05/03/2019
PRESTON BUS STATION
A town centre car park has been shortlisted as one of the best in the UK following its multimillion pound refurbishment for which Sika provided the quality concrete repair, protective anti-carbonation coatings and car park decking resin solutions.
The multi-storey car park, which serves Grade II-listed Preston bus station, underwent restoration as part of a larger redevelopment on behalf of the 50-year-old station’s owners, Lancashire County Council. It included the building of a new coach station, new toilets and the refurbishment of a café.
Signs of disrepair had begun to appear on the car park’s concrete structure, hence the need for its refurbishment. Visible cracks, covering an estimated 25% of surface area, were recorded across the building’s decks. Reinforcement corrosion, caused by chloride contamination, was diagnosed as the source of the problem. Asphalt, which provided a waterproof finish for the car park’s exposed top two levels, was also found to be failing. A high-performance solution was required; one that made-good surface spalls and fissures, and guaranteed the building’s long-term protection against the twin perils of damp and water ingress. Sika’s concrete repair and protection system was found to be ideal.
Contractors, Makers Construction, carried out the car park’s refurbishment. It included the installation of Sikafloor®-EB24 system, an epoxy resin-based, broadcasted and economic coloured flooring system to intermediate decks across five levels and internal ramps. This solution was also applied to parking bays and internal turning areas. Sikafloor®-RB 28 ramp system, a broadcasted, fast-curing, crack-bridging, coloured flooring system, was applied to external, entry and exit ramps. For external parapet curved areas, Sikagard®-550 W Elastic provided the high-performance, crack-bridging, protective, concrete coating. Internal soffits were protected with Sikagard®-670W, a proven, anti-carbonation protective coating for internal concrete surfaces. These coatings were chosen as they gave the longest life to first maintenance, as major requirement by the client. This huge project saw Sika concrete repair and protection systems used to cover a surface area totaling 70,000m2.
"“This was a huge project in terms of size and stature. The bus station car park is a vital town centre facility for shoppers and traders alike. We needed a concrete repair and protection system we could trust to get the job done on-time, and to the highest specification. Sika’s high-quality solution succeeded on both counts.”" Simon Lamb at Makers Construction
Opened in 2018, the bus station car park received a ‘rigorous’ assessment by police and the British Parking Association. This led to it being granted Park Mark accreditation following an appraisal that included a review of the car park’s management, maintenance, surveillance and cleanliness; criteria which is known to reduce crime and create a safer environment for drivers and their vehicles.
The car park’s refurbishment success was a combination the reliability of Sika’s repair and protection systems used in a bespoke specification to meet the needs of the client and structure alongside the application excellence of Specialist Contractors, Makers.
