Project: Tustin Estate, Bermondsey, London

Client: Engie

The Tustin Estate is located to the north of the Old Kent Road and west of Ilderton Road. It’s made up of three towers and six low rise blocks, Pilgrims Way Primary School and a number of businesses fronting onto Old Kent Road.

Scope of works: Hydrodemolition to sensitive areas

The main reasons for selecting hydrodemolition as a method of removal is that the steel reinforcement remains intact, vibration is also eliminated meaning that areas requiring sensitive removal can be carried out safely.

The main benefit of hydrodemolition is that it’s a vibration free process of hydro blasting causing minimal disruption to residents/office workers, however the process is very noisy but sound attenuation is possible and has been used successfully in residential areas in the past.

The remaining structure suffers no cracking, reinforced steel is left undamaged and the concrete retains its original integrity by water jet, making this technique ideal for repair contracts.

Hydrodemolition removes a layer of concrete by shooting a jet of high pressure water into the material. When the water fills the natural cavities in the concrete, it bursts from within, exploding upwards. The result is a rough surface, free from micro-cracks, ready for a new layer of fresh concrete. It also leaves the reinforcement bars completely intact.