Entrance to Portland Hospital, London

Background
Located in Great Portland Street, Greater London is the United Kingdom’s largest private hospital with a dedicated pediatric intensive care unit, The Portland Hospital for Women and Children.

Conceived by Pediatrician, Barry Lewis, who felt that London required a private hospital for women and children (the only one in the UK which is solely dedicated).  The private maternity hospital which opened in 1983, now cares for over 40,000 children a year providing a wide range of treatments.

There have been many famous births at The Portland Hospital.  Most notably, royalty such as Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie of York; daughters of Prince Andrew Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York.  Children of celebrities including daughters of Billy Connolly, Sting, Mick Jagger and Noel Gallagher, and sons of David & Victoria Beckham, Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit.  Comedian Jack Whitehall is also among the famous names.

 
Job Brief/Planning
In June 2021 our Technical Team were contacted by Sonnemann Toon Architects LLP.  Their client wanted to change the colour of the existing vehicular paving and after doing some research, they found that instead of replacing the whole surface, they could lay over it with resin bound paving to upgrade the area and create a more aesthetically pleasing frontage.  A hardwearing and durable surface was required for the Hospital forecourt and SureSet Resin Systems was the ideal solution.  The existing block paving is laid to falls to allow for water run-off, so adding the final layer of permeable paving will eliminate standing water and puddling as the rain will run through the SureSet and off to the current drainage system.

For the 60m² front entrance, the order was placed by Whistlers Ltd who were the main Contractors on the project.  One of our lighter colours, 6mm Winter Frost from the Luxury Crushed Marble Range was chosen due to the high quality resin technology and the UV stability offered with SureSet’s product.  Using a white shade for the paving along with the UV stable resin means it will keep it’s colour for longer and not yellow over time.  It is important to review the products carefully when choosing your resin bound paving supplier and check the quality of the resin used.  Resin bound paving is also a low maintenance product and can easily be kept clean by regular sweeping and an occasional power wash.  This is ideal for this type of application and as the area is for low traffic vehicles, following the maintenance guidance should keep the lighter colour paving looking fresh for years to come.

 
Process/Execution
Due to the nature of the product and the speed in which it can be laid, SureSet Approved Installers and Sub-Contractors; Limegate, installed the resin bound paving to both sides of the Hospital access in one day.

First, SureSet primer was put down over the existing block paving surface to give further adhesion from the base to the resin bound paving.  As the primer has a fast curing time, no delays were created and CRM (crack reduction membrane) was then laid over the top.  CRM is a mesh type sheet which is used when installing over existing joints between materials or blocks to give more strength and to minimise the risk of potential movement in the base which could result in reflective cracking in the resin bound paving top layer.  The area was then marked out ready for installation of the resin bound paving.  Cold mixed on site, the different sized aggregates are combined in a Baron forced action paddle mixer, along with the whisked 3- part resin system, fully mixed together and then transferred to the laying area.  To create the correct depth of the resin bound paving, the blend is spread using a spazzle and then hand compacted using metal floats.   A video showing our different installation methods can be viewed here.

When using light colours such as Winter Frost is it recommended to keep up with cleaning the surface to maintain the clean, fresh look.  Resin bound permeable paving is simple to take care of using a stiff broom and a power wash to clear away moss and grime which may appear on the surface.  You can download our aftercare and maintenance guide from our website.

When installed by a SureSet team, an Approved Installer or Global Partner, all projects are guaranteed for 21 years against:

• Loose stone
• Oil damage
• Softening
• Cracking
• Frost damage
• Colour change
• Workmanship

(Terms and conditions apply)

There are many options for having resin bound paving on your scheme either by having it installed by our skilled teams or you can do it yourself if you are a keen tradesman, and although Portland Hospital was supply and installation, due to the size of the area it would be possible to complete a similar project of this nature using our TradePacks.  Each Pack contains materials to cover 30m² at an 18mm depth, so if you are wanting to try it yourself then this would be the ideal solution.  (Please note that Trade & DIY products are not included in the 21 year guarantee).

Our other trade product ProResin would also be suitable if you are able to source your own aggregate or purchase separately from our recommended supplier.  Simply mix together in your own forced action paddle mixer and install on site.  Tools are available on our online shop to go alongside your material order, making it really easy to get everything you need in one go.