Ocean Marina Pointe Apartments, Mandurah
ARCHITECT: Eames and Associates
Nothing says sophistication like the seamless, mirrorlike quality of polished porcelain. Fixing porcelain requires skill and the right materials as the slightest uneveness (lip) will stand out a mile away.
The vision for Ocean Marina Pointe Apartments was to provide a seaside lifestyle with a touch of sophistication – catamarans, cafes and campari. Not surprisingly the architects of Eames and Associates & Dibstone Group chose Granitogres’ Casalgrande Padana, a 400 x 400mm honed porcelain.
When it comes to the tolerance of the tile itself, with quality porcelain there should be no lippage. The next requirement is that of an even surface – the larger the tile the more critical it is. Therefore, often a sand/cement screed or levelling compound is used to patch up any unevenness in the floor or to ramp up the slab, prior to fixing the porcelain with a suitable tile adhesive.
Due to time limitations, the specification by Project Manager, Steve Maru, called for an adhesive which could be patched up in places without the requirement of a screed.
After careful consideration, ARDEX STS 8 was selected. ARDEX STS 8 unique non-sink, non-slump formulation allows the use of heavy tiles without the risk of the adhesive bed giving way. On balconies and other external areas, ARDEX STS 8 was mixed with Ardion 90 to accommodate movement.
The tiling contractors were delighted to return the next day and find the porcelain exactly the way they had left it – no lip. What’s more, the tilers liked the workability of the product, with Kevin Byron going as far as claiming “STS 8 is the best adhesive on the market to use to lay porcelain.”
University Hospital, Gold Coast
INSTALLER: Master Floor Preparers
CONTRACTOR: Bovis Lend Lease
The new Gold Coast University Hospital is one of the largest public health infrastructure project.
Bovis Lend Lease worked in partnership with Queensland Health as the Stage One Managing Contractor on the new A$1.76 billion hospital. The 750 overnight-bed tertiary level hospital provides a greater range of specialised care to patients, including new and expanded services such as cancer radiotherapy services, neurosciences, neonatal intensive care, trauma response services and cardiac surgery.
ARDEX products have been used extensively throughout the Gold Coast University Hospital with over 100,000 square metres of ARDEX K 12 being used in areas subject to vinyl installation.
Courtney Dunn from Master Floor Preparers in Queensland confirmed that they were also using ARDEX WPM 300 moisture barrier due to moisture being retained in the substrates across the entire project.
Courtney Dunn said that “ARDEX products gives me peace of mind when undertaking large projects” and “ARDEX offers premium products that my staff like working with”.
Paediatric Hospital, Melbourne
GENERAL CONTRACTORS: Bovis Lend Lease
CONTRACTORS: Omni Flooring / Floor 91
The world-class, billion dollar paediatric hospital went under construction in Melbourne by Bovis Lend Lease and was built to meet the current and future health care needs of children and young people.
It was developed on the existing hospital site which was originally built in 1963; however the new hospital will combine new facilities, innovative models of care, leading edge research and education to provide the best health care and environment for patients, families and staff. The new hospital will be able to treat 35,000 additional patients per year and there will be more single rooms for the children.
ARDEX Australia are pleased to be involved in the construction of this state-of-the-art hospital and have supplied several products. The products were installed by two contractors specialising in ARDEX – Omni Flooring and Floor 91 in Victoria. Both contractors commenced work at the hospital early 2010.
ARDEX was successful in being specified on this project by offering a full product system from substrate to surface.
The Royal Children’s Hospital is Australia’s first five-star green hospital with a 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases and 20 per cent reduction in water demands. It features attractions from the Melbourne Zoo, Scienceworks, a cinema and an aquarium.
International Airport, Canberra
ARCHITECT: Guida Moseley Brown Architects
CONTRACTOR: PDA Marble and Granite
Canberra’s Airport is located on the eastern edge of North Canberra and is the eighth busiest airport in Australia. The new terminal features duty free shopping, free Wi-Fi and a café bar.
Luxurious furnishings and striking sculptures compliment stone floors and floor to ceiling windows that provide natural light and a clear view to the runways. The vision for the airport was to provide a stimulating point of difference for passengers resulting in a variety of sculptures being commissioned by renowned artists.
The system used for this project comprised of ARDEX DS 60 Decoupling Mat which is ideal for large areas where crack isolation is imperative. The unique floating system isolated base movement while only being 0.4mm thick.
ARDEX A 38 screed was laid because of the high compressive strength required for the high traffic area. Finally ARDEX X 18, a Fibre Reinforced Flexible Non Slump Wall and Floor Tile Adhesive was used to adhere the Terrazzo Tiles. ARDEX X 18 contains specially developed fibres that add strength to the tiled area.
CHALLENGES:
ARDEX A 38 screed was incorporated into the system because it provided high compressive strength and could manage the high levels of traffic that were expected in the terminal. It also provided rapid drying properties which allowed tiling to commence earlier, which greatly assisted in meeting deadlines for the new terminal to open and receive flights.
Airport, Newcastle
A major $80 million expansion of Newcastle Airport has recently been completed to transform the existing airport and create a second international airport for NSW. The expansion saw the terminal size double and facilities improved to cater for international ights. ARDEX was specified for the tiling throughout.
ARDEX S 16 (with ARDEX E 90) was used to lay 1600 sqm of natural stone throughout the arrivals and departure lounges of the airport. ARDEX S 16 locks in moisture and reduced the risk of eflorescence and water marks on the natural stone tiles that were laid. Recently, ARDEX S 16 has been replaced with the superior ARDEX S 28 Neu, an Ardurapid, Microtec stone and tile adhesive.
ARDEX X 10 was ideal for use over the membranes and provides excellent slump resistance for both wall and floor tiles. ARDEX X 10 provides mastic type properties.
In addition to the Natural Stone, a further 1000m2 of bathroom tiling that included both walls and floors was also laid and waterproofed using the ARDEX WPM 155 Rapid Waterproong System with ARDEX STB Tape. This system allowed the wet areas to be tiled in as little as four hours after the application of the membrane, an added benet particularly for projects with a tight timeline.
CHALLENGES:
A sample of the Natural Stone was supplied by Newcastle Tile Company to the ARDEX Technical Team and a specication was issued for the complete tiling system catering for this type of natural stone. The natural stone was thermally sensitive (susceptible to the effect of heat and light) so a speciality tile adhesive ARDEX S 16 along with ARDEX E 90 was specied and used. In addition, the floor was also levelled where necessary to x undulations between old and new slabs.
“The development of Newcastle Airport to accommodate international flights is a huge step forward for both tourism and the growing population in the area,” explained ARDEX Account Manager, Jeff Anderson.
“It is exciting to witness investment in infrastructure and ARDEX is proud to be involved in such an iconic project.”
Water Playground – Elizabeth Quay, Perth
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: MRA (Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority)
WATERPROOFING/SCREED CONTRACTOR: Vercon
TILING CONTRACTOR: J Shed Art Studio (also the artist of the mosaic)
ARTIST: Jenny Dawson
The BHP Billiton Water Park is part of the Elizabeth Quay Development which is located on the North Foreshore of the Swan River and is part of a wider vision to connect Perth CBD with the river. The design is indigenous and represents the dreaming story of the creation of the Milky Way.
Elizabeth Quay opened to the public in 2016 after much debate, drama, dredging and dollars.
The development of the water feature playground faced various challenges, including:
Severe levelling issues (footings were 120mm instead of 50mm);
The project included 46sqm of an intricate tile mosaic where the tiles were hand-made and traditionally fired;
Being next to the river and below the water table – the site flooded after drains were blocked;
Being behind schedule.
Various ARDEX products were used during the construction of the water playground. ARDEX WPM 300 was used to control hydrostatic moisture that may have been below the slab followed by two layers of ARDEX WPM 002 waterproofing membrane to protect the slab and also increase the build thickness where needed.
The tiles were fixed using ARDEX X 18 with ARDEX E 90 additive which aided tile adhesion during high surface temperatures and also to repel water. The installation was completed with ARDEX EG 15 Epoxy Grout which controls efflorescence, has superior chemical resistance and is an easy clean-up making the installation much faster for the contractor.
To ensure the project ran seamlessly, a System Recommendation was sought from the ARDEX Technical Services Department and on-site support was provided by ARDEX Representatives with inspections at various stages.
Picture credit: Peter Zuvela
Trocadero at Hamer Hall, Melbourne
INSTALLER: Concrete Resurfacing Systems – www.polishedconcretemelbourne.com.au/
BUILDER: Liquid Lines – www.liquidlines.com.au
ARCHITECT: Allan Powell Architects – www.allanpowell.com.au
PROJECT ADDRESS: Under Hamer Hall, Southbank
With outstanding views of the city, and located under Hamer Hall, a 2,661 seat concert hall, the largest venue in the Arts Centre complex, used for orchestra and contemporary music performances the Trocadero bar and brasserie needed a flooring product to handle a few issues which would come up. Concrete Resurfacing Systems, an accredited PANDOMO® contractor supplied the PANDOMO® TerrazzoMicro, a thin topping terrazzo flooring surface to handle the many pre and post theatre patrons who are ushered through the Hamer Hall foyer into Trocadero to enjoy dinner, a drink or both.
The acoustic requirements of the project meant that pouring and grinding a concrete slab was not feasible, as the 70mm thickness did not meet the requirements. PANDOMO® can be installed at 11mm thickness, or on an unbonded screed of 45mm thickness to provide a thinner and efficient solution to traditional terrazzo flooring.
Being a bar and food serving area, stain resistance was critical in ensuring that the floor remained stain resistant.
Concrete Resurfacing Systems worked with Liquid Lines to ensure the most suitable sealer was employed to provide piece of mind in the area of stain resistance. ARDEX can work with you on your project to ensure that the most suitable sealer is specified relating to your flooring performance requirements.
As the project required large pieces of black granite to be embedded in the flooring, the PANDOMO® TerrazzoMicro’s ability to self- level and flow, meant the finish was able to be easily installed around the large pieces of black granite, which was adhered to the floor.
The Pool of Reflection, Sydney
LOCATION: Hyde Park, Sydney, Australia.
BUILDER: Structus Pty Ltd
WATERPROOFING: Soleace Waterproofing Pty Ltd
TILING: Nationwide Tiling
ARDEX Australia is proud to be involved in the restoration works surrounding the 1450sqm ‘Pool of Reflection’ Memorial which is located in Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD. The upgrade of the physical pond was undertaken to repair leaks and improve water circulation and filtration. At each stage of the project, the Memorial was visited by dedicated ARDEX staff to provide support.
The Pool of Reflection is a peaceful space where passersby may pause for a moment of quiet contemplation. For manyveterans the still waters of the ‘Pool of Reflection’ evoked memories of the Somme River and its accompanying canals in France. The AIF (Australian Imperial Force) fought some of its bloodiest battles in the Somme Valley in 1916, 1917 and 1918.
CHALLENGE:
There were various challenges that ARDEX had to overcome in this project. One of the key challenges included containing water within the pool while at the same time keeping water out – the pool has expansion joints in the substrate and the concern was that the water coming up from the ground would push the moisture out.
SOLUTION:
ARDEX advised that an outlet was required before the pool was lined. This was done by running the ARDEX WPM 1000 Undertile Butynol Waterproofing Membrane parallel with the expansion joints, resulting in the membrane being turned into a joint with a stainless steel angle and then sealed off with ARDEX RA 88 Multipurpose Epoxy Repair Adhesive. A system of the ARDEX DS 60 Decoupling Mat was installed under a strip of ARDEX WPM 1000 to allow the gas and moisture build-up to escape. Also, ARDEX arranged for ARDEX WPM 1000 to be pre-cut to suit each of the joints, saving on time.
UNIQUE ELEMENTS:
The Pool of Reflection’s tiles could be bonded directly below the water line to the ARDEX WPM 1000 Undertile Butynol Waterproofing Membrane using ARDEX’ X 18 Fibre-Reinforced Flexible Non-Slump Wall and Floor Tile Adhesive, an adhesive that adds strength to a tiled area in addition to ARDEX E 90 Admix for Cement-Based Tile Adhesives. The installation was completed using ARDEX’ new ARDEX EG 15 Easy Clean High Performance Epoxy Grout providing contractors ease of use in addition to a complete system solution.
The installation of the main ARDEX WPM 1000 membrane was carried out by being fully glued with ARDEX WA 98 Butynol Adhesive. At the rear of the pool there is an overflow which the granite stone plinth has been fixed with ARDEX WA 100 Two Part Epoxy Adhesive for Natural Stone.
Opera House Western Foyer, Sydney
INSTALLER: Better Tiles
BUILDER: John Holland
ARCHITECT: Original Architect: Jørn Utzon & son Jan Utzon
COLLABORATOR: Johnson Pilton Walker
CHALLENGES:
Reproducing Jørn Utzon’s original vision
Irregular shaped 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
Floor movement from stages & loading docks underneath foyer
Silicone used in perimeter & expansion joints needed to match the floor to create a seamless look
PROBLEMS:
Design improvements included irregular tile shapes & glass reinforced concrete tiles with clear silicone expansion joints to create a seamless floor. Frequent floor movement was expected because of the stage & 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 which is designed to improve adhesion of ARDEX products to various porous substrates. This primer dries fast allowing subsequent products to be installed quickly.
When applying the screed, ARDEX Abacrete Bonding Agent was specified. It is a liquid polymer additive that greatly improves the shear & tensile bond strength of the screed.
To place the specialty tiles, ARDEX X 77 high performance, fibre reinforced polymer modified adhesive was used in addition to ARDEX E 90 Admix for Cement Based Tile Adhesives. ARDEX X 77 is reinforced 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 & 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.
ARDEX SE Coloured Silicone for Sanitary Installations was used to fill perimeter, expansion joints and ARDEX Abapoxy High Performance Epoxy Grout was sprinkled over the silicone for a matt finish. This enhanced the seamless look of the tile installation. To grout the rest of the area, ARDEX Abapoxy was selected for its permanent colour capabilities. It also has a high resistance to chemicals, so commercial cleaning required for a high traffic area would not have an adverse effect on the grout.
Each of the ARDEX products used were low in VOC, allowing the Sydney Opera House to remain open during the installation.
St Barnabas Church, Sydney
INSTALLER: Honestone – www.honestone.com.au/
BUILDER: Buildcorp – www.buildcorp.com.au
ARCHITECT: FJMT Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp – www.fjmt.com.au
PROJECT ADDRESS: Cr. Mountain Street and Broadway, Ultimo
On the morning of May 10th 2006, residents at Broadway in Ultimo were in shock as they stood hopelessly watching a huge fire destroy their famous St Barnabas Church or Barneys as they better knew it. As sixty fire fighters battled the blaze, nothing could be done to save the 150 year old building. Hours later, the disaster was too big to bear by the Church Community, who were immediately determined to rebuild their home Church.
It was a huge challenge for the appointed architect to come up with a design concept for the new St Barnabas Church that would require architecture above and beyond normal trends. The final concept featured a modern design with distinguished use of space and natural light.
“Architecture is not only about accommodating functions and issues of utility; it is also about embodying human values and aspirations. St Barnabas Church is an inspirational project considering its spiritual and historical background. So it was very important for us to reflect the immaterial quality and symbolic attributes of the project and this is where we envisaged the use of PANDOMO® products on the floor and walls in the main auditorium, lower level entrance and lift lobby.” Commented the team of architects from FJMT Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp.
PANDOMO by ARDEX was always the stand out option to achieve the desired outcome.
Working closely with FJMT Architects, Buildcorp and the PANDOMO® installer Honestone, ARDEX Australia recommended a well engineered system designed specifically to solve the many complex situations which appeared during the construction stage. The concrete slab was installed with a setdown of around 50mm, which caused potential issues in relation to the height of the finished floor. ARDEX recommended the use of ARDEX A 38 advanced rapid cure cement screed to fill the gap created by the setdown; ready to be primed and finished with 6mm of PANDOMO® FloorPlus.
Another challenge was the application of the curved Concrete walls using a “shotcrete” spray method. The curved wall had a very rough surface which required smoothing prior to the application of PANDOMO® Wall. ARDEX A 45 patching and repair mortar was used to fill-in surface imperfections.
The colour matching between PANDOMO® FloorPlus and Wall was also an interesting experience. Many colour samples were produced and even site samples were installed in order to assist the Architect to approve the final colour concept.
After the long wait and overcoming many obstacles during the construction process, the project was completed and handed over to the Church Community. PANDOMO® products comprising a total of 600sqm of PANDOMO® FloorPlus and 280sqm of PANDOMO® Wall were applied in the main foyer at the lower level and in the main auditorium at the upper level including the lifts lobby and the feature curved walls. PANDOMO® FloorPlus achieved an R10 slip rating.
The project won 1st place in the American Society of Concrete Contractors cement overlay section and 2nd place in the vertical application section for an international project at the World of Concrete awards in Las Vegas.
