Mapei turns back the clock at Wellington’s Glebe Centre

A series of Mapei products have been used to complete concrete repairs at the Glebe Centre in Wellington, Telford.  Installed by specialist contractor, SCFR Ltd for property owner, Risaas Lettings Ltd, the project included concrete repairs, galvanic cathodic protection and application of Mapei protective coatings. All Mapei products were supplied by EPMS. 

A former office block, Glebe Centre is a three-storey reinforced concrete building which is being renovated into residential dwellings.   The original structure included areas of significant concrete damage and reinforcement corrosion caused by carbonation.  The building’s owners required a solution to effectively stop the corrosion of the steel reinforcement, carry out localised repairs to damaged beams and columns and to extend the life of the commercial building, through application of a protective coating.

Following removal of deteriorated concrete and cleaning of steel reinforcement.  SCFR applied Mapeshield I discrete pure zinc anodes which protect against corrosion; Mapeshield I zinc anodes are coated with a special activating paste which maintains their efficiency. 

To repair concrete, Mapei Planitop Smooth & Repair R4 Zero - a one-component rapid-set thixotropic mortar with CO₂ fully offset in the entire life cycle* - was recommended to quickly reinstate the voids and resurface some of the damaged structural elements and Mapemortar HB R3, a medium strength high build repair mortar, for deep section vertical and overhead repairs.  As temperatures were below 5°C, Mapegrout SV – a quick setting and hardening free-flow mortar, ideal for use in cold conditions - was also used for repairs.

To protect the building against the penetration of aggressive atmospheric agents, SCFR applied Malech water-based acrylic undercoat and bonding promoter, followed by Mapei Elastocolor Paint - a high performance protective, crack bridging elastic acrylic-resin based paint designed to bridge cracks and protect concrete surfaces exposed to aggressive atmospheric agents. The coating was colour matched to client requirements using Mapei’s ColorMAP swatch.

“Following an on-site meeting with Mapei at the start of the project, it commenced smoothly, without any obstacles or challenges.  The zinc anodes, repair mortars and coating were fast and easy to install and the works – which have given Glebe House a new lease of life - were completed within a couple of weeks,” commented Rob Nelson, Project Coordinator at SCFR Ltd.