Skip to main content

Seal of approval for Sika

Skikaflex Construction by UK-based Sika was chosen by Skanska Balfour Beatty Joint Venture to seal movement joints during the widening of one of Europe’s busiest motorways. The M25, also known as the London Orbital, handles around 200,000 vehicles every day on its busiest sections. Its widening between junctions 27 and 30 is said to be delivering much needed extra capacity to tackle congestion and improve journey times.
June 22, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Skikaflex Construction  by UK-based Sika was chosen by 2296 Skanska 1146 Balfour Beatty Joint Venture to seal movement joints during the widening of one of Europe’s busiest motorways.

The M25, also known as the London Orbital, handles around 200,000 vehicles every day on its busiest sections. Its widening between junctions 27 and 30 is said to be delivering much needed extra capacity to tackle congestion and improve journey times.

In 2002, the London Orbital Multi Model Study (ORBIT) was tasked with addressing the problem. The ORBIT report recommended that most of the dual 3 lane sections of the M25 should be widened to 4 lanes.

The widening project is being carried out by Skanska Balfour Beatty Joint Venture for Connect Plus, working on behalf of the 2309 Highways Agency, as part of the Design Build Finance and Operate Contract for the M25.                                                   

Said to be a high performance product, Sikaflex Construction (SC) has been used to seal the vertical movement joints of the newly constructed reinforced concrete walls at the Emergency Access Routes situated behind the embankment piers of the widened motorway section.  It has also been used to seal the horizontal movement joints of the newly constructed reinforced concrete pier protection and pier strengthening at various bridge locations between junctions 27 and 30.

SC was used to create what was said to be a 100% watertight seal. A one part polyurethane sealant, it is also described as a versatile sealant that can be used for a variety of construction and civil engineering purposes. Said to be easy to install and environmentally friendly, the SC is stain resistant and can be over painted. Crucially, once installed it provides a seal that is impregnable by water, dirt, dust and chemicals.

Available in four standard colours, SC is supplied in 600cc foil sausages for easy on site application by gun. Conforming to ISO 11600 Class F25HM/F20LM, it offers a cost effective method of sealing construction joints of up to 35mm.

Chosen for what was said to be its tear resistance and ability to withstand dirt, water and chemical attack, Sika said its SC provided the ideal solution to protect the concrete retaining walls on the M25.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • BKT unveiling giant new Earthmax SR 45 Plus tyre
    January 18, 2017
    BKT is unveiling its new giant tyre – the Earthmax SR 45 Plus. Described by the Indian headquartered manufacturer as a “real eye-catcher”, the SR 45 Plus tyre is 2.7m in diameter (size 27.00 R 49).
  • Tees Valley crossing project consultation nears an end
    May 9, 2019
    Public consultation is nearly closed for a possible new crossing across the River Tees in northern England that could cost upwards of €350 million. A €230-290 million Tees Viaduct Capacity Enhancement project is the preferred option against a €350 million Tees Viaduct option, according to the recently created Tees Valley Combined Authority, the local government. Capacity Enhancement project would see a two-lane bridge built parallel to the existing A19 viaduct to carry traffic travelling northbound an
  • Doka’s fine form
    June 18, 2012
    Doka’s SKE50 automatic climbing formwork are being used on two suspension towers for a new multi-lane cable-stayed bridge alongside an older viaduct in Zaporozhye, south-east Ukraine. On completion, this large-scale infrastructure project is set to massively reduce the traffic burden on the existing bridge and significantly improve the daily traffic situation at what is a major river crossing. The two separate roadway slabs are cable-stayed off twin H-shaped suspension towers 150metres high. Lead project co
  • Emergent markets key for formwork sector growth
    May 21, 2014
    Central and south-east Europe are hotbeds for new highway infrastructure projects utilising cutting-edge formwork solutions, while a number of leading formwork manufacturers are also looking at emergent markets for growth. Guy Woodford reports Travelling between Hungary’s capital Budapest and Southern Dalmatia now takes less time thanks to the Pan-European Corridor Vc – European route 73. Numerous tunnels and bridges are erected along the 397km stretch of the European route 73 through Bosnia owing to the