A Project Set to Revive Birmingham
The grand opening of Birmingham New Street Station, Grand Central Shopping Centre and John Lewis flagship store on the 20th of September marked the completion of an ambitious plan to revamp the old concrete edifice.
CSC Screeding is proud to have been part of this prestigious two-year project, working on behalf of Elliot Thomas Group, a UK leading provider of construction services, and their client Mace Group Ltd.
Our screeders have plenty of experience in delivering sound, durable, flawless screeds under almost any circumstance and are very familiar with a wide variety of screed products, primers, adhesives and floor coverings. However, this project posed some unique challenges:
Stringent Health and Safety rules related to the rail industry. 3 members of the team complete induction
Challenge: This was a live site, with trains arriving once every 37 seconds and letting out a total of 17,000 passengers every day. Any delays from the contractors could potentially cause delays that would impact the rail service throughout the country. Daily updates from Network Rail meant changes in the schedule to accommodate trains, passengers and other trades.
Solution: It was clear that our site management practices would have to be more flexible than usual to accommodate the needs of the project. Our customer-focused approach along with our mixture of patience, professionalism and flexibility helped us become the go-to screed guys for the project. As a result, we were soon screeding far more than the 4,500 sq.m. that we were originally contracted for.
Challenge: The project required us to adhere to mandatory National Rail Health and Safety regulations that far exceed those of a normal construction site.
Solution: The entire CSC team underwent National Rail Health and Safety training to ensure that everyone understood and complied with the regulations.
Challenge: The project required the screed to be laid with two different specifications: 60mm ready mix with 5mm Tuf-Top and 70mm ready mix with vinyl laid by others.
Solution: TruScreed was selected, a ready-mixed proprietary screed formulation able to provide a high-performance, perfectly level and flat substrate, suitable for all floor finishes. To better control shrinkage, curling and cracking, and to give sub-floors the extra toughness needed, the screed was pre-mixed with PP fibres. In some areas, Tuf-Top, a proprietary industrial grade system was installed according to project specifications to deliver a smooth surface with superior impact and abrasion resistance. As workers were able to walk on newly screeded surfaces and install final floor finishes after a short time, the work continued at a rapid rate. Since the new floors required zero maintenance after the application, the project was considered a huge success.
CSC operative, floor preparation prior to “Tuf Topping”
Challenge: We needed 10 tonnes of ready-mixed screed delivered to the site each day. Working in a city centre coupled with lack of on-site storage facilities meant that a delay in delivery could led to wasted batches of screed.
Solution: 10 tonnes of ready-mixed screed were delivered daily in bags, on pallets and in scattered locations. The screed was then moved to the areas where our screeders were working, creating a just-in-time delivery system.
A fully working station with the public and construction staff on site during the project lifecycle
Successful projects like Birmingham New Street Station combined with our excellent product knowledge, extensive experience, solid foundation and rapid growth have established CSC Screeding as one of the leading floor screeding contractors across South East England and throughout the UK. To find out more information about the floor screeding solutions we provide or to request a free quote for your project, please call our specialists at 0845-500-4055.