Product category:
Waterproofing, Sealants and Adhesives
News Release from: Sika | Subject: Concrete car park structures
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 25 October 2006
Concrete car park structures
Sika has categorised six critical areas for new and existing structures to ensure a long, trouble-free life for car park structures.
Systems and solutions for concrete car park structures There are many aspects of construction and maintenance that are peculiar to concrete multi-storey car parks
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 8 Sep 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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The client, architect, structural engineer and those responsible for maintenance have to consider a myriad of issues surrounding a construction that is constantly under assault from continuous vehicle movements, exhaust pollution and exposure to inclement weather.
Sika, the construction materials supplier, has categorised six critical areas for new and existing structures for which systems and solutions must be on hand to successfully combat this daily barrage and ensure a long, trouble-free life for car park structures.
These are outlined as follows: Watertightness.
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It is essential to start with a high-performance product for new and precast concrete with proven watertightness, long-term resistance to the effects of freeze/thaw, de-icing salts and steel reinforcement corrosion.
Repair and replacement.
Several reliable products and systems are essential for the repair and replacement of concrete damaged as a result of freeze/thaw attack and surface erosion or damage due to cracking and spalling over corroding steel reinforcement.
Decking systems.
The decking is the area that has to withstand almost constant abrasion from vehicle movements and foot traffic.
Decking systems must therefore provide watertight, abrasion- and slip-resistant surfaces that prevent water and de-icing salt penetration, yet must allow crack-bridging movement on upper decks and colour coded zones for disabled parking bays, walkways etc Concrete protection.
There is also a requirement to protect the concrete against latent damage and prevent future ingress of water, de-icing salts and aggressive atmospheric influences such as carbon dioxide and other acidic gases.
Joint sealing.
Multi-storey car parks inherently tolerate movement.
Therefore the watertight sealing of expansion, isolation and the day-work construction joints must be designed for movement - and movement in more than one direction.
Structural strengthening.
This is only necessary if there is insufficient reinforcement or the structure needs to carry additional load.
Systems and solutions.
The solutions to these critical considerations are well covered within the Sika range of systems for car parking structures, from roof to floor.
Sika Trocal roofing.
These systems are generally based on flexible PVC single ply roof waterproofing membranes.
They can be installed as mechanically attached, adhered or ballasted, with or without insulation.
Pioneered in Germany in 1962 they have an admirable, proven track record and are only supplied to and laid by Licensed Contractors.
The flexible nature of these products allows them to cope with building movements without failure.
Concrete additives.
These include a range of plasticisers, water reducing superplasticisers and waterproofing and corrosion inhibiting admixtures.
The addition of a plasticiser to the concrete mix will produce more uniformly cohesive quality concrete to meet the specification and needs of contractors, consulting engineers and architects.
Concrete repair systems.
A range of repair mortars, both epoxy resin and cementitious grouting systems for filling cracks and voids, including the Sikadur epoxy injection and bonding systems.
The mortars are either hand or spray applied on multi storey car parks and large civil projects providing corrosion protection, prevention of carbonation, water and chloride penetration and increase in freeze/thaw resistance.
The Sika range includes innovative systems such as the Sika Monotop systems that are single bags that only require water to be added.
Structural waterproofing.
Below ground waterproofing of basement car parks can be technically challenging for designers and contractors, with construction techniques ranging from sheet piled cofferdam walling allowing slight water seepage to post construction pre-bagged waterproof cementitious mortar systems.
In most cases, the client requires a leak free form of construction, not only designed to extend the structure's life but also to ensure that car park users are offered a dry, aesthetically pleasing environment to leave their vehicles.
Joint sealants.
Sika offers a comprehensive range of proven facade and floor movement joint sealants ideally suited to the demanding sealing requirements found at concrete car park structures.
Crucially all the Sika joint sealants are fully tested for compatibility with their concrete repair systems and many floor and faandccedil;ade coating systems.
Following extensive investment in new product development, Sika have recently introduced SikaFlex AT Faandccedil;ade, a new generation PU/hybrid faandccedil;ade joint sealant which is part of a new range of advanced technology (AT) elastic joint sealants and adhesives offering new standards of durability, weathering ability and adhesion.
Protective coatings.
Sika anti carbonation coatings are used extensively in car park construction to meet the most demanding conditions on concrete structures.
Sika are the first company in the UK to possess a full repair and coating certificate, which has been reissued after extensive investigation by the British Board of Agrandeacute;ment of previous projects completed with Sika products.
Structural strengthening.
Sika offers a complete range of structural strengthening systems including, SikaDur synthetic resin adhesives; Sika CarboDur carbon fibre reinforced polymer strips for external structural strengthening; SikaWrap carbon, aramid and glass fibre structural fabrics for external structural strengthening.
The Carlton Street Car Park in Scunthorpe was given a new lease of life when Sika CarboDur was used in the structural strengthening of the soffit areas which were subsequently protected with SikaColor, a decorative anti-carbonation coating.
Sikafloor.
These systems are in use in car parks throughout Europe and include pumped screeds, deck waterproofing resin systems (screeds, coatings and polyurethanes), modifiers for cementitious screeds, pumped concrete and dust sealers.
Case study.
Sikafloor decking systems have recently been installed at an award-winning car park owned by Norwich City Council.
The new 1000-space St Andrews multi-storey car park is the winner of the British Parking Awards 2006 Best New Car Park award.
The St Andrews car park was designed by Hill Cannon Partnership and built by Amec.
The 27,000m2 of concrete decking on six levels has been treated using Sikafloor protective systems applied by specialist contractors, Mitie Flooring.
On the ground floor (Level 1), where no structural movement is expected, Sikafloor-156 primer was applied to the slab, followed by Sikafloor-261, a two-component epoxy resin system.
On the other five decks and ramps, where structural movement was a consideration, the Sikafloor primer was followed by an application of Sikafloor-350, a highly elastic, crack-bridging polyurethane waterproof membrane and then sealed with Sikafloor-354, a tough elastic epoxy sealer coat.
Sikafloor-350 was specified for its excellent dynamic and static crack-bridging ability, even at temperatures as low as minus 20andordm;C.
These specialist car park decking systems provide an extremely hardwearing, abrasion, slip- and chemical-resistant surface.
In addition to being exceptionally durable, the Sikafloor systems allow free use of colour.
The main parking areas at St Andrews are in light grey and the disabled areas are highlighted in blue and yellow.
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