Herbert House, a former three storey office block in Temple Meads, Bristol, was suffering from cracking and crushing of the front elevation brickwork and movement / cracking of its high levels lintels caused by rusting and expanding metalwork. Owned and operated by TCN Management, it is currently mainly empty, with the ground floor used for storage, and may well be demolished as the site is earmarked for re-development.

However, it presented serious short term safety issues as it fronts onto a very busy road outside the main railway station. Consequently it required immediate inexpensive, but effective, short term repairs to stabilise the masonry and prevent brickwork spalling onto the pavement below where a bus stop is situated.

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TRAC Structural undertook the necessary structural repairs using Helifix products and specially developed installation techniques. Stainless steel HeliBars were bonded into horizontal cut slots, both above and across the large window heads, which were formed from either double rows of stepped soldier course brickwork or courses of normal brickwork laid vertically. The HeliBars reinforced the lintels and formed a masonry beam above them. They were then secured by vertically installing grouted CemTies up through the lintels and into the masonry beam above.

The front elevation masonry was stabilised by carrying out crack stitching in various areas using individual HeliBars grouted into the mortar beds while horizontal cracks between the windows were stabilised using further HeliBars drilled into the brickwork and bonded into vertically cut slots in the masonry.

All the cost-effective Helifix repairs were rapidly undertaken to reliably secure the front elevation and lintels at Herbert House, enabling the pavement below to be safely re-opened after a minimal closure period.

For further information Tel: 020 8735 5200 or Email: [email protected] or Visit: www.helifix.co.uk