Project Overview
When Brisbane City Council discovered that concrete walkways and stairs throughout their iconic Roma Street Parkland were creating dangerous trip hazards for visitors, they needed a solution that wouldn’t disrupt park operations or force the nearby café to close. Buildfix achieved a remarkable 15mm lift using our non-invasive GeoPoly™ technology, eliminating safety hazards while allowing the park to remain fully operational—all at a fraction of the cost of traditional concrete replacement.
Protecting Roma Street Parkland
In the early 2000s, Brisbane City Council transformed an ugly, desolate goods and train yard into what is now one of Queensland’s most beloved public spaces—Roma Street Parkland. This monumental project involved:
- Reshaping 16 hectares of land to create a world-class parkland
- Planting over 100,000 shrubs and 1,200 mature trees
- Installing 1,800 unique plant species throughout the grounds
- Laying 10 kilometres of concrete walkways for public access
The project was an outstanding success, turning an industrial eyesore into an iconic parkland that attracts thousands of visitors daily. However, over two decades of Brisbane’s intense tropical downpours and daily foot traffic, a serious issue emerged—concrete stairs and walkways began to sink unevenly, creating dangerous trip hazards throughout the park.
These weren’t ordinary concrete slabs, either. The sinking structures included heavy, prefabricated concrete stairs and thick, industrial-grade walkways, which posed a critical safety risk and a significant maintenance challenge for the council.
The Challenge
While sunken concrete repair is a Buildfix specialty, this project presented unique challenges:
- Scale and complexity: Unlike residential driveways or paths, this project involved kilometres of public walkways and numerous stair sections throughout a vast parkland.
- Ongoing operations: The park’s café had to remain open, and pedestrian traffic couldn’t be halted during repairs.
- Hidden cause: No single documented event explained the concrete subsidence, making diagnosis more challenging than typical residential projects.
- Structural significance: The heavy prefabricated stairs and industrial concrete slabs required precise lifting to ensure proper alignment and to eliminate trip hazards.
Our structural engineers initially suspected that surface water damage from Brisbane’s frequent tropical downpours was the primary cause. However, deeper investigation revealed a more specific issue—a flawed drainage system near the grounds was creating underground water pooling.
On the day of repairs, our technicians discovered that water had collected beneath stairs and slabs throughout Roma Street Parkland. With nowhere to drain, this water had gradually eroded the soil underneath, creating voids and causing the concrete to sink unevenly.
Why Traditional Methods Weren’t Viable
Brisbane City Council initially considered conventional concrete repair approaches, but quickly identified several critical limitations:
- Complete replacement would require park closure: Demolishing and replacing kilometres of concrete walkways and stairs would force the entire parkland to close for weeks or even months, denying public access to this beloved space.
- Massive disruption to vegetation: The extensive plant life—including rare species and mature trees—would be damaged or destroyed by the heavy equipment needed for concrete demolition and replacement.
- Prohibitive costs: Traditional replacement would have cost the Council hundreds of thousands of dollars in materials, labour, and lost revenue from the café closure.
- Temporary patching wouldn’t last: Simple filling or patching of trip hazards would only provide a short-term solution, deteriorating quickly under Brisbane’s extreme weather conditions and high foot traffic.
- Lengthy installation timeline: New concrete requires proper curing time—up to 28 days for full strength—meaning even a phased replacement approach would create weeks of safety hazards and access restrictions.
The Council needed a solution that could permanently fix the problem without requiring lengthy closures, vegetation damage, or exorbitant costs. These same challenges often face homeowners dealing with sunken driveways, patios, or pool surrounds, where traditional replacement is disruptive, expensive, and often unnecessary.
Our Solution: Precision GeoPoly™ Concrete Relevelling
To address these sinking walkways and eliminate trip hazards without disrupting park operations, we implemented our advanced concrete relevelling solution using proprietary GeoPoly™ SJ120 technology.
Our approach consisted of these carefully executed steps:
- Strategic access point selection: We identified the optimal injection locations to maximise lift while minimising aesthetic damage.
- Minimal intrusion drilling: By drilling small access holes (just 16mm) in strategically chosen spots, we created entry points for our specialised equipment.
- Void-filling and soil stabilisation: We injected our GeoPoly™ resin directly into the eroded soil beneath the concrete, simultaneously filling voids and stabilising the ground to prevent future sinking.
- Precision lifting: As the resin expanded, it gently raised the heavy concrete elements back to their original positions, achieving a consistent 15mm lift across the affected areas.
- Real-time monitoring: Throughout the process, our technicians used laser levelling equipment to ensure precise, controlled lifting that perfectly eliminated trip hazards.
This non-invasive approach allowed park visitors to continue enjoying the grounds and enabled the café to maintain normal operations throughout the entire repair process.
The Results: Safe, Level Walkways Without Disruption
Buildfix successfully fulfilled all requirements of Brisbane City Council’s brief, delivering remarkable results:
- Eliminated safety hazards: All trip hazards were removed by returning sunken concrete to its original level
- Preserved normal operations: The café remained open and visitors continued to enjoy the park during repairs
- Achieved significant cost savings: The council saved tens of thousands of dollars compared to traditional replacement options
- Minimal visible evidence: Only a few small access holes needed to be patched, virtually unnoticeable to the public
- Long-term stability: Years later, the concrete slabs and stairs remain perfectly level with no signs of subsidence
The park has remained safe for visitors, with no reported injuries related to uneven surfaces since our intervention. Most importantly, the council avoided the substantial cost and extended closure that would have been necessary with traditional concrete replacement methods.
Why This Matters for Your Property
The same cutting-edge technology that saved Brisbane City Council tens of thousands of dollars can address similar issues on your property. Whether you’re dealing with:
- A sunken driveway that pools water after rain
- Uneven pool surrounds that have become trip hazards
- Concrete paths that have settled due to soil erosion
- Garage slabs that have sunk and created access problems
Our GeoPoly™ concrete relevelling solution offers the same benefits that impressed Brisbane City Council:
- Non-invasive repair that preserves your existing concrete
- Minimal disruption to your daily activities
- Cost-effective alternative to concrete replacement
- Long-lasting results with our industry-leading warranty
- Quick completion, often in just a single day
If Brisbane City Council trusts Buildfix with the iconic Roma Street Parkland, you can confidently choose us for your home’s concrete relevelling needs.
Expert Concrete Relevelling You Can Trust
Whether you’re managing a large commercial property or seeing signs of sinking concrete around your home, Buildfix provides the same innovative solutions that impressed Brisbane City Council.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does GeoPoly™ concrete relevelling compare to replacing the concrete?
GeoPoly™ relevelling is faster, less expensive, and far less disruptive than concrete replacement. While replacement requires demolition, removal, form-building, pouring, and curing (often taking weeks), GeoPoly™ relevelling can lift your existing concrete back to level in just one day, typically at 50-70% of replacement cost.
Can the same technology used at Roma Street Parkland fix my driveway or pool surround?
Absolutely. The GeoPoly™ technology that successfully relevelled industrial-grade walkways at Roma Street Parkland works even more effectively on residential concrete. Whether you have a sunken driveway, pool surround, patio, or garage floor, the same precision lifting capability can restore your concrete surfaces to their original level.
What causes concrete to sink, and will relevelling provide a permanent fix?
Concrete typically sinks due to soil erosion, often caused by water flow (as seen at Roma Street Parkland), soil compaction over time, or improperly prepared bases during installation. GeoPoly™ not only raises the concrete but fills voids and stabilises the soil beneath, addressing the root cause for a long-term solution. A solution we’re so confident in that we offer a 20-year warranty on all our GeoPoly™ repairs.
Will I need to vacate my property during concrete relevelling?
No. One of the key advantages of our GeoPoly™ process is that your property remains fully accessible throughout the repair. Just as Roma Street Parkland’s café remained open during repairs, you can continue using your home or business with minimal disruption while we relevel your concrete.
How long does concrete relevelling typically take?
Most residential concrete relevelling projects are completed in just 1-2 hours, with larger areas taking up to a full day. The Roma Street Parkland project, despite its scale and complexity, was completed in less than two weeks. Your typical driveway or pool surround can usually be fixed in a single visit.
