Structural repair to St Lukes Church
Concrete Cancer repair to a Holy Place
The bell tower of St Lukes Catholic Church located in Buranda, Queensland recently had work completed to the bell tower. Years of exposure to the elements had caused concrete cancer to deteriorate the structural strength of the tower. Upon inspection of the site, it became apparent that rectification was essential as the structure was weakened and furthermore, was leaking water inside when it rained, which further exacerbated the situation.
The initial step was to repair the tower's ring beams which was done using Sika Monotop 610 and 615. Once this was completed, attention was given to the copper roof and the slab below it. Due to water ingress through the faulty roof membrane, the steel within the slab had rusted, causing the slab to expand and allow more water in. Remedial removed the drummy concrete and then treated the steel before repairin the slab. Simultaneously, we repaired the roof structure through application of a shrink compensated grout which achieved high bond strength within a short period of time. Finally we applied Sika Rainttite waterproofing membrane to the top which sealed the roof completely, preventing the situation from occuring again.
Finally the copper dome was reinstated, restoring the church to it's former grandeur.