Canada Water

Project description

British Land’s 53-acre Canada Water Masterplan is one of the largest mixed-used regeneration projects underway in the Capital and is set to become London’s first ‘new town’ in 50 years. The development will transform the historic docklands of the Rotherhithe peninsula with the creation of new homes, workspaces, retail, leisure, and entertainment facilities as well as new community spaces and a public park.

As part of the first phase of the Canada Water development, a new six-storey residential building has been created, providing 70 affordable homes. Each home not only benefits from stunning dual-aspect views of the surrounding area but also a wide range of sustainable features including air source heat pumps. The stunning façade of the new building has been created using precast brick slip panels and Sika has played a key role in helping to ensure that one of the first buildings at Canada Water will stand the test of time.

Project Requirements

The waterside location of the Canada Water development and the new residential building, known as Plot K1, required a considered approach to ensure the multi-storey building was suitably protected from water ingress and that the façade expansion joints could also withstand any movement caused by thermal expansion and contraction. Maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the building was also a key requirement and Sika Hyflex 250 Façade sealant, with an aggregate finish, gave the perfect balance of a waterproof yet attractive appearance.

Solution

Specified as part of a high-performance system, Sika 3N primer was first applied to seal the porous precast concrete and brick substrate and promoter greater adhesion. This was followed by Sika Hyflex 250 Façade sealant which was used to seal the expansion joints of the brick panels, preventing the risk of water ingress. The flexibility of the sealant, which performs to ASTM C 920 class +100/-50, maintains the structural integrity of the brick slip panels by accommodating any movement caused by thermal expansion and contraction.

As Sika Hyflex 250 Façade sealant is available in a wide range of colours, the product was colour-matched to the façade materials to provide a unified and attractive finish. This was enhanced through the addition of an aggregate ‘sand’ finish which gave the sealant a mortar-like appearance.Solvent free and completely odourless, the low emissions of the product also made it the perfect choice for such a high profile scheme that prioritises sustainable construction methods.

Name of project: Canada Water, Plot K1

Client: McAleer & Rush