Waterproofing the London School of Economics

Summary

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  An artists impression of the great hall of the new Marshall Building

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  The LSE Marshall Building will have an impressive new entrance in Lincolns Inn Fields

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  A view of the Marshall Building from the adjacent building in Lincolns Inn Fields.

In April 2016, the world-renowned London School of Economics announced that Grafton Architects were to design their next major project. The Marshall Building at 44 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, built by Mace Group, includes an extensive two-storey, mixed-use basement. It will house plant areas, squash courts, changing facilities and a sports hall, covering a total of over 2,250m2 of floorspace and presenting quite the project for Newton Specialist Contractor Cast Contracting Ltd (CCL).

The Project

In late 2019, principal contractor Mace Group appointed Newton Specialist Contractor CCL to design, supply, and install the waterproofing.

To provide a completely dry, guaranteed solution on such a high-profile project, CCL recommended the Newton CDM System.

Otherwise known as Type C waterproofing, the CDM System is the safest and most reliable form of waterproofing.

The Solution

Before installation, CCL applied Newton 906 Lime Inhibitor to the slab to protect the drainage membranes from free lime. The team also applied the Type A liquid waterproofing membrane Newton 103-S internally to many concrete surfaces to block water.

With preparations complete, over 2,250m2 of Newton 520 eco membrane was installed to the floor and over 570m2 of Newton 508 membrane installed to the walls to create the Newton CDM System. Newton Basedrain channels direct water captured by the membranes to the discharge point, the system is sealed with Newton OverTape.

The Result

Despite requiring dedicated delivery slots and working to a tight schedule, clients praised CCL for completing the installation quickly and to a high quality.

The Newton recycling service recycled 115 kg of HDPE waste, preventing over 132 kg of CO2 emissions.

Testimonial

The unique closed-loop recycling service provided by Newton has bought real benefits to the project. It has helped us reduce our construction waste and supported our Time to Act campaign to reduce single-use plastic waste across construction, all with no impact on site activities. Alice Ashpitel, Sustainability Manager, Mace Group