Archetech Issue 56 2021 | Page 54

BETOCARE UK
Sustainability is very much at the core of Willmott Dixon ’ s approach as a business ( it has been a net zero / carbon neutral business since 2012 ) and has committed to all of its new buildings and major refurbishments being net zero operational carbon by 2030 .
BETOCARE UK ARRIVES ON SITE
Once the BETOcare approach had been agreed , it was then a case of waiting until the later stages of the project when the building was watertight to bring the BETOcare UK team in to work their magic . This also meant that all of the project ’ s visual concrete work could be assessed and any additional issues included in BETOcare ’ s corrective work , if needed .
In the summer of 2020 work commenced on site .
The BETOcare approach enables the full range of common concrete imperfections to be corrected , from water damage and staining , to cold joints and faults , as well as post-construction damage or errors such mis-placed bolt holes . In addition to the original problem section of the basement core cold join , BETOcare addressed many of these common issues as part of its work on the project .
BETOcare UK ’ s work on the project focused on using lime-based fillers and specialist colour-matching techniques combined with specialist craftsmanship and expertise . The approach was pioneered in Germany approximately 15 years ago and BETOcare UK is the only company to be licensed to use the approach and products in the UK , also undertaking work internationally .
Its growing reputation has led to its implementation in an increasing number of high-profile projects including Tate St Ives , award-winning Faylands House and the Investcorp Building at St Anthony ’ s College at The University of Oxford .
Jack Brooker : “ The work with the BETOcare team was very collaborative and they were great to work with at a time when there was a lot of pressure to stick to schedule . For example , we had a very tight window to get the concrete work completed in the main atrium before the underfloor heating was installed , and only a few days ’ use of the spider cherry picker required to enable the work . If there had been delays in BETOcare finishing the work , it would have had a significant knock-on effect .
“ There is a real art to the work they undertake , and they were extremely adept producing a very high quality finish , but also knowing when to stop , which is vital as concrete finishes tend to be a very subjective area .”
THE RESULTS
“ Overall , I would say that we saved a six-figure sum by using BETOcare to resolve the visual concrete issues we had with , and that doesn ’ t include the financial costs that would have been associated with the considerable delays we would have seen with other , more traditional , resolutions to the problem ” says Jack Brooker , Senior Building Manager , Willmott Dixon .
The environmental benefits to using BETOcare were also important to Willmott Dixon , which had also used blended concrete mixes to help achieve BREEAM ( Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method ) credits .
But perhaps most important of all , for a company that prides itself on the longevity of its relationships with clients , Willmott Dixon was also very keen that the completed work met the client ’ s expectations . “ The finish of BETOcare ’ s work was outstanding , but ultimately as with any project , it is the client that decides what is and isn ’ t acceptable , and the University ’ s project manager was closely involved during every stage . He was very fair and reasonable , but his standards were high , and we knew that both the finish and the integrity of the work had to be high . Thankfully , he was delighted .” Jack concludes .
The School of Engineering building project was Willmott Dixon ’ s sixth project for the University of Birmingham in four years .
www . betocareuk . com
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