Paving the way at Liverpool’s Canada Docks

Aggregate Industries supply highly durable Highpave concrete mix for scrap metal yard on the river Mersey

AGGREGATE Industries have supplied their innovative and highly durable Highpave concrete mix for the resurfacing of S Norton’s scrap metal yard at Liverpool’s famous Canada Docks.

With scrap metal continually being loaded on and off the site’s external slabbed yard area throughout the day, wear and tear from the abrasion meant it was in urgent need of replacing.

As such, family-run scrap metal business S Norton, who have been operating in Liverpool since 1960, were on the lookout for a hard-wearing reinforced-concrete solution offering superior strength and durability, suitable for heavy impact areas.

The chose to use Aggregate Industries’ Highpave fibre-reinforced, pavement-grade concrete, which is specifically designed to withstand mechanical force whilst also reducing the errors associated with the use of conventional reinforcing methods.

Approximately 875 cubic metres of Highpave, made using Aggregate Industries’ ultra-hard-wearing Glensanda granite aggregate, were supplied to the project last November.

Traditionally, reinforced concrete includes two layers of steel mesh in the slab’s construction, which means the concrete has to be replaced when the slab has worn down to the first layer of mesh.

However, the addition of steel fibres in the Highpave mix means the top layer of mesh can be left out, increasing the wearing depth of the concrete by an extra 100mm – a feature likely to result in reduced labour costs for the customer compared with traditional mesh reinforcement.

Moreover, to improve the environmental impact of the concrete mix, it was formulated using recyclable materials to help lower its overall CO2 impact.

Daniel King, general manager at Aggregate Industries, said: ‘With its unrivalled hard-wearing properties, we are delighted that our Glensanda granite aggregate, used to create a bespoke Highpave blend, proved the perfect fit for S Norton’s specialist needs.

‘We have no doubt that our tailored supply of concrete with its superior toughness, high volume stability and reduced shrinkage, will create a slabbed yard that lasts for years to come.’

Matt Norton, technical director at S Norton, commented: ‘Our Canada Docks’ site is at the heart of our business, making it essential that the scrap metal yard has flooring that can withstand the heavy-duty process of mechanically sorting through hundreds of thousands of tonnes of ferrous metal each year.

‘The team at Aggregate Industries didn’t disappoint with their customized Highpave solution and the seamless service you’d expect from a market leader; we look forward to working with the business again in the future.’