Sale Magistrates Court.

The Sale Magistrates Court is a significant heritage building that has served the Gippsland region for more than 160 years. Originally constructed in 1863, the building remains an important civic asset and a prominent part of Sale's historic streetscape.

Sheer Force Engineering was engaged by Court Services Victoria to undertake a detailed structural condition assessment of the building and develop recommendations for its ongoing preservation and restoration. The engagement ultimately extended into geotechnical investigations, restoration planning and structural stabilisation strategies aimed at protecting the long-term future of the building.

Like many heritage buildings of this era, the court had experienced gradual movement and deterioration throughout its life.

Cracking was evident throughout large portions of the masonry structure and localised areas exhibited significantly greater levels of movement and differential settlement than the remainder of the building. Investigation revealed concerns associated with the performance of the original shallow bluestone footings and the interaction between the building and the underlying soil conditions.

The challenge was determining which areas represented acceptable long-term movement typical of a building of this age and which areas required active intervention to preserve the structure and prevent further deterioration.

Importantly, any remediation strategy needed to respect the heritage significance of the building while minimising disruption to its historic fabric.

Sheer Force Engineering undertook a detailed visual condition assessment of the building, documenting cracking, movement and apparent structural distress throughout the structure.

Rather than adopting a broad-brush remediation approach, our investigations focused on identifying the areas of greatest concern and understanding the underlying causes of the observed movement.

The work included:

• Detailed assessment of masonry cracking and settlement patterns.

• Structural appraisal of existing floor and wall systems.

• Coordination of geotechnical investigations.

• Assessment of existing footing conditions.

• Development of underpinning and stabilisation recommendations.

• Specification of targeted strengthening and restoration measures.

Where possible, our recommendations aimed to preserve the existing heritage fabric while delivering practical solutions to improve the long-term stability of the building.

The project established a clear pathway for the structural restoration and ongoing preservation of one of Gippsland's most important heritage civic buildings.

By combining structural investigation, geotechnical assessment and targeted stabilisation strategies, Sheer Force Engineering helped identify practical interventions that could address the most significant movement issues while allowing the broader building to continue performing as intended.

The project demonstrates the importance of understanding existing structures before implementing repairs and highlights how thoughtful engineering can help ensure historically significant buildings continue serving their communities for generations to come.