Tottenham Court Road Underground Station opened as part of the Central London Railway (CLR) on 30th July 1900. Today, its location in the capital means it connects over 150,000 passengers daily; a figure that is expected to increase to over 200,000 when Cross Rail serves the station in 2018.

Throughout 2015 DMC Contracts Ltd, a main contractor for refurbishment works on London Underground, working alongside Taylor Woodrow BAM Nuttall (TWBN), used ARDEX products to complete the Central Line’s Tottenham Court Road Station upgrade.

Dave McCartney, Chief Executive of DMC Contracts Ltd commented “We have a long standing relationship with ARDEX UK, having worked for many years with their team, developing designs and completing a number of major projects across the UK to the satisfaction of our clients”

The design required DMC Contracts Ltd to complete a full wall and floor tiling installation that included the bespoke production of pre-cast skirtings and treads for the stairs and walkways, and breaking back to the existing substrate, making repairs using ARDEX Fast Track Repair Mortars and Screed Cements.

London Underground Ltd recommend the use of EXPAMET 267 Stainless Steel Rib Lath. The metal sheets provide a solid, secure background, and are ideal for use in the refurbishment of damaged, old and deteriorated walls; commonly found in the underground environment. ARDEX AM 100 Tile Render was applied to the Rib Lath, which were profiled to suit the natural curve of the walls. ARDEX AM 100 provided a smooth surface, which was ready for tiling in the shortest possible time, just two hours after application, meaning the area could be opened up to public access without additional hoarding.

ARDEX MICROTEC? X 78 was specified to fix the floor tiles because of its extremely high bond strength. Additionally, the semi-pourable consistency of the product helped the tile fixers quickly and easily achieve solid bed fixing, speeding up the installation process.

Due to the demanding environment of the underground, ARDEX MICROTEC? X 77 was specified on the walls. The adhesive is resistant to moisture ingress and has a high bond strength, meaning it can cope with both the vibrations from passing trains, and heavy trafficking of the passages and platforms.

The following products were specified for use in this project:

• ARDEX A 38 – Ultra Rapid Drying Cement for Internal & External Screeds
• ARDEX AM 100 – Rapid Hardening Tile Render
• ARDEX A 46 – Multi-Purpose Repair Mortar
• ARDEX MICROTEC? X 78 – Flexible Semi-Pourable Floor Tile Adhesive
• ARDEX MICROTEC? X 77 – Flexible Wall & Floor Tile Adhesive
• ARDEX FLEX FL – Rapid Setting Flexible Tile Grout

Paul Forrester, ARDEX Business Development Manager, commented “Since its opening the station has seen many modifications over the years, and this project has been the biggest yet. The main benefits ARDEX offered DMC Contracts Ltd were, not only the rapid drying times and strength of the finished products, but the technical and onsite support at every stage of the project.”

For further information please visit:
www.dmccontracts.co.uk