Solution: Concrete Repair & Protection
The Royal British Legion Poppy Factory in Richmond has been manufacturing a national emblem – the Remembrance poppy – for nearly 90 years. When the external columns of its manufacuring facility began to suffer from structural corrosion, Cemplas Waterproofing and Concrete Repairs was appointed to complete the repairs – specifying a wide range of products from global building products manufacturer, Sika.
The landmark Poppy Factory employs disabled Service related people in the production ofwreaths, crosses and poppies for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. To ensure the safety of the workers, as well as preventing disruption to this crucial year-round manufacturing process, extensive external concrete repairs were required.
Following a site survey and investigation, Cemplas discovered that the building’s external brickwork columns were breaking away from the structure due to deterioration to the I-beam – a horizontal structural steel support element. To repair this, a market-leading concrete repair system from Sika was specified, incorporating Sika Armorex Armorcrete and Sika Monotop 620.
After applying additional steel reinforcements to the cleaned I-beam and brickwork, Cemplas started remedial repair work on the building’s columns. To ensure the repaired columns matched the existing columns exactly, Cemplas cut and formed shutters on site and filled these with Sika Armorex Armorcrete, a flowable, cementitious, micro-concrete repair system.
Once the shuttering was removed, any minor defects were eradicated using Sika Monotop 620, to leave a perfect repair and replacement of the original columns.Sika Monotop 620 is a cementitious polymer-modified mortar containing silica fume. It is used as a finishing and protective top coat to restore surface impaired concrete and provide a continuously, smooth surface.
The concrete repair work was followed by the comprehensive application of a protective and decorative coating to the building’s facade, using a Sikagard 552W primer and the one-part plasto-elastic Sikagard 550W top coat. With a proven track record and an efficient, simple installation process on site, the range of Sika products allowed Cemplas to complete a cost effective and reliable repair system to prolong the life of this landmark British building.
With the Sika concrete repair system and anti-carbonation finish complete, the building‘s attractive new appearance and improved structural integrity will provide a safe environment for the continued manufacture of millions of poppies – carrying on the proud tradition started by Major George Howson in 1922.