UltraScape helps to preserve historic thoroughfare
26th May 2017UltraScape’s BS 7533 mortar paving system has been used to rejuvenate a busy high street in Wakefield as part of plans to regenerate the area.
Albion Court is an historic, well used thoroughfare which had deteriorated considerably and posed a health and safety risk to pedestrians.
Wakefield Council, in line with English Heritage conservation principals, uplifted and re-laid the 80 year old cobbles to help preserve and enhance the historic surface using UltraScape’s mortar paving system.
The reclaimed cobbles were bedded using UltraScape Pro-Bed HS which provided a perfect bound base for the paving elements. It can be laid up to 75mm in one pass, with greater depths achievable using successive layers. The fast strength gain of Pro-Bed HS allows pedestrian areas to be trafficked in as little as 12 hours. It was supplied in 25kg bags and 1 tonne bulk bags and 30 tonne silos for the larger areas.
Manhole covers and gullies were reinstated using UltraScape’s Resi-Bed resinous mortar. The product provides exceptional strength and bond for areas under extreme stresses. It withstands the inherent flex that covers endure under traffic loading and is perfectly suited for bonding to steel.
UltraScape Pro-Prime was applied between the paving elements and bedding mortar. The addition of a slurry primer is essential to yield a bond strength compliant with BS 7533 and helps prevent costly failures.
UltraScape’s Flowpoint has a high fluid consistency and was ideal for grouting the varying joint widths and depths created by the cobbles. Simple to use, it was poured over the area and washed clean, filling all joints evenly, without staining. This slurry method provides a fast, cost effective and robust way of grouting large, intricate areas, quickly. Furthermore, Flowpoint can be open to foot traffic in just one hour, minimising time on site and disruption to pedestrians. It is available in two colours; charcoal and natural grey, the latter of which was selected for this project as it complements the cobbles perfectly.
Projects incorporating BS 7533 compliant materials benefit from a reduction in failures and considerable whole life cost savings. The materials have been independently and rigorously tested by UKAS accredited laboratories to assess their performance capabilities. This method removes the uncertainty of site batched mortars and offers a minimum construction life of 40 years.
‘UltraScape’s products produced outstanding results and were easy to work with and will certainly be used on other schemes in the future.’ Craig Pritchard, Wakefield Council.
For further information on UltraScape’s BS 7533 compliant mortar paving system, please visit ultrascape.co.uk or call 01827 254402.
