Stubbs Mews

One of the residential elements of the scheme comprises 17 modular properties sat atop an under-croft car park; an 800m² podium deck needed waterproofing to protect the car park from future water ingress.

Complete with an array of complex detailing, including upstands, balustrades, and penetrations through slabs, as well as a dry riser, the system needed to be flexible and hardy.

Situated within 8m of the Ashton canal and running parallel with the waterway, the podium deck would cover the car park and provide a platform for the houses. Sited at the centre of the slab, the homes were paved at the front and featured gardens to the rear. Finally, speed was also essential for this project, with strict handover deadlines necessitating a tight installation window.

Sikalastic®-800 HA, a liquid-applied system, was specified for the project; an ideal solution thanks to how quickly and easily it can be applied. Previously used on a similar podium deck installation, the system was recommended for its capabilities with complicated detailing.

Required for compatibility with a pedestal-mounted paving system, the waterproofing solution had to be free-flowing during installation and also bond to vertical upstands.

Sikalastic®-800 HA was applied to an elevated, reinforced concrete floor slab and returned approx. 150mm high to concrete upstands on properties and metal at both front and rear slab edges.

Installer Quickseal Special Projects Ltd estimates that the liquid-applied system was up-to 50% quicker to apply versus a membrane solution, thanks to its malleability to work around obstructions. It subsequently negated the need for cutting, laying, and addressing air pockets with either glue or heat welding.

Complemented with two coats of Sikalastic Primer-01, a low solvent primer, Sikalastic®-800 HA comfortably accommodated Stubbs Mews’ complexities, providing Urban Splash and its Manchester residents with a waterproofing system guaranteed for 15 years.

Dave Parry, contracts director, Quickseal Special Projects Ltd, said: “This was the definition of a fast-track programme; modular housing complemented with quick-to-install materials. We’d used Sikalastic®-800 HA for a similar scheme and recommended it for its suitability for this project – it’s ideal for complicated surfaces.”