Type of works: supply and installation of Mapei tiling materials.

Mapei products have recently been used to successfully install the extensive areas of flooring within the prestigious new Terminal 5 building at Heathrow Airport. The terminal, which can accommodate up to 30 million passengers annually, opened in April this year, with a total cost of £4.3 billion. Specified Mapei products have honoured the aesthetic concept and quality of the building with a variety of tiling installation materials, covering a staggering 120,000m². Whether it’s ceramic, porcelain or stone tiles, for covering floors or walls, Mapei provided the solution with their substrate preparation, fixing and grouting products.

Tile Specialists, Domus Tiles of Surrey, provided the majority of tiling products and contractors; Vetter UK of Manchester, Grants of Shoreditch, London, DeCourt Commercial Limited, Slough and Tiletec of Surrey provided a strong network for the project.

Mapei Topcem, high-performance screed was installed by Grants of Shoreditch to prepare the vast substrate, its fast-drying properties permitting the installation of ceramic tiles after just 24 hours and stone materials after only 3 days.

Domus Tradizionale Composite Marble Honed finish tiles 597 x 597 were chosen for the bulk of the main concourse, fixed with Mapei Granirapid, two-component, rapid set flexible adhesive with extraordinary bonding properties especially suitable for floors subject to heavy foot traffic, and grouted with Mapei Keracolor FF, polymer modified cementitious grout for 0-6mm, available in 18 colours. Domus’ Composite Stone tiles were used for both the International Departures and the VIP lounge floor areas. The ancillary areas were fitted with Domus’ porcelain tiles: Stontech, I Grandi and Newstone and fixed using Mapei Keraquick, flexible fast setting adhesive and again grouted with Keracolor FF.

Among the highlights of the new terminal was the impressive Harrods retail outlet. Mapei’s top quality products and comprehensive range was in harmony with the ambience of the world famous store; 1,200 x 600mm Domus Composite Stone tiles were again installed with Granirapid and grouted with Keracolor FF completing the job to a high finish. These same professional standards were continued within the new Dixons store and throughout other areas of the terminal building.

As well as the extensive tile installation, Mapei products were used for areas requiring a resin floor surface, such as the rail station, Track Transfer System (TTS) maintenance areas and 10,000m² of corridors. In total, 16,000m² of resin flooring was laid by DeCourt Commercial Limited. 3,000m² of flooring in the rail station included a product system of two-component, solvent-free, epoxy primer, Primer SN, laid on a Topcem screed, followed by Mapefloor I 350 SL, a two-component, solvent-free, multi-purpose, neutral-coloured epoxy formulate for finishing industrial floors, used with Mapecolor Paste in RAL 7047. Mapefloor I 350 SL is a Class 1 Fire Rated product – a major factor for it’s specification at T5.

10,000m² of corridors at T5 were finished with Mapecoat I 24, a two component epoxy paint for the acid resistant coating of concrete surfaces, a further 3,000m² of flooring in the TTS maintenance areas was coated with Mapefloor I 600 W, two component transparent epoxy finish dispersed in water, Mapecolor Paste in RAL 7001 was added to provide the desired colour.

Mapei is the world’s largest manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for building. With over 70 years experience, Mapei is a specialist in the production of quality products for the installation of all types of wall and floor coverings, and has a vast range of admixtures and repair products for concrete and building materials.