balustrade walls (half-brick thick) to access deck & private balconies
The subject buildings are 1930s style low-rise blocks of apartments, conventionally built of solid brickwork and concrete floors, with open access decks and private balconies.
Problem  

• Visible cracking and previous repairs (in a similar pattern) were noted to the balustrade half-brick thick walls.

• Generally the brickwork and pointing was found to be in good condition, with little spalled pointing and bricks noted. Previous repairs to the access decks and private balconies balustrade half-brick thick walls in a similar pattern were noted.

• All access decks and a representative sample of private balcony balustrade walls were inspected and scanned, locating the reinforcing bar position. Some bars were uncovered, inspected and photographed. In the main, previous repairs correspond to the pattern of the existing reinforcing bars.

• The reinforcing bars uncovered were the old ½ inch rebar bent up from the concrete slab and built into the centre of the brickwork up to and possibly into the cast in-situ concrete coping.


Discussion

The existing half brick balustrade walls contained mild steel reinforcing bars. From our investigations it was apparent the damage to the brickwork (cracking/spalling/previous repairs) resulted from the expansive corrosion of these bars and reducing the effectiveness of the bar especially at the asphalt tuck line.
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Reinforcing bars viewed had corroded, delaminated and expanded, rendering the bars ineffective. The half-brick thick balustrade wall’s stability is dependent on the reinforcing.



Wrought iron decorative panels built in lugs viewed had corroded, delaminated and expanded, lifting and cracking the brickwork.
Solution

AWT have successfully completed a remedial scheme to ameliorate the defects to many similar blocks.

AWT remedial scheme as involved the developed of methods and the design of equipment to enable AWT to undertake the remedial reinforcement, removal of the existing reinforcing rebars and then made good the brickwork to the balcony walls to the access decks and private balconies.

AWT remedial scheme alleviated the need for the removal and replacement of the balcony walls along with all the associated problems that this would have entailed for the occupants with the added benefits of a considerable cost saving and impact on the environment.




Action Wall Ties (AWT) are specialists in masonry reinforcement and repair, providing professional solutions to a wide variety of structural problems. Contact us on 01227 721 255, or email us.




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