Flexcrete Technologies Limited, part of the AkzoNobel group of companies, recently ensured that the deck of an electricity pylon tower platform was adequately levelled and provided with anti-slip protection to allow maintenance work to be carried out safely.
Extensive repairs were required to Aust Jetty, an electricity pylon jetty in the River Severn which forms part of the National Grid network and is owned by UK Power Networks. Built in the 1960’s, the trestle type reinforced concrete jetty supports and gives service access to an operational 800ft electricity pylon tower downstream of the Severn Bridge at Aust in Avon.The pylon is one of two electricity pylon towers which span the Severn Estuary and are taller than a 53-storey block, making them the second highest in the UK.
Due to the location in the River Severn, this was a highly challenging project in terms of access and the testing marine environment. An initial survey carried out by specialist contractor QST indicated that over 1,000 repairs were required across the structure. The project included a complete resurfacing of the tower platform. Levelling and anti-slip deck protection was needed on the main platform to ensure that maintenance workers could carry out their operations safely. The main contractor for the project was Trant Construction and QST was the application contractor.
QST put forward Flexcrete products for the concrete repair, anti-carbonation protection, levelling and anti-slip deck protection of the project and Cemprotec Levelling Coat – a two component, epoxy and polymer modified waterborne cementitious levelling screed – was specified to level the tower platform. One of the key features of Cemprotec Levelling Coat is that it is exceptionally rapid curing and develops high early strength, enabling early trafficking and rapid reintroduction of facilities into service. Pedestrian traffic is permitted after just four hours of application, allowing projects to be carried out on a fast-track basis.
Applied up to 60mm thick in a single application, Cemprotec Levelling Coat levels and waterproofs uneven concrete floors but it can also be used as a stand-alone waterproofing coating. In addition, it can act as an underlayment or as a wearing screed to provide resistance to abrasion and trafficking. With a waterborne formulation, it releases no hazardous solvents or heavy odour so is safe to use in enclosed or public areas.
Versatile Flooring Protection
As well as external applications, Cemprotec Levelling Coat is ideal for the protection of internal floors and deck areas and can be used in environments such as food and beverage manufacturing plants and other facilities where it is important that any food or drink products produced are not tainted. It is ideal for application to uneven and tamped concrete and both level and sloping substrates.
With excellent adhesion to concrete, Cemprotec Levelling Coat can be applied to floors with no effective waterproofing membrane without risk of osmotic blistering. Cemprotec Levelling Coat is designed for application to saturated concrete substrates, making it ideal for this project in an exposed external location. It has exceptional waterproofing properties with low permeability to water, resisting 10 bar positive and negative pressure. It is also CE-Marked in compliance with the demands of BS EN 1504, the pan European standard for concrete repair, as well as being CE-Marked in accordance with BS EN 13813 Screed Material and Floor ScreedsClass CT-C40-F10-AR1.
For this project, Cemprotec EF Grit was cast into the Cemprotec Levelling Coat to provide anti-slip protection, so that operatives carrying out maintenance are not at risk of slipping in the hazardous conditions. Cemprotec Levelling Coat can also be overcoatedwithin just 24 hours of application and is compatible with most proprietary top coat systems, including polyurethanes, PMMA resin flooring, polyureas and epoxy-based systems.