Client: Exeter City Council
Main contractor: SWCR LTD
Work involved: Concrete Repairs and Specialist Coatings
Date: December 2018
The Brief
We were contacted by Sands Civil & Structural Chartered Engineers to visit site to determine the causes for cracks and other defects to the covered front first floor balcony and three cantilevered balconies on the rear elevation.
The Solution
South West Concrete repairs were contracted to carry out investigative survey works to determine the cause and extent of the defects. SWCR carried out a visual survey, acoustic hammer test, carbonation depth tests, chloride tests, cover meter survey and intrusive breakouts. The chloride tests were sent off to a UKAS accredited laboratory for testing and results. Once the testing works were completed and the results were sent back from the laboratory SWCR compiled a fully itemised specification for remedial repair works. This consisted of concrete repairs, balcony deck coatings and protective anti-carbonation coatings. SWCR were contracted again to carry out the remedial works at a later date. SWCR started off by breaking out all of the repairs and the existing balcony deck coatings, all steel reinforcement was then cleaned and treated using a steel primer. The balcony decks were then repaired and coated in a balcony deck coating. All other defects were then repaired and coated using an anti-carbonation coating.