Mapei provides water-tight solution at transformed Plymouth Life Centre

A raft of Mapei systems have been used at Plymouth Life Centre, as part of a complete upgrade from the ground up.  The Plymouth City Council venue, located in Plymouth’s Central Park, provides a wide range of sports facilities including an extensive aquatic centre.  Mapei products were specified for all pool areas and the changing village by Architects, Atkins Global Ltd for main contractor, Balfour Beatty. Installation of all Mapei products was carried out by leading flooring contractor, DMC Contracts.

Home in the past to British Olympian’s, Tonia Couch and Tom Daley, Plymouth Life Centre boasts one of the country’s leading diving pools, as well as an Olympic-sized competition pool, splash pools and waterslides.  Closure during the pandemic enabled main contractor, Balfour Beatty, to carry out remedial works through all wet areas.  Mapei systems, from numerous product lines, were used throughout all tiled areas, including pool surfaces, surrounds and edges, walls, and pool drainage channels, throughout the changing room village and in storerooms.  Tight deadlines and issues identified during remedial works created numerous challenges and specification of high performance, rapid drying systems was key.  The complete Mapei specification spanned 24 individual products, with works completed by DMC Contracts between August 2020 and August 2021.  Mapei systems included:

Mapeguard WP 200 alkali-resistant waterproofing and anti-fracture membrane, which was used throughout 3500m² and fixed with Keraquick S1 rapid set flexible adhesive.

Planitop Fast 330 rapid-set levelling mortar and Nivoplan - used to render the pool hall, dive pool walls and pool equipment stores.

Within the dive pool, Mapenet EM40 pre-impregnated alkali-resistant glass fibre mesh, Mapelastic Smart two-component, highly flexible cementitious water membrane, along with Mapeband waterproofing system and Mapenet 150 alkali-resistant glass fibre mesh. Also, Mapeband TPE flexible waterproof tape for all movement joints - bonded with Adesilex PG4 two-component thixotropic epoxy adhesive – and Planiseal 88 osmotic cementitious mortar to waterproof drainage channels around the pool.

Mapei Eporip two-component solvent-free epoxy adhesive was used to bond Topcem fast drying hydraulic screed, for the pool surround and store rooms.

Products used within the changing village included: Topcem Screed, Nivoplan levelling mortar,

Mapemortar HBR3 repair mortar for general concrete repair works, Mapethene LT self-adhesive bitumen waterproofing membrane and Plastimul bituminous emulsion waterproofer. Mapefill GP High Flow grout was used to embed floor drainage channels and for void filling.

For preparation of the spectator viewing areas, the specification included Latexplan No Ammonia fast-setting cement-based levelling compound, Latexplan Trade Fast two-part rapid setting, fast drying smoothing compound and Planiprep Fix ultra-fast drying skimcoat compound.

Mapei Kerapoxy Adhesive – a two-component epoxy in grey and white was used throughout all tiled areas.  Also, Kerapoxy two-component acid resistant epoxy grout - 100 white on walls and 119 London Grey on floors. To re-profile pool surround steps and the pool edges, Mapemortar HBR3 concrete repair mortar was used extensively.

Mapei Primer FD bond enhancer and Mapesil AC mould-resistant acetic silicone sealant were used for all movement joints within the centre’s tiled areas.