Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Jetties: Factors Influencing Design and Functionality
Australia is packed full of stunning beaches. This means there are numerous jetties and piers that line Australia's magnificent coastline and waterways. These were first built to moor ships that transport goods and passengers. A number of these jetties are no longer in use whilst others are still quite popular for activities such as fishing, diving, snorkelling and the like. Four popular jetties in Australia are at Busselton (Western Australia), Tumby Bay (South Australia), Shelley Beach (Victoria) and Kincumber (New South Wales).
Basically, a jetty is a long, narrow structure that has the purpose of protecting a coastline from currents and tides. Currents and tides cause damage to beaches and other entities along a coastline through a process called erosion. Jetties effectively act as a protective barrier for the shoreline by bearing the force of strong currents, waves and tides. A jetty that connects land with deeper water is called a pier.
Jetties: Construction and Design
A number of considerations in the construction and design of jetties should be taken into account. Most important are the physical characteristics of the actual site area of the proposed jetty. This means taking a look at the weather conditions and its exposure to wind, currents, waves and tides. Ice damage and sea conditions are also part of these factors. Furthermore, the cost and maintenance of the jetty are determined prior to construction. For example, rubble mound jetties require frequent maintenance because portions of the jetty are frequently worn away by storm waves. In comparison to rubble mound jetty structures, stone and concrete jetties are stronger and able to withstand more force from currents before requiring maintenance.
The conditions of the soil are carefully studied prior to construction as well as the heights of the maximum and minimum waves in the site area. Jetties must be designed with two main factors in mind:
- Resistance to the forces of waves, currents, tides and also waves during storms.
- Cost-effectiveness, which is related to how much maintenance a jetty requires.
Currently, construction of jetties is conducted so as to minimise the effects on local marine life. Businesses specialising in jetty construction are now becoming increasingly conscious of their environmental impact and are even sourcing environmentally sustainable materials for their construction projects. They do this whilst building jetties that are not only practical but also visual masterpieces that add value to properties and the area in which they are constructed.