Abacus Engineering Limited

Abacus Engineering Limited Abacus Engineering Limited are a small firm of consulting structural engineers located in Parnell, Auckland. Abacus has been operating for 20+ years in Parnell.

We are primarily a structural based consultancy working on a wide variety of projects.

Abacus Engineering worked on this stylish CLT (cross-laminted timber) sleepout / garage addition to an existing property...
02/04/2026

Abacus Engineering worked on this stylish CLT (cross-laminted timber) sleepout / garage addition to an existing property in Ostend, Waiheke last year. The design was initially done in 2022 and consent was obtained. However the owners never completed the project and it was sold with the design a short time later. Abacus Engineering were contracted in 2025 to help assist with completion of the project.

CLT is a high strength wood engineered product that laminates timber sheets in alternating grain directions. This allows the engineer to overcome the critical weakness of timber which is being weak against the grain. As a result the CLT members are able to act as structural elements, which provides a high strength, cost effective solution with a elegant timber finish.

Read more about the project here:
https://abacusengineering.co.nz/2026/04/02/clt-sleepout-garage-waiheke-auckland/

For the Redbull Cliff Diving Platform we used Multiframe to create our tower model for analysis. Multiframe is a finite ...
19/03/2026

For the Redbull Cliff Diving Platform we used Multiframe to create our tower model for analysis. Multiframe is a finite element analysis program that can be a bit more intuitive than the other typically used programs. The model was important as it allowed us to check the bottom scaffold standards for ratcheting of forces down the structure, especially considering the forces acting on the front of the tower from the cantilevering dive boards.

See some of the photos of our model below.

Read more about the job:

https://abacusengineering.co.nz/2026/02/20/red-bull-dive-platform/

One of our more unique projects we undertook in the past few years was the Redbull Cliff Diving Platform, for the Red Bu...
17/03/2026

One of our more unique projects we undertook in the past few years was the Redbull Cliff Diving Platform, for the Red Bull Cliff Diving in Auckland, January 2024.

This was a 27m high scaffold tower, with 4 diving boards. One at 6m, 10m, 21m and 27m. The structure was Octagon shaped in plan. Due to its height and small plan area (9m x 9m octagon shaped) the structure was torsionally sensitive. Additionally it was erected at the exposed Queen's Wharf in downtown Auckland. A large amount of ballast was required to keep the tower secure from wind coming off the downtown Auckland harbour.

Initially the diving boards were not going to be clad due to the increase in wind load that would result on the tower. However it was eventually decided this was a suitable location for additional advertising. This cladding increased the torsional forces on the tower and meant further ballast was required. Due to the octagon shape of the tower, we were able to account for vortex shedding which slightly reduced our wind loads.

The event was quite the spectacle and saw a large crowd form in downtown Auckland on an overcast January day for the final event in the Red Bull Cliff Diving world tour.

Read more about the job and see the model we used in our analysis here:

https://abacusengineering.co.nz/2026/02/20/red-bull-dive-platform/

02/03/2026

One of our most common questions we get asked is whether or not you need a consent for a retaining wall. Auckland City Council recently updated their guidance on retaining walls. Whether a retaining wall consent (for Auckland Council) is required can be summarised into 3 categories.

1. Retaining wall less than 1.5m high with no surcharge - NOT REQUIRED.
2. Retaining wall less than 1.5m with a surcharge - REQUIRED.
3. Retaining wall greater than 1.5m with or without a surcharge - REQUIRED.

Often confusion lies around retaining structures less than 1.5m and what is a surcharge. A surcharge is a downward pressure exerted on the soil that causes a subsequent outward pressure on a retaining wall. Even when like-for-like structures are replaced, if a surcharge is exerted from a structure on the ground it may cause the soil to shift or even fail during replacement. This is why consulting a structural engineer may be important for replacing retaining walls that is supporting a building, footpath or boundary.

Read more about Auckland Council's guidelines on consent from December 2025.

chrome-extensio://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/content/dam/ac/docs/building-and-consents/ac2231-retaining-walls.pdf

Citta Apartments is a large residential apartment complex that sits at the top of Symond's Street and wraps around the c...
26/02/2026

Citta Apartments is a large residential apartment complex that sits at the top of Symond's Street and wraps around the corner towards Khyber Pass.

Citta Apartments had to undergo roof repairs due to leaking on the upper level. When the roof was removed, fire separation of the upper units was looked at by Auckland Council and found to be non-compliant. As a result significant fire engineering upgrades were required which Abacus Engineering oversaw. This include the photographing and logging of over 2000s penetrations between neighbouring units by Kieran Lake of Abacus Engineering!

Read more about the job here:

https://abacusengineering.co.nz/2026/02/19/184-symonds-street-citta-apartments/

Abacus Engineering were engaged to help convert an old warehouse in Lincoln Road into a new Tai Ping Supermarket.There a...
25/02/2026

Abacus Engineering were engaged to help convert an old warehouse in Lincoln Road into a new Tai Ping Supermarket.

There are 10 Tai Ping Supermarkets in Auckland and Abacus has been involved in 5 of them. The Henderson Tai Ping Supermarket is the most recent one Abacus has worked on.

Challenges with this particular conversion arose from the need to strengthen the existing Posi-STRUT trusses to meet the new commercial loads for the supermarket.

Read more about the job here:
https://abacusengineering.co.nz/2026/02/20/tai-ping-supermarket-lincoln-road/

This commercial unit in Wairau Road on Auckland's North Shore, required urgent remedial works following the Auckland Ann...
25/02/2026

This commercial unit in Wairau Road on Auckland's North Shore, required urgent remedial works following the Auckland Anniversary Floods.

Abacus Engineering were contracted to assist with the structural design of the new bracing systems, extension of the shop front canopy and upgrade the fire engineering systems.

The shop and factory out the back are now occupied by a coffee roastery in 2026.

Read more about the job:

https://abacusengineering.co.nz/2026/02/19/88-wairau-road/

Abacus Engineering were contracted to assist in the structural design of Michael Parekowhai’s Elephant Statue. The Eleph...
25/02/2026

Abacus Engineering were contracted to assist in the structural design of Michael Parekowhai’s Elephant Statue. The Elephant Statue would go on to be displayed at “The World Turns” at the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) & Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane, Australia.

The statue was constructed in Auckland before being transported to Australia with the help of Abacus Engineering. However the Queensland Arts Minister felt it was an improper use of tax payer dollars and that the statue should have been constructed in Australia. The headline read "Million-dollar mammoth makes minister mad."

Read the article here:
https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/milliondollar-mammoth-makes-minister-mad-20121016-27pfs.html

Read more about the job on Abacus Engineering's website:
https://abacusengineering.co.nz/2026/02/19/the-world-turns-statue/

The Imperial Hotel is a building located in the Auckland CBD that corners Queen Street, before running back along Fort S...
25/02/2026

The Imperial Hotel is a building located in the Auckland CBD that corners Queen Street, before running back along Fort Street and then stopping at Fort Lane. The building was originally constructed in the 1880s.

The seismic strengthening of the Imperial Hotel was one of Abacus Engineering's largest jobs. It spanned over several years from 2010 - 2017. Difficulties arose from needing to conduct the work whilst retail tenants were still occupying the spaces on the lower levels, alongside the Queen Street backpackers still operating in the middle level.

Read more about the job below.

https://abacusengineering.co.nz/2025/05/15/imperial-hotel/

Address

46F Stanley Street
Parnell
1010

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+6493021066

Website

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