News from Kiwa: RCI appearance + Kent case study

27 Feb 2019

Kiwa Building Products will be a gold sponsor of the Roofing, Cladding & Insulation Show, taking place 27 – 28 March at Coventry’s RICOH Arena.

The company’s Building Products team will be on stand L7, where visitors can find out about Kiwa’s BDA Agrément® offerings.

In other news, Kiwa CMT has recently completed examination, testing and analysis on ‘heritage’ mortar from the Chatham Defensive Lines in Kent.

Featuring a system of defensive ditches and bastions originating in Napoleonic times, the ‘Chatham Defensive Lines’ provided a ‘line of fire’ for the cannon defending Chatham Naval Dockyards. The lines were re-fortified during WW2.

Kiwa CMT’s examination, testing and analysis on the mortar from these defensive lines meant it could confirm the mortar is a binder rich historic High Calcium Air Lime material, with the lime binder used either in lime putty or ‘Hot Mixed Quicklime’ form.

The testing was able to identify the other main components of the mix, which include natural quartz dominated sand and potential animal hair (often used to give historic mortars and plaster an early strength).

The information will inform accurate replication of the mortar mix, allowing sympathetic repair/restoration works and avoiding any future damage from use of inappropriate cement based repair materials for this important heritage site.

Identification of historic lime and gypsum based materials is becoming an ever increasing and important requirement under the topical subject of conserving our historic buildings and structures.

Contact:

Kiwa UK Group
Kiwa House,
Melvern View Business Park,
Stella Way, Bishops Cleve,
Cheltenham. GL52 7DQ

Tel: +44 (0)1242 677877

Visit the Kiwa BDA website