Red Bull Dive Platform

2024

The Red Bull Dive Platform was a large temporary structure made from tube and clip scaffolding. The Red Bull Cliff Diving Event was located on the Princess Wharf in downtown Auckland during the weekend of 27 – 28th January 2024.

The scaffold tower was 27m tall and clad with impermeable material to provide advertising for  Auckland Council. It was an octagonal shape in plan measuring 9m x 9m from opposing octagon edges. The tower contained  several stairs with 4 dive platforms cantilevered off one side at heights of 6m, 10m, 21m & 27m, with each board being longer than the one below. Initially the client informed Abacus Engineering that there would be no cladding on the diving boards, which would reduce the torsional effect on the tower. However as the project progressed, they wanted to utilise this space for advertising. These were 750mm deep and increased the torsional wind load on the tower. Abacus Engineering used a complicated model in multiframe to check the structure for overloading (see picture of model below).

Many tonnes of ballast was required to keep the structure from overturning or twisting due to the exposed site. Mike Lake the director of Abacus Engineering was on top of the tower as the platforms were craned into place (see attached video!)