Touchwood Shopping Centre Service Deck, Birmingham

Project description

Touchwood Shopping Centre in Solihull, Birmingham is an award-winning, 650,000 square-foot shopping and entertainment complex, which opened its doors in September 2001.

Touchwood has become a blueprint for in-town development due to its innovative design, easy access to the M42, and 1,700 car parking spaces. It is home to more than 80 stores, 20 bars and restaurants, and a 9-screen cinema.

The centre has successfully improved neighbouring facilities with malls, a retail offering, and civic gardens, providing green spaces for the local community.

Rio Asphalt and Paving Co Ltd worked closely with the shopping centre management team to offer a replacement waterproofing and paving element for the 900m2 service deck area.

Solution and installation

The focus was on delivering a solution that worked for both client and the tenants and ensured a smooth and seamless experience.

IKO Permapark – a specially formulated mastic asphalt surfacing and waterproofing system for car parks and elevated vehicle decks – and the fast-curing IKO flexia metatech liquid waterproofing were chosen as the most suitable solutions for the project, given their durability and rapid installation capabilities.

Certain areas were prioritised by the management team and project works were phased. The deck was split into manageable sections, which helped to minimise disruption and limit the impact on those occupying and visiting the site during the project period.

Particular attention was given to the mechanical and electrical (M&E) services, which remained operational throughout the works. As areas were inaccessible for mastic asphalt, a compatible cold applied system was used instead.

This enabled the works to dovetail into a small number of inaccessible areas, refurbishing what would have either been left or required substantial financial outlay and risk.

The service deck area, which remained in use during the project, operated a one-way system for all vehicles. Rio also took measures to maintain road access around the centre and provided temporary delivery areas to assist with the distribution of goods to the stores.