Park House Stables, Kingsclere, Newbury

Building an access road at this specific location meant that it needed to cater to both road vehicles, such as cars, vans and trailers and horses. This in turn meant any concrete solution proposed needed to be robust with non-slip properties.

A large part of the project’s requirements was also to benefit the horses’ welfare. The animals are very prized by their owners, both emotionally and financially, therefore were of course a key consideration when planning the road.

Sika worked together with Kendalls Newbury to propose a concrete solution to fit the brief which would benefit the stables for years to come.

For the job, L J Morrissey Contracts Ltd were asked to provide a 150mm deep slab containing structural fibre, rather than using traditional reinforced mesh method. This is due to the rising cost in steel fabric together with the reduced construction timeline that comes with using fibre reinforced concrete.

It was agreed that SikaFiber® Enduro® HPP 50 (structural macro fibres) and Sika® Fibermesh®-150 (micro fibres) together would be the ideal solution for the new concrete access road.

This blend of fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) is perfect for improving the durability and toughness of concrete and mortar. Fibres in concrete help reduce shrinkage cracks, increase strength, energy absorption and reduce dangerous spalling at high temperatures.

Kendalls Newbury played a key role in supplying the concrete mixture to the contractor, using its expertise to provide more accurate details regarding product volume, answering any questions the contractor had and generally putting the team at ease for the job.

Removing the need for steel mesh meant L J Morrissey Contracts Ltd could work within the road area, with lorries pouring directly at the source and without the need for re-handling, keeping the cost down without the labour needed for steel fixing. FRC is quicker to install in comparison to traditional mesh and the new solution saved time on the job.

Additionally, the use of a cylindrical roller striker to complete the road gave it the rough texture needed to make it non-slip and combat against skidding in icy and wet conditions.

Lee Morrissey of L J Morrissey Contracts Ltd commented: “Overall the road is very strong, a great improvement and the customer is very happy with the result!

“The use of SikaFiber® Enduro® HPP 50 and Sika® Fibermesh®-150 meant that we were able to create a road designed for different weather conditions which will also stand the test of time.

“Being able to pour concrete straight into the location from the truck significantly reduced our project time and, as a result, allowed the stables to be back functioning with minimal disruption.”

*Front cover image supplied courtesy of Park House Stables