Friars Walk, Newport

Pro-Bed HS was supplied in 30 tonne bulk silos to install over 10,000 square metres of paving in Friar’s Walk.

The multi-million pound development provides a major landmark for the city centre’s regeneration after an economic turndown. The complex is home to well known retailers and eateries such as Debenhams, Marks and Spencer and Prezzo as well as housing an eight screen cinema and tenpin bowling alley and has created 1200 jobs.

Work was carried out by primary contractor Bowmer & Kirkland and sub-contractor, Davisons, who laid a range of paving throughout the site using UltraScape’s Pro-Bed HS fine bedding concrete, Flowpoint rapid set flowable grout and Pro-Prime slurry primer.  All materials conform to the British Standard BS 7533. Their fast-track and high specification characteristics were an ideal addition to the site’s development.

Pro-Bed HS was supplied in 30 tonne bulk silos, perfect for large scale projects such as this where site storage was limited. It offers the ability to mix the product on-site at the touch of a button. The bulk silo offers a significant cost saving over traditional bagged material and also the added benefit of reducing packaging waste to zero. This was a welcome addition to the project which was designed to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ for energy consumption.

Construction was carried out in challenging circumstances as contractors worked to tight time frames and with access restrictions as sections were finished. UltraScape’s rapid set materials facilitated a speedy installation, with Pro-Bed HS able to receive foot traffic in as little as 12 hours  and Flowpoint in just 1 hour.

Projects incorporating BS 7533 compliant materials benefit from a reduction in failures and considerable whole life cost savings.  The materials have been independently and rigorously tested by UKAS accredited laboratories to assess their performance capabilities. This method removes the uncertainty of site batched mortars and offers a minimum construction life of 40 years

The Friars Walk redevelopment has helped Newport city centre to re-emerge as the both the premier retail district in this region and the centre for social and cultural entertainment and UltraScape is proud to have played a part.