You may have seen that we were recently invited to to take a closer look at the current state of the Brent Cross Flyover by the BBC?
Spoiler alert…
It wasn’t pretty.
We discovered a lot of exposed reinforcement that should have been repaired years ago and discovered very low levels of concrete cover under the bridge which will lead to further exposure of the reinforcements.
Along with the exposed steel, we even found bits of concrete flaking off as we filmed.
It seems our concrete scanning kit sparked the BBC’s imagination as they asked us to pop down to Brighton with them to take a look at another potential issue, concrete balconies.
You can see the report HERE.
The encouraging thing here is that the owner of the block of flats in question is very proactive in their approach and were keen to identify and address any problems before they really become a threat to the building and indeed, the occupants and the pedestrians below.
They have a major challenge down on the coast which makes concrete deterioration even swifter – the salty sea air.
A “birth certificate” for concrete
Roger and Calum popped down to Marlborough Court to take a closer look and to scan the building’s balconies with our sophisticated scanning equipment, effectively giving the concrete a “birth certificate” and the owner peace of mind and a plan for proper maintenance.
We then headed down to the seafront where once again, we probably didn’t make friends with the local council after discovering the impact of the ocean breeze on the Victorian sea wall.
It is visibly crumbling, much to the dismay of local residents.
Funding has been secured by the council to begin repairs but using our ultrasound pulse echo we discovered voiding and serious signs of wear and tear that has been left to decay and crack away.
The council have made moves to secure the site in key places which is wise but sadly, the damage has been done over the years. The key to protecting similar concrete structures is a proactive approach, just like the team down at Marlborough Court have done.