day to keep the retaining wall programme on track.
Specific issues
Design capacity of 24 kN with 10.0m anchor lengths
Variable ground conditions with refusal risk during installation
Single-day delivery window to avoid holding up the retaining wall programme
Full QA and traceability required with auditable proof-test records
The response
- 01
Installed 9 Platypus Bat Anchors using a 5-tonne excavator for consistent, efficient production
- 02
Managed variable ground conditions on site, with anchors reaching refusal at depths between 9.5m and 11m
- 03
Proof-tested every anchor to 24 kN using purpose-built hydraulic testing equipment
- 04
Recorded a clean, auditable QA record for every anchor to support consent and compliance sign-off
- 05
Completed full installation and testing within the one-day window
Spec snapshot
The numbers on record
- 019 Platypus Bat Anchors installed
- 02Anchor length: 10.0m
- 03Design capacity: 24 kN, every anchor proof-tested to 24 kN
- 04Refusal depths: 9.5m to 11m
- 05Installation plant: 5-tonne excavator
- 06Full installation and testing completed in one day
The outcome
Work that holds up.
Every tieback anchor was installed and proof-tested in a single day, with all nine Platypus Bat Anchors meeting the 24 kN design requirement. Refusal depths landed between 9.5m and 11m, and the team managed the variable ground on site without losing the delivery window. Purpose-built hydraulic testing equipment gave the engineer verified capacity numbers on the spot, backed by a clean, auditable QA record. That up-front verification cleared the consent and compliance requirement, and the retaining wall build proceeded on programme. In, tested, verified, and out — with the paperwork to prove it.
- Platypus Bat Anchors
- Ground anchor installation
- Hydraulic proof-testing
- Excavator-driven installation
- QA documentation
From the face
How it looked on site
Actual project photography
Your ground
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