Concrete Repair Works - Update

From the BEO:
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Concrete Repair Programme 2018-2019

Please be aware that the Concrete Repairs Programme will start in Breton House Car Park on 16 November as per schedule.

Click here for further information and a programme of works, which is available on the website. The programme is subject to change due to external forces, such as extreme weather. Should you have any queries or concerns please contact the allocated Project Manager, Neil Clutterbuck by email neil.clutterbuck@cityoflondon.gov.uk
We would like to thank residents for their patience and co-operation whilst these works are being carried out.

We can clarify that work has been completed on Thomas More House, Seddon House, Lambert Jones Mews, John Trundle Court and Bunyan Court.

We appreciate that the works were disruptive, and hope that we prepared residents for the disturbance that works inevitably cause.

In order that we may continually improve our services, we value feedback from residents. Please contact your House Officers with any issues, or if you believe work may be still outstanding.

A point of clarification is that the SikaGard 680S Clearglaze which is a clear anti-carbonation coating has been specified to be applied to repairs where there is a limited concrete cover to the reinforcement. Consequently, it did not need to be applied to all the concrete repairs.
The programme of works can be found on the website.

Concrete Repair Estimates

The City has obtained quotes to repair the concrete of Ben Jonson House.  The guestimate I was given last year (along with the proposed schedule) was ~£140 per flat, but even having selected the cheapest quote the cost per flat ranges from £197.20 for flats of type F2C to £364.07 for flats of type M4A.

Click to read the whole letter

Concrete Repairs - Schedule

Following on from the concrete survey and the concrete report, the BEO have produced a schedule of works to address the issues found.  The schedule covers the whole process from survey to repair, so most of the items on the schedule have already happened.  The outstanding one are in bold at the bottom.

Regarding costs, the schedule says that the exact costs will not be known until later this year, but the current estimated costs for Ben Jonson House are ~£140 per flat.
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Most recent timeline of events is below:

• December 2015 - Gateway 2 report approved the testing (and the "making safe" of any concrete whilst testing was being carried out but not any repairs)
• January – June 2016 – concrete testing 
• Summer/Early Autumn 2016 – collating, analysis and review of concrete testing results with recommendations provided by the consultants 
• October/November 2016 – reports provided to the BEO by the consultants and also sent to RCC members and House Group Chairs
• December 2016/January 2017 – preparation of Gateway 4 committee report on detailed options appraisal for the concrete testing 
• February 2017 – Gateway 4 report presented to committee – this was approved Feb 2017 
• February – June 2017 - Procurement as per City's Procurement Code - Consultants estimate is £28, 473 inclusive of fees & staff costs for Ben Jonson House, but this is an estimate and final figures will be confirmed once the tender process has been completed 
• March 2017 – Stage 1 pre-tender Statutory Consultation with leaseholders - This went out in April 2017
• July/August 2017 – Stage 2 Statutory Consultation with leaseholders (following review of tenders) - This is when we will be able to give residents exact costs involved. 
• August 2017 – Gateway 5 report with delegated Chief Officer approval for commencement of works - This is now planned for September 2017 
• August/September 2017 – commencement of works - This is now planned for October 2017

Concrete Testing Report

I have been reminded by a resident that I did not publish the results of the concrete investigations which happened early last year.

The results of the tests take the form of a report from Broomfield Consultants.    The report is dated July 2016 but was not released until December 2016.

Click to read the report

Click on the image above to read the report in full.  Here are the parts of the conclusion I thought were the most significant:

The analysis of the results show limited intrusion of chlorides and carbonation with no threat of significant deterioration due to reinforcement corrosion in the next 50 years or more. The limited problems are consistent with the age and exposure of the building.
It can therefore be concluded that once the repairs are carried out as listed in the Martech Bill of Quantities for Ben Jonson House, then the building should remain relatively defect free with no systemic risk of chloride or carbonation induced corrosion.
...
The building can be considered to be in good condition for its age and the exposure conditions.

Is the future woody?

Timber buildings are the future according to an article on the BBC, and as an example of the bad-old-ways of using concrete we are shown a picture of the Barbican :-/

Could wood really be better than this?

Hole dug into carpark roof

A hole has been made in the roof of the car park beneath Ben Jonson House by the people doing road works directly above the car park on Beech Street.

Structural engineers will be assessing the damage next week.

There's a hole in my car park

Concrete Testing

The concrete fabric of Ben Jonson House has been tested over the last few weeks.  The testing is done by abseilers using their eyes, looking for loose and rusty bits, and using masonry hammers to tap suspicious spots to see if they sound hollow or flakey.

One of the testers I spoke to said that our concrete was in very good condition given its age.

Today was the most obvious part of the testing (unless you saw a man dangling in front of your window, as I just did) when Golden Lane was partially closed to allow the testers to work above the road.

No safety nets

Concrete Investigation

The City are proposing to carry out a specialist investigation into the condition of the exterior concrete of Ben Jonson House.

There is a "consultation" period.  Until Wednesday 13 Aug you can send your comments to Christopher Bates.  His postal address is in the document below, but an email to the BEO asking that your message be forwarded will probably work too.

Here is the notice: