Broclewood Infants School, Nottingham

Playtime at Broclewood Infants School will be a dry affair during wet weather thanks UltraCrete.

Playtime at Broclewood Infants School will be a dry affair during wet weather thanks to the installation of a new shelter for its pupils. The school wanted to make more use of its outside area as well as weather proofing part of the playground to facilitate play come rain or shine.

Canopies UK, the country’s leading designer, manufacturer and installer of canopy structures, supplied and installed the canopy using UltraCrete’s Post Fix Rapid Hardening Concrete and Instant Road Repair Cold Lay Asphalt Concrete. Their cantilever canopy system gives a purpose-built outdoor canopy where access is restricted, and the self-supporting design means there are no obstructive vertical pillars for children to bump into.

In order for structural calculations to meet the relevant criteria, Canopies UK have to use a concrete that has a compressive strength of 32(N/mm²). Most of their customers have limited access routes to the canopy area, so they require a bagged dry mix concrete which can be transported with a wheelbarrow and set at their convenience. The canopy posts were bedded using UltraCrete’s Post Fix, supplied in 25kg plastic bags, which is specifically formulated for the sub-surface installation of a range of posts, signs, fences and road side barriers.

Combining strength and durability, Post Fix significantly reduces the likelihood of movement damage at the point of fixing. It sets in 15 minutes, and serves as a fast and efficient installation. Simply mixed with approximately 2.5 litres of water, Post Fix produces a hard wearing and durable concrete and achieves a compressive strength of 32N/mm² within 7 days.

Once the posts have been installed the surface base was sprayed with UltraCrete SCJ Seal and Tack coat spray before the application of UltraCrete Instant Road Repair® Cold Lay Asphalt concrete 6mm grade. Instant Road Repair is a HAPAS Approved surfacing material for first time reinstatements which, when compacted, can be trafficked immediately. It has a high PSV of 65 and will not wear easily – ideal for areas subjected to heavy scuffing like the playground! Used with UltraCrete SCJ Seal and Tack Coat, it provides a permanent repair. Instant Road Repair is supplied in either 25kg bags or re-sealable 25kg containers, perfect for patch repairs, where small quantities are required. The tub can be re-sealed and kept for up to 6 months thus eliminating waste.

Canopies UK had previously been using an alternative cold lay product which had frequently failed. This has cost the company extra time and money as they returned to various sites, as often as 2-3 times a week, to carry out repairs. Since using UltraCrete Instant Road Repair® this issue has been eliminated. Canopies UK commented: “We have never once returned to site with a problem relating to re-instating using UltraCrete Instant Road Repair® … We have been using Instarmac for over 12 months now and I have no complaints. It is extremely rare to find this level of service combined with such great products.”

Products used

Instant Road Repair®6mm: Cold Lay Asphalt

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