A rapid set screed and rapid drying tile adhesive from Ardex were specified for the retiling project at the Westfield Shopping Centre, Miranda in Sydney’s south.
Working in consultation with Westfield Design & Construct, Terrazzo Australian Marble engaged Ardex to explore different options for the retiling of the existing shopping centre. Speed of curing for the screed and tiling adhesive was an essential requirement as the work had to be completed at night so that the centre could be ready in the morning with minimal disruption to walkways. A traditional sand and cement screed was compared against the Ardex A38 rapid set screed to determine the best solution for the project.
The Ardex A38 screed was chosen to re-screed the walkways following the removal of the existing tiles and screed. The rapid set screed can accept heavy foot traffic within eight hours of installation, allowing the installers to meet strict timeframes for this phase of the project. Ardex A38 achieves a compressive strength of 35 MPa and is dimensionally stable, ensuring the base of the tiling system contains the perfect mix of strength and flexibility. Its high compressive strength even allows scissor lifts to be employed directly on the screeded floor, which is not possible with conventional sand and cement screeds.
Another factor was the A38/S16 system’s compliance with the project’s low VOC emission requirement. Ardex also conducted onsite training for the installation of the A38 rapid set screed at the Terrazzo Australian Marble headquarters, with representatives from Terrazzo Australian Marble and Westfield attending the session.
The installation of the A38 screed was followed by cleaning and preparing the areas for the Ardex S16 rapid hardening and rapid drying tile and natural stone adhesive to install the Terrazzo tiles and natural stone.
The Ardex S16 tile and natural stone adhesive is particularly suitable for installing natural stone susceptible to moisture sensitivity. Some of the benefits of this tiling adhesive include short curing time allowing foot traffic within 2-3 hours after installation in suitable conditions; ability to reduce disruption to normal operations with large areas tiled overnight and made ready each morning; and low VOC rating meeting Green Building Council of Australia Green Star IEQ-13 requirements.
Though the Ardex systems were only originally specified for the existing shopping centre flooring, Westfield was so happy with the performance of the products that they extended their use to the new areas of the shopping centre being installed by Saba Brothers Tiling. In all, the project totalled approximately 12,000 square metres.
