"concrete"

The Royal Blackburn Hospital, located in Lancashire, England, was dubbed a “ticking time bomb” that could “collapse without warning” due to the failure of its existing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) roof. This issue was part of a larger nationwide crisis, with 34 NHS buildings, including Blackpool Hospital, and thousands more schools, offices and more at risk of collapse due to the deterioration of RAAC structures. The estimated cost of repairs for these buildings loomed at over £1 billion. In the face of this urgent and challenging situation, The Royal Blackburn Hospital sought a solution to ensure the safety and integrity of its infrastructure.The Royal Blackburn Hospital's existing RAAC roof had reached a critical state of disrepair. The risk of a catastrophic collapse was real and imminent, posing a serious threat to patients, staff, and the hospital's ability to provide essential medical services. The financial burden of repairing or replacing such a roof was substantial, and the hospital needed an innovative, cost-effective, and expedient solution.The hospital administration and engineering team explored various alternatives to address the RAAC roof crisis. After careful evaluation, they opted for Britmet's Tactray 90 Structural Liner System as the best solution to mitigate the risk of a roof collapse. Tactray 90 offered the necessary structural reinforcement while ensuring long-term durability and stability. The installation could be completed with minimal disruption to hospital operations, a critical consideration given the hospital's 24/7 operation.Project Outcomes:Implementing Britmet's Tactray 90 Structural Liner System at The Royal Blackburn Hospital resulted in several significant benefits. The hospital's roof regained its structural integrity, mitigating the risk of collapse. The hospital saved a substantial amount by opting for the Tactray 90 system as it provided a weatherproof roof covering to minimise the impact of construction so that the hospital could resume full medical services quickly, ensuring continuity of patient care. Conclusion: The Royal Blackburn Hospital's adoption of Britmet's Tactray 90 Structural Liner System offered an innovative solution to a critical structural problem caused by the failure of the existing RAAC roof. This case study demonstrates that even in challenging situations involving aged infrastructure, cost-effective and efficient alternatives exist to safeguard structural integrity, ensure safety, and enable the continued provision of vital healthcare services. The success of this project serves as a model for other NHS facilities grappling with similar RAAC-related challenges, providing hope for the resolution of the wider national crisis.

BP's progressive new workplace features a creative combination of carpet four Milliken design collections to creative impact and visually zone the building. Beyond zoning, the stunning colour specification, effective use of colours transitions, mix of square and plank tile formats and installation as rug insets, make this a truly inspiration office environment. The floor coverings WellBAC® Comfort carpet backing also delivers additonal underfoot comfort and excellent acoustic and wear performance. Thanks to Milliken's M/PACT programme they are also fully carbon neutral.

For this busy educational building with high footfall, the Unexpected Purpose modular carpet offers rich saturated colour and excellent wear performance. Its Comfort Lite cushion backing also provides additional sound absorbency, particularly important for the quiet study areas in this building. The LVT floor coverings provides the recreational areas with a hard wearing, practical solution and the perfect urban aesthetic.

This high quality, creative working environment in one of Bucharest's most iconic buildings includes a variety of spaces carpeted with Milliken modular carpet. The acoustic performance of the modular carpet delivers an extraordinary working environment for this high profile client in gaming technology.

Exceptional homes in the perfect location St Elphin’s Park retirement village is set within 14 acres of landscaped grounds, located within the Derbyshire Dales. The centrepiece building, St Elphin’s House, started life as a private residence, becoming an exclusive spa in the 19th century, and latterly, a well-known girls’ boarding school, St Elphin’s Girls School. This Victorian schoolhouse has been restored stone by stone. Surrounding the Victorian grandeur of St Elphin's House, and built to echo the appeal of a traditional Derbyshire hamlet, are attractively designed retirement properties including apartments, cottages and mews cottages.

SMET supplied Streetscape® BS 7533 compliant laying course materials including; bedding course, jointing, and priming mortars, to Dumfries and Galloway Council for the Streetscape element of the Lockerbie Town Centre Public Realm project. The project, comprising of 2,500 m2 of hardscape paving was designed and realised by leading Environmental Consultancy, Ironside Farrar. The SMET Streetscape® portfolio complies with the rigorous requirements of BS 7533 with all products undergoing independent testing and certification to confirm compliance. By providing a superior level of customer service and focused aftercare to their Smet Supported Partners, Smet Building Products Ltd, with the Streetscape® brand, demonstrates best-practice in Streetscape construction partnerships. Contact SMET for more information on your Streetscape® BS 7533 Compliant Laying Course Materials.Click for more detailed information on the SMET Streetscape® BS 7533 range:Click for more on some of the projects we have supplied to:https://www.smetbuildingproducts.com/projects/by-product/streetscape-high-strength-bedding-concrete/Contact SMET for any Streetscape enquiries.

We supplied our Irish-produced Streetscape® BS 7533 compliant laying course materials including; bedding course, jointing, and priming mortars, to Scottish-based principal contractor, RJ McLeod (Contractors) Ltd for the hardscape element of the new Helix Park project in Falkirk, Scotland.The hardscape element of the Helix Park, comprising of open-space paving and connecting pathways, totalling 9,000 m2 of granite paving, was expertly laid by paving contractor, Granite Paving Specialist Ltd. The SMET Streetscape® portfolio complies with the rigorous requirements of BS 7533 with all products undergoing independent testing and certification to confirm compliance. By providing a superior level of customer service and focused aftercare to our Smet Supported Partners with the Streetscape® brand, we demonstrate best-practice in Streetscape Hardscaping construction partnerships. Click for more detailed information on the SMET Streetscape® BS 7533 range: https://www.smetbuildingproducts.com/products/streetscape/Click for more on some of the projects we have supplied to:https://www.smetbuildingproducts.com/projects/by-product/streetscape-high-strength-bedding-concrete/Contact SMET for any Streetscape enquiries.

The fire station is relocating from Dale Street, Ossett, to nearer Wakefield city centre as part of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority's Integrated Risk Management Plan and replaces the current near Ossett town centre. The new location will enable crews to support the Combined Aerial Rescue Pump based in Wakefield. Coun Tracey Austin, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service vice chairwoman, carried out the ground breaking ceremony. She said: "This marks the start of a very exciting project in Wakefield district and I am looking forward to seeing the new station taking shape.”

Challenge: C-Probe's LoCem® +chase® anode mortar has been installed at the Omni Shopping Centre Car Park in Edinburgh, Scotland to 4 levels of underground car parking as part of a comprehensive corrosion management strategy. Overtime the popular car park had succumbed to structural damage and corrosion caused by the ingress of chlorides from de-icing salts from above.Solution: This system comprised of 42 ICCP zones and 7 additional monitoring zones forlevels protected using surface-applied corrosion inhibitors. In addition to this, some 6000 C-Puck galvanic anodes were used to protect newly repaired areas to 2 levels. All the anodes and monitoring could be controlled and data accessed remotely throughoutthe car park with AchillesICP and AchillesIES, helping to extend its service life for 100+ years.Outcome: This ESG compliant approach meant there was no need for demolition or extensive reconstruction using new materials, helping to reduce waste and harmful emissions. Reconstruction was also a near-impossible strategy due to underground facility and electric tram on land, meaning something non-invasive like cathodic protection was essentialto minimise social disruption. 

Project detailsKenwood, a kitchen appliance manufacturer in Hampshire was suffering with dusty floors and wanted to improve the visual appearance of the warehouse area. Kenwood contacted Watco because they had come to trust our products, having used them over many years. We suggested not only the most suitable repair products and floor coatings but a trusted and experienced flooring specialist to apply the products, Aedean Flooring Ltd in Farnborough, Hampshire.Our solution The floor was shot blasted and lightly ground before being repaired with Watco Concrex® Carbon Fibre, an incredibly strong epoxy resin repair mortar and Watco Flowpatch®, a pourable patch repair material for heavily trafficked floors. Aedean suggested the use of colour inside the aisles, which Kenwood thought was a good idea as it would making identifying each aisle easier. Epoxy Gloss Coat in mid grey was used in the main walkways in the warehouse so that the area could be back in use quickly after coating. The colours chosen for the aisles were: Safety Yellow, Signal Red, Royal Blue and Black. Epoxy Gloss Coat is an extremely tough and decorative industrial floor coating which is ideal in situations where durability is important. "We are delighted with the outcome which completely revitalised the appearance of the warehouse, protecting the floor for many years to come."

Westfield, the world's largest shopping centre developer and Meyer Bergman, pan-European retail real estate investor opened their latest shopping centre in Bradford in 2015. Renowned for their iconic shopping centres in major cities around the globe, Westfield offers the very best in high fashion and leisure. Confirmed tenants in the 570,000 sq ft scheme include Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, Next, Topshop, Topman, Sainsbury's plus many more. Bradford has a catchment of almost one million consumers with a weighted annual spend potential of £623 million.

Soap chiefs have moved Weatherfield from Manchester to nearby Salford so they have more space for filming. Builders have recreated The Rovers Return, The Kabin and Dev’s corner shop as well as the characters’ homes down to every minute detail. Builders laid about 11,000 cobbles, 190,000 bricks of different types and used seven colours of mortar so it looks realistic. The new set is full size so two cars will be able to pass each other on the Street. Broughton Brickwork used Naylor lintels whilst building the Coronation Street lots.

In partnership with Vinci Construction UK, we supplied BS 7533 compliant bedding course, jointing and priming mortars for the £350million Stoke-on-Trent City Council City Sentral redevelopment, comprising 3,500m2 of natural stone paving. The project was installed in the state-of-the-art new bus station designed by Grimshaw Architects and will form an impressive gateway into the city. The SMET Streetscape® portfolio complies with the rigorous requirements of BS 7533 with all products undergoing independent testing and certification to confirm compliance. By providing a superior level of customer service and focused aftercare to our Smet Supported Partners with the Streetscape® brand, we demonstrate best-practice in Streetscape Hardscaping construction partnerships. Click for more detailed information on the SMET Streetscape® BS 7533 range:https://www.smetbuildingproducts.com/products/streetscape/Click for more on some of the projects we have supplied to:https://www.smetbuildingproducts.com/projects/by-product/streetscape-high-strength-bedding-concrete/Contact SMET for any Streetscape enquiries.

When this Italian insurance giant was refurbishing its Polish headquarters, they chose five Milliken floor covering products for its circulation, office and conference spaces. Chosen for their aesthetics and performance, the carpet and LVT products make an important contribution to the well-being of Generali employees working in this destination workspace.

Service stations are notorious areas for high intensity traffic, where vehicles brake and accelerate, and where there is also a high concentration of hydrocarbons on the ground: petrol, diesel, lubricating oils.This is the main reason why CNG Fuels Ltd. has specified ULMA Civil F400K and F300K models in Fuel Stations across the country.CNG Fuels already supply 2,000 vehicles a day from its five public access refuelling stations, and a sixth station at Knowsley, near Liverpool, where ULMA drainage channels have being installed. This station, close to the M6 at Erdington, east of Birmingham, can refuel up to 500 HGVs a day.We have also supplied our F300 and F400 channels to Bellshill, Knowsley, Newark and Avonmouth stations.Civil F heavy duty drainage channels

KEIM Concretal W was applied to the external concrete to give a vibrant white finish with unparalleled concrete protection which will not fade and yellow over time. KEIM Concretal W provides an integral protective and decorative finish to the concrete.

This jaw dropping project featured Lazenby Light Natural polished concrete floors and cast in situ stairs. The concrete flows from the entrance hallways throughout the ground floor and up the feature staircase to the first floor landing.This 4 week phased project saw the polished concrete floor installed first. The formwork and reinforcement for the staircase was then fixed and built off the floor. Once the stairs had been cast the brass balustrades and handrails were retrofitted to the concrete.This self-supporting concrete architectural feature staircase involved discussions with external engineers who then designed the reinforcement. The complex angles, joins to other structural elements and the sleek elegance was meticulously planned and executed. The polished concrete floor joints carefully designed to enhance the creative charm of this project.Photography by David Butler

Lazenby’s Henley Buff Polished Concrete floor was laid in a new side and rear extension to this stunning property in Cheshire.A key consideration by the clients was that the polished concrete floor be a very close match to the concrete walls which had been cast by the main contractor. Lazenby provided numerous samples for sign off before the client confirmed Henley Buff as the selected colour.The architects wanted to use industrial materials such as concrete and timber throughout the project but still wanted to achieve a warm and homely environment. This was successfully achieved by a clever use of lighting and subtle tones within the materials.To create an ultra modern, flexible space, the polished concrete floor also extends out to the patio area where it connects seamlessly with the internal flooring

The Park Hill Estate in Sheffield was built as a council estate between 1957 and 1961. It was designed by Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith in a brutalist architectural style and has always divided opinions.Described as revolutionary for its time, the concept was `Streets in the Sky` with wide deck areas and distinctive concrete frame.  Whilst demolition of the site was being considered, in 1998 the estate was listed by English Heritage and given Grade II* status which was considered very controversial and attracted much criticism.  It is the largest listed building in Europe and, with its protected status, it was decided to renovate and redevelop the site as a joint venture between Urban Splash and English Heritage.The future of the scheme was to develop the site into desirable upmarket apartments, business units and social housing and the success has been widely publicised, including features in almost all architectural and concrete magazines, with a shortlisting for the 2013 RIBA Stirling Prize & 2023 RIBA Yorkshire awards, as well as winners of the AJ Retrofit Awards 2023.The key involvement for KEIM Mineral Paints was renovation of the extensive concrete frame. The discoloured concrete gave a drab and dirty look to the building – not the desirable, upmarket effect that the designers were looking for. The first consideration was to paint the frame in its entirety but this would have led to the loss of what is considered to be the most iconic feature of the building. So the challenge was to renovate the frame, improve the colour and finish without creating a painted effect.The answer was to use KEIM Concretal Lasur. This innovative paint system is a colourwash or stain which is applied onto concrete to cover blemishes and enhance the appearance, whilst, most importantly, keeping the look of natural concrete. KEIM Concretal Lasur has all of the features integral to KEIM Mineral Paints such as a permanent and highly protective chemical bond, complete UV stability and resistance to mould and fungal growth.KEIM Concretal Lasur is diluted with a complementary product using differing ratios and opacities to achieve the required colour and coverage, whilst still enabling surfaces to look like unpainted concrete. The system can also be employed to minimise any unsightly repairs to concrete. The versatility of the system allows almost complete coverage of repairs, or slight coverage, if preferred, which enhances the natural look of the concrete but gives the effect of a more visually appealing finish.

The enormous redevelopment of the site around Broadcasting House is situated between the Bakerloo and Victoria underground lines and the tube trains are clearly audible in all the buildings. Therefore, CDM Stravitec was asked to install floating floors using the Stravifloor Deck system.To protect the BBC W1 technical boxes from structure-borne noise each one was built off a concrete floating floor.The construction of the floating floors depended on the location within the building: in the basement the floors were 125 mm concrete on 100 mm void supported by bearings with a natural frequency of <8Hz.On the ground floor the floors were 90 mm concrete on 100 mm void; the 2nd floor was 90 mm concrete on 75 mm void and the 3rd and 4th floors 90 mm concrete on 50 mm void.

In a picture-perfect setting, Atlas Concorde's concrete-effect porcelain tiles give the Hotel Garden Park in the Vinschgau Valley an elegant, contemporary look. Learn moreIn a modern space with a refined flavor, Atlas Concorde's concrete-effect porcelain tiles help to bring out the elegance and relaxing ambiance of Hotel Garden Park.In a perfect blend of minimalist esthetics and the elegance of sophisticated contemporary apartments, the Hotel Garden Park in the heart of the Vinschgau Valley presents itself to guests with a simple style and a great attention to detail.A key focus when designing the rooms was the choice of surfaces, colors, and furnishings that best represent the atmosphere of comfort and rest typical of the facility. Atlas Concorde's concrete-effect porcelain tiles were therefore the ideal solution for furnishing various areas of the hotel, giving them a refined look and bold visual impact.Floor and wall tiles with a troweled concrete effect and soft touch enliven the bathrooms of the rooms through a neutral nuance capable of conveying a style with a strong identity and creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and relaxing. Combined with the dark wood of the furniture, the concrete effect makes the bathroom a corner that evokes the beauty of craftsmanship, an expression of value and attention to detail.The hotel's dining room also speaks a modern and elegant language thanks to concrete-effect ceramic surfaces that give free expression to a setting where it’s easy to feel at ease. Floors that recall the strength of concrete feature a smooth, continuous look for bright interiors and relaxing atmospheres where even the minimalism of the furnishings helps to give the flooring a simple, refined look.The decisive character of the concrete-effect porcelain tiles and the neutral tones of their palette combine in the wellness area of the hotel, where the technical performance of the material and the esthetic research coexist without compromise in ceramic solutions that achieve new levels of excellence. Using different formats, the concrete-effect porcelain tiles have made the space dedicated to relaxation an environment able to satisfy modernity and classicism, minimalism and comfort, design and functionality, all characteristics of a contemporary style but that also represent essential elements for the construction of a spa.Thanks also to the anti-slip 120x120 cm format and to the 20 mm thickness specific for exteriors, the concrete-look porcelain tile solutions of Atlas Concorde have contributed to the creation of a total look with a powerful visual impact both in the flooring of the hotel’s terraces and in its outdoor spaces.The versatility of the concrete effect speaks a modern language in any kind of environment, opening up multiple avenues for design.

State of the art 18,000 capacity stadium combining 2 complimentary grey GRC effect PPC tones for external rainscreen panels.Finishes: Y4313I Light Grey Natural Concrete and Y4317I Dark Grey Natural Concrete

Passive Purple was used here on a bridge in China. Passive Purple External also comes in multiple colours form Purple to Stone colour. Passive Purple External is an anticarbonisation product that protects concrete from the effects of concrete

WDH use premium Sandtoft concrete tiles (Concrete Double Pantiles, Plain Tiles in Rustic and Koraflex flashing solution) from Wienerberger bring new lease of life to properties on Priordale Road in essential roof renovations.

Triton has supplied 3,280kg of TT Admix, its BBA certified concrete waterproofing system, to a prestigious new build project in West London. The project is a new car dealership situated between the M4 flyover and the site of Brentwood FC's new stadium. The construction comprises a watertight concrete base with welded sheet piled walls and a watertight concrete capping beam to provide a Type B integral waterproofing solution to BS 8102 (2009). On top of the slab is a steel framed structure.

Albion Riverside is a high-end residential and commercial development located on the southwest bank of the River Thames. It is between two listed and historic bridges – Albert Bridge and Battersea Bridge and not too far from Westminster. It has been built to create a dynamic quarter in Battersea, London, on the upper floors there are apartments and on lower levels are shops, art galleries and an indoor pool. KEIM Concretal Lasur was applied in 2003 to the V Beams and the swimming pool soffits to improve the concrete appearance whilst still maintaining a natural concrete effect.

Cannon Green’s RC cast in situ polished concrete staircase is an Ocubis project in conjunction with John Robertson Architects (JRA), Civic Engineers and Six Smith Build. Lazenby built and installed the 21m long, 7m high and 7.5m wide (at the top) inverted amphitheater cast in situ Pewter concrete staircase. This staircase was designed by JRA and structurally engineered by Civic Engineers, incorporating BIM modelling due of the intricacies of the reinforcement design. This self-supporting staircase is tied into the structure with a steel stringer to convert the loads and moments down through the steel columns.Lazenby installed traditional formwork to create the stepped soffit that leads up to the inverted amphitheatre steps. Lazenby then installed a false work system (from Ischebeck Titan/Inform UK) enabling the formworkers to create the radius former inverted amphitheatre undercarriage that is visible from the restaurant (Drake & Morgan). The reinforcement was then added to the soffit and steps; the carpenters then added formers and attached nearly 700 DDA studs to the formwork prior to the casting of concrete.Lazenby’s integral-coloured Pewter polished concrete was batched on site into a C32/40 concrete supplied by London Concrete. The project used approx. 24 cubic meters of concrete and 6 tonnes of steel reinforcement. Ground floor to the top landing and seating area is just over 4m high, 21m long and 7.5m wide with 24 shallow risers and 3 functional landings. The first 3m wide step widens to a 7.5m inverted amphitheatre style landing featuring single and double height steps.Lazenby’s 8 master craftsmen were onsite for the duration of this 12-week project. Lazenby won the Cannon Green project based on the ability to deliver unrivalled experience for projects of this scale and magnitude. Engineering from Civic Engineers, design by JRA and experience and know-how from Lazenby’s master craftsmen created a steel and concrete masterpiece of exacting standards.

As part of its ambition to build the most sustainable high speed railway in the world, HS2 contractors in London have begun using Vertua® , a new low carbon concrete product which provides a reduction of 42% in CO2 in comparison to a standard concrete.

The Olympic Village consists of 11 blocks, each block comprising between six and eight individual buildings, which are eight to twelve storeys high. Of the many amenities in the Village, by far the largest usage is for apartments, of which there are around 3000 units.Despite the height and density of the scheme, it has a surprisingly open feel, aided by the glazed winter gardens and mostly generous sized balconies, which are very much in evidence throughout the entire development. There was a huge demand here for the Schöck Isokorb®, with around 10,000 thermally broken structural connections to be considered. For podium slabs and pre-cast balcony applications the Isokorb® T type K, for concrete-to-concrete connectivity was used. The T type S, T type Q-P and Schöck SLD dowels combined to meet the requirement for securing the winter garden balconies. Types SK-MM1 and SK-MM2 for steel-to-concrete, provided the solution for connecting the various concrete frames to steel balconies.Some of the steel balconies had a cantilever length of approximately two metres and in most cases SK-MM2 units offered the ideal solution. However, in certain locations – concrete edge beams for example – the reinforcement bars had to be shaped to suit and for these applications special SK-MM1 modules were utilised.The unusual T-shaped winter gardens provided one of the greater challenges. Remarkably, the winter garden concrete slabs are designed to span two building blocks – approximately seven metres – and it was essential to allow for movement of the slabs by combining the Isokorb® T type Q-P at one end and SLD dowels at the other.Exceptionally strong steel-to-concrete thermal break connections were required and usually the Isokorb® T type SK would be the natural choice. On this occasion however, the forces involved exceeded even the capabilities of the SK units and it was necessary to design a T type S configuration, in combination with a specially developed steel bracket. Back at ground and first floor levels a huge number of T type K concrete-to-concrete thermal breaks were required for the large slab sections. In some cases the extreme dimensions of the slab sections resulted in thermal movement beyond the Isokorb®'s capability and SLD dowels were used in their place.

Crown House is a change of use project from an old 1960s office block into modern student accommodation and highlights the opportunity to repair and refurbish concrete structures to provide much needed housing for local communities. The refurbishment and repair approach is of course, significantly greener than a complete demolition and rebuild, particularly in a busy town location such as Brighton. The concrete surveys found issues with the underlining substrate, including carbonation, so the project required a specification which would ensure protection of the concrete, in addition to a pleasing aesthetic finish for the client and student residents of the new block.

Originally designed and constructed as a basement car park for the offices above, the building was renovated and converted in to a luxury hotel. The car park became a habitable space including the kitchens and associated storage. A waterproofing solution was required for both the concrete walls that were to remain and for a new replacement concrete slab.

Challenge: Concourse Village Plaza houses apartment blocks, retail shops, a multiplex cinema and underground parking. Chloride ingress and weathering has taken its toll on the structure with cracking and spalling of the concrete cover from reinforcement corrosion.Strategy: Significant concrete repair in conjunction with an ICCP system was needed for the structure. LoCem® +chase®, will be used specifically for reinforced concrete structures, where the ICCP anode mortar operates within slots cut and holes drilled strategically into the reinforced concrete structural elements. LoCem® is a low carbon cement alternative that can also act as a cathodic protection anode.Outcome: With the design of the ICCP for the Central podium completed, construction will begin in 2023 before moving to the West and East podiums. The project and is expected to go on for the next 2.5 years. The result of the project will be an ESG compliant strategy that will create a more resilient structure, utilising low carbon build materials that can control the impact of corrosion.

The clients wanted a floor that could run continuously throughout. From the kitchen to the garden and pool areas…. even up the stairs. Polished concrete is one of the few materials that can be used to great effect in all of these environments.The effectiveness of the underfloor heating was of great importance to the clients. The use of polished concrete throughout the entire ground floor allowed for maximum efficiency of the underfloor heating by allowing the whole area to have fantastic thermal retention properties. All without having to compromise on style and practicality.One of our most popular shades, Off White is the perfect neutral tone to bring warmth to softer spaces – like the living room and bedrooms – and classic elegance to more functional rooms like the kitchen.The metal stair treads were installed on site ready to be infilled with concrete. We poured approximately 50mm of concrete into the pre-formed tray and then coloured and polished the surface to ensure they were a great match to the adjacent floor.

Cordek were approached to provide a solution for the ground heave protection requirements of the reinforced concrete slab at the base of Moorgate Shaft. We were called upon to ascertain the appropriate protection needed, taking into consideration the weight of reinforced concrete slab and the heave potential of the soil beneath, along with the space and delivery constraints in place on site.

The reservoir had an estimated 180 metres of cracks that needed repair, as well as the main element of the concrete that required coating to waterproof and add durability to the concrete structure. The Reservoir was taken out of commission but it needed to be returned to service as soon as possible. To do this, we looked at the order of the processes to ensure the tight time frames could be met.  

The Rowe is a new architecturally designed office space in Whitechapel London, where tradition meets innovation. With outside space on every level, the building sets a sustainable benchmark for new office space in central London. The new elements mimics the horizontal banding of the 1960s concrete building as well as contrasting with a steel structure and dark metal palette.The architects, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, had used KEIM previously. They contacted KEIM as they wanted a sustainable product in keeping with their core values. Samples were carried out, as shown in the photo below, to determine the most suitable colour.First off, KEIM Concrete Repair Mortar (KEIM Concretal-MR 2.0) was used for large repairs within the concrete. KEIM Fine Finishing Mortar (KEIM Concretal-FSP 0.2) was then used for levelling repairs as it is a much finer aggregate mix.KEIM Soldalit CL018, a light grey colour, was chosen to compliment the steel structure and due to its characteristics, was applied onto the previously painted surface without the need for a primer. It is fire resistant – A2-s1, d0 classified and Cradle to Cradle certified.The Rowe has been shortlisted for an AJ Retrofit Award 2023 in the Workspace (£10m and over) category. It was also awarded BREEAM ‘Excellent’, WELL ‘Platinum’ and received SmartScore certification.