Nanyang Technological University – Singapore

Project Name / Location:
Nanyang Ecology Laboratory

Owner or Architect(s):
Nanyang Technological University

ARDEX Product(s) Featured:
ARDEX R 74 SP, ARDEX R 25 SE, ARDEX WPM 300

Challenge:
The original specification was Heavy Duty PU screed flooring with high compressive strength of 55 N/mm2 and epoxy self-levelling with HACCP requirement from competitor.

Problem /Situation:
Main contractor initially insisted on the original specification and colour requirement for the consultant for approval. Our materials unable to meet the technical specification. It was a fast pace project with only less than 2 months to complete.

Solution:
We have done a product presentation with the project consultant explaining the concept of PU screed and epoxy self-levelling. Done the mock sample with different shades of grey for consultant selection. Proposed using WPM 300 as moisture barrier for the green concrete.

Unique Elements:
Giving the right and effective solutions for consultant and main contractor to complete their project in time. Maintaining the professionalism throughout the different stages of proposing and recommendation.

Lotte Department Store – Korea

General Contractors:

Lotte Engineering & Construction Co., Ltd. – Busan City, Korea

Product Featured:

ARDEX ABA 660.V Acrylic Primer
ARDEX STS 8 Superior Tensile Strength Tile Adhesive
ARDEX E 90 Mortar Admix for use with ARDEX Cement-Based Adhesives
ARDEX FG 8 Flexible Colored Grout for tile joints 1 to 8 mm wide
ARDEX PANDOMO® Wall (PANDOMO W1) Decorative finishing render

Challenges:

Porcelain tile installation over a busy train station (8,000 m2 /86,114 ft2)
PANDOMO® Wall installation in the food court (1,600 m2 /17,223 ft2)
Cellulose Fiber Cement (CRC) board substrate
Expedited installation time frame

Problem:

Built over a busy train station, the eight-story Lotte Department Store in Seoul, Korea would challenge most tile installations and wall renderings. A tile adhesive was needed to absorb the trains vibrations and have a longer working time because of high temperature in Seoul, Korea. ARDEX was asked to test their tile adhesives for the project. After the tests proved successful, ARDEX tile adhesives were approved for the installation. The developer of the project also requested the Pandomo® materials to be used on the exterior of the building. Since Pandomo® Wall is specifically designed for interior applications, the ARDEX Technical Team worked with the contractor to find a solution.

Solution:

Lotte Engineering & Construction started by coating the installation surfaces with ARDEX ABA 660.V Acrylic Primer. An acrylic primer was specified for this project, because it not only creates a strong bond, but also for its flexibility. ARDEX ABA 660.V uses the most advanced acrylic polymer technology; it is totally resistant to reemulsification in the hot humid conditions associated with the summer months in Korea. Tile installation areas received a combination of ARDEX STS 8 Superior Tensile Strength Tile adhesive and ARDEX E 90 Mortar Admix. Developed for use in areas where movement is anticipated and over fibrous cement board, the combination of these two products creates a superior bond and offers increased flexibility. Once the tiles were placed, joints were filled with ARDEX FG 8 Flexible Colored Grout. ARDEX FG 8 was selected, because it is polymer fortified, making it flexible to resist cracking from the vibrations caused by the train station below. ARDEX FG 8 is mold and water resistant, and its smooth finish also reduces the amount of trapped pollutants, making it perfect for a busy department store installation. To give the food court a luxurious feel, ARDEX PANDOMO® Wall was applied. ARDEX PANDOMO® Wall was the best choice for this installation because of its bond strength, and superior tensile strength. ARDEX PANDOMO® Wall can be customized to create a unique visual experience by selecting from various color options and textures. These properties help guarantee a long-lasting beautiful installation. Because of the ARDEX Sales and Technical Teams, Lotte Department Store can expect their beautiful, low maintenance installation will last over a long period of time.

Sydney Opera House – Australia

Installer/Applicator:

BetterTiles – Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia

General Contractor:

John Holland – Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia

Architect:

Original Architect – Jørn Utzon and son Jan Utzon
Collaborator – Johnson Pilton Walker – Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Product

Featured:

ARDEX Multiprime Water-Based Primer
ARDEX Abacrete Bonding Agent for Use with Sand / Cement Screeds and Renders
ARDEX X 77 Premium Microtec® Flexible Wall and Floor Tile Adhesive
ARDEX E90 (ARDION 90) Admix for Cement-based Tile Adhesives
ARDEX ABAPOXY High Performance Epoxy Adhesive and Grout
ARDEX SE Coloured Silicone for Sanitary Installations

Challenges:

Reproducing Jørn Utzon’s original vision
Glass reinforced concrete tile was produced specifically for the project – the first of its kind in Australia, as Jan Utzon wanted a seamless floor finish
Construction while building was being used
Irregular shaped tiles
Floor movement from stages and loading docks underneath foyer
Silicone used in perimeter and expansion joints had to match the floor to create seamless look

Problem:

Originally designed in 1956 by Jorn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House has become a world renowned modern piece of architecture. In 1999, Jorn Utzon was asked to become the official primary architect for all future projects in the opera house. In his regained role, Jorn, along with his son Jan Utzon and Richard Johnson of Johnson Pilton Walker helped design several projects. One of the projects Jorn was tasked with was the renovation of the western foyer. Design improvements included irregular tile shapes and glass reinforced concrete tiles with clear silicone expansion joints to create a seamless floor. Frequent floor movement was expected because of the stage and loading docks below the foyer, which could potentially cause the tiles to crack. Solution: To prepare the original substrate for the new tile installation, ARDEX recommended ARDEX Multiprime Water-Based Primer. ARDEX Multiprime is designed to improve adhesion of ARDEX products to various porous substrates. This primer dries in 15 to 30 minutes allowing subsequent products to be installed quickly. When applying the screed, ARDEX recommended ARDEX Abacrete Bonding Agent for use with sand/cement screeds and renders. ARDEX Abacrete is a liquid polymer additive that greatly improves the shear and tensile bond strength of the screed. To place the specialty tiles, ARDEX X 77 Premium Microtec® Flexible Wall and Floor Tile Adhesive was used in addition to ARDEX E 90 Admix for Cement-Based Tile Adhesives. ARDEX X 77 is a high performance, fiber reinforced polymer modified adhesive with ARDEX Microtec® Technology. The combination of these two products enhances bond strength for use in high volume foot traffic areas. When mixed with the ARDEX E 90 additive, it has water repellent qualities and improved sag resistance. By using the combination of the two products together, the specialty tiles were less likely to move while the adhesive was drying, maintaining an even surface. For the final touches, ARDEX SE Colored Silicone for Sanitary Installations was used to fill perimeter and expansion joints and ARDEX ABAPOXY High Performance Epoxy Adhesive and Grout was sprinkled over the silicone for a matte finish. This enhanced the seamless look of the tile installation. To grout the rest of the tile, ARDEX ABAPOXY was selected for its permanent color capabilities. ARDEX ABAPOXY also has a high resistance to chemicals, so commercial cleaning required for a high traffic area would not have an adverse affect on the grout. Each of the ARDEX products used were low in VOC, allowing the Sydney Opera House to remain open during the installation.

Pharmaceutical Services Store & Loading Bay – Brunei

Project Name:

Department of Pharmaceutical Services Store and Loading Bay, Brunei

Featured Products:

ARDEX R 74 SP ARDEX R 35 SE

SITUATION AND CHALLENGES:

The Department of Pharmaceutical Services Store and Loading Bay with a total area size of 3,500 sqm needed a new flooring with a high build, tough, hardwearing surface. The job was completed within 25 days in March 2017. As always in industrial areas, the floor has to be highly resistant against abrasion due to heavy traffic and also against mechanical and chemical cleaning.

SOLUTION:

ARDEX Industrial Flooring products ensure absolute product compatibility and market leading performance.

ARDEX R 74 SP Self-smoothing Polyurethane Screed was used to achieve a seamless floor providing chemical resistance, high mechanical properties, heat & slip resistance and a mat decorative finish.

After having prepared and primed the floor properly, the homogenous mix of the two component PU screed (resin and hardener) was applied with a trowel with the required thickness of 3mm.

After 7days full cured, ARDEX R 35 SE Solvent-free High Build Epoxy coating was used to provide a high build, tough, hard-wearing surface with a gloss finish. The slip resistance was achieved with adding fine aggregate to the mix of ARDEX R 35 SE. The requested colour for this project was grey (RAL 7035).

After only 7 days, the floor is fully cured and can be used for vehicular traffic.

That’s exactly what was required for this loading and unloading bay in the industrial building in Brunei.

Google Office – Bangkok Thailand

Architect:

Hassel Australia

Installer / Applicator:

Pandomo Bangkok

Featured Products:

Pandomo Floor (K1) and

Pandomo Wall (W1)

This 2014 newly built Google office in Bangkok is truly a fun and idealistic place with mural and decorations expressing local personality. A place where every employee a hand-on contributor will feels comfortable sharing ideas and opinion. In this project the floor and wall was equipped with Pandomo floor and wall. All in all, 200m2 of Floor and 200m2 of wall are applied by Pandomo Bangkok in 2 weeks.

POSB Bank – Singapore

Installer / Applicator:

Master’s Touch Coating Pte Ltd

Featured Products:

ARDEX WPM 300 (Epoxy Membrane for Negative Pressure Applications) ARDEX WPM 908 (Water Based Acrylic Trafficable Membrane) ARDEX 291 (One Component Non Sag Polyurethane Sealant) ARDEX WPM 900 (Multipurpose Liquid Applied Trafficable Waterproofing)

Challenge:

1000 sqm of metal roof top with 200 sqm of RC roof during moosoon season
Existence of operational air handling units discharging constant condensation water into the RC roof

Situation:

An existing commercial building needed waterproofing improvement work on the roof to resolve leakages problem into the level below. Due to the fact that the RC roof has numerous operational air handling units which are discharging condensation water at almost all time, the substrate in the RC roof is constantly damp. Preformed Waterproofing solution is out of question due to the fact there are a lot of ancillaries services on the RC roof and it would means there were be too many detailing works to be done which not only will slow the installation process but also create too many potential source of leakages if it is not properly done. The damp substrate and requirement for a membrane that would take regular human traffic would also means generally stand‐alone liquid applied membranes without additional reinforcement would not be suitable. The metal roof that is of normal metal roof with enamel paint, and have requirement f or a product with waterproofing properties to be applied onto it and to be cost effective as well

Solution:

Due to the monsoon season and consistent dampness from numerous air compressors on the RC roof and the need for a waterproofing product system that is robust enough to allow trademen to carry out routine maintenance service a liquid applied waterproofing product would still be the choice of product to go with due to seamless and quick application method Ardex proposed the WPM908 liquid applied waterproofing system which is an acrylic based internally reinforced trafficable waterproofing membrane which means site installation of additional fibre reinforcement is not required The system also include WPM300 as a primer and damp proof layer which means the constant dampness of the substrate would be a source of any possible blisters in the installed membrane in near future. For the steel roof, cost factor is one of the most important factor as it is just a preventive requirement for the end user, ARDEX WPM 900 is recommended because it can work effectively on a un‐rust metal roof without the need for primer, at the same time, it is water based or ease of site application and robust enough that allows human traffic to walk on without the need for reinforcement. The above products recommendation are highly appreciate by the end user and installer as it allows the parties to achieve a cost effective and efficient waterproofing system that are suited to the needs of the building to deliver a problem free environment for years to come for its occupants and also to work around the weather and site challenges presented during that period.

Semi Conductor Plant – Singapore

Installer:

Bteam

General Contractor:

Bteam

Product Featured:

ARDEX R4SE Water-based Epoxy Primer
ARDEX R35SE Solvent Free High Build Epoxy Coating

Challenges:

Two floor levels (700 m2 / 7535 ft2)
Expedited installation time frame
Surface tension
Dusty environment
Overcrowded work space

Problem:

In Joon Koon, Singapore, an existing semiconductor office was being renovated to house heavy machinery on the first and second floors. During the process of applying the selected ARDEX R35SE Solvent Free High Build Epoxy Coating, there were several different groups of contractors working on the site. This resulted in several foot prints on the uncured epoxy floor. There were also fish eyes found on the two levels of the building. ARDEX Singapore was asked to assess the problem and offer a solution.

Solution:

Upon arriving on location, the ARDEX Technical Team first met with contractors to review the situation. ARDEX decided to have controlled testing performed at an off-site location to verify there were no issues with the ARDEX products. After the tests were conducted, ARDEX determined the products had become contaminated from the various trades walking on the uncured epoxy floor. To rectify the issue, ARDEX immediately delivered new batches of ARDEX R4SE Water-based Epoxy Primer and ARDEX R35SE Solvent Free High Build Epoxy Coating. To ensure no further contamination to the products, ARDEX recommended the installation be rescheduled early in the morning. At this time, fewer people would be on the jobsite and barrier tape could be used to prevent workers from walking across the installation. To further confirm there would be no product installation issues, the ARDEX team demonstrated to the contractors how the products should be applied. The ARDEX Technical Team explained the importance of proper substrate preparation to ensure a strong bond between the products and the substrate. Next, the ARDEX Technical Team explained mixing and application methods with a mohair roller to ensure the correct coverage amounts. To further support the contractors performing the installation, ARDEX remained on-site to answer any questions and inspect the job after completion. After the project concluded, BTeam stated how impressed they were with the support and customer service from ARDEX. ARDEX rectifies product related problems quickly and accurately while offering complete jobsite support.

Widex Headquarters – Denmark

General Contractor:

Asnaes Carpet Center – Asnaes, Denmark

Architects:

White Architects – Copenhagen, Denmark

Products Featured:

ARDEX P 51™ Primer
ARDEX K 14 System Leveling Compound
ARDEX K 22 F Fiber Reinforced, Calcium Sulfate Leveling Compound
ARDEX A 31 Primerless Fine Filler
ARDEX EP 2000™ Substrate Preparation Epoxy Primer

Challenges:

Environmental considerations during the construction process
Cover existing cracking on a molded deck
2 mm (.0787 inch) thick
Fast-track installation

Problem:

When Widex began building their new headquarters, they desired an environmental flooring solution that aligned with their corporate business model. Widex also needed a system that would prevent cracking through the self-leveling compound and could be installed at a thickness of 2 mm. With these challenges in mind, the contractor was worried they would not be able to meet their fast-approaching deadline.

Solution:

ARDEX Technical Service Representatives recommended the Asnaes Carpet Center contractors use ARDEX K 14 System Leveling Compound. ARDEX K 14 was the natural choice, because it has a GEV-EMICODE rating of EC 1. GEV-EMICODE is a green quality control rating that ensures a product has very low or no solvent content that contributes to indoor air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs). ARDEX K 14 can also be poured to a depth as low as 1.5 mm when needed over dense or primed areas. To start the process, ARDEX Technical Service Representatives completed a demonstration on site. This product demonstration proved the recommended system would meet Asnaes Carpet Center’s time constraints and prevent a third party from having to assist in the installation. With confidence Asnaes Carpet Center started the installation. In the areas where the concrete slab had cracked, ARDEX K 22 F Fiber Reinforced, Calcium Sulfate Leveling Compound filled the larger cracks. ARDEX EP 2000™ Substrate Preparation Epoxy Primer was then used to fill the smaller cracks and prepare the cement for the ARDEX K 14 topping over areas of substrate cracking. ARDEX EP 2000 can be used as crack filler and helps prevent cracks from coming through the self-leveling compound. In areas where the concrete had not cracked, Asnaes Carpet Center used ARDEX A 31 Primerless Fine Filler to fill defects in the concrete substrate and then coated the slab with ARDEX P 51™ Primer. ARDEX P 51 is solvent free and has no VOCs. ARDEX P 51 also greatly improves the bond of ARDEX toppings and greatly increases the strength of the bond between the ARDEX K 14 and the substrate. With the help of ARDEX Technical Service, Widex Headquarters was completed on time. The new Widex Headquarters hosts 800 employees and is a prime example of an environmental building. With green construction products, an onsite windmill and solar paneling, the Widex building is CO2 neutral and delivers excess power to the local grids.

Elevation Apartments – Perth Australia

Architect:

Hassell

Builder:

BGC Construction

Contractors:

Direct tiles Mandurah, All waterproofing solutions

The Elevation Apartments are a prestigious development right in the heart of Perth’s Central Business District.

Reaching over 100 metres into the Perth skyline, the Elevation Apartments consist of 138 luxury apartments spanning over 29 levels that offer stunning views from every direction.

North facing apartments offer district and city views whilst South and South West facing apartments overlook the Swan River, Kings Park, South Perth to Applecross with glimpses of the Indian Ocean.

The main challenge faced by the building contractor was that all the balconies were falling towards the apartments instead of away.

To resolve this, Ardex was asked to provide a system recommendation that would correct the falls and waterproof the balconies before the tiling commenced.

Ardex K 005 was selected as a screed to create the required falls. K 005 was an important component as it enabled tiling to commence a lot sooner than conventional sand cement screeds.

Following the K 005 screed, WPM 002 was used as the waterproofing membrane, then Abaflex adhesive and FG8 grout.

Internally all the wet area’s were installed with WPM 002 waterproofing membrane, X 10 and Abaflex adhesive

Two layers of WPM 180 shelterbit torch applied membrane was used on the entire rooftop, pool deck, plant rooms and podium levels prior to being ballasted by a brick paving system.

The Elevation Apartments were completed in July 2010 and are destined to become an icon of the Perth City Skyline

Q1 – Queensland Australia

Developed by the Sunland Group, the tower boasts 526 ultra smart apartments. The Q1 project required a comprehensive range of technologically advanced and integrated products.

Ardex was selected as exclusive suppliers of all Q1’s tile adhesives, soundproofing requirements, and grouts to be installed by Klaus Tiling. For critical high traffic areas requiring a heavy duty leveling product Ardex K 15 was used.

One of the major tiling hurdles was the potential lipping of the 600x600mm, 20mm thick limestone floor tiles with conventional flexible adhesives. (Lipping or uneven tile heights is aesthetically unappealing and a trip hazard). The rheology of Ardex X56 – a new generation, highly flexible adhesive – overcame problems with ‘lipping’. Used over the company’s Soundproof Underlay, it also helps improve impact sound resistance. For areas requiring an adhesive with high tensile strength (and superior non slump), Ardex STS 8 was used.

Grouts and silicones colour matched to blend in with the tiles provided the final touches. Walls and floors were grouted with Flexgrout Ultrasmooth. For tile joints subject to the stresses of differential movement, Ardex SE silicone provided a waterproof, permanently elastic, UV and mould-resistant seal.

K15 – a globally recognised leader in floor levelling product category – was specified for critical areas e.g. foyers, lift lobbies. With its unique Ardurapid effect, K15 allows impervious vinyl coverings to be laid after only 16 hours, regardless of bed thickness.

The comprehensive and integrated nature of the Ardex portfolio of products, plus the company’s wealth of locally-based technical expertise, has been acknowledged as a factor in the successful, on-time completion of the world’s tallest residential tower.