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Deckshield takes Galaxy Macau to greater heights

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Phase 2 of mega casino Galaxy Macau’s development plan included the creation of a high performance car parking facility, ensuring that visitors to the resort would drive into a clean, quiet and visually appealing environment. The HK16 billion-construction project would see Macau’s new venue expand by 450,000 sq metres, with 3,600 hotel rooms and 500 more tables in the casino. This growth would see Galaxy Macau significantly increase both its footprint and customer volume.

To accommodate this expansion, a multi-storey car park that would reflect the site’s high standards of customer satisfaction, aesthetics and functionality was required. The resort knew that this was essential in order to provide a high quality visitor experience and to avoid delays, traffic congestion and failures from over-capacity and over-use.

Over 50,000 sq metres of high performance flooring materials was required to create the desired finish.

Over 50,000 sq metres of high performance flooring materials was required to create the desired finish.

Thanks to the success of Flowcrete Hong Kong’s work supplying floors for Phase 1 of the project, the casino’s operators once again turned to the resin flooring specialists to provide a high performance, reliable and long-lasting surface for its upgraded car parking structure. Over 50,000 sq metres of high performance flooring materials was required to create the desired finish. The main floor area was coated over a nine-month period using 20,000 sq metres of the flexible, polyurethane deck coating system Deckshield ID as well as 14,500 sq metres of Deckshield LBD, which has been designed to act as a barrier to protect against moisture rising from the substrate.

Deckshield ID has been specifically formulated to optimise the floor area within large, multi-storey car parks. Deckshield ID is exceptionally robust, which means that it can withstand heavy vehicles constantly moving in tight circles. The chemically resistant nature of Deckshield ID also prevents exposure to automotive fuels and oils from deteriorating the finish. To ensure that the car park is a quiet and calm environment, Deckshield ID’s texture has been designed to reduce unpleasant tyre squeals.

Galaxy Macau chose a sleek, modern grey colour for the floor finish, which not only created a contemporary aesthetic but it would also provide an effective backdrop for the bright yellow signage and demarcation. Underneath the finish, 10,000 sq metres of both Isocrete K-Screed and the damp proof membrane system, Isocrete M-Bond Extra, was applied to ensure that the floor build up was robust and that the finish would be protected from moisture rising out of the substrate.

2,300 sq metres of Deckshield IDSD High Grade was used on the multi-storey facilities ramp while 10,000 sq metres of Flowcoat SF41 3mm Composite was applied in the loading bay and back of house areas.

During Phase 1 of Galaxy Macau’s construction, which was completed in 2010, Flowcrete Hong Kong supplied 15,000 sq metres of Deckshield in the initial car park and 18,000 sq metres of Isocrete K-Screed in the casino’s basement floor.

General Manager of Flowcrete Asia, Francis Tang, said, “It is imperative that the building materials specified for a location such as Galaxy Macau live up to the high standards of the venue. For our work during both phases one and two of the casino’s development, this meant providing the required functionality to support the operations of such a large, complex site while also ensuring that the environment constantly conveys a clean, visually appealing image.”

He added, “The expertise and experience at Flowcrete Hong Kong combined with our high quality flooring materials meant that we were ideally positioned to meet Galaxy Macau’s needs. We are committed to working closely with the resort as it develops and grows over the coming years.”

Deckshield Delivers Rave Reviews for Riverside 66

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Flowcrete China recently worked with Hang Lung Properties on the state-of-the-art, LEED certified Riverside 66 shopping centre in the heart of Tianjin’s Haihe Central Business District.

This project, undertaken by one of the country’s largest property companies, demonstrates China’s heritage in contrast with the modern world and how the two can be artfully combined in a unique feat of architectural juxtaposition.

Located at the prime intersection of two principal commercial streets in Tianjin, Riverside 66 offers more than 150,000 square meters of commercial space in the bosom of the renowned Haihe Central Business District.

It was crucial that a top-quality visitor experience was designed into the very fabric of the building. This ethos extended throughout the mall, from the shops of the 400 renowned international brands, to the dining areas, entertainment zones and even into car parking facility.

Hang Lung Properties was aware that the visitor’s first impression is usually formed, not in the shops, but in the car park when they initially arrive. Therefore this space needs to be visually appealing, clean and calm.

To create the desired car park environment 60,000 metre-square of Flowcrete China’s Deckshield ID deck coating system was specified. The Deckshield range of environmentally sustainable car park coatings has been designed to enhance a site’s interior aesthetics, sharpen light reflectively and prevent water ingress affecting the car park structure.

The iconic retail landmark’s streamlined design features an impressive glass roof, which transmits streams of daylight into the captivating contemporary complex, which is fast becoming a centrepiece in the city’s core commercial district.

Skilfully integrated into the ‘super shell’ structure are the fascinating 100-year-old ruins of the Zhejiang Xingye Bank, creating a perfect fusion of the old and the new and the charm of elegant European-style architecture with a state-of-the-art retail centre.

The clear colours and wide open spaces of seamless flooring in the car park reflect the spacious, sprawling feel of the mall itself. Hang Lung Properties utilised the Deckshield colour range and ability to incorporate signage into the finish to install floors in a cool grey with crisp white line markings and coloured bay numbers that match the facility’s colour-coded zones.

The bright, clearly visible signage performs both an aesthetic and functional purpose, as it also assists traffic and pedestrian movement within the car park.

The clear colours and wide open spaces of seamless flooring in the car park reflect the spacious, sprawling feel of the mall itself.

The clear colours and wide open spaces of seamless flooring in the car park reflect the spacious, sprawling feel of the mall itself.

Deckshield has a highly accredited fire rating and the slip resistant surface it creates also helps to reduce tyre squeal to make the car park simultaneously safer and quieter.

Its tough polyurethane formulation is also able to withstand the constant movement of vehicles, spillages of automotive fuel and oils, thermal shock as well as the wear from cleaning and general use that it will inevitably experience. This means that the Riverside 66 architects could rely on the car park maintaining an impressive and effective floor finish for an extended period of time.

With a window of only three months in which to install the high-class deck coating, numerous competitors chose to steer clear of the challenging project.  

However, with its years of experience in the car park decking business, Flowcrete China and its licensed contractors were confident of completing the job to a high standard and in a timely manner. The applicators worked in shifts, day and night for the three-month duration of the project to successfully complete the B2 and B3 levels of the car park.

Even before its doors opened, Riverside 66 garnered an impressive array of internationally sought after awards. They include the “MIPIM Architectural Review Future Project Awards 2007 – Retail & Leisure Commended Certificate” presented by MIPIM and The Architectural Review; the “Precertification under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Core and Shell Development–Gold Level” presented by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2009; and the “2010 AIA New York Chapter’s Design Awards–Merit Award (Unbuilt Work)” presented by the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter.

The client was delighted with the end result that Flowcrete and its licensed contractor delivered and also with the timely and professional manner in which the work was undertaken.

Artistic Resin Flooring by Flowcrete

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The shimmering Expressions Single Tone floor installed in the Blue Planet Aquarium in Denmark.

The shimmering Expressions Single Tone floor installed in the Blue Planet Aquarium in Denmark.

The Lukas Image Studio in Poland.

The Lukas Image Studio in Poland.

International resin flooring manufacturer, Flowcrete Group has announced the launch of a new range best online casino of artistic resin floor finishes targeting contemporary retail brands and commercial sector clients.

The Expressions range features three new systems in a total of 20 new colour ways offering a choice between solid and multi-dimensional marbled colour tones or alternatively a striking galvanised metallic effect to offer the highest artistic design finish on the surface of the floor.

Each system is intricately trowel applied by hand through Flowcrete’s approved applicator network, using a number of creative techniques, to deliver a one-of-a-kind surface that can never be fully recreated. The new Expressions line also offers a number of performance advantages over alternative materials including excellent UV-stability, slip resistance and durability – making it an ideal solution for commercial and public settings.

For more information, visit: www.flowcreteasia.com/expressions.

Flowcrete Delivers Level Best At Hong Kong’s New Cruise Terminal

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Flowcrete Group provided specialist flooring solutions for Hong Kong's new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

Flowcrete Group provided specialist flooring solutions for Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal

 

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Flowcrete Group has provided solid foundations for a landmark construction project at Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in East Kowloon.

The USD 1 billion new cruise terminal has been built on the site of Hong Kong’s former airport, which was long regarded as one of the most spectacular flight approaches in the world with a runway that jutted straight out into the sea.

Now, passengers approaching the runway will do so at crawl speed from some of the world’s most impressive and largest cruise liners.

Gleaming silver and representing an area roughly a half-mile long, the new terminal building designed by architects Foster + Partners, features a two berth dock capable of handling liners of up to 220,000 gross registered tonnage and processing more than 3,000 passengers an hour.

Inside, the terminal features airy check-in, immigration and waiting halls as well as retail and dining facilities alongside a vast rooftop garden offering panoramic views of the Kowloon peninsula and Hong Kong skyline.

With Asia increasingly being recognised as a hotbed for cruise industry growth, the new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal is expected to act as the gateway to the East for up to 3.7 million passengers by 2017.

Over 40,000 square metres of Flowcrete’s cementitious subfloor screed system, Isocrete Heavy Duty K-Screed, have been applied by Flowcrete Hong Kong, to serve as a surface underlayment within the main terminal facility prior to the application of floor tiles.

Flowcrete’s heavy-duty screed system, in thicknesses ranging from 40-60mm, has been installed in the customs, clearance and departure halls as well in baggage handling areas, back-of-house maintenance facilities and the spectacular overhead rooftop garden.

Isocrete Heavy Duty K-Screed is a robust, semi-dry cementitious screed system incorporating a proprietary K additive to produce an early drying, high-strength screed allowing for the early installation of moisture sensitive floor finishes or floor coverings.

The material is recommended for areas where heavy foot or wheeled traffic is expected on a continual basis. The system can be laid bonded, unbonded or floating – for weight saving and thermal or sound insulation – and can also be installed in conjunction with sound-proofing systems.

10,000 square metres of a second Flowcrete system, Flowcoat SF41 – a seamless epoxy floor coating material – has also been used to provide a hardwearing and slip-resistant floor finish in specialists back of house maintenance and baggage handling areas.

Representing a soft launch, the new terminal opened its doors to the Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas in June 2013 ahead of the facility’s full opening later in the year. A commemorative park, adjacent to the terminal, with an aviation theme is in the pipeline to pay homage to the former Kai Tak Airport.

The airport, which was moved to a new site at Chek Lap Kok some 15 years ago also featured 250,000 square metres of Flowcrete’s fast-cure Isocrete K-Screed system, representing – at the time – the company’s largest screed project undertaken.

 

For more information please visit www.flowcreteasia.com/singapore