Alumasc’s Hydrotech hot-melt waterproofing system has been successfully installed at a London hub for arts, entertainment, eateries and accommodation.
The County Hall is located next to the London Eye on the South Bank and was previously the headquarters for the Greater London Council. As part of a four-year refurbishment programme, County Hall Estate Management (CHEM) needed to remove and replace all existing road surfaces at the location, some of which formed a podium deck structure above the boiler room, as well as offices for the London Eye and tanks for the London Aquarium.
Alumasc says its Hydrotech waterproofing was put forward on the scheme due to its ease of installation, 20-year warranty and 50-year track record of zero product failures. The system was installed by Alumasc-registered installer Caretec, which has worked with the product for a number of years.
According to Alumasc, a major technical challenge on the scheme was that a hot asphalt layer would be installed on top of the Hydrotech system, meaning that precautions had to be taken to minimise the risk of reactivating the Hydrotech membrane on application of the hot tarmac. Alumasc’ technical team therefore worked closely with Caretec to assess the risks at different stages of the installation and to ensure that the new asphalt was laid on an appropriate protective membrane at the right temperature.
An additional challenge was the heavy flow of traffic in and around the site, which meant that disruption to site facilities had to be minimised whilst the installation of Hydrotech continued. Alumasc says this requirement was easily met due to the versatility of its product.
Speaking about the project, Mike Foster at Caretec, said:
“The existing road surface had reached the end of its life and was allowing water ingress into the basement area below. Installing Hydrotech as the waterproofing membrane layer means that the basement areas are effectively protected for the lifetime of the structure. This was important to the client, given that these spaces are integral to the daily running of many key attractions such as the London Aquarium and London Eye.
“We’ve used Hydrotech for years and have always been very pleased with how easy it is to install, and how well it performs.”
Alumasc says its Hydrotech system offers lightweight, flexible and self-healing membrane to a range of applications. To view a step-by-step installation viedo for the solution, click here
