WHARF STREET, GOSFORD

This multi-tiered waterfront property located in Gosford NSW was suffering extensive structural damage caused by consistent water ingress. Upon early inspection, engineers found that the property had been poorly constructed, allowing water to penetrate through the external balconies into living areas in the apartments below.

The scope of the work requested by the engineers included:

• Removal and replacement of windows and rectification of faulty workmanship
• Removal and replacement of faulty roofing membrane
• Replacement of cavity flashings
• Tiling
• Installation of expansion joints
• Installation of concrete hobs in accordance with the Building Code of Australia
• Installation of new balustrading
• Painting of all external render

The Rectification Process

Remedial commenced the project in early 2015 after tendering a methodology for undertaking the project. Before beginning the works, Remedial erected scaffolding at the rear of the property to minimise the impact on residents.

The first stage of the project involved the removal of the old balustrades, balcony tiles and membranes. Once this was completed, the team began the removal of the apartment windows and glass door assemblies, before installing a torch-on waterproofing membrane system. A flashing was then placed in the appropriate position before reinstalling the door and windows. This procedure was performed on each apartment one-by-one, in order to reduce the impact on residents by ensuring that each home was exposed to the elements for the minimum possible time.

During the next stages of the project, cavity flashings were installed, a torch-on membrane was applied to the surface of each balcony and screeds were applied where necessary. Once this was complete,the legs for the new glass and aluminium balustrades were positioned, new tiles were installedand a suitable expansion jointing system was applied to allow adequate movement of the joints.

The final stage of the project involved the coating of various elements and the installation of the balustrade frames and glass. After the completion of all rectification works, the building was commercially cleaned prior to the final inspection by the engineers. As soon as the completion certificate was issued, the scaffolding was removed.

Environmental Management

At Remedial, the protection of the natural environment is always an important consideration. Accredited to Australian Environmental Standards, you can rest assured that for every project Remedial undertake, there is an appropriate environmental program in place to ensure the safety of the natural environment.

For the Wharf Street rectification project, the measures taken included but were not limited to:

• Runoff socks
• Protective sheeting during water blasting
• On-site chemical containment
• Removal, storage and re-introduction of plants which would have otherwise been affected by foot traffic or scaffolding.

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BUILDING, SYDNEY

The Department of Education Building located in Sydney’s CDB, was designed by the acclaimed architect George McRae, the esteemed architect was also responsible for the design of Sydney’s famous Queen Victoria Building on George Street.

Constructed in 1914, the building is characterised by Edwardian Baroque design elements which are rarely found in Australian architecture. Almost a century after the building’s construction, Remedial Building Services were engaged to perform restoration works to this beautiful building for the purposes of ensuring that water damage and ingress could be prevented into the future. 
All told, the work we were brought on to address included:

• Removal of bonded asbestos sheeting from the roofing. This was not only a hazardous product, but it was failing causing water to seep into the building. 
• Removal of concrete which had begun to pull away from the concrete slab
• Correction of falls to the concrete slab
• Application of a torch-on membrane waterproofing system
• Removal of copper flashings
• Reinstallation of flashings to prevent water ingress
• Removal of window beading and replacement of appropriate solution

The Rectification Process

Rectification on this extensive project began on the rooftop of the building, where qualified asbestos removal staff began the process of isolating the area to be worked on, encapsulating it and then removing the faulty membrane containing bonded asbestos.
During this stage of the rectification, Remedial worked with building management to implement extensive measures to protect employees and the general public from any exposure to asbestos particles. Once all asbestos affected materials had been safely disposed of, the Remedial team installed a new torch-on membrane to the roof and parapet in order to prevent the ingress of water into the building.

After the roof was completed, specialist staff with extensive heritage rectification experience repaired and replaced all copper flashings and window beading.

This rectification project was completed over a 16 month period to the satisfaction of the building management, with minimal if any impact on the occupants of the building. The high quality work provided by Remedial enhanced the waterproofing and structural integrity of the building while maintaining all the requirements of a heritage listed building.
These works will allow the building to remain structurally sound and visually spectacular for many years to come.