THE PROJECT
Over the past 25 years Principality Stadium has brought the world of sport and music to the centre of Cardiff. Sporting the first fully retractable roof in the UK, the venue is at the leading edge as a multi-purpose, multi-faceted event venue. 56,000 tonnes of concrete and steel went into creating the stadium in a construction project that ran between 1997 and 1999 on the site of the old National Stadium. It has the capacity to seat 73,931 spectators and has welcomed over 1.3 million visitors per year since re-opening in 1999. To make the best use of the site space available, the design for the Stadium saw the orientation of the main bowl area move through 90 degrees to run North to South.

When the need to replace the join sealant on the terracing steps was identified, Fosroc were contacted by the specialist contractor Sealant Systems to help specify a suitable product. The two companies had successfully worked together on many projects over the years.

THE SOLUTION
Flamex MS320 was used to replace the old sealant. As a newly developed one-part sealant, its trafficable finish and fire rating performance made it the ideal solution. The old sealant had become very worn and therefore would be less effective in preventing the spread of fire between floors in a stadium.

After removing the remains of the existing sealant to make way for the fresh application, Flamex MS320 was used to seal the vertical and horizontal joints of the steps. The resulting grey finish matched the existing colour scheme and left a smooth, clean edge that not only looked smart, but would hold up to years of mass footfall from spectators.

Fosroc and Sealant Systems worked closely alongside each other on this first on-site application of Flamex MS320.

THE BENEFITS
This new product has outperformed equivalent competing products in lab testing to BS EN 1366-4, based on superior insulation and integrity for fire resistance and elasticity for robustness. It can withstand fire exposure for up to five hours and is supplied in foil sachets to reduce the volume of waste caused by traditional plastic cartridges.

As a one-part trafficable sealant MS320 is quicker to apply, reducing maintenance costs and the time it took before the area could be safely used again. The new sealant was well received by the contractor, who confirmed that it was straightforward to apply with less packaging wastage.

T: +44 (0) 1827 262222
E: enquiryuk@fosroc.com
Fosroc International, Drayton Manor Business Park, Coleshill Road, Tamworth,
Staffordshire, B78 3XN
www.fosroc.com

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Michael McDonnell Managing  Editor of Irish Construction Industry Magazine & Plan Magazine

Email: michael@irishconstruction.com      WWW.MCDMEDIA.IE  WWW.IRISHCONSTRUCTION.COM