Breakthrough high performance jointing mortars coupled with Porphyry stone paving products provides the strength, beauty and durability needed for commercial applications. The following project shows how these were used together in the Newark Market Square in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
Since 1999, Newark District Council has been undertaking an improvement program to the medieval market square using 100mm Porphyry stone setts laid in a traditional bogen (overlapping arcs) pattern. The square still stages open air markets and other activities on at least 6 days a week, and the area is used by delivery vehicles, as well as normal traffic, all of which can leave a bit of a mess. Consequently, regular machine cleaning has to be undertaken, which imposes yet another stress to the pavement.
Some months ago, the Council identified GftK mortars from NCC Streetscape as a possible solution to all of these problems and arranged to use the GftK vdw 850 mortar to grout a newly laid area of porphyry setts. To their delight, the whole area was grouted in just one day, as against several days with conventional materials.
The pointing of the joints has been an ongoing concern and all types of mortars have been used and trialled, but unsuccessfully. In addition to notwithstanding the traffic and cleaning, they have all either caused staining of the stone, take too long to apply and cure, are sensitive to water in the joints and so cannot be used in wet weather, are susceptible to shrinkage and cracking, so the surfaces succumb to damage from freeze thaw reaction in winter.
Impressed with the results, the Council then instructed the contractor to re-grout the whole of the previously laid market area paving, replacing any damaged setts, and overlaying the cracked and broken-out areas of the existing cement grout, even though the GftK epoxy mortar is not normally used for refurbishment work of this nature. To minimize to day-to-day use of the market square, the additional work was carried out over five consecutive Tuesdays, minimizing disruption and inconvenience to local traders and shoppers. Normal cement-based mortars were expected to have taken weeks, with sections closed off for several days at a time as the cement mortar cured.
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Stone Paving Technologies is the US exclusive importer/distributor of GftK. Milestone Imports the foremost source of Porphyry paving products, is available in United States to provide full technical assistance on GftK pavement jointing mortars as well as Porphyry paving stone choices. On-site support is also available. For more advice or assistance with your specific project including the right jointing product, the estimated consumption, and the estimated time required for application, plus any other aspect of paving jointing, grouting, pointing or repointing please call Miles at 866.641.1999 or contact through www.milestoneimports.com
