Oxford: Watertight future for £440m revamped shopping centre
Located in the heart of the historic city of Oxford and built in 1972, the existing shopping centre is being transformed by main contractor Laing O’Rourke, with the new expanded 14-acre development set to include more than 100 new stores, 25 restaurants and cafes, a new cinema and rooftop terrace, and a 1,000-space basement car park. With the site located next to a river, engineers Waterman Group required a complete tanking system for the basement areas that could prevent lateral water movement.
In order to seal the basement car park slab and the reinforced concrete walls, the specification included more than 35,000m2 of the Sikaproof A08 and A12 system, a totally new concept in membrane barrier design to deliver outstanding levels of watertightness to the lower floors.
Andy Edwards, Sika specification manager for waterproofing, commented: “SikaProof A is a highly effective waterproofing membrane and the perfect solution for a project with a high water table.”
With the Westgate Oxford shopping centre scheme set for completion in the autumn of 2017, the application of highly-reliable and durable waterproofing solutions has ensured this landmark development has a watertight future and remains on track for completion.
