The Emporium, Melbourne
CONTRACTOR: De Fazio Commercial Tiling
De Fazio Commercial Tiling has recently completed the tiling of all common areas at The Emporium, a premium retail space in the heart of Melbourne CBD. The overall project took three years to complete with the tiling component taking twelve months.
ARDEX Australia supplied a complete system for the tiling installation including waterproofing, tile adhesive and grouts to all public areas. The tiling covered an enormous area of more than 21,000m2.
ARDEX S 16 Rapid Hardening and Rapid Drying Tile and Natural Stone Adhesive, the main tiling adhesive used, was chosen for its rapid drying and reduced risk of water-staining. Early access to the tiled area was viable which helped to fast track the installation.
ARDEX A 38 Rapid Set Cement Screed was also installed. It is a screed that improves on-site efficiencies by allowing traffic shortly after application and the laying of the floor covering on the same day.
The project presented a number of challenges with much time spent on-site assessing and supporting the various areas of the project and undertaking quality assurance for the ARDEX system. Tiling was specified above 2.7 metres which required particular attention and utilised the ARDEX WA 100 Epoxy.
The central CBD location made deliveries more challenging with ARDEX having to adhere to very exact delivery times. The centre contains 225 stores over five levels so product had to be distributed throughout the entire centre.
“ARDEX Australia was thrilled to be involved with the overhaul of such an iconic building,” explained Robert Cameron, National Sales Manager, ARDEX Australia. “The project demonstrated the scope of ARDEX tiling products and combined with quality and skilled workmanship, has achieved an outstanding result.”
MYER Building, Launceston
Continuous leaks, numerous failed attempts at remedial work and concrete cancer had left Launceston’s tallest building, the Myer Building in Brisbane Street Mall, in a serious state of degradation. Several contractors using a variety of technologies had failed to remedy the problem of the leaking roof membrane and by 2010 the leaks had led to the spread of concrete cancer throughout the top four storeys of the building.
Further complications were the multi-layered finish of waterproofing products left on the roof from previous unsuccessful attempts at fixing the leaks. These included asbestos-filled bitumen torch-on sheets and HDPE membranes. There were also a collection of mobile telephone towers and safety balustrades present that were responsible for a further 220 penetrations of the existing roofing membrane.
Zaganite Specialised Coatings was commissioned to reappraise the building and specify a means of completely and successfully waterproofing the roof. Zaganite specified ARDEX TPO waterproofing membrane due to its record of achieving 100 per cent success in challenging projects such as RMIT Melbourne and University of NSW, Sydney.
ARDEX TPO is a high performance waterproofing membrane of thermoplastic polyolefin combining polypropylene and ethylene propylene rubber. The scrim-reinforced membrane combines the durability of rubber with the heat welding properties of a thermoplastic in a flexible sheet. It is hot-air welded to deliver a fully secure, consistent seam quality.
The presence of asbestos within the existing roofing membrane meant its removal was prohibitively expensive while the HDPE membrane was very difficult to bond to – in fact, previous attempts at bonding to the HDPE had failed completely, but the removal of this membrane was impractical.
Unlike almost all competitive waterproofing membranes the ARDEX TPO product could be fastened mechanically and loose laid over the HPDE. Zaganite Specialised Coatings, the applicators, employed a safe work method that ensured the fasteners were able to safely penetrate the asbestos in the bitumen sheet membrane. All penetrations and corners of the 440 square metre roof area were made easier to complete by virtue of the ARDEX TPO pre-formed corners and boots. Zaganite project manager Stuart James said the entire project was facilitated by the supervision and expertise of ARDEX Australia’s Mark Collins. Other features of the ARDEX TPO membrane are its ease and speed of installation plus its environmental credentials.
The ARDEX TPO membrane comes in 30 metre sheets, two metres wide and weighs just 1.53kg per square metre. This delivers easier handling than most other waterproofing membranes and a variety of installation options for low slope roofing applications in both refurbishment and new construction projects.
The fact that the membrane offers single ply protection with fast, hot air welded seams delivers a rapid, safe (no naked flames) installation process.
Environmentally the ARDEX TPO waterproofing membrane has some definite advantages – its chlorinefree, non-halogenated and plasticizer-free formulation, in combination with the hot-air welded seaming method, produce no emissions harmful to the environment. The membrane can also be easily recycled and has a lower manufacturing footprint than comparable systems.
A further advantage of the ARDEX TPO is that the white colour of the product creates a heat-reflective index of over 70 per cent – and a high proportion of this index is retained for the lifetime of the membrane due to its colour-fast retention properties.
Residential Apartments, St Peters
A block of residential apartments in St Peters (Sydney) has added weight to a pilot scheme currently underway in New York.
The ‘Cool Roofs’ initiative, spearheaded by NY Mayor Michael R Bloomberg and former vice president Al Gore, involves coating the roofs of various city buildings in a reflective white coating to reduce cooling costs, energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Their research reveals a cool roof absorbs 80 per cent less heat than traditional dark roofs and can significantly lower indoor temperatures.
The St Peters apartment block, built in 2002, was experiencing a number of minor roof leaks and the body corporate sought a new-generation refurbishment solution that would give longer service than the original waterproofing membrane and deliver acceptable environmental credentials.
A brand new ARDEX product, launched in November 2009, was specified for the 500m2 flat roof – ARDEX TPO is a white coloured, high performance waterproofing membrane that was originally chosen for its ease and speed of application and exceptional durability.
However, during completion of the job, a resident of one of the top storey penthouse apartments approached the ARDEX accredited installer and reported that, since the application of the waterproofing membrane, he had experienced a significant drop in temperature inside his apartment. “On a hot day, the temperature in my apartment has dropped four degrees since the new roofing membrane has been installed. I am no longer using my air conditioner as much – and my three top floor neighbours have reported the same thing,” said resident Voytek.
The TPO membrane comprises thermoplastic polyolefin combining polypropylene and ethylene propylene rubber. The scrim-reinforced membrane combines the durability of rubber with the heat welding properties of a thermoplastic in a flexible sheet. In addition, the membrane can be affixed with a water-based adhesive.
The white colour of the product creates a heat-reflective index of 70 per cent – and a high proportion of this index is retained for the lifetime of the membrane due to its colour-fast retention properties.
In addition, the TPO membrane exhibits excellent resistance to the propagation of discolouring bacteria that reduces the heat reflectivity and energy efficiency. This membrane has also been designed to support ‘green’ roofs – the product has passed the FLL (German Landscape Research, Development and Construction Society) test for root penetration resistance for roof gardens using lightweight and low maintenance sedum vegetation.
An immediate advantage of the TPO product over more conventional waterproofing membranes is its ease of installation.
The fact that the membrane offers single ply protection with fast, hot air welded seams delivers a rapid, safe (no naked flames) installation process. Environmentally the TPO waterproofing membrane has some impressive advantages – its chlorine-free, non-halogenated and plasticizerfree formulation, in combination with the hot-air welded seaming method, produces no emissions harmful to the environment. The membrane can be easily recycled – and has a lower manufacturing footprint than comparable systems.
Fire Station, Pyrmont
ARCHITECT: Group GSA
PANDOMO®: Honestone
Honestone, an award winning company specialising in flooring and wall finishes entered the Pyrmont Fire Station project into the ‘Decorative Concrete Council’ awards that were presented by the U.S. Decorative Concrete on the 17th January at the ‘World of Concrete’ that was held in Las Vegas. The flooring by Honestone won the award for cement overlays 6–50mm over 450 sqm.
The Pyrmont Fire Station was built in 1906 to address potential fire danger because of the increase in development of industry in the area during the early 1900’s. The station was staffed until 1945 when it was closed. It was then reopened in 1960 and remained active until 1994 when it closed again for minor renovations.
This iconic building was reopened again in 2007; although, the two upper floors remained unoccupied as the building was much in need of renovation. It was decided that a $2.7 million upgrade to the station would take place over a 16 month period which resulted in the station being transformed into a first-class, modern, sophisticated and functional facility.
PANDOMO® TerrazzoMicro and a polished concrete floor finish were specified for this project as the noticeably finer aggregate produced a homogeneous and elegant finish for this landmark building. The flooring system engineered by ARDEX Australia resulted in the ratios all working together, ensuring that the right amount of marble chip was displayed in the finish, something which often doesn’t happen with conventional polished concrete finishes. Whilst the TerrazzoMicro finish is considerably thinner, the strength of the floor was not sacrificed, so it was also used in high traffic areas. A white aggregate was used with a white binder in order to give the floor a nice, simple and sleek look that also assisted in accentuating the dark and face brick walls.
Rick Hendriks, Director of Honestone said ‘The finish was impeccable, extremely aesthetic and functional. Our team worked tirelessly to perfect the project and we could not be happier with the results.’
One Eleven St Georges Terrace, Perth
One Eleven St Georges Terrace is a medium sized office building that has been prominant on the Perth skyline for some time.
Located within the CBD, One Eleven St Georges Terrace waterproofing had reached its use-by-date many years ago.
Attempts had been made to maintain the existing two layer torch on system including over coating with acrylic membranes but ultimately a new waterproofing system was the only long term solution. When Mick and Simon Douglas from Waterproof Products WA were asked to look at a replacement system for this roof they immediately thought of ARDEX TPO.
As with any replacement of an existing waterproofing system one of the biggest problems is the removal of the old membrane especially from high rise buildings with limited access.
With TPO this is no longer a problem as the TPO sheets can be simply installed over the existing membrane with a minimum of preparation.
On this particular project the old waterproofing membrane was covered with 600 x 600 concrete pavers which in most cases, would need to be removed and stored while the work was carried out.
Working around plinths, vents, drains and other fittings proved to be no problem using TPO as the material can be formed and moulded to complete a watertight seal and any exposed edges were finished using ARDEX pressure seal.
TPO is one of the fastest growing low maintenance forms of roof waterproofing in the world and will prove an effective long term and low maintenance waterproofing system for One Eleven St Georges Terrace for many years to come.
Old Parliament House, Canberra
INSTALLER: Andrew Nott from S & A Sealant Canberra
Old Parliament House was opened in 1927 as the house of the Federal Parliament until 1988. Today, this significant historical building is home to a Museum depicting Australia’s rich political history. As a heritage building, constant conservation and sympathetic upgrading is required. Recent upgrading included installing a VIP disabled lift by excavating under the main entry stairs.
It was discovered during the excavation that the main entry stairs leaked severely causing minor flooding.
Eric Martin and Associates were commissioned to produce documentation and specifications for the
rectification and upgrade of the main entry stairs.
In January 2011, ARDEX products were specified and used throughout the project.
Following removal of the existing tiles and multiple applications of various membranes, ARDEX LQ 92 was used to re-establish correct falls, followed by two applications of ARDEX WPM 300 and two applications of ARDEX WPM 002 waterproof membrane. Tiles were directly applied to the membrane with ARDEX Optima tile adhesive and grouted with ARDEX FG 8.
Lure Apartments, Nelson Bay
The dream of a quiet, serene, luxury apartment within a brand new prestigious development in Nelson Bay, NSW is now a reality with a new, easily installed acoustic barrier from ARDEX Australia.
Developers of the prestigious LURE apartments stressed the importance of creating an effective sound barrier between each apartment that would not impede on strict completion deadlines or create undue strain on projected costs, yet still provide a high quality finish.
The project comprised 900 square metres of tiling over both bathrooms and external balcony areas. Local tilers, Newcastle Tiles, utilised a system of compatible ARDEX products for all aspects of the tiling and soundproofing which streamlined the process of specifying, ordering and seeking on-site technical advice during installation.
ARDEX WPM 002, a fast-setting two-part waterproofing membrane, was applied first to both balconies and bathrooms to create a waterproof barrier. This was followed by the combination of ARDEX X 56, a highly flexible tile adhesive, and ARDEX DS 40, an impact sound reduction system, to form the soundproof barrier. Tiles were then fixed directly to ARDEX DS 40.
The ARDEX DS 40 impact sound reduction system was a pivotal product in the overall project due to the pre-cut mats being a consistent thickness of 4.5mm, meaning an overall lower build height was achieved. In addition to providing an excellent uniform acoustic barrier that is essential in helping prevent noise travel between apartments, it is also an extremely fast and easy product to install, using pre-cut mats compared to traditional, messier methods. Field tests have shown that ARDEX DS 40 can reduce noise by 14dB and 18dB when used in conjunction with ARDEX X 56 flexible tile adhesive (as was the case in the Lure apartment project). Utilising the ease of application, Newcastle Tiles was able to have apprentices installing the pre-cut mats while its more experienced tilers laid the tiles – hence reducing installation time and costs.
LURE Apartments were completed on time and to great acclaim.
Jim Haworth of Newcastle Tiles puts it this way: “ARDEX constantly provide reliable, premium quality products and we were delighted with the installation of the ARDEX sound reducing system which, with its many benefits, allowed us to complete the project on time and with cost savings”.
Hoppers Crossing Warehouse
INSTALLER/APPLICATOR: Bravada Waterproofing
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Bravada Waterproofing
CHALLENGE:
50 linear metres of injection to multiply panels
100 linear metres of cosmetic repair using ARDEX RA 88
Timeline concerns (fast turnaround); painting had already commenced
Scissor lift access, difficulty working around fixed equipment (T-Port application)
Multiple tenancies
PROBLEM/ SITUATION:
Structural repair and cosmetic repair to concrete tilt panels. Panels had cracked due to land settlement and had become apparent to building tenants due to leaks coming into the building. Engineering assessment conducted and advised cracks requiring injection and cosmetic defects.
SOLUTION:
Ronald Rose (Vic Sales Manager) was initially contacted by the owner of the building via an enquiry from ARDEX Technical Services, due to his extensive knowledge gained whilst working for ARDEX New Zealand after the Christchurch earthquakes, to conduct a site visit and ascertain if ARDEX products were suitable.
A recommendation was given that repairs could proceed with the ARDEX Crack Repair and Injection System; however, an engineer’s assessment was required on cracks that were substantial. The asset owner engaged engineers and it was identified which cracks required structural injection using ARDEX RA 142, 144 and 146 and which only required aesthetical repairs with ARDEX RA 88. Bravada were engaged after an ARDEX recommendation to carry out the repairs. Due to electrical conduits and pallet racking in place on a number of walls in the varying tenancies, ARDEX RA 146 Blindside Concrete Crack Injection Epoxy Gel was chosen for these areas as the injection material due to the ability to be blindside injected.
UNIQUE ELEMENTS:
Scope of works provided onsite to Bravada team members on products to be used and where.
Using ARDEX RA 146 Blindside Concrete Crack Injection Epoxy Gel
Fast cure of ARDEX RA 88 allowed porting and injecting on the same day
Tech support onsite for initial start-up and routine visits from ARDEX representatives throughout the project
Onsite training provided to new staff members of the contractor
External painting project was not delayed and was able to be completed with minimal disruption to building occupants
Elevation Apartments, Perth
BUILDER: BGC Construction
ARCHITECT: Hassell
CONTRACTORS: Direct tiles Mandurah, All waterproofing solutions
The Elevation Apartments are a prestigious development right in the heart of Perth’s Central Business District.
Reaching over 100 metres into the Perth skyline, the Elevation Apartments consist of 138 luxury apartments spanning over 29 levels that offer stunning views from every direction.
North facing apartments offer district and city views whilst South and South West facing apartments overlook the Swan River, Kings Park, South Perth to Applecross with glimpses of the Indian Ocean.
The main challenge faced by the building contractor was that all the balconies were falling towards the apartments instead of away.
To resolve this, ARDEX was asked to provide a system recommendation that would correct the falls and waterproof the balconies before the tiling commenced.
ARDEX K 005 was selected as a screed to create the required falls. K 005 was an important component as it enabled tiling to commence a lot sooner than conventional sand cement screeds.
Following the K 005 screed, WPM 002 was used as the waterproofing membrane, then Abaflex adhesive and FG 8 grout.
Internally all the wet area’s were installed with WPM 002 waterproofing membrane, X 10 and Abaflex adhesive.
Two layers of WPM 180 shelterbit torch applied membrane was used on the entire rooftop, pool deck, plant rooms and podium levels prior to being ballasted by a brick paving system.
The Elevation Apartments were completed in July 2010 and are destined to become an icon of the Perth City Skyline.
Bresic Whitney Offices, Sydney
INSTALLER: Concrete Artisans – www.concreteartisans.com.au
BUILDER: SPM – www.sherington.com.au
ARCHITECT: Chenchow Little Architects – www.chenchowlittle.com
PROJECT ADDRESS: 318 Liverpool St Darlinghurst
The original plan for the Bresic Whitney office in Surry Hills was to leave a 70mm set down to pour a topping slab and then polish this to create an industrial polished concrete look. In researching this method, time concerns surfaced, as the topping slab would take 4 – 5 weeks to dry before polishing. This was coupled with access & logistic concerns because of the location of the project. In researching this PANDOMO FloorPlus was introduced into the mix to alleviate concerns relating to drying times & installation.
Although PANDOMO FloorPlus and A 38 screed were not as cost effective as polishing a topping slab on paper, a proper cost comparison was prepared by Chenchow Little Architects. In this cost comparison they found that the rapid drying ability of the 65mm A 38 screed (Approximately 24 hours) as well as the 6mm PANDOMO FloorPlus (Also 24 hours) allowed the project to be completed in a far quicker time frame. This allowed the client to take occupation of the building far quicker than the original flooring specified to start generating an income.
An area which also needed addressing in the project was access, and PANDOMO addressed this by allowing the products which made up the system to be craned up to the 2nd level. Once up there, the system was installed in zones. This combined with the ability to walk on the newly poured floor after 3 hours allowed the project to flow without any distraction from the installation of the floor.
An additional feature of using the PANDOMO FloorPlus in the Bresic Whitney project was the ability to produce a high quality finish against composite flooring systems. In this situation the PANDOMO FloorPlus abutted timber flooring to produce a high quality finish throughout, something which is extremely difficult to achieve with a topping slab because of the excessive grinding required.
