A Flexcrete solution has been chosen for one of the UK’s largest privately funded building projects – the construction of Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 2 building (T2A). The old Terminal 2 building has been demolished and the new ultra-modern Terminal 2 is due to open to passengers in 2014, eventually accommodating 20 million passengers annually. It forms part of a five-year, £4.8 billion transformation of Heathrow Airport which began after the opening of the £4.3 billion Terminal 5 in 2008.
Cemprotec Elastic – a water-based, cementitious modified, polymer rich coating – was specified to overband day joints to the 2500 square metre floor screed at T2A and prevent reflective cracking in tiled floors. This innovative application of Cemprotec Elastic is already well proven at Heathrow, having been employed in Terminal 5’s main check-in hall. Following extensive testing by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), Cemprotec Elastic was specified as a means of ensuring the long-term integrity of the high quality floor finishes in this heavily trafficked area.
In the case of T2A, Cemprotec Elastic was applied in strips over joints prior to the application of floor tiles. Either side of the joint was first primed with Cemprotec EF Primer before the first coat of Cemprotec Elastic was applied. The Cemprotec Elastic was reinforced with Cemprotec 2000-S to add tensile strength before a final coat of Cemprotec Elastic was applied. Cemprotec Elastic is highly elastomeric with elongation in excess of 100% and it is proven to absorb the dynamic energy from construction joints and live cracks in the screed below tiled floors. Cemprotec Elastic also meets the industry’s most exacting standards as it is CE marked in accordance with EN 1504-2 for concrete repair.
Cemprotec Elastic is non-toxic and free from hazardous solvents, so is safe to use in projects where environmental considerations are high. This was an important factor at T2A, as it is a fast track construction project with multiple trades on-site in an enclosed environment. T2A is also Europe’s first next-generation ‘green’ terminal. Cemprotec Elastic was supplied by SIG Construction Accessories and applied by Vetter UK, the specialist contracting arm of Laing O’Rourke.