Skills gaps in local government have seen the private sector fill the breach to help protect dangerously old car park stock, according to renowned materials manufacturer Sika.
The chemicals giant has claimed a more bespoke approach from the private sector can be vital to educating councils on their asset management needs as local authorities struggle with cuts.
Sales manager, Steve Cocker, said the ability to create a phased, collaborative asset management plan was essential to tackling a worrying maintenance backlog in car parks, some of which are more than half a century old and need to be torn down.
‘We are finding that there is a lot of old car park stock that either needs a full or partial refurbishment or even demolition. It is difficult for local authorities to find the money to maintain the stock in the current climate,’ he said.
‘We would like councils to follow the Institute of Civil Engineers’ recommendations on inspections, which includes a recommendation for a full structural evaluation every five years.’
Mr Cocker added that developing a phased approach to maintaining or overhauling car park stock helps prevent emergency work when cracks or spalling in concrete develops.
The news comes after Sika launched its unique SikaFloor Pronto system, which enjoys British Standard qualification EN 1504 and provides a fast-setting waterproofing solution for car park decks with crack bridging capability.
This means work can be done overnight and within weather windows, providing a waterproof decking system that prevents corrosion of re-enforcement due to water ingress.
Sika has been developing material based solutions for over 100 years and currently enjoys a multi-billion pound annual turnover.
