Port of Dover (Terminal Control Building)
Structural Renovations Limited have recently finished extensive works at the Terminal Control Building, at the heart of the Port of Dover, which is Europe’s busiest international ferry port.
Background
Archaeologists have identified that Dover has been a trading gateway since the stone and bronze ages and has always been of significance due to its proximity to continental Europe.
The Dover Harbour Board, who both own and operate the port, were established in 1606 under King James I.
The Port of Dover handles a third of all the UK’s trade with the EU.
Surface Preparation & Survey
Working from both traditional scaffold and lightweight aluminium towers we initially high-pressure water jetted all exposed concrete surfaces, to remove decades of dirt build-up.
We were then able to visually inspect, hammer test and mark up all defective areas of concrete, including cracks, spalls and hollow areas.
Concrete Repair
The majority of the works fell into two main areas: exposed aggregate perimeter beams and soffits, together with a large previously coated reinforced concrete frame.
All identified defects were broken back to a sound substrate and were square-cut to avoid featheredging of the subsequent repair. All exposed reinforcement was mechanically wire-brushed, to remove loose corrosion and scale deposits, before being treated with 2No. coats of Fosroc Nitoprime Zincrich Plus.
The prepared areas were then reinstated to the original surface profiles using Fosroc Nitobond HAR (bonding agent), combined with Fosroc Renderoc HB & HB45 (polymer modified repair mortars).
Anti-Carbonation Coating
Following completion of the repairs to the various concrete areas we applied a Fosroc Dekguard, pigmented, anti-carbonation coating in 3No. coats, to offer both protection from the aggressive marine environment and to provide a uniform, aesthetically pleasing finish.
Completion
The project was completed at a challenging time of the year, when the weather was very inclement, resulting in various programming issues, requiring almost constant on-site liaison with various interested parties, to ensure disruption was kept to a minimum.
A 10 year Fosroc Material Warranty was requested by the Harbour Board, which required close involvement with Fosroc’s specification and technical teams throughout the works.
We have successfully worked at the Port of Dover on previous occasions, including extensive structural repair to the Grade II Listed Admiralty Pier and repairs to pre-cast concrete, vehicle processing units.