maxit LWA Geotechnical Fill
Civil Engineering
St a r C i t y - B i rm i n g h a m
maxit LWA U s e d Fo r N ew Ro of to p Fo o t b a l l maxit LWA gives self-compacting, light, free-draining base layer to new football centre maxit, the European manufacturer of mineral-based building materials, has supplied its LWA lightweight aggregate product for a unique and eye-catching project.
Contractor Blakedown Sport and Play has built ten 5-a-side football pitches on top of a multistorey car park, visible from the M6 Motorway in Birmingham. The ten pitches are part of a multimillion-pound sports centre for Goals Soccer.
maxit Building Products Ltd. The Heath, Runcorn Cheshire WA7 4QX Tel.: +44 (0)1928 515656 Fax: +44 (0)1928 576792 Web: www.maxit-uk.co.uk Email: sales@maxit-uk.co.uk
The LWA was employed as the base layer for the pitches, principally for the fact that its light weight reduces loadings on the existing structure, but also for its excellent drainage properties. In addition, the unique ability of LWA to self-compact meant that a stable base could be levelled out using no more than hand-held rakes, meaning no heavy plant was needed to flatten it.
The material was supplied in 2.2 cubic metre bags, which were dropped by fork lift and spread out at point of use. The top surface of the pitches is Edel Extreme artificial turf with sand and rubber crumb infill. Tony Farmer, contract manager at Blakedown, says: “This contract entailed very complex design requirements due to the nature and positioning of the site – building on an existing rooftop generates its own unique challenges and maxit LWA enabled us to meet three of them in one. “By providing us with an effective self-compacting fill, which reduces loading and drains extremely well, maxit LWA has enabled us to complete this contract extra quickly and to a tight budget.”