Initial contacts 'big dig' assisted by Instarmac

Instarmac's Ultracrete Flowpoint and Ultracrete EPR-9 were finally chosen as part of 'Big Dig' programme for the renewal and regeneration of Liverpool.

Liverpool's preparations, in anticipation of the City celebrating its 800th anniversary in 2007 and of becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2008, are well underway.

Under the 'Big Dig' programme, Liverpool is investing GBP3 billion in the renewal and regeneration of the city and its local environment over the next decade and a number of large projects are already complete.

A number of key contractors are involved in making the project a success, with one of the primary aims being to minimise inconvenience and disruption caused to the local community.

The renovation of Oldham Square, where new granite setts have been installed, formed part of the regeneration programme and Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering was appointed as the main contractor for this project.

Bearing in mind the high standards set by Liverpool City Council, the contractor invited Tamworth based streetscape product manufacturer, the Instarmac Group plc, to take part in the material trials to determine the best solution to meet the project criteria.

Whilst a number of material trials were conducted, Instarmac's Ultracrete Flowpoint and Ultracrete EPR-9 were finally chosen.

A major reason for the specification of Ultracrete Flowpoint, which also meets the demands of BS7533 for rigid construction of streetscape projects, was the high quality finished appearance of the material, which was generally agreed to be quite different to the other materials trialled.

The granite setts used to create the tree grills were bedded into Instarmac's Ultracrete EPR-9 epoxy resin mortar.

The high strength, waterproof and chemical resistant mortar can be used at thicknesses between 5mm and 50mm.

It initially hardens in just one hour, achieves a compressive strength of 24N/m 24 hours and is fully cured in seven days at 20C.

Finally, Ultracrete Flowpoint rapid setting grout, specifically formulated for applications where a fluid consistency and early trafficking are essential, was applied to grout between all the setts using a slurry method.

Before the material had fully set, it was subject to an aggressive cleaning procedure in order to impart an exposed aggregate finish.

The Oldham Square project was completed on time and to the desired high quality standard, with minimal inconvenience caused to commuters.

The perceived risk of cracking and disintegration of the joints; often caused as a result of the aggressive action of street cleaning machines, has been all but eliminated due to the highly durable properties of Ultracrete Flowpoint.

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