Concrete Refurbishment & Protective Coatings
Introduction
As part of a record £840 million capital investment programme, Thames Water is undertaking major infrastructure upgrades across various water and sewage treatment sites between 2025 and 2030. The programme is designed to improve infrastructure resilience, environmental performance and capacity to support long-term population growth across London and the South East.
One of the key sites within this programme is Beckton Sewage Treatment Works (STW) in East London. Covering more than 250 acres, Beckton is Europe’s largest sewage treatment works, serving over 3.5 million people through London’s historic Victorian sewer network, originally designed by Sir Joseph Bazalgette.
Total Specialist Maintenance (TSM) was appointed to carry out the refurbishment and protection of existing concrete structures at the site, delivering a robust coating solution capable of extending asset life in an aggressive wastewater environment.
The Challenge
The refurbishment works at Beckton STW presented several significant challenges:
- Critical national infrastructure: Works were undertaken within a live operational sewage treatment environment, requiring careful planning and strict quality control.
- Degraded concrete protection: Existing protective coatings had reached the end of their service life and required full removal prior to reinstatement.
- Aggressive exposure conditions: Concrete structures are subject to chemical attack, moisture, and abrasion, demanding a high-performance, durable coating system.
Ensuring long-term protection was essential to maintaining operational continuity and supporting Thames Water’s wider capital delivery objectives.
Effective Concrete Protection
In wastewater treatment environments, inadequate protection of concrete structures can lead to:
- Accelerated concrete deterioration and reinforcement corrosion
- Increased maintenance intervention and lifecycle costs
- Reduced structural resilience and asset performance
A robust protective coating system is therefore essential to safeguarding critical infrastructure, improving durability, and supporting sustainable long-term operation.
The Solution
TSM delivered a structured and controlled refurbishment process to ensure optimal performance of the new protective coating system.
- Removal of Existing Coatings A robust protective coating system is therefore essential to safeguarding critical infrastructure, improving durability, and supporting sustainable long-term operation.
- Priming Prepared concrete surfaces were treated with Sika Pronto®-10 Primer, providing strong adhesion and preparing the substrate for subsequent coating layers.
- Body Coat Application A Sika Pronto®-32 body coat was applied to build the required protective thickness and deliver high resistance to chemical and mechanical stresses commonly found in sewage treatment environments.
Sand Blinding The coating system was fully blinded with sand, enhancing mechanical performance and ensuring effective encapsulation within the final layer.
Final Encapsulation The system was completed with Sika Pronto®-18, encapsulating the blinded surface to form a durable, seamless protective finish designed for long-term service.
Handling Project Complexities
Working within one of Europe’s largest and most complex sewage treatment facilities required careful coordination and disciplined site management. TSM’s experienced operatives followed clearly defined work sequences to maintain safety, quality and efficiency while operating alongside ongoing site activities.
The chosen coating system allowed for controlled application and reliable curing, supporting progress within a demanding operational environment.
Quality Assurance
TSM applied its rigorous quality control procedures throughout the project:
- Verification of substrate condition prior to coating
- Continuous inspection during each stage of application
- Final checks to confirm coating integrity, coverage and encapsulation
This approach ensured the protective system met both performance expectations and the long-term asset protection requirements of Thames Water.
Environmental Considerations
The refurbishment works contributed to the sustainability objectives of Thames Water’s capital investment programme by:
- Extending the service life of existing concrete assets
- Reducing the need for future invasive repairs
- Supporting resilient infrastructure essential to environmental protection and public health
Project Outcome
The completed works delivered a high-performance protective coating system that restored and enhanced the durability of concrete structures at Beckton STW. Key outcomes included:
- Long-term protection against chemical attack and moisture ingress
- Improved resilience of critical wastewater infrastructure
- Reduced future maintenance requirements and lifecycle costs
Through expert surface preparation, disciplined application and the use of proven protective coating systems, TSM successfully supported Thames Water’s major capital delivery programme at one of the UK’s most important wastewater treatment facilities.
For more information on TSM’s concrete repair, protective coatings and specialist construction services, visit www.totalsm.co.uk
