ZEITZ MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

The initial phase of the project included the restoration of the Silo’s behind the main Museum building. The repairs needed to fit in seemingly with the original structure to decrease the visual effect of the refurbishment.

Sikagard®-706 W Thixo was applied to the old concrete of the Silo’s as a protective coating and water-repellent impregnation (hydrophobic treatment). This is used for absorbent substrates, such as concrete in civil engineering or building concrete structures subjected to heavy stress due to freeze and thaw cycles and de-icing salts, chloride attack in marine environments.

Subsequent to the protective coating application the external façade of the old silos was covered in
Sika® FerroGard®-903 acting as a corrosion inhibitor. In order to blend repairs to look like the original silo facade and maintain the integrity of the original structure, Sika® FerroGard®-903 was used due to its clear product characteristics and therefore the contractor was able to meet this requirement.

The structure was initially treated with Sika® FerroGard®-903 forming a protective monomolecular layer on the reinforcing steel. Used in conjunction with other Sika products in the Concrete Repair and Protection System, Sika® FerroGard®-903 decreases the corrosion rate by such an extent that the service life of aesthetically valuable fair faced concrete can be increased by up to 15 years. It can be used where other repairs or prevention options are not viable, does not change the appearance of the concrete, and can be applied to the surface of existing repairs to prevent the development of incipient anodes.

For the main Museum building, all new concrete barriers were constructed in the main building area, all of which were grouted sturdily in place with SikaGrout®-212. This fluid grout provides adjustable consistency, rapid strength development and high final strengths. It expands by gas generation whilst in the plastic state of curing, ensuring a low maintenance system, reducing costs in the future through preservation of the building.

When the project was given the go ahead to seal all external joints of the structure’s precast concrete façade, Sutherland and Associates did not hesitate to specify Sikaflex® AT-Façade. This high performance elastic joint sealant ticked all the right boxes for the most effective solution to seal the joints.

SikaTop®-Armatec®-110 EpoCem®, a sprayable cement-based, epoxy-modified, provided an effective anti-corrosion coating on reinforcing steel for all wet to dry epoxy applications for new concrete work against old concrete. These structural bond coats were used on the entire external structure where large volume repairs were necessary on newly completed areas which had been subsequently damaged through weathering and age. Sikadur®-31 CF was used for doweling on site of the rebar. This solvent-free, moisture tolerant, thixotropic, structural adhesive and repair mortar is based on epoxy resins and special fillers. It is designed for use at temperatures between +10°C and +30°C, and provides good adhesion to most construction materials and is suitable for dry and damp concrete surfaces,

The roof top of the main Museum building was coated in the Sikalastic®-8800. This two-part, elastic, fast curing pure polyurethane liquid applied membrane not only offers good chemical and abrasion resistance but also acts as a waterproofing system ideal for roof structures.

The entire face of the square building in front of the silos was coated with Sikalastic®-152.  The product was applied as a two-coat system at a 3mm thickness. The engineer was looking for an earthy, more natural look for the finish and consequently a final coat was applied including a stipple finish incorporating river sand in to the product to achieve this effect. This was the main waterproofing element of that structure.

The staircase and landings, of the building, were coated with Sikafloor®-263 SL ZA, Sikafloor®-264 ZA, with Sikafloor®-66 matt used as a top coat to provide clear finish. The total surface area amounted to
3 000m².

The main timber floor running throughout the museum was coated with Sikafloor® Comfort Tough. This was the first application for this product in Africa. It was applied directly on to the wood floor to give a more modern feel to the interior of the building. This tough self-smoothening elastic polyurethane flooring system and is part of the Sika Comfortfloor® decorative flooring range and covered approximately 3 800m².

Sika is proud to have been a major supplier to this high-profile restoration of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. This beautiful heritage site is now as modern as the contents within and due to Sika’s advanced technologies, will now have an extended life span.