Perfect fill for dock leveller at ASDA

Vencel Resil's Fillmaster product used by Harris Construction Management for the conversion of a warehousing unit for ASDA in Belvedere, Kent.

The project involved 6,000 square metres of Vencel Resil's Fillmaster product, which was specified by RPS Burkes Green and used to construct a dock leveller inside the building.

The floor level of the building was raised by 1.1 metres to allow vehicles to reverse up to the new floor level, to make loading and unloading much quicker and easier.

The material was then covered with a 200mm concrete slab.

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) provided the perfect solution because being so close to the River Thames, the added weight of traditional fills would have caused high levels of settlement, with possible implications for the existing foundations.

The lateral forces created by the traditional fill would have created issues with the perimeter wall.

The alternative, of excavating around the building was not an option either because of the relatively high water table caused by the proximity to the river.

Adrian Walker, Technical Sales Manager for Vencel Resil, said: "Fillmaster was the perfect choice on this project because of the fact that it is so lightweight, with a high strength to weight ratio".

"The added issue of being close to the river meant an alternative solution had to be found".

"Fillmaster provided a very cost effective method of achieving the required infill to create the dock leveller, making for a much more functional building".

James Philips from Harris Construction said: "Fillmaster provided the perfect solution to this building's refurbishment".

"It was also much more practical than traditional hardcore infill that would have required many more deliveries to site and specialist handling equipment".

"Fillmaster was easy to handle and install on site and a perfect solution".

"The simple solutions are often the best - and it's certainly true in this case!".

Fillmaster is one of a new generation of fill materials that is lightweight, yet still offers an extremely high level of strength.

It is being widely used in many construction and civil engineering projects across the country and is preferred by contractors because it is easier to handle and quicker to install.

It also has very positive long term benefits as it remains stable for the lifetime of the structure and has no harmful environmental effects.

Fillmaster is available in a range of different grades to accommodate varying load bearing requirements.

The product also helped to minimise the environmental impact because EPS does not absorb water which means that it eliminated the possibility of leaching often associated with traditional fill materials.

Expanded polystyrene has been used for over 30 years in the construction of roads, for bridge abutments, bridge underfill, noise bunds, retaining walls, soft and hard landscaping and a whole host of other ground and civil engineering applications.

EPS scores zero both for ODP (ozone depletion potential) and for GWP (global warming potential), making it the perfect environmental choice.

In addition, EPS has been given an "A+" rating in the BRE's Green Guide to Specification.

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